مابالُ عَينِكَ فيها عائِرٌ سَهِرُ

مِثلُ الحَماطَةِ أَغضى فَوقَها الشُفُرُ

What ails your eyes that wakefulness afflicts them

Like kohl beneath the eyelids turned green

عَينٌ تَأَوَّبَها مِن شَجوِها أَرَقٌ

فَالماءُ يَغمُرها طَوراً وَيَنحَدِرُ

Eyes worn out by their shedding tears through the night

So tears flood them for a time before they flow

كَأَنَّهُ نَظمُ دُرٍّ عِندَ ناظِمِهِ

تَقَطَّعَ السِلكُ مِنهُ فَهوَ مُنتَثِرُ

Like a string of pearls with its thread cut

Scattered when the necklace came undone

يا بُعدَ مَنزِلِ مَن تَرجو مَوَدَّتَهُ

وَمَن أَتى دونَهُ الصَمّانُ فَالحَفَرُ

O distant home of one whose love you hope for

While he who comes before it meets only ravines

دَع ما تَقَدَّمَ مِن عَهدِ الشَبابِ فَقَد

وَلّى الشَبابُ وَزارَ الشَيبُ وَالزَعَرُ

Leave what has passed of the days of youth behind

For youth has turned away, old age and senility have come

وَاِذكُر بَلاءَ سُلَيمِ في مَواطِنِها

وَفي سُلَيمٍ لِأَهلِ الفَخرِ مُفتَخَرُ

Recall the affliction of Sulaym in its dwelling places

And take pride in Sulaym, O people of pride

هُمُ بَنو الحَربِ وَالمَوتِ الذُعافِ إِذا

لاقى الكَتائِبَ مِنهُمُ قادَةٌ صُبُرُ

They are the people of war and violent death, when

Their battalions meet leaders patience ensues

قَومٌ هُمُ نَصَروا الرَحمنَ وَاِتَّبَعوا

دينَ الرَسولِ وَأَمرُ الناسِ مُشتَجِرُ

A people who supported the Merciful and followed

The religion of the Messenger, though people dissent

لا يَغرِسونَ فَسيلَ النَخلِ وَسطَهُمُ

وَلا تَخاوَرُ في مَشتاهُمُ البَقَرُ

Among them palms are not planted in rows

Nor do cattle wander grazing in their dwellings

إِلّا سَوابِحَ كَالعِقبانِ مُقرَبَةً

في دارَةٍ حَولَها الأَخطارُ وَالعَكَرُ

Only horses like eagles kept close for battle

In an enclosure, while dangers and hosts lie in wait

تُدعى خُفافٌ وَعَوفٌ في جَوانِبها

وَحَيُّ ذَكوانَ لا ميلٌ وَلا ضُجُرُ

Called Khufaf, ‘Awf at its flanks

And the tribe of Dhakwan, no wavering or boredom

الضارِبونَ جُنودَ الشِركِ ضاحِيَةً

بِبَطنِ مَكَّةَ وَالأَرواحُ تَبتَدِرُ

Striking the armies of polytheism at daybreak

At the valley of Mecca, while souls rush forth

حَتّى تَوَلَّوا وَقَتلاهُم كَأَنَّهُمُ

نَخلٌ بِظاهِرَةِ البَطحاءِ مُنقَعِرُ

Until they retreated, and killed them as though they were

Palm trees uprooted in the plain laid open

وَنَحنُ يَومَ حُنَينٍ كانَ مَشهَدُنا

لِلدينِ عِزّاً وَعِندَ اللَهِ مُدَّخَرُ

While we at the battle of Hunayn, our stance

Brought glory to the faith, and safety with God

إِذ نَركَبُ المَوتَ مُحضَرّاً بَطائِنُهُ

وَالخَيلُ يَنجابُ عَنها ساطِعٌ كَدِرُ

As we rode into certain death, the horses

Shying from it, gleaming armor displaced

تَحتَ اللِواءِ مَعَ الضَحاكِ يَقدُمُنا

كَما مَشى اللَيثُ في غاباتِهِ الخَدِرُ

Beneath the banner with Dhahhak leading us on

As the lion walks through the dense woods

في مَأزِقٍ مِن مَجَرِّ الحَربِ كَلكَلُها

تَكادُ تَأفِلُ مِنهُ الشَمسُ وَالقَمَرُ

In a straitened place within the raging battle, its flash

Nearly darkening the sun and the moon

وَقَد صَبرنا بِأَوطاسٍ أَسِنَّتَنا

لِلَّهِ نَنصُرُ مَن شِئنا وَنَنتَصِرُ

And we endured with the patience of lions, our tongues

For God's sake we support whom we wish, and prevail

حَتّى تَأَوَّبَ أَقوامٌ مَنازِلَهُم

لَولا المَليكُ وَلَولا نَحنُ ما صَدَروا

Until some peoples' dwellings were rendered desolate

Had it not been for the Protector and had it not been for us, they would not have left

فَما تَرى مَعشَراً قَلّوا وَلا كَثُروا

إِلّا قَد أَصبَحَ مِنّا فيهِمُ أَثَرُ

So you see no group, few or many

But by morning among them are our traces