1. حَيِّ المَنازِلَ بِالأَجزاعِ غَيَّرَها

    مَرُّ السِنينَ وَآبادٌ وَآبادُ

    Greet the dwellings at al-Ajza‘, changed by

    the passing years, and ages upon ages.

  2. إِذِ النَقيعَةُ مُخضَرٌّ مَذانِبُها

    وَإِذ لَنا بِشِباكِ البَطنِ رُوّادُ

    When al-Naqi‘ah’s watercourses were green,

    and we had pasture-scouts at Shibak al-Batn.

  3. رَأَت أُمامَةُ أَنقاضاً عَلى عَجَلٍ

    وَهاجِعاً عِندَهُ عَنسٌ وَأَقتادُ

    Umamah saw, in haste, travel-worn camels,

    and a sleeper with a sturdy she-camel and saddle-frames beside him,

  4. في ضُمُّرٍ مِن مَهارى قَد أَضَرَّ بِها

    سَيرُ النَهارِ وَإِسآدٌ وَإِسآدُ

    among lean Mahri camels, already worn down by

    daytime travel and nightlong march upon nightlong march.

  5. إِذا تَغَيَّظَ حاديهُنَّ ظَلَّ لَهُ

    مِنهُنَّ يَومٌ إِذا اِعصَوصَبنَ عُصوادُ

    When their driver grows angry, he has

    a trying day with them, when they bunch together.

  6. إِذا تَذارَعنَ يَوماً بُعدَ مُنخَرَقٍ

    مالَت بِهِنَّ بَنو مُلطٍ وَأَعضادُ

    When, for a day, they stride an open waste’s vast length,

    their bare shanks and upper forelimbs sway with them.

  7. يَضرَحنَ كُلَّ حَصى مَعزاءَ هاجِرَةٍ

    كَأَنَّهُنَّ نَعامٌ راحَ نُدّادُ

    They scatter every pebble of the hard ground in the midday heat,

    as though they were ostriches setting off at evening, running wild.

  8. ما زالَ مِن مازِنٍ في كُلِّ مُعتَرَكٍ

    تَحتَ الخَوافِقِ يَومَ الرَوعِ ذُوّادُ

    Mazin has always had, on every battlefield,

    defenders beneath fluttering banners on the day of terror.

  9. لِمازِنٍ صَخرَةٌ صَمّاءُ راسِيَةٌ

    تُنبي الصَفا حينَ تَرديهِنَّ صَيخادُ

    Mazin has a solid, firmly rooted rock

    that repels smooth stones when a hard boulder strikes them.

  10. هُمُ الحُماةُ إِذا ما الخَيلُ شَمَّصَها

    وَقعُ القَنا وَنَضَت عَنهُنَّ أَلبادُ

    They are the protectors whenever the horses are set rearing by

    the impact of spears, and their felt saddle-pads slip off;

  11. وَاِنسَلَّتِ الهُندُوانِيّاتُ لَيسَ لَها

    إِلّا جَماجِمَ هامِ القَومِ أَغمادُ

    and the Indian blades slip free, having nothing

    for sheaths but the skulls of the men’s heads.

  12. وَكُلُّ أَسمَرَ خَطِّيٍّ يُقَحِّمُهُ

    في حَومَةِ المَوتِ إِصدارٌ وَإيرادُ

    And every brown Khatti spear is driven headlong

    into the heart of death by withdrawal and thrust.