1. قوما تَجوبانِ مَعَ الأَنواحِ

    في مَأتَمٍ مُهَجِّرِ الرَواحِ

    Rise, you two, and wail with the mourners,

    At a mourning gathering that departs at midday.

  2. يَخمِشنَ حُرَّ أَوجُهٍ صِحاحِ

    في السُلُبِ السودِ وَفي الأَمساحِ

    They claw the fair cheeks of unblemished faces,

    In black mourning robes and in haircloth.

  3. وَأَبِّنا مُلاعِبَ الرِماحِ

    أَبا بَراءٍ مِدرَهَ الشِياحِ

    And eulogize the Player with Spears,

    Abu Bara, the champion in combat.

  4. يا عامِرا يا عامِرَ الصَباحِ

    وَمِدرَهَ الكَتيبَةِ الرَداحِ

    O Amir, O Amir of the dawn,

    And champion of the mighty battalion!

  5. وَفِتيَةٍ كَالرَسَلِ القِماحِ

    باكَرتَهُم بِحُلَلٍ وَراحِ

    And young men like a camel herd with heads held high—

    You visited them early with robes and wine,

  6. وَزَعفَرانٍ كَدَمِ الأَذباحِ

    وَقَينَةٍ وَمِزهَرٍ صَدّاحِ

    And saffron like the blood of slaughtered beasts,

    And a singing girl and a resonant lute.

  7. لَو أَنَّ حَيّاً مُدرِكِ الفَلاحِ

    أَدرَكَهُ مُلاعِبُ الرِماحِ

    If any living man could attain immortality,

    The Player with Spears would have attained it.

  8. كانَ غِياثَ المُرمِلِ المُمتاحِ

    وَعِصمَةً في الزَمَنِ الكَلاحِ

    He was succor to the penniless seeker of aid,

    And a refuge in grim times,

  9. حينَ تَهُبُّ شَمأَلُ الرِياحِ

    كَأساً مِنَ الذيفانِ وَالذُباحِ

    When the north wind blows.

    A cup of venom and fatal throat-disease

  10. تَرَكتَهُ لِلقَدَرِ المُتاحِ

    مُجَدَّلاً بِالصَفصَفِ الصَحاحِ

    Left him to his allotted fate,

    Felled upon the hard, level plain.