أَلا أَبلِغا عَنّي لُؤَيّاً رِسالَةً
بِحَقٍّ وَما تُغني رِسالَةُ مُرسِلِ
Shall I not send to Lu'ayy a message
With truth, though a messenger's message does not avail?
بَني عَمِّنا الأَدنَينَ تَيماً نَخُصُّهُم
وَإِخوانَنا مِن عبدِ شَمسٍ وَنَوفَلِ
The sons of our paternal uncle who are nearest to us,
And our brothers from 'Abd Shams and Nawfal,
أَظاهَرتُمُ قَوماً عَلَينا أَظِنَّةً
وَأَمرَ غَوِيٍّ مِن غُواةٍ وَجُهَّلِ
You have supported a people against us out of suspicion
And the mad order of madmen and fools,
يَقولونَ إِنّا إِن قَتَلنا مُحَمَّداً
أَقَرَّت نَواصي هاشِمٍ بِالتَذَلُّلِ
Saying, "If we kill Muhammad,
The nobles of Hashim will bow down in humiliation."
كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ يُثلمُ رُكنُهُ
وَمَكَّةَ وَالإِشعار في كُلِّ مَعمَلِ
You have lied! By the House of God whose corner He protects,
By Mecca and the idols in every shrine,
وَبِالحَجِّ أَو بِالنيبِ تَدمى نُحورُها
بِمَدماهُ والرُكنِ العَتيقِ المُقَبَّلِ
By the pilgrimage wherein their throats are bled,
With his blood and the ancient, kissed Corner,
تَنالونَهُ أَو تَعطِفوا دونَ نَيلِهِ
صَوارِمُ تَفري كُلَّ عَظمٍ وَمِفصَلِ
You will get to him or get close without getting to him
While swords unsheathe every bone and joint.
وَتَدعو بِأَرحامٍ وَأَنتُم ظَلَمتُمُ
مَصاليتَ في يَومٍ أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلِ
And you claim kinship while having wronged
My allies on a day of thick-threaded mantle,
فَمَهلاً وَلَمّا تُنتج الحَربُ بِكرَها
يَبينُ تِمامٌ أَو تأخُّرُ مُعجَلِ
So wait! When war bears its fruit
The ripeness or unripeness of the early fruit is made clear.
فَإِنَّا مَتى ما نَمرِها بِسُيوفِنا
نُجالِح فَنَعرُك مِن نَشاءُ بِكَلكَلِ
When we pass it with our swords,
We will contend and scatter you as we please with stirred sediment.
وَتَلقَوا رَبيعَ الأَبطَحينِ مُحَمَّداً
عَلى رَبوَةٍ في رَأسِ عَيطاءَ عَيطَلِ
They encountered Rabi'a and al-Abtih at Muhammad
On a hill at the top of rugged 'Ayn 'Utal.
وَتَأوي إِلَيهِ هاشِمٌ إِنَّ هاشِماً
عَرانينُ كَعبٍ آخِراً بَعدَ أَوَّلِ
Hashim resorts to him - Hashim indeed
Are the pillars of Ka'b, latter after former.
فَإِن كُنتُمُ تَرجونَ قَتلَ مُحَمَّدٍ
فَروموا بِما جَمَّعتُمُ نَقلَ يَذبُلِ
If you hope to kill Muhammad,
Then head for what you have mustered of feeble camels.
فَإِنّا سَنَحميهِ بِكُلِّ طمرَّةٍ
وَذي مَيعَةٍ نَهدِ المَراكِلِ هَيكَلِ
We will protect him with every gathered cloud
And rain of spring on the settled land.
وَكُلِّ رُدَينِيٍّ ظِماءٍ كُعوبُهُ
وَعَضبٍ كَإيماضِ الغَمامَةِ مِقصَلِ
And every audacious, thirsty Udayni
Whose tread is like the flashing of lightning through clouds rent in two,
وَكُلِّ جَرورِ الذَيلِ زَعفٍ مُفاضَةٍ
دِلاصٍ كَهَزهازِ الغَديرِ المُسَلسَلِ
And every long-tailed Ja'rur, nimble Za'f,
Delas, like the swaying of a lasting chain,
بِأَيمانِ شُمٍّ مِن ذوائِبِ هاشِمٍ
مَغاويلُ بِالأَخطارِ في كُلِّ مَحفَلِ
By the oath of Shumus from the tails of Hashim,
Daring heroes in every assembly.
هُمُ سادَةُ الساداتِ في كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ
وَخيرَةُ رَبِّ الناسِ في كُلِّ مُعضِلِ
They are the best of all tribes everywhere
And God's choice from among men in every crisis.
