1. أَلا هَل أَتى بَحريَّنا صُنعُ رَبِّنا

    عَلى نَأيِهِم وَاللَهُ بِالناسِ أَروَدُ

    Lo, has our Lord's deed reached our people across the sea,

    far away as they are? And God is gentler toward mankind.

  2. فَيُخبِرَهُم أَنَّ الصَحيفَةَ مُزِّقَت

    وَأَنّ كُلّ ما لَم يَرضَهُ اللَهُ مُفسَدُ

    So it may inform them that the document has been torn apart,

    and that everything God does not approve is undone.

  3. تَراوَحَها إِفكٌ وَسِحرٌ مُجَمَّعٌ

    وَلَم يُلفَ سِحرٌ آخرَ الدَهرِ يَصعدُ

    Falsehood and amassed sorcery took turns upon it,

    and no sorcery was found to ascend at time's end.

  4. تَداعى لَها مَن لَيسَ فيها بِقَرقَرٍ

    فَطائِرُها في رَأسِها يَتَرَدَّدُ

    Those who were no weaklings in the matter rallied to it,

    so its bird flutters back and forth at its own head.

  5. وَكانَت كِفاءً وَقعَةٌ بِأَثيمَةٍ

    لِيُقطَعَ مِنها ساعِدٌ وَمُقَلَّدُ

    And a battle at Athimah would have been fitting recompense,

    so that a forearm and a neck might be severed there,

  6. وَيَظعَنُ أَهلُ المَكَّتَينِ فَيَهرُبوا

    فَرائِصُهُم مِن خَشيَةِ الشَرِّ تُرعَدُ

    and the inhabitants of the two Meccas would depart and flee,

    their flanks trembling for fear of harm.

  7. وَيُترَكَ حَرّاثٌ يُقَلِّبُ أَمرَهُ

    أَيُتهِمُ فيها عِندَ ذاكَ وَيُنجِدُ

    And a ploughman would be left weighing his course,

    whether then to head for Tihamah or go up to Najd.

  8. وَتَصعَدُ بَينَ الأَخشَبَينِ كَتيبَةٌ

    لَها حَدَجٌ سَهمٌ وَقَوسٌ وَمِرهَدُ

    And a battalion would ascend between the two Akhshabs,

    bearing a load of arrows, bows, and arrow-shafts.

  9. فَمَن يَنشَ مِن حُضَّرِ مَكَّةَ عِزُّهُ

    فَعِزَّتُنا في بَطنِ مَكَّةَ أَتلَدُ

    So, if glory rises for any of Mecca's townsmen,

    our glory in the heart of Mecca is more ancient.

  10. نَشَأنا بِها وَالناسُ فيها قَلائِل

    فَلَم نَنفَكِك نَزدادُ خيراً وَنُحمَدُ

    We grew up there when its people were few,

    and never ceased to grow in goodness and earn praise.

  11. وَنُطعِمُ حَتّى يَترُكَ الناسُ فَضلَهُم

    إِذا جُعِلَت أَيدي المُفيضِينَ تُرعَدُ

    And we feed people until they leave their surplus,

    when the hands of the lot-drawers are set trembling.

  12. جَزى اللَهُ رَهطاً بِالحَجونِ تَتابَعوا

    عَلى مَلَإٍ يَهدي لِحَزمٍ وَيُرشِدُ

    May God reward a band at al-Hajun who followed one another,

    in an assembly that leads to sound judgment and gives right guidance,

  13. قُعوداً لَدى حَطمِ الحَجونِ كَأَنَّهُم

    مَقاوِلَةٌ بَل هُم أَعَزُّ وَأَمجَدُ

    seated by the cleft of al-Hajun, as though they were

    chieftains—nay, they are mightier and more glorious.

  14. أَعانَ عَلَيها كُلُّ صَقرٍ كَأَنَّهُ

    إِذا ما مَشى في رَفرَفِ الدِرعِ أَحرَدُ

    Every falcon lent aid toward it, as though he were

    stiff-legged when walking in the trailing skirt of his mail.

  15. جَريءٌ عَلى جُلّى الخُطوبِ كَأَنَّهُ

    شِهابٌ بِكَفّي قابِسٍ يَتَوَقَّدُ

    Bold before the gravest crises, as though he were

    a firebrand blazing in both hands of one fetching fire.

  16. مِنَ الأَكرَمينَ في لؤيِّ بنِ غالِب

    إِذا سيمَ خَسفاً وَجهُهُ يَتَرَبَّدُ

    One of the noblest in Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib's line;

    when subjected to humiliation, his face darkens.

  17. طَوِيلُ النِجادِ خارِجٌ نِصفُ ساقِهِ

    عَلى وَجهِهِ يُسقى الغَمامُ وَيُسعَدُ

    Long of sword-baldric, half his shin exposed,

    through his countenance comes rain from the clouds, and good fortune is granted.

  18. عَظيمُ الرَمادِ سَيِّدٌ وَاِبنُ سَيّدٍ

    يَحُضُّ عَلى مَقرى الضُيوفِ وَيَحشُدُ

    His ash-heap is vast; he is a lord and a lord's son,

    urging hospitality to guests and bringing people together.

  19. وَيَبني لِأَبناءِ العَشيرَةِ صالِحاً

    إِذا نَحنُ طُفنا في البِلادِ وَيُمهِدُ

    And he builds something sound for the sons of the clan,

    when we travel through the lands, and he smooths the way.

  20. أَلَظَّ بِهذا الصُلحِ كُلُّ مُبَرَّأ

    عَظيم اللِواءِ أَمرُهُ ثُمَّ يُحمَدُ

    Every blameless man pressed for this peace,

    great of banner, whose conduct then earns praise.

  21. قَضَوا ما قَضَوا في لَيلِهِم ثُمَّ أَصبَحوا

    عَلى مَهَلٍ وَسائِرُ الناسِ رُقَّدُ

    They settled what they settled during their night, then met the morning,

    at their ease, while the rest of the people lay asleep.

  22. هُمُ رَجَعوا سَهلَ ابنَ بَيضاءَ رَاضِياً

    وَسُرَّ أَبو بَكرٍ بِها وَمُحَمَّدُ

    They brought Sahl ibn Bayda back content,

    and Abu Bakr and Muhammad were gladdened by it.

  23. مَتى شركَ الأَقوامُ في جُلِّ أَمرِنا

    وَكُنّا قَديماً قَبلَها نَتَوَدَّدُ

    When did the tribes share in most of our affairs?

    And long ago, before it, we cultivated friendship.

  24. وَكُنّا قَديماً لا نُقِرُّ ظُلامَةً

    وَنُدرِكُ ما شِئنا وَلا نَتَشَدَّدُ

    And of old we would not tolerate injustice,

    and attained what we wished without being harsh.

  25. فَيا لَقُصَيٍّ هَل لَكُم في نُفوسِكم

    وَهَل لَكُمُ فيما يَجيءُ بِهِ الغَدُ

    So, O people of Qusayy, have you any care for yourselves,

    and have you any care for what tomorrow brings?

  26. فَإِنّي وَإِيّاكُم كَما قالَ قائِلٌ

    لَدَيكَ البَيانُ لَو تَكَلَّمتَ أَسوَدُ

    For I and you are as a speaker said:

    The explanation lies with you, if only you would speak, Aswad.