إذا بَدا الأحْسَنُ فَوْقَ الحِصانْ

إذا بَدا الأحْسَنُ فَوْقَ الحِصانْ

إيَّاكَ إيَّاكَ الأمانَ الأمانْ

إيَّاكَ إيَّاكَ الأمانَ الأمانْ

When the fairest appears upon his steed,

When the best appears atop the steed

Beware, beware! Mercy, mercy!

Beware, beware, take care, take care

إنَّ لهُ مِنْ قَدِّهِ صَعْدَةً

إنَّ لهُ مِنْ قَدِّهِ صَعْدَةً

قد رُكِّبَ اللحظُ عليها سِنانْ

قد رُكِّبَ اللحظُ عليها سِنانْ

For his stature furnishes him with a lance,

For he has a spearhead on his spear

upon which his glance is mounted as a spearhead.

Upon which a blade has been mounted

يَرميْ فَيُصْمي كُلَّ قَلْبٍ بِها

يَرميْ فَيُصْمي كُلَّ قَلْبٍ بِها

فَما لِخَلْقٍ بِظُباها يَدانْ

فَما لِخَلْقٍ بِظُباها يَدانْ

He strikes with it, killing every heart outright;

He throws it and makes every heart bleed

no creature can withstand its blades.

So no creature can resist his onslaught

خُذُوا لَهُ أُهْبَتَكُمْ واحْذَروا

خُذُوا لَهُ أُهْبَتَكُمْ واحْذَروا

فَما عَلَيْهِ في قَتِيْلٍ ضَمانْ

فَما عَلَيْهِ في قَتِيْلٍ ضَمانْ

Make your preparations for him, and beware,

Take your precautions and be wary

for he bears no liability for anyone slain.

For he bears no responsibility for the slain

ما أمْلَحَ الفُرسانَ لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ

ما أمْلَحَ الفُرسانَ لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ

خَصْلُهُمُ قَلْبي وفِيهِ الرِّهانْ

خَصْلُهُمُ قَلْبي وفِيهِ الرِّهانْ

How charming the horsemen—were it not that

How excellent are the horsemen, if not

my heart is their prize, and upon it rests the wager.

For my heart's stake that's on them lain

يا لامِحَ الرَّبْرَبِ مُسْتَمْلِحاً

يا لامِحَ الرَّبْرَبِ مُسْتَمْلِحاً

بُدورَ تِمٍّ فَوْقَ كُثبانِ بانْ

بُدورَ تِمٍّ فَوْقَ كُثبانِ بانْ

O you who gaze upon the gazelle herd, admiring

O you who elegantly sports the Rabrab

full moons above dunes crowned with bān trees,

Above the dunes of Thim and Bayan

حَذارِ مِنْ عُفْرِ الظِّبا إنَّها

حَذارِ مِنْ عُفْرِ الظِّبا إنَّها

تَبْطِشُ بالأُسْدِ عِياناً بَيانْ

تَبْطِشُ بالأُسْدِ عِياناً بَيانْ

beware the tawny gazelles, for they

Beware the cunning of the gazelle, for it

pounce upon lions, openly and unmistakably.

Can overcome the lion overtly and plainly

يا بِأبي أسْمَرُ مِثْلُ اللَّمَى

يا بِأبي أسْمَرُ مِثْلُ اللَّمَى

مِنْ دُونِهِ للسُّمْر حَرْبٌ عَوانْ

مِنْ دُونِهِ للسُّمْر حَرْبٌ عَوانْ

Ah, my father be his ransom—a dusky one, like the dark tint of lips!

O my father, brown like dried meat

In his defense, the brown spears wage an oft-renewed war.

Without him, the (other) bay horses are helpless

شُوَيْدِنٌ طاوي الحشا مُفْعَمُ ال

شُوَيْدِنٌ طاوي الحشا مُفْعَمُ ال

أرْدافِ قاسِيْ القَلبِ رَخْصُ البَنانْ

أرْدافِ قاسِيْ القَلبِ رَخْصُ البَنانْ

A little gazelle, slender-waisted, full in the

Shuwaidan, folding up the meadows, full

haunches, hard of heart, soft of fingertips.

Of heavy haunches, stony of heart, cheap at any price

إذا بَدا يَخْتال في مَشْيِهِ

إذا بَدا يَخْتال في مَشْيِهِ

فالشَّمْسُ والغُصْنُ لَهُ يَسْجُدانْ

فالشَّمْسُ والغُصْنُ لَهُ يَسْجُدانْ

When he appears, strutting as he walks,

When he prances in his gait

the sun and the bough both prostrate themselves before him.

The sun and the branch bow down before him

قَدْ حالَ ما بينَ قُلوبِ الوَرى

قَدْ حالَ ما بينَ قُلوبِ الوَرى

وبَينَهُمْ فَهُمْ بِهِ فِرقتانْ

وبَينَهُمْ فَهُمْ بِهِ فِرقتانْ

He has come between the hearts of humankind

He has come between the hearts of people

and their owners; through him they are two separate groups.

And so they are split in two by him