1. لَيسَ بَيني وَبَينِ قَيسٍ عِتابُ

    غَير طَعنِ الكُلى وَضَربِ الرِقابِ

    Between me and Qays there is no reproach,

    Except stabbing kidneys and striking necks.

  2. إِذ جَزَينا قُشَيرَهُم وِهِلالاً

    وَأَبرنا قَبيلَةَ اِبنِ الحُبابِ

    When we repaid their Qushayr and Hilal,

    And annihilated the tribe of Ibn al-Hubab,

  3. وَاِقتَضَينا دُيونُنا في عَقيلٍ

    وَشَفَينا غَليلَنا مِن كِلابِ

    And exacted our dues from Uqayl,

    And slaked our thirst for vengeance on Kilab.

  4. نَزَلوا مَنزِلَ الضيافَةِ مِنا

    فَقَرى القَومَ غِلمَةُ الأَعرابِ

    They lodged with us as guests,

    So the Bedouin youths served the company their fare.

  5. وَتَركنا عُمَيرَهُم رَهنَ ضَبعٍ

    مُسلَحِبّا وَرَهنَ طُلسِ الذِئابِ

    And we left their Umayr hostage to a hyena,

    Outstretched, and hostage to dusky wolves.

  6. وَرَدَدناهُمُ إِلى حَرّتيهِم

    حَيثُ لا يَأكُلونَ غَيرَ الضّبابِ

    And drove them back to their two lava fields,

    Where they eat nothing but spiny-tailed lizards.