وقال أيضاً:

الطويل

The spears of the enemies fall short of your protection,

And in their sharpness, they seek to bring you down.

رِماحُ الأَعادي عَن حِماكَ قِصارُ

وَفي حَدِّها عَمّا تَرومُ عِثارُ

Every man who has no covenant with you,

Is checked against his will and is opposed.

وَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ لَيسَت لَهُ مِنكَ ذِمَّةٌ

يُضامُ عَلى رَغمٍ لَهُ وَيُضارُ

None has glory who takes other than you as refuge,

Were he guarded by both settled Arabs and nomads.

وَما عَزَّ مَن أَمسى سِواكَ مَعاذُهُ

وَلَو عَصَمَتهُ يَعرُبٌ وَنِزارُ

Who will convey from me to ‘Uqail and his people,

Though the abode is distant and the journey far?

فَمَن مُبلِغٍ عَنّي عُقيلاً وَقَومَها

وَإِن بَعُدَت دارٌ وَشَطَّ مَزارُ

Gently, O Banū Ka‘b, wake up and reconsider!

Your slaughter will surely be set aflame.

رُوَيداً بَني كَعبٍ أَفيقُوا وَراجِعُوا

حُلومَكُمُ مِن قَبلِ تُضرَمُ نارُ

And before the hovering army swoops down,

With its wings unleashing sparks at its edges,

وَقَبلَ تَغَشّى الخافِقينِ لَهالِهاً

لَها بِحُدودِ المُرهَفاتِ شَرارُ

So its auxiliary hosts uncover their blade tips,

And with it rise up ravines as others descend,

فَتُبدي عَوانُ الحَربِ عَن حَدِّ نابِها

فَيَعلُو بِها غارٌ وَيَهبِطُ غارُ

Whereby the misguided people will suffer,

And a people lost in misguidance will perish.

فَيَشَقى بِها قَومُ الضَلالِ وَرُبَّما

تَغَطرَسَ قَومٌ في الضَلالِ فَبارُوا

Beware the lion, lest internal strife rouse him against you,

And the protected become exposed and unstable.

فَإِيّاكُمُ وَاللَيثَ لا يَبعَثَنَّهُ

عَلَيكُم ثُؤاجٌ مِنكمُ وَيُعارُ

Whoever provokes the wolf will meet his violent death,

If escape from it does not save him.

فَمَن هَيَّجَ الضِرغامَ ثارَ بِحَتفِهِ

إِلَيهِ وَلَم يَمنَعهُ مِنهُ فَرارُ

I swear if I alert you to war for a moment,

And resolve guides you towards the prince,

وَأُقسِمُ إِن نَبَّهتُمُ الحَربَ ساعَةً

وَضَمَّكُمُ نَحوَ الأَميرِ مَغارُ

You will wake to a bitter cup imposed upon you,

In which intoxication and wine linger.

لَتَصطبِحَن كَأساً عَلَيكُم مَريرَةً

يَطولُ لَكُم سُكرٌ بِها وَخُمارُ

It was drunk beforehand by ‘Awf ibn ‘Āmir

On a morning when oozing blood called for it.

بِها شَرِبَت مِن قَبلُ عَوفُ بنُ عامِرٍ

غَداةَ دَعَتها نَزفَةٌ وَنِفارٌ

At the hands of his father, not your father,

It departed while in it disgrace and diminishment.

بِكَفِّ أَبيهِ لا بِكَفِّ أَبيكُمُ

فَراحَت وَفيها ذِلَّةٌ وَصَغارُ

Does the prince’s clemency upon you deceive you,

His forgiveness, patience and dignity towards you?

أَغَرَّكُمُ بُقيا الأَميرِ عَلَيكُمُ

وَصَفحٌ وَحِلمٌ عنكُمُ وَوَقارُ

Were it not for honoring the covenant, the homes

Of some peoples would become desolate ruins.

وَلَولا مُراعاةُ العُهودِ لَأَصبَحَت

مَنازِلُ أَقوامٍ وَهُنَّ قِفارُ

But preserving the covenant is intrinsic to him,

In it he is singled out among the kings.

وَلَكِنَّ حِفظَ العَهدِ مِنهُ سَجِيَّةٌ

إِلَيهِ بِها دونَ المُلوكِ يُشارُ

So leave blindness, ignorance and muddied confusion,

And embark upon a path illuminated by beacons of guidance!

فَخَلّوا العَمى وَالغَيَّ وَالطيخَ وَاِركَبُوا

طَريقاً عَلَيها لِلرَّشادِ مَنارُ

And provoke him not with punishment against you,

For the terms of those who oppose the most high are short.

وَلا تَبعَثُوهُ بِالنَكالِ عَلَيكُمُ

فَآجالُ مَن عادى عُلاهُ قِصارُ

If his steeds greet you one ill-omened morning,

لَئِن صَبَّحَتكُم يَومَ نَحسٍ جِيادُهُ

رِعالاً وَرَيعانُ العَجاجِ مُثارُ

With neighing, and the stallions of ‘Ajam are stirred,

You will know that tyranny is ruinous for a man,

لَتَدرُنَّ أَن البَغيَ لِلمَرءِ مَصرَعٌ

وَأَنَّ الَّذي يَجني الأَميرُ جُبارُ

And that the prince whom you wrong is dominant.

That Abū al-Jarrāh among you and his people,

وَأَنَّ أَبا الجَرّاحِ فيكُم وَقومَهُ

كَما كانَ في حَيَّي ثَمودَ قُذارُ

Are like those among the accursed Thamūd.

On a morning when he wielded the sword and it recoiled fruitless,

غَداةَ تَعاطى السَيفَ وَاِنصاعَ عاقِراً

فَحَلَّ بِهِ مِمّا جَناهُ بَوارُ

So the destruction he brought collapsed upon him.

That the path of the wrongdoers is your path,

وَأَنَّ سَبيلَ الظالِمينَ سَبيلُكُم

وَلِلدَّهرِ كاسٌ بِالحُتوفِ تُدارُ

And that Fate has a cup passed round with perdition.

Do not assume the prince’s sword with which

فَلا تَحسبُوا سَيفَ الأَميرِ الَّذي بِهِ

عَزَزتُم وَطُلتُم فُلَّ مِنهُ غِرارُ

You were empowered and through which you rose is broken.

Nor that if you hurl yourselves into battle against him,

وَلا أَنَّكُم إِن رُمتُمُ بَعدَ حَربِهِ

مَطاراً يُنَجّى مِن يَدَيهِ مُطارُ

You will be saved from his hands as fugitives.

The only reasonable course is to submit to his rule,

فَما الرَأيُ إِلّا أَن تَذِلّوا لِحُكمِهِ

فَلَيسَ عَلَيكُم في المَذَلَّةِ عارُ

For in submission there is no shame.

And resume your former state, all together his subjects,

وَتُمسُوا كَما كُنتُم جَميعاً رِعاءَهُ

عَسى أَن تَنالُوا نُصفَةً وَتُجارُوا

That you may gain some favor and have your rights restored.

Who is like him, who wards off your enemies,

فَمَن مِثلُهُ يَرمي عِداكُم وَيَتَّقي

أَذاكُم وَيَحمي دُونَكُم وَيَغارُ

And fears your injuries, protects you, and is zealous?

Who pastures you, even were fresh blood

وَيُرعيكُمُ المَرعى وَلَو أَنَّ دُونَهُ

عَثيرُ دِماءٍ بِالسُيوفِ تُمارُ

To be spilled by the swords in waves?

Who gives you gifts of horses caparisoned

وَيُعطيكُمُ الجُردَ الجِيادَ تَحُفُّها ال

موالي وَكُومٌ لا تُذَمُّ عِشارُ

With sequins, and heaps of wealth not subject to tithes?

Who pardons the offender, though if he wished, could destroy him,

وَيَعفو عَن الجاني وَلَو شاءَ هُلكَهُ

لَما عَصَمَتهُ من قَناهُ ظَفارُ

Since no asylum would protect him from his vengeance.

So live, for as long as a star shines,

فَعِش في عَظيمِ المُلكِ ما لاحَ كَوكَبٌ

وَأَظلَمَ لَيلٌ أَو أَضاءَ نَهارُ

And night darkens or daybreak illuminates,

With you the noble elders of restraint,

وَمِن حَولِكَ الغُرُّ الكِرامُ ذَوُو النُهى

بَنوكَ الأَلى طالُوا عُلىً فَأَنارُوا

Your exemplary sons who attained lofty heights.

Among them is no youth except a majestic hero,

فَما مِنهُمُ إِلّا فَتى السِنِّ ماجِدٌ

لَهُ حِلمُ كَهلٍ لا أَراهُ يُطارُ

Whose maturity is that of an old man, whom I do not see wavering.

They are roaring lions when battle calls,

وَكُلُّهُمُ آسادُ غِيلٍ إِذا دُعِي

نَزالِ وَأَمّا في النَدى فَبِحارُ

But at gatherings, they are scholarly and refined.

Upon you peace unceasing, night and day,

عَلَيكُم سَلامٌ كُلَّ يَومٍ وَلَيلَةٍ

يَروحُ وَيَغدو ما أَقامَ يَعارُ

Comes and goes for as long as the eras revolve.

Peace upon a youth who accepts your approval

سَلامُ فَتىً يَرضى رِضاكُم وَلا يَرى

سِوى مَدحِكُم مُذ شُدَّ مَنهُ إِزارُ

And sees none but your praise since his waist-wrap was fastened.

Merciful kinship draws him close to you,

تُقَرِّبُهُ رَحمٌ عَطوفٌ إِليكُمُ

وَأَرحامُ قَومٍ إِذ تُعَدَّ ظِئارُ

And the wombs of a people, if counted, are sanctuaries.