دَعا مَعاشِرَ فَاِستَكَّت مَسامِعُهُم
يا لَهفَ نَفسِيَ لَو تَدعو بَني أَسَدِ
He called the groups and they pricked up their ears,
"Oh how I yearn, if only you would call the tribe of Asad,
تَدعو إِذاً حامِيَ الكُماةِ لا كَسِلاً
إِذا السُيوفُ بِأَيدي القَومِ كَالوَقَدِ
Call those who defend the oppressed, not the lazy,
When swords are in the hands of the people like burning brands,
لَو هُم حُماتُكَ بِالمَحمى حَمَوكَ وَلَم
تُترَك لِيَومٍ أَقامَ الناسَ في كَبَدِ
If they were your defenders at the battle, they would have protected you and not
Left you for a day when people dwell in misery,
كَما حَمَيناكَ يَومَ النَعفِ مِن شَطِبٍ
وَالفَضلُ لِلقَومِ مِن ريحٍ وَمِن عَدَدِ
As we protected you the day of An-Na’f from Shatib,
And the superiority belongs to the people in terms of wind and number.
أَو لَأَتَوكَ بِجَمعٍ لا كِفاءَ لَهُ
قَومٍ هُمُ القَومُ في الأَنأى وَفي البُعُدِ
Or I would have brought you a group that has no match,
A people who are the people in the remote and the far,
بِجَحفَلٍ كَبَهيمِ اللَيلِ مُنتَجِعٍ
أَرضَ العَدوِّ لُهامٍ وافِرِ العَدَدِ
With a great army like the beasts of night taking shelter,
The land of the enemy, ferocious and large in number.
القائِدُ الخَيلَ تَردي في أَعِنَّتِها
وِردَ القَطا هَجَّرَت ظِمأً إِلى الثَمَدِ
The leader urges on the horses as they race with their saddle-bags,
The cattle return home thirsty to the watering place.
مِن كُلِّ عِجلِزَةٍ بادٍ نَواجِذُها
عَلى اللِجامِ تُباري الرَكبَ في عَنَدِ
Their brisk she-camels with shaggy hair vie with the riders in speed,
Galloping over the saddle with the smooth-tent peg over the hump.
وَكُلِّ أَجرَدَ قَد مالَت رِحالَتُهُ
نَهدِ المَراكِلِ فَعمٍ ناتِئِ الكَتَدِ
And every bare camel, their bags are slanting,
The baggage swaying from side to side on the high wooden saddle.
حَتّى تَعاطَينَ غَسّاناً فَحَربَهُمُ
يَومَ المُرارِ وَلَم يَلوُوا عَلى أَحَدِ
Until they engaged Ghassan in battle,
On an evil day, and they did not incline to anyone.
لَمّا رَأوكَ وَبُلجُ البيضِ وَسطَهُمُ
وَكُلُّ مُطَّرِدِ الأُنبوبِ كَالمَسَدِ
When they saw you in the midst of them, with your white mule,
Each with leather bag like the outspread lion’s paw,
غَوَّت بَنو أَسَدٍ غَسّانَ أَمرَهُمُ
وَقَلَّ ما وَقَفَت غَسّانُ لِلرَشدِ
The tribe of Asad put the Ghassan to flight in their affairs,
Rarely did the Ghassan stand firm for what is right."
