أَلا مَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي زِياداً

أَلا مَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي زِياداً

غَداةَ القاعِ إِذ أَزِفَ الضِرابُ

غَداةَ القاعِ إِذ أَزِفَ الضِرابُ

Ho! Who will carry word from me to Ziyad,

Who will inform Ziyad when at dawn

That morning on the plain, when battle drew near,

The horses of Bani Kilab return

غَداةَ تَثوبُ خَيلُ بَني كِلابٍ

غَداةَ تَثوبُ خَيلُ بَني كِلابٍ

عَلى لَبّاتِها عَلَقٌ يُشابُ

عَلى لَبّاتِها عَلَقٌ يُشابُ

The morning the horses of the sons of Kilab return,

With blood dripping from their bits

With mingled blood upon their upper chests?

After the battle at Al-Qa'a?

فَإِنَّ لَنا حُكومَةَ كُلَّ يَومٍ

فَإِنَّ لَنا حُكومَةَ كُلَّ يَومٍ

يُبَيَّنُ في مَفاصِلِهِ الصَوابُ

يُبَيَّنُ في مَفاصِلِهِ الصَوابُ

For every day we have a judgment;

For we govern every day

At its junctures, what is right is made clear.

With wisdom clarifying the right way.

وَإِنّي سَوفَ أَحكُمُ غَيرَ عادٍ

وَإِنّي سَوفَ أَحكُمُ غَيرَ عادٍ

وَلا قَذِعٍ إِذا اِلتُمِسَ الجَوابُ

وَلا قَذِعٍ إِذا اِلتُمِسَ الجَوابُ

And I shall judge, neither transgressing

I will rule without bias or ignorance

Nor being abusive, when an answer is sought:

If an answer is asked for in governance,

حُكومَةَ حازِمٍ لا عَيبَ فيها

حُكومَةَ حازِمٍ لا عَيبَ فيها

إِذا ما القَومُ كَظَّهُمُ الخِطابُ

إِذا ما القَومُ كَظَّهُمُ الخِطابُ

A resolute man's judgment, with no fault in it,

The rule of one cautious, no fault in it,

When speech has pressed the people hard.

Even if the people are roused by speech.

فَإِنَّ مَطيَّةَ الحِلمِ التَأَنّي

فَإِنَّ مَطيَّةَ الحِلمِ التَأَنّي

عَلى مَهَلٍ وَلِلجَهلِ الشَبابُ

عَلى مَهَلٍ وَلِلجَهلِ الشَبابُ

For deliberation is the mount of forbearance,

Patience restrains the impetuous steed

At an unhurried pace; and youth belongs to folly.

While foolishness is urged on by youth.

وَلَيسَ الجَهلُ عَن سِنٍّ وَلَكِن

وَلَيسَ الجَهلُ عَن سِنٍّ وَلَكِن

غَدَت بِنَوافِذِ القَولِ الرِكابُ

غَدَت بِنَوافِذِ القَولِ الرِكابُ

And folly does not arise from age, but

Ignorance comes not from age but

The riding camels set out in the morning with piercing words.

From spurring speech without curb.

فَإِنَّ بَني بَغيضٍ قَد أَتاهُم

فَإِنَّ بَني بَغيضٍ قَد أَتاهُم

رَسولُ الناصِحينَ فَما أَجابوا

رَسولُ الناصِحينَ فَما أَجابوا

For to the sons of Baghid there came

The envoys advised in vain the hostile clan,

The messenger of sincere advisers, but they did not answer.

Who returned no answer to their words

وَلا رَدّوا مَحورَةَ ذاكَ حَتّى

وَلا رَدّوا مَحورَةَ ذاكَ حَتّى

أَتانا الحِلمُ وَاِنخَرَقَ الحِجابُ

أَتانا الحِلمُ وَاِنخَرَقَ الحِجابُ

Nor did they offer a reply to that, until

Until patience left and the veil was torn

Forbearance came to us and the veil was torn.

And my speech made known what you have heard.

فَإِنَّ مَقالَتي ما قَد عَلِمتُم

فَإِنَّ مَقالَتي ما قَد عَلِمتُم

وَخَيلي قَد يَحِلُّ لَها النَهابُ

وَخَيلي قَد يَحِلُّ لَها النَهابُ

For my words are what you already know,

My horses are free to graze the meadows

And plunder may be lawful for my horses.

When the cowardly birds take wing in dread,

إِذا يَمَّمنَ خَيلاً مُسرِعاتٍ

إِذا يَمَّمنَ خَيلاً مُسرِعاتٍ

جَرى بِنُحوسِ طَيرِهُمُ الغُرابُ

جَرى بِنُحوسِ طَيرِهُمُ الغُرابُ

When they head swiftly toward horses,

As they race to a hostile people's plain

The raven speeds along, bearing their birds' ill omens.

And leave them vanquished, ruined and dead.

وَإِن مَرَّت عَلى قَومِ أَعادٍ

وَإِن مَرَّت عَلى قَومِ أَعادٍ

بِساحَتِهِم فَقَد خَسِروا وَخابوا

بِساحَتِهِم فَقَد خَسِروا وَخابوا

And if they pass by a hostile people,

At their encampment, those people have surely lost and failed.