إمَّا تَرَيني اليومَ من لحمي الضَّبُع

إمَّا تَرَيني اليومَ من لحمي الضَّبُع

ورَخَماتٌ وبُغاثٌ قد طَمع

ورَخَماتٌ وبُغاثٌ قد طَمع

If today you see me, with the hyena after my flesh,

Today you will see me as a fierce lion

And vultures and weak birds already craving it,

With scars and wounds from which blood drips

قد أخصِمُ الخَصمَ وأتي بالرُّبُع

قد أخصِمُ الخَصمَ وأتي بالرُّبُع

وأرفعُ الجفنةَ بالهَيدِ الرُّقُع

وأرفعُ الجفنةَ بالهَيدِ الرُّقُع

I have often outargued my opponent and brought in the quarter-share,

I will refute my opponent and gain the upper hand

And raised the serving bowl amid the throng of fools,

And raise the banner with the patched cloak

من قيسِ قيسٍ عامرٍ ومن شُجُع

من قيسِ قيسٍ عامرٍ ومن شُجُع

أنا ابنُ قَيسٍ سَبُعاً وابنُ سَبُع

أنا ابنُ قَيسٍ سَبُعاً وابنُ سَبُع

From Qays—Qays of ʿĀmir—and from Shujuʿ.

From Qais, son of Qais Amer, and from Shujaa

I am Qays's son—a beast of prey, and the son of a beast of prey,

I am the son of Qais the lion, and the son of the lion

أبارَ من قيس قبيلاً والتَمَع

أبارَ من قيس قبيلاً والتَمَع

كأنما كانوا طعاماً فابتُلِع

كأنما كانوا طعاماً فابتُلِع

Who annihilated a clan of Qays and snatched it away,

I took away from Qais a whole tribe, and they disappeared

As though they were food, and were swallowed up.

As if they were food that was swallowed