ما مِنكَ سَلمى وَلا أَطلالُها الدُرُسُ

وَلا نَواطِقُ مِن طَيرٍ وَلا خُرُسُ

Salma is nothing to you, nor are her effaced ruins,

Nor the speaking birds, nor the mute beasts.

يا هاشِمُ اِبنَ حُدَيجٍ لَو عَدَدتَ أَباً

مِثلَ القَلَمَّسِ لَم يَعلَق بِكَ الدَنَسُ

O Hashim ibn Hudayj, had you claimed a father

Like al-Qalammas, no filth would have clung to you—

إِذ صَبَّحَ المَلِكَ النُعمانَ وافِدُهُ

وَمِن قُضاعاةَ أَسرى عِندَهُ حُبُسُ

When his delegate came upon King al-Nu'man in the morning,

While captives from Quda'ah were held in his prisons,

فَاِبتاعَهُم بِإِخاءِ الدَهرِ ما عَمَروا

فَلَم يَنَل مِثلَها مِن مِثلِهِ أَنَسُ

So he purchased their freedom with a brotherhood for all time,

And no mortal ever gained such a boon from one like him.

أَو رُحتَ مِثلَ حُوَيٍّ في مَكارِمِهِ

هَيهاتَ مِنكَ حُوَيٌّ حينَ يُلتَمَسُ

Or had you proceeded like Huwayy in his noble traits—

But far removed from you is Huwayy when he is sought.

أَو كَالسَمَوأَلِ إِذ طافَ الهُمامُ بِهِ

في جَحفَلٍ لَجِبِ الأَصواتِ يَرتَجِسُ

Or like al-Samaw'al, when the chieftain encircled him

With a clamorous army, thundering in its noise,

فَاِختارَ ثُكلاً وَلَم يَغدِر بِذِمَّتِهِ

إِذ قيلَ أَشرِف تَرَ الأَوداجَ تَنبَجِسُ

So he chose the loss of a child rather than betray his covenant,

When it was said: "Look down and see the jugular veins burst open."

ما زادَ ذاكَ عَلى تيهٍ خُصِصتَ بِهِ

وَكَيفَ يَعدِلُ غَيرَ السوءَةِ الغَرَسُ

That added nothing to you but the arrogance you are known for,

And how can the scion be equal to anything but shame?