للهِ دَرُّ فتىً يلذْ

اذا استضاموه حِمَامَهْ

Praise to the valiant youth when called upon

To face the arrows finds his coat of mail his guard.

يلقى السنانَ له عِذَا

راً والحُسامَ له عِمَامَهْ

When perils threat their sharp and cutting sword,

His buckler is his targe, his helm secures from bale.

انَّ المساعي ما تزا

لُ بها القوافى مُستهامَهْ

Efforts however much my verse avails

Will not suffice, for that demands a higher art.

ماتَ الجُلاحُ ولم يمت

ما قالَ فيه أَبو أُمامَهْ

The hero died but lives within my heart.

He'll live till Resurrection's trumpet loudly hails.

والحارثُ الجفنى قا

م بذكره حتى القِيامَهْ

And poets of the race of Lakhmi's kings

Have crowned his name and fair praise on him bestowed.

وملوكُ لخمٍ طُوِّقوا

من مدحهِ طوق الحَمَامَهْ

And I disdain ignoble ease and rest,

Like Qais and Sammah who their manhood showed.

وأَرى المذلةَ عافَها

من قبلنا قيسٌ وَسَامَهْ

My hand and sword shall fend me from the foe,

Nor will I shrink, my steps from danger's path to go.

طَلباً بِعرضِهما النجا

ةَ على شَرودٍ كالنَّعامَهْ

Uman o'erturned, the gathered armies broke,

The brother of Sulaym on that day their yoke,

فرمت عمانُ بحولي

ن تخطيا عتبَ الملامَهْ

And made his soul a ransom for the tribe,

A sacrifice to save his brethren's lives.

وأَخو سليمٍ يومَ عض

على نواجذّه لِحَامَهْ

The traces of his prowess still survive,

Memorials of him tribes remote describe.

أبقى بضاحى البشرِ من

آثارِ وقعتهِ عَلامَهْ

The Tolga refugees his onset fled,

The tribes of Malik trembled and with dread,

نفرَ الحُبالى من عقا

ئلِ مالكٍ وبنى أُسامَهْ

Kindah Tribe fled from his assault dismayed.

Thus shall the man be blest who draws his blade,

وَيْلُمِّها من غارةٍ

لو أنها تَشفى أوامَهْ

And night-like shall oppress his enemies.

My prince, to whom the good for aid repair,

وكذا يكون أَخو المظا

لم حين تغشاه الظُّلامَهْ

O thou whose actions no reproaches dare,

Sprung from a line heroes alone could rear.

يا أَبها الملك الذي

يده على العافي غَمامَهْ

Whose sires though slain midst battle's fury fell

Ne'er shunned the deadly charge or ceased to dare,

والفاعل الفعل الذي

لم يستطع أَحدٌ مَرَامَهْ

No loss of fortune made their spirits quail,

Misfortune only roused them to prevail.

مِنْ معشرٍ خُلِقوا لتش

ييدِ العلا كَتَداً وهامَهْ

Noble resolve should arm us for the fight,

To die with honour rather than from duty shrink.

لم يلسبوا الحَلَقَ المضا

عَفَ في الوغى طَلَب السلامَهْ

We dreamed of glory, framed high exploits high,

While our existence was inertness, nought beside.

الاَّ لتعطيل الصوا

رمِ أَنْ تكونَ لها صَرامَةْ

A horde unused to war's alarms drew nigh,

And we like frightened women ran and cried.

انا خُدعنا بالحيا

ةِ وعِزُّنا حَبُّ الكَرامَهْ

No chief arose our manhood to excite,

And raise his tribe from their degraded plight.

وَتَنَاوَلَتنا فاركٌ

خَرقاءُ فاجرةُ العَرامَهْ

Let those who life inglorious living found

Sleep the last sleep wrapped in oblivious ground.

لم يَعنِ فيها الواليا

نِ ولا نكيرهما قُلامَهْ

The freeman whose high spirit scorns control

Needs but his tent to shelter from the cold.

فافلل شَباها انَّها

في وجنةِ العلياءِ شَامَهْ

والحُرُّ ليس له بدا

رٍ يُستضامُ بها اقامَهْ