وَمُدَجَّجٍ نازَلْتُهُ في مَأْزِقٍ

وَمُدَجَّجٍ نازَلْتُهُ في مَأْزِقٍ

يَضْفو عَلَيْهِ مِنَ العَجاجِ رِداءُ

يَضْفو عَلَيْهِ مِنَ العَجاجِ رِداءُ

And many a fully armored warrior have I fought in close quarters,

Clad in armor, I assailed him when he was beset,

An ample cloak of dust draped over him.

and his coat of mail shed light upon him,

فَشَفَيْتُ مِنْهُ النَّفْسَ حينَ اعْتَادَهُ

فَشَفَيْتُ مِنْهُ النَّفْسَ حينَ اعْتَادَهُ

سَفَهاً عَلَيَّ مِنَ المَخيلَةِ داءُ

سَفَهاً عَلَيَّ مِنَ المَخيلَةِ داءُ

So I avenged myself upon him when he was seized,

I cured myself thereby of a malady

In foolish insolence toward me, by a sickness born of conceit,

that had been a foolish fantasy;

بِصَفيحَةٍ بَيْضاءَ لَمّا شِمْتُها

بِصَفيحَةٍ بَيْضاءَ لَمّا شِمْتُها

دَلَفَتْ إِليْهِ مَنِيَّةٌ سَوْدَاءُ

دَلَفَتْ إِليْهِ مَنِيَّةٌ سَوْدَاءُ

With a white blade—when I drew it,

with a shining blade, when I sensed its brightness,

Black death advanced toward him.

there drew near to it a dark doom.