وَيْحَ ذِي القَصَّةِ ماذا يَشْهَدُ
وَيْحَهُ من وَقْعَةٍ لا تُحمدُ
Alas for him who tells this tale, what will he witness?
Alas for him, from an occurrence not to be praised!
يا بني ثَعْلَبَةٍ ما خَطبُكم
أكذا تُقْرَى اللّيوثُ الهُجَّدُ
O clans of Tha'labah, what is with you
That lions are thus castrated while docile?
إنّه الجبنُ وأخلاقُ الأُلى
يَحسبونَ الخَتْلَ حَرباً تُوقَدُ
It is cowardice and the morals of cattle
Who think war an easy matter easily enflamed
فقدُوا البأسَ فدبُّوا خِفيةً
وَانْتَضَوها أنفُساً لا تُفْقَدُ
They lost ferocity so they crept stealthily
And slaughtered souls that cannot be ransomed
يا جريحَ الحقِّ هل مِتَّ وهَلْ
قُضِيَ الأمرُ وحُمَّ الموعِدُ
O you wounded for truth, did you die or did
The matter end and the tryst is kept?
فَرِحَ القومُ فقالوا مَغنماً
ساقَهُ الجَدُّ ورأيٌ مُحصَدُ
The people rejoiced and said, 'We are enriched!'
To seriousness they were led and a vision made ripe
جَرَّدوا الفارسَ من أثوابه
ليتَ شِعري أيَّ سَيْفٍ جَرَّدوا
They stripped the knight of his garments
Would that I knew, which sword did they unsheathe?
عَرفَ السَّيْفَ فتىً من قومِهِ
ضَجَّ يسترجعُ ممّا يَشْهَدُ
A youth of his clan knew the sword
He clamoured to recover what he witnessed
أيّها المَيْتُ تَحرَّكْ لا تَخَفْ
حَضر الفادِي وجَاءَ المُنجدُ
O corpse, move though fear not
The redeemer has come and relief is at hand
بُورِكَ الحاملُ ما أحسنَها
من يدٍ مَعروفُها لا يُجْحَدُ
Blessed is the carrier, how excellent
From a known hand that cannot be denied
يا رسولَ اللّهِ بُشْرَى إنّها
نِعمةٌ تُزجَى وخيرٌ يُوفَدُ
O Messenger of Allah, glad tidings, they are
Favours poured and good comes to ripen
وبَريدٌ من بَني ثعلبةٍ
وَعَوالٍ بالغوالي يُبْرَدُ
As well as mail borne by Tha'labah's clan
And dependents with spearheads like hail
جَعلوا للسيفِ فيهم حُكمَهُ
فله من هَامِهِم ما يَحْصُدُ
They made the sword rule over them
So for it is their skulls for reaping
لَيْتَهُمْ كانوا رِجالاً فأبَوْا
إذ دَنا موعدُهم أن يَبْعدوا
Would that they were men and refused
When their tryst drew near, that they withdraw
ذهب الحشدُ فلم يَنْظُرْ سِوَى
نَعَمٍ تُزجَى وشَاءٍ تُحشَدُ
The rabble left and none looked
Except at favours poured and sheep to be herded
سَاقَها ما جُعِلَتْ من هَمِّهِ
هَمُّهُ تِلكَ النُّفُوسُ الشُّرَّدُ
He led them not made for his care
His care those scattered souls
اللّواتي تَبعثُ الشرَّ فإن
عَصَفَ الشَرُّ تولَّتْ تركُدُ
Who stir up evil, so if evil gusts
The evil shifts and starts to dwindle
بِئسما تُورِدُها أهواؤُها
مِن حياضٍ مُرّةٍ ما تُورَدُ
Evil what their whims introduce to them
From a bitter cistern, no good flows from it
فِتنةُ الشِّركِ وما من فتنةٍ
مثلُها بين البرايا توجَدُ
The temptation of idolatry, and no temptation
Like it in the wilds is to be found
ليس غير اللهِ في سُلطانِهِ
من إلهٍ يُتَّقَى أو يُعْبَدُ
None but Allah has sovereignty
A god to be feared or worshipped
مَالِكُ الملكِ تَعالى ما لَهُ
في عُلاهُ مِن شريكٍ يُعْهَدُ
Owner of the kingdom, exalted, for Him
No partner in His loftiness can be found
