1. جَلَبنا الخَيلَ مِن جَنبَي أَريكٍ

    إِلى القَلَعاتِ مِن أَكنافِ بَعرِ

    We brought the horses from both sides of Arīk

    to al-Qalaʿāt, in the environs of Baʿr:

  2. ضَوامِرَ كِالقِداحِ تَرى عَلَيها

    يَبيسَ الماءِ مِن حُوٍّ وَشُقرِ

    lean as arrow shafts; upon them you see

    dried sweat on dark bays and chestnuts.

  3. نَؤُمُّ بِها بِلادَ بَني أَبينا

    عَلى ما كانَ مِن نَسَبٍ وَصِهرِ

    With them we head for the lands of our father's sons,

    despite whatever ties of blood and marriage there were.

  4. تُجاوِبُ في جَوانِبِ مُكفَهِرٍّ

    شَديدٍ رِزُّهُ كَاللَيلِ مَجرِ

    They neigh to one another along the flanks of a grim

    host, mighty in its roar and dark as night.

  5. صَبَحناهُنَّ حَرّابَ بنَ قَيسٍ

    وَجَعدَةَ مِن بَني كَعبِ بنِ عَمرِو

    At dawn we brought them against Ḥarrāb son of Qays,

    and Jaʿdah of the sons of Kaʿb son of ʿAmr.

  6. كَأَنَّ الخَيلَ أَيمَنَ مِن أَباضٍ

    بِجَنبِ عُوَيرِضٍ أَسرابُ دَبرِ

    It is as though the horses, to the right of Abāḍ,

    beside ʿUwayriḍ, were swarms of bees.

  7. إِذا سَطَعَ الغُبارُ خَرَجنَ مِنهُ

    سَواكِنَ بَعدَ إِبساسٍ وَنَقرِ

    When the dust rises, they emerge from it,

    quiet after hissing calls and tongue-clicks.

  8. مُجَرَّبَةً عَلَيها كُلُّ ماضٍ

    إِلى الغَمَراتِ مِن جُشَمِ بنِ بَكرِ

    Battle-tested, they bear every man who presses onward

    into battle's depths, from Jusham son of Bakr.