1. The she-cat howled, so what would you say to her as a maker,
And you sat complaining in your heart mutely,
١. ظَعَنَت قَطاةُ فَما تَقولُكَ صانِعا
وَقَعَدتَ تَشكو في الفُؤادِ صَوادِعا
2. As if when she brought her beautiful ones close,
The blood did not make a submissive gazelle flow,
٢. وَكَأَنَّها إِذ قَرَّبَت أَجمالَها
أَدماءُ لَم تُرشِح غَزالاً خاضِعا
3. She was sad so no one accompanied her, so she faced
From a rational person difficult roads that twist,
٣. بَغَمَت فَلَم يُصحِب لَها فَإِستَقبَلَت
مِن عاقِلٍ شُعَباً يَسِلنَ دَوافِعا
4. She remained wondering at the tales of deep sorrows
The blood picks the ripe fruit,
٤. ظَلَّت تَعَجَّبُ مِن سَوالِفِ هَوجَعٍ
أَدماءَ تَلتَقِطُ البَريرَ اليانِعا
5. Leave this but my need is for Ja'far,
A man who looked to matters with insights,
٥. دَع ذا وَلَكِن حاجَتي مِن جَعفَرٍ
رَجُلٌ تَطَلَّعَ لِلأُمورِ مَطالِعا
6. Walking ahead and alerting with a raising building,
And if friends are preoccupied with friends,
٦. يَهنا إِبنُ حَنظَلَةَ الثَناءَ يُتِمُّهُ
قِدماً وَيَنبيهِ بِناءً رافِعا
7. The abundance of goods came to an ample end,
An ocean contended by oceans that supply it,
٧. وَإِذا الرِفاقُ مَعَ الرِفاقِ أَهَمَّها
عُجَرُ المَتاعِ أَتَت فِناءً واسِعا
8. Indeed, the oceans see laws for themselves in it,
And he spends the night modestly hiding matters, while his abdomen
٨. بَحراً تَنازَعُهُ البُحورُ تُمِدُّهُ
إِنَّ البُحورَ تَرى لَهُنَّ شَرائِعا
9. Is filled with the cold's folding, yet thought to be hungry,
Not because of lack but a trait,
٩. وَيَبيتُ يَستَحيِ الأُمورَ وَبَطنُهُ
طَيّانُ طَيَّ البُردِ يُحسَبُ جائِعا
10. Indeed, the generous are generous by nature,
The affair of a people you have kept over them,
١٠. مِن غَيرِ لا عُدمٍ وَلَكِن شيمَةٌ
إِنَّ الكِرامَ هُمُ الكِرامُ طَبائِعا
11. If not for God and you, it would have been lost,
They followed you when the path was too narrow for them,
١١. رُبَّ أَمرِ قَومٍ قَد حَفِظتَ عَليهُمُ
لَولا الإِلَهُ وَأَنتَ أَصبَحَ ضائِعا
12. And your affliction refused that you become the follower,
And your fire spends the night blazing as if it were
١٢. تَبِعوك إِذ ضاقَ السَبيلُ عَليهُمُ
وَأَبى بَلاأُكَ أَن تَكونَ التابِعا
13. A ram of the brush on a lofty place,
A target for every cannon that is shot at,
١٣. وَتَبيتُ نارُكَ بِاليَفاعِ كَأَنَّها
شاةُ الصِوارِ عَلا مَكاناً يافِعا
14. You see the shots have positions for them,
And you inherited six stallions whose glory
١٤. غَرَضاً لِكُلِّ مُدَفِّعٍ يُرمى بِهِ
رَميَ السِهامِ تَرى لَهُنَّ مَواقِعا
15. Is the glory of life, and you were the seventh,
And if you contend with the valor of a powerful tribe,
١٥. وَوَرِثتَ سِتَّةَ أَفحُلٍ مَسعاتُهُم
مَجدُ الحَياةِ وَكُنتَ أَنتَ السابِعا
16. In glory, he reluctantly or willingly conceded,
The glory of a father did not get lost while you inherited his heritage,
١٦. وإِذا تُنازِعُ قَرمَ قَومٍ سوقَةٍ
في المَجدِ سَمَّحَ كارِهاً أَو طائِعا
17. When the glory of a father was lost for another,
The son of Hanzala preceded the vying in his endeavor
١٧. ما ضاعَ مَجدُ أَبٍ وَرِثتَ تُراثَهُ
إِذ كانَ مَجدُ أَبٍ لِئاخَرَ ضائِعا
18. For the highest goal, swift and calm,
It bit with Abdullah when it bit with him,
١٨. سَبَقَ إِبنُ حَنظَلَةَ السُعاةَ بِسَعيِهِ
لِلغايَةِ القُصوى سَريعاً وادِعا
19. It bit with Abdullah a cutting sword,
Matters disclose themselves to him if they face
١٩. عَضَّت بِعَبدِ اللَهِ إِذ عَضَّت بِهِ
عَضَّت بِعَبدِ اللَهِ سَيفاً قاطِعا
20. What they were not makers of in their turning away,
٢٠. تُبدي الأُمورُ لَهُ إِذا ماءَقبَلَت
ما كُنَّ في إِدبارِهِنَّ صَوانِعا