لَعَمْري لَقَدْ حَكَّتْ رَحَى الحرب بَعْدَما

أطارَتْ لُؤَيّاً قَبْلُ شَرْقاً وَمُغْرِبا

By my life, the millstone of war ground on after

It had earlier raised bright embers east and west.

بَقِيَّةَ آلِ الكاهنينَ وعَزَّها

فَعادَ ذَليلاً بَعْدَ ما كان أَغْلَبا

It spared the rest of the priestly house and their might―

And he who had been mighty returned humiliated.

فَطَاحَ سَلامٌ وابنُ سَعْيَةَ عَنْوةً

وقيدَ ذَليلاً للمنايا ابن أخطبا

Peace fell by force―also Sa'ya's son.

And the son of Akhtab was bound humiliated for death.

وأجْلَبَ يَبْغي العِزَّ والذلَّ يَبْتضغي

خِلافَ يَدَيْه ما جَنَى حِينَ أَجْلبا

It sought honor but ignominy sought it.

Unlike its hands what it had earlier reaped when it dragged off booty.

كتارِكِ سَهْلِ الأرْضِ والحَزْنُ هُمُّهُ

وَقَدْ كانَ ذا في الناسِ أَكْدَى وَأَغْلَبا

Saddened, the leaving of the easy life of the plain.

Though he had been among the people most stubborn and powerful.

وَشَأْسٌ وَعَزّالُ وَقَدْ صُلِيَا بِها

وما غُيِّبا عَنْ ذاكَ فِيمْنَ تَغَيَّبا

Both Sha's and 'Azzal were ruined by it.

And neither was absent from it among those who were ruined.

وَعَوْفُ بنُ سَلْمى وابنُ عوفٍ كلاهما

وكَعْبٌ رئيسُ القَومِ حانَ وخُيِّبا

And 'Awf ibn Salma, and Ibn 'Awf―both of them,

And Ka'b the chief of the people swayed and was ruined.

فبُعْداً وَسُحْقاً للنَّضِير ومِثْلُها

إِنِ أعْقَبَ فَتْحٌ أَو إنِ اللهُ أَعْقَبَا

So away with the Nadir! Perdition take it and the like of it!

If a conquest follows or if Allah makes one follow.