اذا انجابتْ الَّلأْواءُ عنَّا وعنكُمُ

سيندَمُ قومٌ يجزعون ونَصْبِرُ

If the war clouds depart from us and you,

Some people will regret while we endure patiently.

مشى سَابقاً والخيلُ تَعْثُرُ خَلفَهُ

الى غايةِ المَجْدِ الأَغرُّ المشهَّرُ

The foremost rider went ahead while the horses behind him stumbled,

To the farthest point of glorious renown.

على المِسحِ يأبى كلُّ لبدٍ ومسحلٍ

وكلُّ عَذَار ظهرُهُ والمُعَذَّرُ

Every smooth and rough garment refuses to be wiped,

And every weak and strong back turns away and makes excuses.

بني الأملِ المغبونِ هلاَّ سأَلتم

غَداةَ جزعتمُ أَينَ عادٌ وحميَرُ

O children of lost hope, why didn't you ask

The next morning after you panicked, where are Aad and Thamud?

وقومٌ ببطنِ الأرضِ تُنْسَى قبورُهم

وأَفعالُهم حتّى القيامةِ تُذكَرُ

And a people in the earth's belly whose graves are forgotten

While their deeds are remembered until the Day of Resurrection.

ضَجَجْتُم ولما تضغَمِ الحربُ ضَغْمَةً

كما ضجّ من ظِلِ ابن دأية أَدْبَرُ

You clamored but when war took on severity

As the people clamored when Ibn Dhi Yazan fled.

نشدتكم باللهِ هل ما أَخذتُم

من العارِ أو أعطتيم القومَ أكثرُ

I adjure you by Allah, have I taken

More shame or given the people more?

فمن مبلغٌ عنّي أحقٌ مؤخر

بتفديتي والموتُ لا يتأخرُ

So who is the most rightful to ransom me, though death does not delay?

Or the most cautious, you did not fear what you were afraid of?

أَمن حذرِ لم تَرجُ ما أَنتَ خائفٌ

ألا رُبَّ مغبوطٍ بما كانَ يَحذَرُ

Oh how many fortunate ones what they were wary of!

I pardoned you in the protector of striking with the sword,

عذرتُكَ في حَامي الضِّرابِ مُضَرَّسٍ

بركتَ به لو أَنَّ زَوْرَكَ أزْوَرُ

Had you sought his help, even if your claim is false.

And sometimes a young man swallows anger while he is ashamed

وقد يكظم الغَيظَ الفتى وهو كاسِفُ

ويُخفي دفينَ الحُزنِ منه فيظهَرُ

And hides the buried sorrow from him so it appears.

You descended to the enemy's rule in a position,

نزلتَ على حكمِ العَدوِّ بمنزلٍ

تلمُّ فتجفى أو تزورُ فَتُهْجَرُ

To gather so you recover or lie so you are shunned.

If the wearer of honor gave the likes of it,

فلو كانَ يعطي لابسُ العِزّ مثلها

عذرتُكَ لو أَني ألومُ وأُعْذَرُ

I would pardon you if I blame and excuse.