وَدارٍ يُؤَدَّبُ فيها البُزاةُ

وَيُمتَحَنُ الفَهدُ وَالفَهدَه

And an abode wherein hawks are disciplined, and the male cheetah and the female are put to the test.

I journeyed towards a land wherein the slaughterer sacrificed the Baldah star.

وَصَلتُ عُراها إِلى بَلدَةٍ

بِها نَحَرَ الذابِحُ البَلدَه

When the lord of supplicants seeks it by night, he wakes with a satiated stomach.

A following rain came after the early spring showers, so your only worry regarding truffles is [preparing] a stomach.

إِذا اِغتامَها قَرِمُ المُعتَفينَ

طُروقاً غَدا رَهِمَ المِعدَه

And a hunt with a dark-spotted hawk, fully armed, swift in the raid and the assault.

He feels heavy when weighed by the palms, upright in his chest and his sitting posture.

وَلِيٌّ قَفا بَعدَ وَسمِيِّهِ

فَهَمُّكَ مِن كَمأَةٍ مَعدَه

Wide in the stride, speckled on both flanks, light in the belly and the plumage.

He turns a gaze that repels all dust, illuminating his cheek with the gleam of his eye.

وَصَيدٌ بَأَسفَعَ شاكي السِلاحِ

سَريعِ الإِغارَةِ وَالشَدَّه

Possessing a sharp beak and a prominent crop, as if you had draped him in a cloak.

And when he turned, he spotted nine birds grazing, and a single one standing apart.

وَزينٌ إِذا وَزَنَتهُ الأَكُفُّ

مُنتَصِبُ الزَورِ وَالقِعدَه

He held back, shoulders squared high, out of excessive gallantry and valor.

We said to his trainer, "What is your view?" So he released him, slipping the tether smoothly.

فَتيقُ النَسا أَنمَرُ الدَفَّتَينِ

خَفيفُ الخَميصَةِ وَاللِبدَه

He passed like a meteor streaking through darkness, to enact a calamity most grave.

He swooped down upon the base of the skull, piercing the windpipe or tearing it asunder.

يُقَلِّبُ طَرفاً طُحورَ القَذى

يُضيءُ بِمُقلَتِهِ خَدَّه

Then he doubled back for the treacherous flock, completing the count of ten with them.

Halt, O company of travelers, and listen; I shall inform you regarding the tribe of Kindah.

بِذي شَبَةٍ أَعرَفِ الحَوصَلاءِ

كَأَنَّكَ رَدَّيتَهُ بُردَه

We arrived at Hashim’s city, and our trade found no profit with him.

He was distracted by a young lad with heavy haunches, strong in the spine and the chest.

فَلَمّا اِستَحالَ رَأى تِسعَةً

رِتاعاً وَواحِدَةٍ فَردَه

Lanky, swaying whenever he walks; you see between his legs something like a spear-shaft.

He traverses the night with him, belly stuffed, like the filling of a shriveled intestine.

فَكَفكَفَ مُنتَصِبَ المَنكِبَينِ

لِفَرطِ الشَهامَةِ وَالنَجدَه

I have seen you, when the dining tray arrives, harsh against the manservant and the maid.

You rage until your table companion fears that your sharpness will inflict harm upon him.

فَقُلنا لِسايِسِهِ ما تَرى

فَأَطلَقَهُ سَلِسَ العُقلَه

And you end this by boasting to him of Kindah—so I say: defecate upon Kindah!

For Hudayj indeed undertook a migration, but it was during the time of Apostasy.

فَمَرَّ كَمَرِّ شِهابِ الظَلامِ

لِيَفعَلَ داهِيَةً إِدَّه

And your faith in the Messenger was nothing other than your murder of his son-in-law after him.

You reckon this deed among your achievements, counting it as one counts the crescent moons.

فَأَنحى لَهُ في صَميمِ القَذالِ

فَشَكَّ المُزَمِّرَ أَو قَدَّه

And his killer was not, among men, born of purity nor of legitimate wedlock.

Had the Quraysh of the Valley witnessed him, your fire would never have scorched his skin.

وَثَنّى لآلافِها الغادِراتِ

فَكَمَّلَ عَشراً بِها العِدَّه

قِفوا مَعشَرَ الراحِلينَ اِسمَعوا

أُنَبِّئكُمُ عَن بَني كِندَه

وَرَدنا عَلى هاشِمٍ مِصرَهُ

فَبارَت تِجارَتُنا عِندَه

وَأَلهاهُ ذو كَفَلٍ ناشِئٌ

شَديدُ الفَقارَةِ وَالبَلدَه

سِبَطرٌ يَميدُ إِذا ما مَشى

تَرى بَينَ رِجلَيهِ كَالصَعدَه

يَجوبُ بِهِ اللَيلَ ذا بِطنَةٍ

كَحَشوِ المُدَينِيَّةِ القَلِدَه

رَأَيتُكَ عِندَ حُضورِ الخِوانِ

شَديداً عَلى العَبدِ وَالعَبدَه

وَتَحتَدُّ حَتّى يَخافَ الجَليسُ

شَذاكَ عَلَيهِ مِنَ الحِدَّه

وَتَختُمُ ذاكَ بِفَخرٍ عَلَيهِ

بِكِندَةَ فَاِسلَح عَلى كِندَه

فَإِنَّ حُدَيجاً لَهُ هِجرَةٌ

وَلَكِنَّها زَمَنَ الرِدَّه

وَما كانَ إيمانُكُم بِالرَسولِ

سِوى قَتلُكُم صِهرَهُ بَعدَه

تَعُدّونَها في مَساعيكُمُ

كَعَدِّ الأَهِلَّةِ مُعتَدَّه

وَما كانَ قاتِلُهُ في الرِجالِ

بِحَملٍ لِطُهرٍ وَلا رُشدَه

فَلَو شَهِدَتهُ قُرَيشُ البِطاحِ

لَما مَحَشَت نارُكُم جِلدَه