ظَلَمَ الدَهرُ فيكُمُ وَأَساءَ

فَعَزاءً بَني حُمَيدٍ عَزاءَ

Time has wronged you and done evil,

So my condolences, O clan of Humayd, condolences!

أَنفُسٌ ما تَكادُ تَفقِدُ فَقداً

وَصُدورٌ ما تَبرَحُ البُرَحاءَ

Souls that can barely sense their loss,

And breasts that never cease to grieve.

أَصبَحَ السَيفُ داءَكُم وَهُوَ الدا

ءُ الَّذي لايَزالُ يُعيي الدَواءَ

The sword has become your affliction, and it

Is an affliction that does not cease exhausting remedies.

وَاِنتَحى القَتلُ فيكُمُ فَبَكَينا

بِدِماءِ الدُموعِ تِلكَ الدِماءَ

And death has withdrawn among you, so we cried

With the blood of tears over that bloodshed.

يا أَبا القاسِمِ المُقَسَّمَ في النَجـ

ـدَةِ وَالجودِ وَالنَدى أَجزاءَ

O Abu al-Qasim, he who has had generosity, munificence and bounty apportioned to him!

And al-Hizbar who, when war revolved around him,

وَالهِزَبرَ الَّذي إِذا دارَتِ الحَر

بُ بِهِ صَرَّفَ الرَدى كَيفَ شاءَ

Turned the foe this way and that however he wished!

Grief is a duty for the noble - whether

الأُسى واجِبٌ عَلى الحُرِّ إِمّا

نِيَّةً حُرَّةً وَإِمّا رِياءَ

Out of a noble intention or ostentation.

And it is foolish for a man to panic because of

وَسَفاهٌ أَن يَجزَعَ المَرءُ مِمّا

كانَ حَتماً عَلى العِبادِ قَضاءَ

What was destined for mankind by Fate's decree.

And why should the soul pursue something

وَلِماذا تَتَبَّعُ النَفسُ شَيئاً

جَعَلَ اللَهُ الفِردَوسَ مِنهُ بَواءَ

Which God has made the gates of Paradise its abode?

Will you weep for one who did not yield himself

أَتُبَكّي مَن لا يُنازِلُ بِالسَيـ

ـفِ مُشيحاً وَلا يَهُزُّ اللِواءَ

To the sword, wan and weak, nor shake the standard?

And the real man is one who saw the graves - because of

وَالفَتى مَن رَأى القُبورَ لِما طا

فَ بِهِ مِن بَناتِهِ أَكفاءَ

What they contained of his peerless daughters - to be adornments.

The counting of cattle is no adornment of life

لَسنَ مِن زينَةِ الحَياةِ كَعَدِّ الـ

ـلاهِ مِنها الأَموالَ وَالأَبناءَ

Like counting from it wealth and sons.

They have given birth to lifelong enemies and bequeathed

قَد وَلَدنَ الأَعداءَ قِدماً وَوَرَّث

نَ التِلادَ الأَقاصِيَ البُعَداءَ

Remote regions to the descendants.

The abundance of their number did not embarrass

لَم يَئِد كُثرَهُنَّ قَيسُ تَميمٍ

عَيلَةً بَل حَمِيَّةً وَإِباءَ

Qays or Tameem, but prided and toughened them.

And ignominy overcame Muhalhil's clan,

وَتَغَشّى مُهَلهِلَ الذُلُّ فيهِنـ

ـنَ وَقَد أُعطِيَ الأَديمَ حِباءَ

Although the enemy was given gifts.

And Shaqq ibn Fatik took precautions against

وَشَقيقُ بنُ فاتِكٍ حَذَرَ العا

رِ عَلَيهِنَّ فارَقَ الدَهناءَ

Dishonor upon them and parted from the land.

And over others Jacob grieved

وَعَلى غَيرِهِنَّ أُحزِنَ يَعقو

بُ وَقَد جاءَهُ بَنوهُ عِشاءَ

When his sons came upon him at night.

And Shu'ayb - because of them - saw

وَشُعَيبٌ مِن أَجلِهِنَّ رَأى الوَحـ

ـدَةَ ضَعفاً فَاِستَأجَرَ الأَنبِياءَ

Weakness in oneness, so he hired prophets.

And Satan tempted Adam in the Garden

وَاِستَزَلَّ الشَيطانُ آدَمَ في الجَنـ

ـنَةِ لَمّا أَغرى بِهِ حَوّاءَ

When he lured Eve.

And look to the tribes - are they attributed

وَتَلَفَّت إِلى القَبائِلِ فَانظُر

أُمَّهاتٍ يُنسَبنَ أَم آباءَ

To mothers or fathers when it comes to lineage?

By my life! My incapacity is only

وَلَعَمري ما العَجزُ عِندِيَ إِلّا

أَن تَبيتَ الرِجالُ تَبكي النِساءَ

That men should spend the night weeping for women!