هاbehold أَنَذاhere I am ياO طالِبيyou who seek me ساعيhastening
ها أَنَذا يا طالِبي ساعي
مُحتَضِرٌready at hand بِرّيmy kindness إِلىto الداعيthe caller
مُحتَضِرٌ بِرّي إِلى الداعي
Here I am, O you who seek me, hastening;
Ready to answer the summoner's call
My kindness is ready for whoever calls.
I protect those who left from Muzhaj
أَحميI protect حِمىthe protected domain of مَنthose who غابَare absent مِنfrom مذحَجٍMadhhij
أَحمي حِمى مَن غابَ مِن مذحَجٍ
وَيَحمَدُand praises الشاهِدُthe one present إيقاعيmy onslaught
وَيَحمَدُ الشاهِدُ إيقاعي
I guard the domain of those absent from Madhhij,
And the witness praises my rhythm
And those present praise my onslaught.
No panic in war if it contains
لاnot هَلَعٌpanic-stricken فيin الحَربِwar هاعٌcowardly إِذاwhen
لا هَلَعٌ في الحَربِ هاعٌ إِذا
ريَّقَbreathed his last فيهاin it كُلّevery هَلواعِfaint-hearted coward
ريَّقَ فيها كُلّ هَلواعِ
No panic-stricken coward am I in war, when
A crack through which the dilapidated may escape
Every faint-heart breathes his last within it.
War has shone on my forehead
قَدindeed باضَتِlaid eggs الحَربُwar عَلىupon هامَتيmy crown
قَد باضَتِ الحَربُ عَلى هامَتي
وَصَممتنيand deafened me أُذُنَيthe two ears of واعيan attentive listener
وَصَممتني أُذُنَي واعي
War has laid her eggs upon my head,
And deafened my ears to any voice
And deafened me, a keen-eared listener.
My eyelids have entrusted me with sleeplessness
وَاِستَودَعَتنيand entrusted me with مُقلَتَيthe two eyes of أَرقٍa sleepless man
وَاِستَودَعَتني مُقلَتَي أَرقٍ
لاnot يَضعُlays down الجَنبَthe side لِتِهجاعِfor sleep
لا يَضعُ الجَنبَ لِتِهجاعِ
And entrusted me with a sleepless man's eyes,
That does not let the side rest for slumber
Who never lays his side down to sleep:
Reaping the ripe fruits with determination
مُستَحصِدُfirmly knit المِرَّةِstrength ذيpossessing هِمَّةٍhigh resolve
مُستَحصِدُ المِرَّةِ ذي هِمَّةٍ
ضَرّارُa great scourge to أَقوامٍpeoples وَنَفّاعِand a great benefactor
ضَرّارُ أَقوامٍ وَنَفّاعِ
Firm of sinew, possessed of high resolve,
Vexing the tribes and snarling
A great scourge to peoples, and a great benefactor.
No shortcoming can be found in him, even if
لاnot توجَدُis found الغرَّةُa lapse of vigilance مِنهُin him وَإِنand if
لا توجَدُ الغرَّةُ مِنهُ وَإِن
هيجَprovocation is stirred بِهِagainst him هيجَprovocation is stirred بِمُنصاعِagainst one swift to act
هيجَ بِهِ هيجَ بِمُنصاعِ
No lapse of vigilance is found in him; and if
He is roused, stirred up for the fray
He is provoked, a man swift to act is provoked.
Most valiant, doffing the coat of mail from his shoulders
أَشوسُfierce-eyed يُنضوstrips off الدرعَthe coat of mail عَنfrom مَنكِبٍa shoulder
أَشوسُ يُنضو الدرعَ عَن مَنكِبٍ
مِثلَlike سِنانِthe tip of الرُمحِthe spear شَعشاعِtall and slender
مِثلَ سِنانِ الرُمحِ شَعشاعِ
Fierce-eyed, he strips the mail from a shoulder
Like the piercing tips of spears, gleaming
Like a spearhead—he is tall and slender—
As you see, the wide plain of Ratqah
كَماjust as تَرىyou see أَفطَحَa broad-headed serpent ذاpossessing رقطةٍspeckled markings
كَما تَرى أَفطَحَ ذا رقطةٍ
تَنجابُclears away عَنهُfrom it هَبوَةُthe dust-cloud of القاعِthe plain
تَنجابُ عَنهُ هَبوَةُ القاعِ
As when you see a broad-headed, speckled serpent,
Where the torrents of the lowlands burst forth
The plain's dust-cloud clearing away from it.
Partial English translation: 17 of 18 Arabic lines translated.