ألَمْ أكُ يا شيبان أوّلَ طاعِنٍ

ألَمْ أكُ يا شيبان أوّلَ طاعِنٍ

مشى رمحُهُ فيهم وآخرَ آيبِ

مشى رمحُهُ فيهم وآخرَ آيبِ

Was I not, O Shayban, the first to thrust a spear,

Was I not, O gray hair, the first assailant,

my spear advancing among them, and the last to return?

Whose spear marched among them, and the last to turn back?

وكانَ فِراري مغنياً بقُصيبةٍ

وكانَ فِراري مغنياً بقُصيبةٍ

غناءَ دِفاعي عنكم بالذّنائبِ

غناءَ دِفاعي عنكم بالذّنائبِ

And my flight at Qusaybah was as useful

My flight was a song with a spearpoint,

as my defense of you at al-Dhana'ib.

My defense of you with sins.

تركتُ كعوبَ الرمحِ في صفحاتِهم

تركتُ كعوبَ الرمحِ في صفحاتِهم

ووزعْتُه في مُردهم والأشائبِ

ووزعْتُه في مُردهم والأشائبِ

I left the spear's joints in their flanks,

I left the heels of the spears in their cheeks,

and dealt it out among their beardless youths and motley bands.

And distributed it among their shoulders and flanks.

ولم أُبقِ فخْراً للعدو عليكم

ولم أُبقِ فخْراً للعدو عليكم

بقتلي وقد أعرضتُم بالمناكِبِ

بقتلي وقد أعرضتُم بالمناكِبِ

Nor did I leave the enemy any cause to boast over you

I did not leave any pride for the enemy over you

of killing me, though you had turned your shoulders away.

By my death when you turned away.

لخوفهم من دولةٍ أستديلُها

لخوفهم من دولةٍ أستديلُها

أشدُّ عليهِم من بكاءِ أقارِبي

أشدُّ عليهِم من بكاءِ أقارِبي

Indeed, their fear of a turn of fortune I might gain

Because of their fear of a state I establish

is harder on them than the weeping of my kinsfolk.

Harsher upon them than the crying of my loved ones.