يا ضارِبَ الجَيشِ بي في وَسطِ مَفرِقِهِ

يا ضارِبَ الجَيشِ بي في وَسطِ مَفرِقِهِ

لَقَد ضَرَبتَ بِعَينِ الصارِمِ العَضَبِ

لَقَد ضَرَبتَ بِعَينِ الصارِمِ العَضَبِ

O you who strike the army with me at the very center of its crown,

O you who strike the army in the midst of its detachment

you have indeed struck with the keen, cutting sword itself.

You have truly struck with the piercing, stern eye

لاتَحرُزُ الدُرعُ عَنّي نَفسَ صاحِبِها

لاتَحرُزُ الدُرعُ عَنّي نَفسَ صاحِبِها

وَلا أُجيرُ ذِمامَ البيضِ وَاليَلَبِ

وَلا أُجيرُ ذِمامَ البيضِ وَاليَلَبِ

Armor does not shield its wearer's life from me,

No armor protects its owner's soul from me

nor do I honor the protection pledged by helmets and leather armor.

Nor do I restrain the reins of the white and the piebald

وَلا أَعودُ بِرُمحي غَيرَ مُنحَطِمٍ

وَلا أَعودُ بِرُمحي غَيرَ مُنحَطِمٍ

وَلا أَروحُ بِسَيفي غَيرَ مُختَضِبِ

وَلا أَروحُ بِسَيفي غَيرَ مُختَضِبِ

Nor do I return with my spear unbroken,

Nor do I return with my spear without it being shattered

nor come home with my sword unstained with blood,

Nor do I sheathe my sword without it being bloodied

حَتّى تَقولَ لَكَ الأَعداءُ راغِمَةً

حَتّى تَقولَ لَكَ الأَعداءُ راغِمَةً

أَضحى اِبنُ عَمِّكَ هَذا فارِسُ العَرَبِ

أَضحى اِبنُ عَمِّكَ هَذا فارِسُ العَرَبِ

until your enemies say to you, despite themselves,

Until the enemies say to you reluctantly

“This cousin of yours has become the knight of the Arabs.”

Your cousin here has become the knight of the Arabs

هَيهاتَ لا أَجحَدُ النَعماءَ مُنعِمَها

هَيهاتَ لا أَجحَدُ النَعماءَ مُنعِمَها

خَلَفتَ يا اِبنَ أَبي الهَيجاءِ فِيَّ أَبي

خَلَفتَ يا اِبنَ أَبي الهَيجاءِ فِيَّ أَبي

Far from it! I do not deny a benefactor's bounty.

Alas! I do not deny the blessings of their Bestower

You have taken my father's place with me, O son of Abu al-Hayja.

After Abu Al-Hayja, you have succeeded your father in me

يامَن يُحاذِرُ أَن تَمضي عَلَيَّ يَدٌ

يامَن يُحاذِرُ أَن تَمضي عَلَيَّ يَدٌ

مالي أَراكَ لِبيضِ الهِندِ تَسمَحُ بي

مالي أَراكَ لِبيضِ الهِندِ تَسمَحُ بي

O you who fear that a hand might strike me,

O you who is wary that a hand may move against me

why do I see you freely yielding me to India's gleaming swords,

Why do I see you being so generous with the whites of India

وَأَنتَ بي مِن أَضَنِّ الناسِ كُلِّهِمِ

وَأَنتَ بي مِن أَضَنِّ الناسِ كُلِّهِمِ

فَكَيفَ تَبذُلُني لِلسُمرِ وَالقُضُبِ

فَكَيفَ تَبذُلُني لِلسُمرِ وَالقُضُبِ

when, of all people, you are among the most reluctant to part with me?

While you are the most caring of all people towards me

How, then, do you yield me to brown spears and cutting swords?

So how can you abandon me to the bay and the roan?

ما زِلتُ أَجهَلُهُ فَضلاً وَأُنكِرُهُ

ما زِلتُ أَجهَلُهُ فَضلاً وَأُنكِرُهُ

وَأوسِعُ النَفسَ مِن عُذرٍ وَمِن عَجَبِ

وَأوسِعُ النَفسَ مِن عُذرٍ وَمِن عَجَبِ

I kept failing to recognize this as a favor, and denying it,

I continued to be ignorant of it as grace and deny it

and indulging myself in excuses and astonishment,

And make my soul more patient with excuses and wonder

حَتّى رَأَيتُكَ بَينَ الناسِ مُجتَنِباً

حَتّى رَأَيتُكَ بَينَ الناسِ مُجتَنِباً

تُثني عَلَيَّ بِوَجهٍ غَيرِ مُتَّإِبِ

تُثني عَلَيَّ بِوَجهٍ غَيرِ مُتَّإِبِ

until I saw you keeping apart among the people,

Until I saw you among the people, keeping aloof

praising me with an unabashed face.

Praising me with an unblaming face

فَعِندَها وَعُيونُ الناسِ تَرمُقُني

فَعِندَها وَعُيونُ الناسِ تَرمُقُني

عَلِمتُ أَنَّكَ لَم تُخطِئ وَلَم أُصِبِ

عَلِمتُ أَنَّكَ لَم تُخطِئ وَلَم أُصِبِ

Then, as the people's eyes gazed at me,

It was then, while people's eyes watched me

I knew that you had not erred, and that I had not been right.

That I knew you were right and I was wrong