فِدىً لِقَومِيَ ما جَمَّعتُ من نَشَبٍ

إذ لَفَّتِ الحَربُ أَقوَاماً بِأَقوامِ

For my people I gathered youth when war wrapped some people around others

When Muzahij informed us and we were accused

إذ خُبِّرت مَذحِجٌ عَنَّا وقَد كُذِبت

أن لَن يُوَرِّعَ عَن أَحسابِنَا حَامِ

That he would not refrain from attacking us

They lived in comfort for a while, then they were hit by a blow that terrified the ambitious

دارَت رَحانا قَليلاً ثمَّ صَبَّحَهُم

ضَربٌ يُصَيِّحُ مِنهُ جِلَّةُ الهَامِ

Hyena cubs remained, delighting in them

And their flesh adhered to them, what firm adhesion!

ظَلَّت ضِباعُ مُجَيرَاتٍ يَلُذنَ بِهِم

وَأَلحمُوهُنَّ مِنهم أيَّ إلحَامِ

They marched against us while they were prey, their heads

So we made them a day like [our] days

سَارُوا إلَينا وهُم صِيدٌ رُؤوسُهمُ

فَقَد جَعَلنا لهُم يَوماً كأيامِ

Until Huthnah, we left no hyena in it

Except it had anklets of leather from its snout

حتَّى حُذُنَّةُ لَم نَترُك بِها ضَبُعاً

إِلا لَها جزرٌ من شِلوِ مِقدامِ

It continued trampling the clan of Ka’b with its anklets

And the day of Banu Nahd thought of darkness

ظلَّت تَدوسُ بَني كَعبٍ بِكَلكَلِها

وَهَمَّ يومُ بَني نَهدٍ بِإظلامِ