وَلِي صاحِبٌ لا يَصحب الضّيمَ ربُّهُ

وَلِي صاحِبٌ لا يَصحب الضّيمَ ربُّهُ

لَهُ في دِماءِ الدّارعين قِرابُ

لَهُ في دِماءِ الدّارعين قِرابُ

And I have a companion whose master will not tolerate humiliation;

I have a friend who does not befriend the unjust, though his Lord is their Lord too.

Its sheath is in the blood of armored men.

He sheds the blood of armored warriors, and is of close kin to them.

وَأَسمرُ عَسّالُ الكعوبِ سنانُهُ

وَأَسمرُ عَسّالُ الكعوبِ سنانُهُ

رَسولُ المَنايا في يَديهِ كتابُ

رَسولُ المَنايا في يَديهِ كتابُ

And a dusky spear, quivering at the joints—its point

Brown is the complexion of this energetic swordsman, whose teeth are like arrows.

Is death's messenger, with a letter in his hands.

He is the messenger of death, with a book in his hands.

إِذا ما وَجا أو داجَ قَرْن مُصمّمٍ

إِذا ما وَجا أو داجَ قَرْن مُصمّمٍ

أعاد مشيبَ الوجهِ وهو شبابُ

أعاد مشيبَ الوجهِ وهو شبابُ

Whenever it pierces the jugular veins of a resolute foe,

Whenever a stubborn foe approaches or withdraws,

It brings age's grayness to a face still young.

He restores the faded face of youth back to youthfulness.

ملانِيَ فخراً أنّكَ اليومَ والدي

ملانِيَ فخراً أنّكَ اليومَ والدي

وأنَّكَ طَوْدي والأنام شِعابُ

وأنَّكَ طَوْدي والأنام شِعابُ

It fills me with pride that today you are my father,

You make me proud today by being my father,

And that you are my mountain, while humankind are ravines.

My pillar, while people are mere ruins.

أَلَستَ منَ القومِ الذينَ إذا دنَوْا

أَلَستَ منَ القومِ الذينَ إذا دنَوْا

لِحَربٍ تَدانتْ أرْؤُسٌ ورقابُ

لِحَربٍ تَدانتْ أرْؤُسٌ ورقابُ

Are you not among those at whose approach

Are you not one of those men who when war draws near,

To battle, heads and necks draw near?

Heads and necks converge?

سيوفُهُمُ أَلحاظُهم وقناتهُمْ

سيوفُهُمُ أَلحاظُهم وقناتهُمْ

سواعدُهمْ مهما اِستَحرَّ ضِرابُ

سواعدُهمْ مهما اِستَحرَّ ضِرابُ

Their swords are their glances, and their lance is

Their swords are their shields, their spears their forearms,

Their forearms whenever the clash of blows grows fierce.

No matter how violent the striking.