أَصادِرَةٌ حُجّاجُ كَعبٍ وَمالِكٍ

عَلى كُلِّ عَجلى ضامِرٍ البَطنِ مُحنِقِ

A lament by Khuja'j and Malik

For every emaciated camel, complaining of hunger,

بِمَرثِيَةٍ فيها ثَناءٌ مُحَبَّرٌ

لأزهَرَ مِن أَولادِ مُرَّةَ مُعرِقِ

With an elegy in it is effusive praise

For the most beautiful of Murra's sons, well-groomed,

كَأَنَّ أَخاهُ في النَوائِبِ مُلجَأَ

إِلى عَلَمٍ مِن رُكنِ قُدسِ المُنَطَّقِ

As if his brother in adversity takes refuge

In a banner from the pillar of the sacred sanctuary,

يَنالُ رِجالاً نَفعُهُ وَهوَ مِنهُمُ

بَعيدٌ كَعَيّوقِ الثُرَيّا المُعلَّقِ

Benefiting men though far removed

Like a pendant jewel suspended aloft,

تَقولُ اِبنَةُ الضَمرِيِّ ما لَكَ شاحِباً

وَلَونُكَ مُصفَرٌ وَإِن لَم تَخَلَّقِ

The daughter of Dhamra says “Why are you wan

Your colour sallow, though you are not in disguise?”

فَقُلتُ لَها لا تَعجَبي مَن يَمُت لَهُ

أَخٌ كَأَبي بَدرٍ وَجَدّكِ يُشفَقِ

I said “Do not wonder that he who loses

A brother like Abu Badr pines for him and grieves,

وَأَمرٍ يُهِمُّ الناسَ غِبُّ نِتاجِهِ

كَفَيتَ وَكَربٍ بِالدَواهي مُطَرِّقِ

And something that concerns all people, obscure is its yield,

Enough! A pressing care weighs on the summits.

كَشَفتَ أَبا بَدرٍ إِذا القَومُ أَحجَموا

وَغَضَّت مَلاقي مَرهِم بِالمُخَنَّقِ

You exposed Abu Badr when the people held back

And the chiefs of glory frowned with vexation,

وَخَصمٍ أَبا بَدرٍ أَلَدَّ أَبَتَّهُ

عَلى مِثلِ طَعمِ الحَنظَلِ المُتَفَلِّقِ

And an adversary more tenacious than Abu Badr

In clinging to his purpose, like crumbling cinder.

جَزى اللَهُ خَيراً خِندِقاً مِن مَكافِئ

وَصاحِبِ صِدقٍ ذي حِفاظٍ وَمِصدَقِ

May God reward with good a trench against a like foe

And a friend of probity, protective and trusted,

أَقامَ قَناةَ الوُدِّ بَيني وَبَينَهُ

وَفارِقَني عَن شيمَةٍ لَم تُرَنَّقِ

Who established the channel of love between me and him

And left me true to a pact I never betrayed.

حَلَفتُ عَلى أَن قَد أَجَنَّتكَ حُفرَةٌ

بِبَطنِ قَنَونا لَو نَعيشُ فَنَلتَقي

I swore that a pit in Kanun's belly would hide you

If we lived, that we might meet again,

لَأَلفَيتَني بِالوُدِّ بَعدَكَ دائِماً

عَلى عَهدِنا إِذا نَحنُ لَم نَتَفَرَّقِ

I would find you loving me still, as of old

If we kept our vow, and did not part.

إِذا ما غَدا يَهتَزُّ لِلمَجدِ وَالنَدى

أَشَمُّ كَغُصنِ البانَةِ المُتَوَرِّقِ

When glory and fame stir at dawn

I scent it like a sprig of baban, crisp and fresh,

وَإِنّي لِجازٍ بِالَّذي كانَ بَينَنا

بَني أَسَدٍ رَهطَ اِبنِ مُرَّةَ خِندِقِ

And I boast of that which was between us,

O Bani Asad, Murra's clan and Khandiq.