أَرى كُلَّ قَومٍ يَنسَلُ اللُّؤم عِندَهُم

وَلُؤم بَني حَبناءَ لَيسَ بِناسِلِ

I see that cowardice departs from every tribe,

Yet the cowardice of Bani Habna' does not depart.

يَشُبُّ مَعَ المَولودِ مِثلَ شَبابِهِ

ويَلقاهُ مَولوداً بِأَيدي القَوابِلِ

It grows as the boy grows, equal to his youth,

And it meets him born in the hands of midwives.

وَيُرضِعهُ مِن ثَدي أُمٍّ لَئيمَةٍ

وَيُخلَقُ مِن ماءِ امرئٍ غَير طائِلِ

It suckles him at the breast of a base mother,

And it is created from the water of a futile man.

تَعالَوا فَعدّوا في الزَّمانِ الَّذي مَضى

وَكُلُّ أُناسٍ مَجدُهُم بِالأَوائِلِ

Come let us count in the time past

And every people, their glory is in the first ones.

لَكم بِفعالٍ يَعرِفُ النّاسُ فَضلهُ

إِذا ذُكِرَ الأَملاءُ عِندَ الفَضائِلِ

By deeds are known the excellence of a man

When the noble ones are mentioned among the virtuous.

فَغازيكم في الجَيشِ أَلأَمَ مَن غَزا

وَقافِلكُم في النَّاسِ أَلأَم قافِلِ

So your warrior in the army, is he not the bravest warrior?

And your camel driver among the people, is he not the best driver?

وَما أَنتُمُ مِن مالِكٍ غَيرَ أَنَكُم

كَمَغرورَةٍ بِالبَوِّ في ظِلِّ باطِلِ

You are not from (the tribe of) Malik except that you are

Like deceivers in the shade of falsehood.

بَنو مالِكٍ زُهرُ الوُجوهِ وَأَنتُمُ

تَبيّن ضاحي لُؤمكُم في الجَحافِلِ

The clan of Malik, the fairest of faces, while you

Your innate cowardice is clear among the crowds.