1. رَأَتني كَأَشلاءِ اللِجامِ وَلَن تَرى

    أَخا الحَربِ إِلّا ساهِمُ الوَجهِ أَغبَرا

    She saw me like the scraps of a bridle, and never will she see

    a brother of war but gaunt-faced and dust-covered.

  2. أَخا الحَربِ أَن عَضَّت بِهِ الحَربُ عضَّها

    وَإِن شَمَّرَت عَن ساقِها الحَربُ شَمرا

    A brother of war—if war bites him, he bites her;

    and if war bares her shin, he girds himself.

  3. وَيَحمي إِذا ما المَوتُ كانَ لِقاؤُهُ

    قِدى الشِبرِ يَحمي الأَنفَ أَن يَتَأَخَّرا

    And he defends when his encounter with death is

    a handspan away; he guards his honor against retreat.

  4. كَلَيثٍ هِزَبرٍ كانَ يَحمي ذِمارَهُ

    رَمَتهُ المَنايا قَصدَها فَتَقَطَّرا

    Like a mighty lion that was defending his own,

    the fates of death struck him squarely, and he fell headlong.

  5. وَكُلَّ كُمَيتٍ كَالقَناةِ طِمَرَّةٍ

    وَكُلَّ طِمر يَحسَبُ الغوطَ حاجِرا

    And every dark-bay mare, spear-slender and long-legged,

    and every fleet steed that takes hollows for high ground.

  6. وَنُبِئتُ أَنَّ اِبناً لِشَيماءَ ها هُنا

    تَغَنّى بِنا سَكرانَ أَو مُتَساكِرا

    And I was told that a son of Shayma, right here,

    sang about us, drunk or feigning drunkenness.

  7. إِذا المَرءُ صَرَّت أُمُّهُ وَتَعَيَّلَت

    فَلَيسَ حَقيقاً أَن يَقولَ الهَواجِرَ

    When a man's mother shrieks and struts,

    then he has no right to utter foul abuse.

  8. يَحُضُّ عَلَينا عامِراً وَأَخالُنا

    سَنُصبِحُ أَلفاً ذا زَائِدَ عامِرا

    He incites Amir against us, and I think we

    will raid Amir at dawn, a thousand strong and more.

  9. لَعَمرُكَ ما أَخشى التَصَعلُكَ ما بَقى

    عَلى الأَرضِ قَيسِيُّ يَسوقُ الأَباعِرا

    By your life, I fear no destitution while there remains

    on earth a man of Qays driving camels,

  10. وَأَنَّ حَوالِيَ فَردَةً فَعُناصِرٍ

    وَكُثلَةَ حَيّاً يا اِبنَ شَيما كَراكِرا

    and while around Farda and then Unasir,

    and Kuthla stands a tribe in mighty throngs, O son of Shayma.

  11. وَنَحنُ مَلَأنا جَوَّ موفِقٍ بَعدَكُم

    بَني شَمجى خَطِيَّةً وَحَوافِرا

    And we filled the valley of Mufiq after you,

    sons of Shamja, with Khatti spears and hooves.