أَبلِغ بَني حَمدانَ في بُلدانِها

كُهولَها وَالغُرَّ مِن شُبّانِها

Carry word to Banu Hamdan throughout their lands—

to their seasoned men, and the noble among their youths—

يَومَ طَرَدتُ الخَيلَ عَن فُرسانِها

وَسُقتُ مِن قَيسٍ وَمِن جيرانِها

of the day I stripped the horses of their riders,

and drove away, from Qays and from her neighbors,

ذَوي عُلاها وَذَوي طُعّانِها

وَمُهرَةٌ تَمرَحُ في أَشطانِها

men of lofty rank and men renowned for spear-thrusts,

and a filly cavorting among her tethering ropes,

عاثِرَةً تَعثُرُ في عِنانِها

تَرَكتُ ماصَبَّحتُ مِن فُرسانِها

stumbling as she tripped over her reins.

I left the horsemen upon whom I fell at dawn,

وَإِبلاً تُنزَعُ مِن رُعيانِها

حَتّى إِذا قَلَّ غَنا شُجعانِها

and camels being wrenched away from their herdsmen,

until, when the prowess of their brave men proved of little avail,

طارَدَني عَنها وَعَن إِتيانِها

حَرائِرٌ أَرغَبُ في صِيانِها

I was driven away from them and from coming upon them

by freeborn women whose inviolability I was keener to preserve.

أَستَعمِلُ الشِدَّةَ في أَوانِها

وَأَغفِرُ الزَلَّةَ في إِبّانِها

I employ severity at its proper time,

and forgive a lapse when its due moment comes.

يالَكِ أَحياءً عَلى عُدوانِها

نِسوانُها أَمنَعُ مِن فُرسانِها

What clans they are, despite all their hostility—

their women are more forbidding than their horsemen.