إِن تَختَلِف مُضَرٌ تَتبَع عَدُوَّهُمُ

أَو تَجتَمِع تَنفِكُم عَن أَرضِها مُضَرُ

If Mudar tribes differ, following their enemy,

Or gather, you will not be removed from their land, O Mudar!

فَسَل تَميمَيكَ هَل لاقَت لِعاجِمِها

يَومَ اِبنِ أَرطاةَ إِذ أَزرى بِها الحَوَرُ

Ask Thamim if they encountered for their non-Arabs,

The day of Ibn Arta’ah, when Al-Hawr distressed them.

وَقَد كَفَرتُم بِحِلفِ السَيفِ ضاحِيَةً

بِالمِربَدَينِ غَداةَ اِغرَورَقَ البَصَرُ

You have violated the covenant of the sword, laid bare,

With Al-Mirbadain the next morning eyes overflowed with tears.

أَما كَفاها اِبتِياضُ الأَزدِ حُرمَتَها

في عُقرِ دارِهِم أَن يُبعَثَ الحَجَرُ

Is it not enough for them the violation of Azd’s sanctity,

In the ravaging of their homes, that stones were launched?

وَاِستَجبَرَ الناسُ مَن يَأسو إِذا صَدَحوا

صَدحَ المَآتِمِ لا يوهونَ ما جَبَروا

And people were emboldened whom despaired, when they cried out,

The cries of calamities, not conceding what they wrought.

وَمَن إِذا اِختَلَفوا لَم يَجتَمِع أَحَدٌ

وَلا لبِجَمعِهِمُ يَستَجمِعُ البَشَرُ

And when they differed, no one gathered,

Nor for their gathering, did mankind assemble.

وَما تُبالي تَميمُ سَوؤَةً وَقَعَت

فيها إِذا حالَ دونَ السَوءَةِ العُذَرُ

Thamim does not care what disgrace befell it,

When the excuse prevents disgrace from occurring.

قَيسُ أَعَزُّ لِدينِ اللَهِ مَنصَرَةً

مِنكُم وَأَكرَمُ خُبراً حينَ تُختَبَرُ

Qais, more faithful to God's religion in its defense,

And more generous in news when you are tested.

وَقَيسُ عَيلانَ لَولا حُسنُ طاعَتِهِم

أَلوى بِجِذمِ تَميمٍ حُشَّرٌ شُطُرُ

And Qais Ailan, were it not for their good obedience,

With the root of Thamim, a torn piece, part.

عاذَت تَميمٌ بِأَخفى الحُمسِ إِذ لَقيتُ

إِحدى القَناطِرِ لا يُمشى لَها الخَمَرُ

Thamim sought the most secret fifths, when it met

One of the bridges, on which wine cannot be transported.

فَرعا سَبا خُلِقوا إِذ لَم يَكُن عَرَبٌ

إِلّا هُمُ لَهُمُ عَينٌ وَلا أَثَرُ

They were immoral and malignant, when there were no Arabs,

Except them, for them an eye, but no trace.

قَومٌ عَوادِيُّ مُلكِ الناسِ كانَ لَهُم

وَالشَمسُ إِذ ذاكَ لَم تَطلُع وَلا القَمَرُ

A folk of deserts, who possessed the kingship of men, theirs it was,

And the sun, at that time, neither rose nor the moon.