يا قَيسُ أَنتُم شِرارُ قَومِكُمُ

قِدماً وَأَنتُم أَغَثُّهُم نَسَبا

O Qais, you are the worst of your tribe

Anciently and presently the most ignoble

حالَفتُمُ الفُحشَ وَالخِيانَةَ وَال

بُخلَ جَميعاً وَاللُؤمَ وَالكَذِبا

You have sworn allegiance to debauchery, treachery, stinginess

Miserliness, cowardice, and lies altogether

يا قَيسُ إِنَّ الأَسلابَ أَحرَزَها

مَن كانَ يُغشي الذَوائِبَ القُضُبا

O Qais, indeed, noble lineages are attained

By those who raid at dusk the thorny thickets

وَأَنتَ في الدارِ غَيرُ مُحتَضِرٍ

حَرباً وَتَدعو قِتالَنا لَعِبا

While you, not on your deathbed, stay at home

And jest of our warring as if mere play

لَو كُنتَ فيهِم وَالحَربُ لاقِحَةٌ

لَكُنتَ فيهِم مُغَلَّباً ذَنَبا

Had you been among them when war grew fierce

You would have been among the defeated, blamed

نَحنُ اِستَبَحنا ما في دِيارِكُمُ

يَومَ صَبَحناكُمُ بِها حُصَبا

We ransacked whatever was in your abodes

The day we overran them with spears

نَحنُ حُماةُ الأَطامِ في سالِفِ ال

دَهرِ وَقِدماً سُقناكُمُ حَنَبا

We are the protectors of sanctuaries throughout

The days of yore, and long ago we led you like lambs