1. وَأَسمَرٍ يَلحَظُ عَن أَزرَقٍ

    كَأَنَّهُ كَوكَبُ رَجمٍ وَقَد

    And a brown spear gazes through a blue point,

    as though it were a shooting star ablaze,

  2. يَعتَمِدُ العَينَ اِعتِمادَ الكَرى

    وَيَنتَحي القَلبَ اِنتِحاءَ الكَمَد

    aims at the eye as slumber does,

    and makes for the heart as grief does,

  3. حَيثُ الوَغى بَحرٌ وَبيضُ الظُبى

    مَوجٌ وَخُرصانُ العَوالي زَبَد

    where battle is a sea, and the white sword-edges

    are waves, and the heads of long spears are foam.

  4. يَضحَكُ مِن بيضِ حَبابٍ طَفا

    فيهِ وَمِن دِرعِ غَديرٍ جَمَد

    It laughs at helmets—bubbles afloat

    in it—and at mail—a frozen pool.