لأحسنُ من صائلٍ أحمرِ

لأحسنُ من صائلٍ أحمرِ

تسيلُ به حومةُ العسكرِ

تسيلُ به حومةُ العسكرِ

Surely lovelier than a red assailant,

The finest of horsemen rides a chestnut steed

Far better than a charging chestnut steed,

with whom the army's throng surges,

Whose flowing mane bedraggles the cavalry

With which the army's heart flows forth in might,

ركوبٌ على أدهم بُكرةً

ركوبٌ على أدهم بُكرةً

ووثبةُ شاةٍ على أشقر

ووثبةُ شاةٍ على أشقر

is riding a black steed at dawn,

Galloping atop a dusky mount at dawn

Is riding a dark stallion at the dawn,

and a sheep's leap onto a chestnut.

And leaping like a fawn upon a sorrel

And a wine-skin's leap upon a sorrel bright.

خيولٌ من الراح ما عُرّقت

خيولٌ من الراح ما عُرّقت

ليوم رهان ولم تضمر

ليوم رهان ولم تضمر

Steeds of wine, never made to sweat

Horses that sweat not save when the winds blow

Coursers made of wine that never sweated

for a day of racing, nor trained lean;

Unbridled for the day of racing, unshod

For days of betting, nor were trained for speed,

براقعُها من سحيقِ الهجيرِ

براقعُها من سحيقِ الهجيرِ

ومن ياسمين وسيسنبر

ومن ياسمين وسيسنبر

their veils are of powdered noonday heat,

Clad in robes of thick, coarse wool

Their veils are woven from the dust of noon,

and of jasmine and wild mint.

And fragrant jasmine and civet mixed

And from the jasmine and the wild thyme seed.

معاشرُ تغدو بفرسانها

معاشرُ تغدو بفرسانها

وما أُسرِجت لا ولم تؤتر

وما أُسرِجت لا ولم تؤتر

Companies go forth at dawn with their riders,

A troop that sets out with its knights by day

Companions riding with their cavaliers,

yet never saddled—no—nor bound with cords:

Though never caparisoned or saddled

Though never saddled, no, nor bridled tight,

ذخائرُ كسرى لأولادهِ

ذخائرُ كسرى لأولادهِ

وغرسُ كرامِ بني الأصفرِ

وغرسُ كرامِ بني الأصفرِ

Khosrow's treasures for his children,

The treasure of Chosroes for his sons

The hoarded treasures Chosroes left his sons,

and the plantings of the noble sons of al-Asfar.

And a scion of the noble yellow clan

And plantings of the noble Byzantine.