تَقولُ سُلَيمى لا تَعَرَّض لِتَلفَةٍ
وَلَيلُكَ عَن لَيلِ الصَعاليكِ نائِمُ
Sulayma says, do not expose yourself to ruin
While your night is sleeping unlike the nights of vagabonds
وَكَيفَ يَنامُ اللَيلَ مَن جُلُّ مالِهِ
حُسامٌ كَلَونِ المِلحِ أَبيَضُ صارِمُ
How can one who owns nothing but a sword sleep?
White like salt, always unsheathed and ready
غَمُوضٌ إِذا عَضَّ الكَريهَةَ لَم يَدَع
لَهُ طَمَعاً طَوعُ اليَمينِ مُلازِمُ
When it strikes the neck of the enemy it does not stop
Until obeying the right hand, always attached
أَلَم تَعلَمي أَنَّ الصَعاليكَ نَومُهُم
قَليلٌ إِذا نامَ الخَلِيُّ المُسالِمُ
Do you not know that vagabonds only briefly sleep
When the peaceful weak one is sleeping?
جُرازٌ إِذا مَسَّ الضَريبَةَ لَم يَدَع
بِها طَمَعاً طَوعُ اليَدَينِ مُكَارِمُ
My sword, when it strikes the tax does not stop
Until obeying the two hands, always generous
إِذا اللَيلُ أَدجى وَاِكفَهَرَّ ظَلامُهُ
وَصاحَ مِنَ الأَفراطِ بومٌ جَواثِمُ
When the night grows dark and its darkness bellows
And the excess screams with unjust voices
وَمالَ بِأَصحابِ الكَرى غالِباتُهُ
فَإِنّي عَلى أَمرِ الغَوايَةِ حازِمُ
And defeat comes to the people of villages
I am determined to the matter of misguidance
كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ لا تَأخُذونَها
مُراغَمَةً مادامَ لِلسَيفِ قائِمُ
You lied! By God's house you will not take it
As long as the sword remains standing
تَحالَفَ أَقوامٌ عَلَيَّ لِيَسلَموا
وَجَروا عَلَيَّ الحَربَ إِذ أَنا سالِمُ
A group of people allied against me to make peace
And they dragged war against me while I am peaceful
أَفَاليَومَ أَدعى لِلهَوادَةِ بَعدَما
أُجيلَ عَلى الحَيِّ المَذاكي الصَلادِمُ
Shall I today call for peace after
I was wronged by the living, the strong and the fighters?
كَأَنَّ حَريماً إِذ رَجا أَن أَرُدَّها
وَيَذهَبَ مالي يا اِبنَةَ القَومِ حالِمُ
It is as if it is an inviolable thing if I wish to return it
And my money disappears, O daughter of the people, dreamer
مَتى تَجمَعِ القَلبَ الذَكِيَّ وَصارِماً
وَأَنفاً أَبِيّاً تَجتَنِبكَ المَظالِمُ
When will you gather a wise heart and a sharp sword
And avoid wrongdoings with a dignified nose?
وَمَن يَطلُبِ المَالَ المُمَنَعَّ بِالقَنا
يَعِش مُثرِيّاً أَو تَختَرِمهُ المَخارِمُ
Whoever seeks protected money with his spear
Will live rich or the calamities will wound him
وَكُنتُ إِذا قَومٌ غَزَوني غَزَوتُهُم
فَهَل أَنا في ذا يالَ هَمدانَ ظالِمُ
Whenever a people attacked me I would attack them
So am I in this, O Hamdan, unjust?
فَلا صُلحَ حَتّى تُقدَعَ الخَيلُ بِالقَنا
وَتُضرَبَ بِالبيضِ الخِفافِ الجَماجِمُ
No peace until the horses are cut by the spear
And the light helmets are struck against the skulls
وَلا أَمنَ حَتّى تَغشِمَ الحَربُ جَهرَةً
عُبَيدَةَ يَوماً والحُروبُ غَواشِمُ
No safety until war openly attacks
Ubaydah one day when wars are ferocious
أَمُستَبطِئٌ عَمرُو بنِ نَعمانَ غارَتي
وَما يُشبِهُ اليَقظانَ مَن هُوَ نائِمُ
Is Amr ibn Na'man delaying my raids?
What sleep resembles the awake?
إِذا جَرَّ مَولانا عَلَينا جَريرَةً
صَبَرنا لَها إِنّا كِرامٌ دَعائِمُ
If our Lord wrongs us with an injury
We are patient with it, we are firm pillars
وَنَنصُرُ مَولانا وَنَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ
كَمَا النّاسُ مَجرومٌ عَلَيهِ وَجارِمُ
And we support our Lord, and we know
He is wronged against and sinned upon like the people
