بني سُلَيمٍ أَعُدُّوا الخيلَ وَاحْتَرِسُوا
إن كانَ يَنفعُكُم كَرٌّ وإقدامُ
O people of Suleim, prepare the horses and be on guard
If retreating and advancing can benefit you,
زيدُ بنُ حارثةٍ زيدُ بنُ حارثةٍ
خَطبٌ جليلٌ وجُرحٌ ليس يَلتامُ
Zayd son of Harithah, Zayd son of Harithah,
A great affair, with a wound that will not heal,
هل عِندكم أنْ تغشَّتْكُم سَرِيَّتُهُ
للسَّيفِ سَيْفٌ ولِلضِرغَامِ ضِرغامُ
Do you have it in you that his elite force will raid you,
The sword has a sword, and the warrior, a warrior,
مَشَى إليكم فهل قَرَّتْ منازلُكُم
وَاسْتَمسكَتْ مِنكُمُ الأعناقُ والهامُ
He marched against you, did your settlements find peace,
As your necks and zeal shrank back from him?
لولا التي انطلَقَتْ تَهْدِيهِ ما عُرِفَتْ
مِنكم ومنهنَّ آياتٌ وأعلامُ
Were it not for her who set out to guide him, he would not have been known
Among you - signs and standards there were from her,
فما الجَمومُ وما ضمّتْ مَنازِلُهُ
إلا ظنونٌ خَفِيَّاتٌ وأَوهامُ
So what are the sands and the settlements they embraced
If not unfounded notions, mysteries and fantasies?
أين الأناسيُّ جَلَّ اللَّهُ هل مُسِخُوا
لمّا رَأوْكَ فَهُمْ يا زيدُ أنعامُ
O people of Anas, may God exalt him! Were they turned into animals
When they saw you, so they, O Zayd, are cattle?
ما ثَمَّ إلا الأُلَى أَدركتَهم قَنصاً
لم يُغِنهِ إذ هَوَى خَوْفٌ وإحجامُ
None remained but the wounded you reached as prey
Whom, when he fell, did not save fear and holding back.
عُدْ بالأُسارَى وبالغنمِ التي قَسَمَتْ
لَكَ القواضِبُ إنّ الغُنْمَ أقسامُ
Return with the captives and the spoils which
The floodwaters allotted to you – truly the spoils are allotments!
يا زيدُ ما حقّ مَن دَلَّتكَ إذ صَدَقتْ
أسْرٌ تَضِيقُ به ذَرعاً وإرغامُ
O Zayd, what right has she who guided you, when she was sincere,
To captivity that tries her sorely and oppresses her?
مَنَّ النبيُّ عليها ثم أكرمَها
في مشهدٍ كُلِّهِ مَنٌّ وإكرامُ
The Prophet blessed her then honored her
At a gathering filled with favor and honor.
نَالتْ بِنِعْمَتِهِ مِن بَعلِها هِبَةٌ
زَالَتْ لها كُرَبٌ شتَّى وآلامُ
By his grace she gained from her husband a gift –
For her diverse troubles and pains were dispelled.
بَني سُلَيمٍ أَفي دِينِ الفُسوقِ لكم
إلا ذُنوبٌ تَغَشَّاكُمْ وآثامُ
O people of Suleim, is the religion of wickedness yours,
That sins should envelop and take you in?
ما أخيبَ النفسَ في الدُّنيا وأخسرَها
إن أخطأ النفسَ إيمانٌ وإسلامُ
Nothing makes the soul fail in this world, nothing loses it,
If the soul misses faith and Islam.
يا للبَلاءِ أَيُعْصَى اللَّهُ ليس له
كُفؤٌ وتُعْبَدُ أوثانٌ وأصنامُ
Oh, the tribulation! Is God disobeyed? He has
No match, yet idols and statues are worshiped!
