مُظَفَّرٌ كاسمه مُظَفَّرْ

مُظَفَّرٌ كاسمه مُظَفَّرْ

أخلاقُ ليثٍ وَخَلْقُ جُؤْذَرْ

أخلاقُ ليثٍ وَخَلْقُ جُؤْذَرْ

Muzaffar is victorious, true to his name.

Muzaffar, as his name suggests, victorious,

A lion's nature and a wild-ox calf's form.

With a lion's morals and a gentle nature,

ما إن رأينا سواهُ بدراً

ما إن رأينا سواهُ بدراً

يطلعُ في جوشنٍ وَمِغْفَر

يطلعُ في جوشنٍ وَمِغْفَر

We have seen no full moon but him

Whenever we saw other than him as a full moon,

Rising in a coat of mail and a helmet.

Rising in a bright sky and with forgiveness,

يهتزُّ في سرجه قضيبٌ

يهتزُّ في سرجه قضيبٌ

مُؤنَّثٌ دَلُّهُ مذكَّر

مُؤنَّثٌ دَلُّهُ مذكَّر

A slender branch sways in his saddle,

On his saddle shakes a feminized rod,

Feminine in his coy charm, yet masculine.

With masculine swaying that masculinizes,

إن أَشْرَعَ الرمحَ قلتَ عمروٌ

إن أَشْرَعَ الرمحَ قلتَ عمروٌ

أم أَصلتَ السيفَ قلتَ عنتر

أم أَصلتَ السيفَ قلتَ عنتر

If he levels his spear, you say, “ʿAmr!”

If he unsheathed his spear you'd say Amro,

Or draws his sword, you say, “ʿAntar!”

Or unsheathed his sword you'd say Antar,

عجبتُ من فارسٍ رآه

عجبتُ من فارسٍ رآه

من فرسخٍ كيف لم يُقَطَّر

من فرسخٍ كيف لم يُقَطَّر

I marveled at a horseman who saw him

I am amazed by a horseman who saw him,

From a parasang away—how was he not unhorsed?

From a league away, how did he not tear,

لم تَجْلُهُ الريحُ قطُّ إلاّ

لم تَجْلُهُ الريحُ قطُّ إلاّ

ظَلَّتْ عليه القلوبُ تُنْشَر

ظَلَّتْ عليه القلوبُ تُنْشَر

Never did the wind unveil him but

The wind never shook him except,

Hearts kept being sawn asunder over him.

That hearts upon him flutter and tear,

يُشْهَرُ من مُقْلَتَيْهِ سَيْفٌ

يُشْهَرُ من مُقْلَتَيْهِ سَيْفٌ

أمضى من السَّيْفِ حين يُشْهَر

أمضى من السَّيْفِ حين يُشْهَر

From his two eyes a sword is drawn,

From his eyelashes he unsheathes a sword,

Sharper than the sword when it is drawn.

Sharper than an unsheathed sword when it is bared,

فهو إلى أن يَسُلَّ سيفاً

فهو إلى أن يَسُلَّ سيفاً

قد قتلتْ مقلتاهُ عَسْكَر

قد قتلتْ مقلتاهُ عَسْكَر

So, by the time he draws a sword,

For when he unsheathes a sword,

His two eyes have already slain an army.

His eyelashes have killed an army prepared.