إلى القومِ الأُلى جمعوا الجموعا

إلى نَجدٍ كفَى نجداً هُجوعا

To the exalted people who gathered in crowds

To Najd, Najd sufficed as a crowded land

أبتْ شمسُ الهدى إلا طُلوعا

ففاضَ شُعاعُها يغشى الرُّبوعا

The sun of guidance refused but to rise

So its radiance overwhelmed the meadows

ويسطعُ في جوانِبها سُطوعا

إلى غطفانَ إنّهُمُ استعدُّوا

And gleamed on its sides in splendor

To Ghatfan, they are indeed prepared

وظنَّ غُواتُهم أن لن يُهدُّوا

بَني غَطفانَ جِدُّوا ثم جِدُّوا

And their warriors thought they will not be guided

O Bani Ghatfan, strive, then strive

جَرى القَدرُ المُتاحُ فلا مردُّ

بني غطفانَ صَبراً أو هلوعا

Destiny has taken its course, no going back

O Bani Ghatfan, patience or anguish

مشى جُندُ النبيِّ فأيُّ جندِ

وأين مضى الألى كانوا بِنَجْدِ

The army of the Prophet marched, what an army!

And where did the exalted ones who were in Najd go?

تولَّى القومُ حَشْداً بعد حشدِ

حَذارَ البطشِ من جِنٍّ وأُسْدِ

The people turned away in droves after droves

Beware the might of jinn and lion

ومن ذا يشتهِي الموتَ الفظيعا

نساءَ الحيِّ ما صنعَ الرجالُ

Who would desire such a terrible death?

O women of the living, what did the men do?

أمكتوبٌ عليكنَّ القتالُ

لَكُنَّ الأمنُ إن فزعوا فزالوا

Fighting you is decreed, unavoidable

You will be safe if they panic and flee

أما ومحمدٌ وهو الثَمالُ

لقد نلتنَّهُ حِرزاً منيعا

By Muhammad, he is the protector

You have attained him as an unbreachable fortress

إليهِ إليهِ إنّ بكنَّ ضعفا

وإنّ بهِ لمرحمةً وعطفا

To him, to him, in you is weakness

And in him is mercy and kindness

وفيه من التُّقى ما ليس يَخفى

وما حاولتُ ترجمةً ووصفا

In him is piety beyond concealment

What I attempted translating and describing

فلستُ لمثلِ ذلك مُستطيعا

نزيلَ الشِّعبِ من يحَمِي سواكا

I cannot do justice, I am not capable

Protector of Shaybah, who protects you but him?

ولكن قل تَبارَكَ من هداكا

أترقدُ هاهنا وهمو هناكا

But say: Blessed is He who guided you

Do I sleep here while they plot there?

أما مِن كالئٍ يُرجَى لذاكا

إلى أن يبعثَ اللهُ الصّديعا

Is there a protector hoped for in that?

Until Allah sends the roar of battle

ألا طُوبى لعبّادِ بن بشرِ

وعَمّارٍ كفايةِ كلِّ أمرِ

Blessed are the servants of Bani Bishr

And Ammar, sufficing every matter

رسولَ اللهِ نحن لهم ويَجرِي

قضاءُ اللهِ إن طرقوا بِشرِّ

Allah's Messenger, we are loyal to them

Allah's decree will run its course if they meet harm

كعهدِكَ إذ جرى سمّاً نقيعا

وأجرَى الأمرَ عَبّادٌ سويّا

As was your covenant when poison ran thick

And Abbad made things right

فقامَ ونامَ صاحبهُ مَلِيَّا

وكان بأن يُناصِفَه حَرِيّا

So he stood up and his companion tarried

And it was apt to share with him fairly

مُحافظةً على المثلى وبُقيا

قَرِيعُ شدائدٍ وافى قريعا

To uphold the ideal and live righteously

Bearer of harsh adversity, fulfilling a pact

لِرَبِّكَ صلِّ يا عبّادُ فردا

وَزِدْ آلاءَهُ شُكراً وحمدا

Pray to your Lord, O servants, individually

And increase gratitude and praise to His bounties

ومُحكَمُ ذكرهِ فاجعلْهُ وِردا

فإنّ له على الأكبادِ بَردا

And make remembering Him habitual recitation

For it has a soothing effect on livers

وإنْ أذكى الجوانحَ والضُّلوعا

ولاح سوادهُ فرماهُ رامِ

And kindles souls and rib cages aflame

The darkness gleamed so he shot at it

أتى إثرَ الحليلةِ في الظلامِ

فَديتُكَ يا ابن بشرٍ من هُمامِ

He came after the warriors in the night’s darkness

Your life for Ibn Bishr from aggressors!

أما تنفكُّ عن نزعِ السِّهامِ

تُحامِي عن صلاتِكَ ما تُحامِي

Will you not stop drawing arrows

Protecting your prayers from what you protect?

وجسمُك واهنُ الأعضاءِ دامِ

أمالكَ يا ابن بشرٍ في السَّلامِ

While your body and limbs are frail, my friend

What do you possess, O man, of wellbeing?

وقد جَرتِ الدِّماءُ على الرغامِ

ألا أيقِظْ أخاك من المنامِ

While blood flowed on the battlefield

Won't you wake your brother from his slumber?

كفاكَ فقد بَلغتَ مدى التمامِ

وما تَدَعُ القُنوتَ ولا الخشوعا

Enough! You have reached the extent of perfection

Nor do you neglect supplication or humility

رأى عمّارُ خَطبكَ حين هبَّا

فلم يرَ مِثلَهُ من قبلُ خطبا

Ammar saw your sermon when it flared up

He never saw the like before, such a sermon

يقولُ وَنفسُه تنهدُّ كربا

أيدعوني الحِفاظُ وأنت تأبى

Saying, while his soul sighed in anguish

Will the guards leave me, while you refuse?

لقد كُلّفتُ أمراً منك صعبا

ولو أيقظتني لشَفيتَ قلبا

You tasked me with something difficult from you

Had you awakened me, a heart would be healed

جرحتَ سوادَه جُرحاً وجيعا

وأبصرَ شخصَه الرامي الملحُّ

You injured its darkness with a deep, painful wound

The archer saw his figure, the pressing

فزلزلَ قلبَهُ للرُّعبِ نَضْحُ

وأمسك منه تَهتانٌ وسحُّ

So it shook his heart with terrible fright

And something in him wavered and slipped

وما إن راعه سَيفٌ ورُمْحِ

ولكنْ مسّه خَبَلٌ فَرِيعا

Not a sword or spear terrified him

But confusion struck him, sudden and swift

تولَّى يخبط الظلماءَ ذُعرا

ويحسب دِرعَهُ كَفَناً وقبرا

He turned to stagger blindly in panic

Thinking his armor a shroud and grave

ألا أدبِرْ جزاك اللهَ شرّا

ظَفِرتَ بصابرٍ وأبيت صبرا

Won't you turn your back? May Allah reward you ill

You obtained a patient one yet refused patience

فآثرتَ الهزيمة والرجوعا

وجاء غُويرِثٌ يبغي الرسولا

So you chose defeat and retreat

Gawairth came seeking the Messenger

ويطمَعُ أن يُغادِرَهُ قتيلا

كذلك قال يستهوِي القبيلا

And hoping to leave him a corpse

That's what he said, inciting his tribe

غُوَيرِثُ رُمْتَ أمراً مستحيلا

فهل لك أن تثوبَ وأن تريعا

Gawairth, you have embarked upon the impossible!

Can you return and race back?

أتيتَ مُحمداً تُبدي السَّلاما

وتُخفِي الغيظَ يضطرمُ اضطراما

You came to Muhammad to greet peace

And conceal the rage blazing within

تقول مُخاتِلاً أرِني الحُسَاما

وتأخذُه فلا تَرعَى الذماما

Saying, show me the swords as a warrior

Then take them without considering the outcome

أغدراً يا له خُلُقاً وضيعا

تهمُّ به ولستَ بمستطيعِ

Treachery! What evil morals and meanness!

You threaten but cannot accomplish

فأين مَضارِبُ السَّيفِ الصنيعِ

وكيف وَهَتْ قُوى البطلِ الضليعِ

Where are the strikes of the sharp swords?

How did the strength of the veteran warrior crumble?

تعالى اللَّهُ من مَلِكٍ رفيعِ

يُريك جلاله الصُّنعَ البديعا

Exalted is Allah above the noble King

Who shows you the wonders of His perfect work

سألتَ رسوله أفما تخافُ

وسيفُكَ في يَدِي موتٌ ذُعافُ

You asked His Messenger, do you not fear?

While my sword in my hand is lethal death

أراكَ من المواردِ ما يُعافُ

فلا فَرَقٌ عراكَ ولا ارتجافُ

I see you do not evade or tremble

What misfortune and loss of everything!

فيا لكِ كَرّةً خسرتْ جميعا

فقال محمدٌ ربّي يقيني

Muhammad said: My Lord will protect me

And guard my being and safekeep my faith

ويَمنعُ مُهجتي ويصونُ ديني

وصارِمَه تَلَّقى باليمينِ

And its blade He will receive with the right hand

Blessed are you, O trusted guide

ألا بُوركتَ من هادٍ أمينِ

تَردُّ أناتهُ الحُلْمَ النزيعا

Repelling harm with endless patience

You took the sword, did you want retribution?

أخذتَ السّيفَ لو تبغِي القَصاصا

لما وَجَد المُسِيءُ إذاً مناصا

The transgressor would find no escape then

You say to him, from whom do you seek salvation?

تقوله له بمن ترجو الخلاصا

إذا أنا لم أُرِدْ إلا اقتناصا

When I wanted nothing but to seize it

You will not find an ally or intercessor

فلن تجد الوليَّ ولا الشفيعا

يقول غويرثٌ كن خيرَ مولى

Gawairth said: Be the best master

You are most deserving of goodness and care

وأنتَ أحقُّ بالحسنى وأولى

فقال له أتؤمِنُ قال كلاّ

He said to him: Do you believe? He said: No

But I pledge allegiance, then turned away

ولكنّي أُعاهِدُ ثم ولَّى

ودينُ اللَّهِ يَطلبُه سريعا

And Allah's religion seeks him swiftly

He told his people: O people, I

وحدّثَ قَومَهُ يا قومِ إني

بخيرِ الناسِ قد أحسنتُ ظنّي

Have thought well of the best of mankind

I saw his traits so I came to praise

رأيتُ خِلالَه فرجعتُ أُثني

عليه وقد مضى الميثاقُ منّي

Him, and the covenant from me has passed

So I am not an adversary of his for sale

فلستُ لمن يُناوِئه تبيعا

أعزَّ اللّهُ شيخَ الأنبياء

May Allah honor the elder of Prophets

And support him with signs shining bright

وأيّدهُ بآياتٍ وضاءِ

ألم تخبره تَرجمةُ الرغاءِ

Did not the translation of Al-Raghaa’ inform you

Of the afflictions the camel endures?

بما يَجِدُ البعيرُ من البلاءِ

تَوجَّعَ يشتكي سُوءَ الجزاءِ

It complained, lamenting the ill treatment

And loss of dignity and loyalty

وفُقدانَ المروءةِ والوفاءِ

أيذبحُه ذووه على العياءِ

Will its owners slaughter it in destitution?

After its service and crossing the desert?

وبعد الجِدِّ منه والمضاءِ

رثى لِشكاتِهِ حقَّ الرثاءِ

It eulogized its complaints with true eulogy

And pleased its owners after refusal

وراضَ ذويه من بعدِ الإباءِ

فَمُتِّعَ بالسّلامةِ والبقاءِ

So it enjoyed safety and survival

And went on its way, what praise or acclaim

وراحَ فأيَّ حمدٍ أو ثناءِ

يُؤدّي الحقَّ أو يَجزِي الصّنيعا

Properly rewards or requites the noble deed?