وَإِذا بَدا لَكَ قاسمٌ يَوم الوَغى

وَإِذا بَدا لَكَ قاسمٌ يَوم الوَغى

يَختالُ خِلتَ أَمامَهُ قِنديلا

يَختالُ خِلتَ أَمامَهُ قِنديلا

And when Qasim appears before you on the day of battle,

And when Qasim appears to you on the day of battle,

striding proudly, you would think a lamp stood before him.

Strutting, you would imagine a lamp before him.

وَإِذا تَلَذَّذَ بِالعَمودِ وَلينِهِ

وَإِذا تَلَذَّذَ بِالعَمودِ وَلينِهِ

خِلت العَمودَ بِكَفِّهِ مِنديلا

خِلت العَمودَ بِكَفِّهِ مِنديلا

And when he revels in the iron mace and bends it,

And when he delights in the mace and its softness,

you would think the mace in his palm a handkerchief.

You would think the mace in his palm a handkerchief.

وَإِذا تَناوَلَ صَخرَةً لِيرضها

وَإِذا تَناوَلَ صَخرَةً لِيرضها

عادَت كَثيباً في يَدَيهِ مَهيلا

عادَت كَثيباً في يَدَيهِ مَهيلا

And when he takes up a rock to crush it,

And when he takes up a rock to crush it,

it turns in his two hands to a dune of loose, flowing sand.

It becomes a loose mound of sand in his hands.

قالوا وَينظمُ فارِسَينِ بِطَعنَةٍ

قالوا وَينظمُ فارِسَينِ بِطَعنَةٍ

يَومَ اللقاءِ وَلا يَراهُ جَليلا

يَومَ اللقاءِ وَلا يَراهُ جَليلا

They say he strings two horsemen together with a single thrust

They said—as he strings two horsemen together with one thrust

on the day of battle, and deems it no great feat.

On the day of combat, and deems it no great feat—

لا تَعجَبوا لَو كانَ مَدُّ قَناتِهِ

لا تَعجَبوا لَو كانَ مَدُّ قَناتِهِ

ميلاً إِذا نَظم الفَوارِس ميلا

ميلاً إِذا نَظم الفَوارِس ميلا

Do not marvel if the reach of his spear were a mile—

"Do not marvel if the length of his spear

when he strings the horsemen out for a mile.

Were a mile, when he strings a mile of horsemen together."