أَبْلِغْ قُرَيشاً وخَيْرُ القولِ أصْدَقُهُ

والصّدْقُ عندَ ذَوي الألْبَابِ مَقْبُولُ

Deliver to Quraysh and the best word is the most truthful

And truthfulness is accepted by those of reason

أنْ قَدْ قَتَلْنَا بقَتْلاَنَا سَرَاتَكُمُ

أهلَ اللواءِ فَفيمَ يكثرُ القِيلُ

That we have killed your elite with our killing

So why is there so much talk?

ويومَ بَدْرٍ لَقِينَاكُمْ لَنَا مَدَدٌ

فيهِ مَعَ النّصْرِ مِيكَالٌ وجِبْرِيلُ

And on the day of Badr we met you, we had support

With victory, Michael and Gabriel were with us

إِنْ تَقْتُلُونَا فَدِينُ الحقِّ فِطْرَتُنَا

والقَتْلُ في الحقِّ عِنْدَ اللهِ تفضيلُ

If you kill us, our religion is our true nature

And being killed for truth, with God is virtue

وإِن تَرَوا أمرَنا في رَأيكُمْ سَفَهاً

فَرَأيُ مَنْ خَالَفَ الإسْلاَمَ تَضليلُ

And if you see our matter as foolishness in your view

Then the view of those against Islam is misguidance

فلا تَمنُّوا لِقَاحَ الحَرْبِ واقتَعِدُوا

إنَّ أَخَا الحَرْبِ أصْدَى اللّونِ مَشْعُولُ

So do not wish for the meeting of war, and refrain

For war's brother's complexion is fiery and somber

إنَّ لَكُمْ عِنْدَنا ضَرْباً تَرَاحُ لها

عُرْجُ الضِّبَاعِ لَهُ خَذْمٌ رَعَابِيلُ

With us for you is a strike the hyenas quiver from

The hump of the camels has an owner, a herder

إنّا بَنُو الحَرْبِ نُمْرِيها وَنُنْتِجُهَا

وعِنْدَنا لِذَوي الأضْغَانِ تَنْكيلُ

We are the people of war, we initiate it and produce it

And with us for people of grudges there is vengeance

إن يُنْجُ منها ابنُ حَرْبٍ بَعْدَمَا بَلَغَتْ

مِنْهُ التّراقي وأمرُ اللهِ مَفْعُولُ

If the son of war survives after what has transpired

Of skirmishing, by God's command fulfilled

فَقَدْ أفَادَتْ لَهُ حِلْماً وَمَوْعِظَةً

لِمَنْ يَكُونُ لَهُ لُبٌّ ومَعْقُولُ

Then it has given him wisdom and advice

For one who has a heart and intellect

وَلَو هَبَطْتُمْ بِبَطْنِ السّيلِ كَافَحَكُمْ

ضَرْبٌ بِشَاكِلَةِ البَطْحَاءِ تَرْعِيلُ

And if you descended to the valley's flooding depths

A strike with the staffs of Al-Baṭḥā’ would herd you

تَلْقَاكُمُ عُصَبٌ حَوْلَ النّبيّ لَهُمْ

مِمّا يعدُّونَ للهَيْجَا سَرَابيلُ

A band around the Prophet would meet you

With what they prepare for fighting, attires

مِنْ جِذْمِ غَسَّانَ مُسْتَرخٍ حَمَائِلُهُمْ

لا جُبَنَاءُ وَلاَ مِيلٍ مَعَازِيلُ

From the army of Ghassan relaxed, their protectors

Neither cowards nor wavering weaklings

يَمْشُونَ نَحْوَ عمايَاتِ القِتَالِ كَمَا

تَمْشِي المَصَاعِبَةُ الأدْمُ المراسيلُ

They walk towards the darkness of battle

As the surefooted walk, untied camels

أو مثلَ مَشْيِ أُسُودِ الظّلِّ ألثَقَها

يَوْمُ زَذَاذٍ منَ الجَوْزَاءِ مَشْمُولُ

Or like the gait of dark lions whose manes

Were ruffled one day at Al-Jawzā’, clumped

في كُلِّ سَابِغَةٍ كالنّهيِّ مُحْكَمَةٍ

قِيَامُها فَلَجٌ كالسَّيْفِ بُهلُولُ

In every hardened coat of mail like an edict

Their stance cleaves like the sword blades polished

تَرُدُّ حَدَّ قِرَانِ النّبْلِ خَاسِئةً

وَيرْجعُ السّيفُ عنها وهو مَفْلُولُ

Repelling the blows of spears blunted

And the sword bounces back from them bent

وَلَوْ قَذَفْتُمْ بِسَلْعٍ عَنْ ظهورِكُمُ

وللحَيَاةِ وَدَفْعِ المَوْتِ تَأْجِيلُ

And if you tossed away your goods from your backs

For life, and deferring death there is hope

ما زَالَ في القَوْمِ وَتْرٌ مِنْكُمُ أبداً

تَعْفُو السِّلامُ عليهِ وَهْوَ مَطْلُولُ

There would always remain among the people a bond from you

Peace unto it though it be despoiled

عبدٌ وَحُرٌّ كَرِيمٌ مُوثِقٌ قَنَصاً

شَطْرَ المَدِينَةِ مَأْسُورٌ وَمَقْتُولُ

A slave and freeman, dignified, pledged

Half the city captive and slain

كُنّا نُؤَمّلُ أُخْرَاكُمْ فأعجَلَكُمْ

مِنَّا فَوَارِسُ لا عُزْلٌ ولا مِيلُ

We hoped for your remnants but you hurried

Against us so horsemen without retreat or sway

إذا جَنَى فِيهمُ الجَاني فَقَدْ عَلِمُوا

حَقّاً بأنَّ الذي قد جَرَّ مَحْمُولُ

When the transgressor attacks them, they know truly

That the one who crossed was destined to be carried

ما يَجْنِ لا يجْنِ من إثْمٍ مُجَاهَرَةً

ولا مَلُومٌ ولا في الغُرْمِ مَخْذُولُ

What is crossed cannot be crossed openly sinning

Nor blamed nor in debt neglected

يوماً تَظَلُّ حِدَابُ الأَرْضِ تَرْفَعُهَا

مِنَ اللَّوامِعِ تَخْلِيطٌ وتَزْيِيلُ

A day the ridges of earth loom over it

With gleaming unsheathed swords mixed and scattered