1. أَتَيتُ أَبا هِندٍ بِهِندٍ وَمالِكاً

    بِأَسماءَ إِنّي مِن حُماةِ الحَقائِقِ

    I came to Abu Hind with Hind, and to Malik

    with Asma; I am among the defenders of inviolable rights.

  2. دَعَتني وَفاضَت عَينُها بِخَدورَةٍ

    فَجِئتُ غِشاشاً إِذ دَعَت أُمُّ طارِقِ

    She called me at Khadurah, her eye brimming over;

    so I came in haste when Umm Tariq called.

  3. وَأَعدَدتُ مَأثوراً قَليلاً حُشورُهُ

    شَديدَ العِمادِ يَنتَحي لِلطَرائِقِ

    And I readied a patterned sword, its edge little worn,

    strong-backed, striking at armor's layers;

  4. وَأَخلَقَ مَحموداً نَجيحاً رَجيعُهُ

    وَأَسمَرَ مَرهوباً كَريمَ المَآزِقِ

    and a well-worn, much-praised weapon, effective in its response,

    and a dreaded brown spear, noble in battle's straits.

  5. وَخَلَّفتُ ثَمَّ عامِراً وَاِبنَ عامِرٍ

    وَعَمراً وَما مِنّي بَديلٌ بِعاتِقِ

    And there I left Amir and Ibn Amir,

    and Amr; no substitute for me is free.

  6. وَمِنّي عَلى السُبّاقِ فَضلٌ وَنِعمَةٌ

    كَما نَعَشَ الدَكداكَ صَوبُ البَوارِقِ

    And the foremost receive bounty and favor from me,

    as rain from lightning clouds revives the level sands.

  7. وَقُلتُ لِعَمري كَيفَ يُترَكُ مَرثَدٌ

    وَعَمرٌ وَيَسري مالُنا في الأَفارِقِ

    And I said, by my life, how can Marthad be abandoned,

    and Amr, while our wealth passes among scattered bands?

  8. فَلَولا اِحتِيالي في الأُمورِ وَمِرَّتي

    لَبيعَ سُبِيٌّ بِالشَوِيِّ النَوافِقِ

    But for my resourcefulness in affairs and my resolve,

    a captive would have been sold for dying sheep.

  9. فَذاكَ دِفاعٌ عَن ذِمارِ أَبيكُمُ

    إِذا خَرَقَ السِربالَ حَدُّ المَرافِقِ

    So that is a defense of your father's honor,

    when sharp elbow-points tear through the tunic.