1. لَعَمرُكَ ما آسى طُفَيلُ بنُ مالِكٍ

    بَني عامِرٍ إِذ ثابِتِ الخَيلُ تَدَّعي

    By your life, Tufayl son of Malik did not stand by

    the sons of Amir when the cavalry rallied, calling their tribal war cries.

  2. تَقَبَّلَ مِن خَيفانَةٍ جُرشُعِيَّةٍ

    سَليلَةِ مَعروقِ الأَباجِلِ جُرشُعِ

    He received a mount from a swift, broad-chested mare,

    daughter of a broad-chested sire with lean, veiny legs.

  3. وَوَدَّعَ إِخوانَ الصَفاءِ بِقُرزُلٍ

    يَمُرُّ كَمِرّيخِ الوَليدِ المُقَزَّعِ

    And he bade his loyal comrades farewell on Qurzul,

    speeding like the arrow of a boy with patch-shaven hair.

  4. وَلَو أَدرَكَتهُ الخَيلُ شالَ بِرِجلِهِ

    كَما شالَ يَومَ الخالِ كَعبُ بنُ أَصمَعِ

    And had the cavalry caught him, he would have raised his leg,

    as Ka'b son of Asma' did on the day of al-Khal,

  5. فِراراً وَأَسلَمتَ اِبنَ أُمِّكَ عامِراً

    يُلاعِبُ أَطرافَ الوَشيجِ المُزَعزَعِ

    in flight—and you abandoned your mother's son, Amir,

    playing with the points of the brandished spears.

  6. وَقَد عَلِمَت عِرساكَ أَنَّكَ آيِبٌ

    تُخَبِّرُهُم عَن جَيشِهِم كُلَّ مَربَعِ

    And your two wives know that you will return,

    telling them about their army each spring.