إِذا مَا رَأت عَيناهُ يوماً وَلِيمَةً

إِذا مَا رَأت عَيناهُ يوماً وَلِيمَةً

جَرى مِثل خُذروفِ الوليدِ المُثَقّب

جَرى مِثل خُذروفِ الوليدِ المُثَقّب

If his eyes ever catch sight of a feast,

When his eyes see a feast one day,

he races like a child's perforated whirligig,

he runs like a newborn baby goat with a pierced nose,

فيَأكُلُهَا من حينِهِ وَلَو أَنَّها

فيَأكُلُهَا من حينِهِ وَلَو أَنَّها

رُدَينيّةٌ فيها أَسِنّة قَعضب

رُدَينيّةٌ فيها أَسِنّة قَعضب

then devours it at once, even if it were

and he would eat it up in an instant, even if

a Rudayni spear bearing Qaʿḍab's spearheads.

it were a coat of mail with biting blades.

تَبَارَكَ رَبِّي حِينَ صَوَّر خَلقَه

تَبَارَكَ رَبِّي حِينَ صَوَّر خَلقَه

مَجرّ جُيُوشٍ غَانِمِينَ وخُيّب

مَجرّ جُيُوشٍ غَانِمِينَ وخُيّب

Blessed be my Lord: when He fashioned his form,

Blessed is my Lord when He created His creatures

He made it a thoroughfare for armies—some bearing spoils, some empty-handed.

As a swarm of victorious warriors and vanquished cowards.