1. كُبَّتْ جفانُ الحي من دارمِ

    إن لم يلوذوا بشبا صارمي

    May the great bowls of Darim's clan be overturned,

    If they do not seek refuge at my sword's keen edge;

  2. بمرهفٍ جرَّدهُ مرهفٌ

    بجريد لا مُبْقٍ ولا راحِمِ

    With a keen blade drawn by a keen warrior,

    With a cavalry band that neither spares nor shows mercy;

  3. بغارةٍ تلبس رأد الضحى

    رداءَ ليل الرَّهج العاتمِ

    With a raid that clothes the height of morning

    In the cloak of battle dust's pitch-dark night;

  4. شعواء لا الحامي بذي نجدةٍ

    فيها ولا الهاربُ بالسَّالم

    Raging—no defender shows prowess

    In it, nor does the fugitive escape unscathed;

  5. جائرةٍ في الطعن ظلامةٍ

    تخلطُ بَرَّ القومِ بالآثم

    Unjust in its thrusting, cruelly oppressive,

    It mingles the righteous among the people with the sinner.

  6. تمعجُ خيل الله في نقعها

    بكل طافٍ في الوغى عائم

    God's steeds surge through its dust,

    Bearing every rider afloat, swimming in the fray,

  7. على جيادٍ كذئاب الغضى

    من رامحٍ فيها ومن عاذم

    On steeds like wolves of the ghada thickets,

    Some among them kicking, and some biting.

  8. حتى إذا جُبْنَ بنا قسطلاً

    من طائرٍ عنا ومن جاثم

    Until, when they had carried us through a cloud of dust,

    Some flying away from us, some crouching low,

  9. وعادت المُلْسُ بنا شَثْنَةً

    كافلةً بالموطن الناعِم

    And the smooth had grown rough through us,

    Assuring a comfortable home,

  10. وذلَّل الصيد ضرابُ الطُّلى

    واستسلم المهزومُ للهازم

    And the striking of necks had humbled the proud,

    And the vanquished had surrendered to the victor,

  11. أُبْنا إلى عفوِ كريمٍ به

    يُسترجعُ الغُنْمُ من العانم

    We returned to a generous man's pardon, whereby

    The spoils are reclaimed from their taker.

  12. أقتلُ حلماً وتقولُ العُلى

    واعجباً للقائل الباسمِ

    I slay through forbearance, and Glory says:

    'How wondrous is the smiling speaker!'

  13. علوتُ عن تأثير قول الخَنا

    فلستُ أخشى سَفَه الشاتم

    I have risen above the reach of foul speech,

    So I do not fear the reviler's folly.

  14. لو رُجمَ النَّجمُ بأيدي الورى

    لم تُدْمِه قطٌّ يدُ الرَّجمِ

    If the star were stoned by the hands of mankind,

    The stoning hand would never make it bleed.

  15. إذا سطا الجهلُ بضوضائه

    لاقيتُهُ بالمُغْمَدِ الكالمِ

    When ignorance attacks with its clamor,

    I meet it with the sheathed yet wounding blade.

  16. أصدفُ سمعاً عنه لم يكترثْ

    بغير قول الملكِ العالم

    I turn my ear from it; it has heeded nothing

    But the words of the learned king,

  17. كما نبا عند ابتذالِ الندى

    سَمعُ يمين الدِّينِ عن لائمِ

    Just as, when bounty was freely lavished,

    Yamin al-Din's ear turned away from a reproacher:

  18. القاتلُ المَحْلَ بمعروفه

    والحاملُ الغُرمَ عن الغارم

    The slayer of drought through his generosity,

    And bearer of debt on the debtor's behalf;

  19. والماطرُ الَّلأواءَ من كفه

    بكل منهلِّ الحيا ساجم

    And who rains upon hardship from his palm

    With every abundant, streaming shower;

  20. والواهبُ الوَفْرَ لسؤَّاله

    ليسَ بمنَّانٍ ولا نادمِ

    And giver of plentiful wealth to his petitioners,

    Neither reproaching them with his favors nor regretting them;

  21. والضاربُ الهام بآرائه

    إذا نبا السَّيفُ على الشاتم

    And who strikes heads with his counsels

    When the sword glances off the reviler.

  22. صيدٌ ومن رائق أخلاقهم

    يشتبه المخدومُ بالخادم

    Proud nobles—and such is the grace of their manners

    That the master is indistinguishable from the servant.