1. يا عَينِ فَاِبكي ما بَني

    أَسَدٍ فَهُم أَهلُ النَدامَه

    O eye, weep for the sons of

    Asad, for they are worthy of lamentation—

  2. أَهلَ القِبابِ الحُمرِ وَال

    نَعَمِ المُؤَبَّلِ وَالمُدامَه

    people of the red pavilions, and of

    camels gathered in herds, and wine;

  3. وَذَوي الجِيادِ الجُردِ وَال

    أَسَلِ المُثَقَّفَةِ المُقامَه

    and owners of fine, sleek horses, and of

    straightened spears set upright.

  4. حِلّاً أَبَيتَ اللَعنَ حِ

    لّاً إِنَّ فيما قُلتَ آمَه

    Relent—may you shun the curse—

    relent! Indeed, there is a fault in what you said.

  5. في كُلِّ وادٍ بَينَ يَث

    رِبَ فَالقُصورِ إِلى اليَمامَه

    In every valley between Yathrib

    and al-Qusur, as far as al-Yamamah,

  6. تَطريبُ عانٍ أَو صِيا

    حُ مُحَرَّقٍ أَو صَوتُ هامَه

    there is a captive's plaintive song, or the cry

    of one being burned, or an owl's voice.

  7. وَمَنَعتَهُم نَجداً فَقَد

    حَلّوا عَلى وَجَلٍ تِهامَه

    And you barred them from Najd, so they have

    settled, in fear, in Tihamah.

  8. بَرِمَت بَنو أَسَدٍ كَما

    بَرِمَت بِبَيضَتِها الحَمامَه

    The sons of Asad grew weary, as

    the dove grew weary of her egg.

  9. جَعَلَت لَها عودَينِ مِن

    نَشَمٍ وَآخَرَ مِن ثُمامَه

    She laid two twigs for it, of

    nasham wood, and another of thumam grass.

  10. إِمّا تَرَكتَ تَرَكتَ عَف

    واً أَو قَتَلتَ فَلا مَلامَه

    If you spare them, you spare them

    in pardon; or if you kill them, no blame is yours.

  11. أَنتَ المَليكُ عَلَيهِمُ

    وَهُمُ العَبيدُ إِلى القِيامَه

    You are the king over them,

    and they are slaves until the Resurrection.

  12. ذَلّوا لِسَوطِكَ مِثلَ ما

    ذَلَّ الأُشَيقِرُ ذو الخِزامَه

    They submitted to your whip, just as

    the little reddish camel with the nose-ring submitted.