تَبَدَّلَ قَومي شيمَةً وَتَبَدَّلوا

فَقُلتُ لَهُم لا يُبعِدُ اللَهُ عامِرا

My people changed their character—and changed themselves.

So I said to them, “May God never cast ʿĀmir far away,”

بِما قَد أَراهُم لا تَخِفُّ حُلومُهُم

وَلا يَنطِقونَ المُندِياتِ العَوائِرا

for, from what I see of them, their minds are not frivolous,

nor do they utter shameful, disgrace-bringing things.

وَإِنَّ كِلاباً لا كِلابَ لِأَهلِها

وَقَد جَعَلَت كَعبٌ تَكونُ يَحابِرا

Indeed, Kilāb is no Kilāb to its own people,

and Kaʿb has begun to become Yaḥābir.

تَمارَيتُمُ في العِزِّ حَتّى هَلَكتُمُ

كَما أَهلَكَ الغارُ النِساءَ الضَرائِرا

You contended for supremacy until you perished,

just as the cave destroyed the women—the rival wives.

فَإِن يَكُ فيكُم عِزَّةٌ وَهيَ فيكُمُ

فَإِنَّ لَنا عِزّاً عَزيزاً وَناصِرا

If there is strength among you—and strength is indeed among you—

then ours is a power, powerful indeed, and a champion:

حُماةٌ يَشُبّونَ الحُروبَ وَسادَةٌ

يَجُرُّ عَلَيهِم آخَرونَ الجَرائِرا

protectors who kindle wars, and chiefs

upon whom others cast the burdens of their transgressions.