أَعاذِلُ نِعمَ قَومُ الحَربِ قَومي

إِذا نَزَلَ المُلِمّاتُ الكِبارُ

I censure, though my people love war, my people,

When grievous misfortunes befall,

رَبيعَةُ حينَ تَختَلِفُ العَوالي

وَما بي إِن مَدَحتُهُمُ اِبتِهارُ

Rabee'a, when the fires blaze,

It's not that I praise them out of vain glory,

وَلَكِنّي أَرى قَومي مُلوكاً

وَقَيسٌ في نُفوسِهِمِ صِغارُ

But I see my people as kings,

While Qais in their souls are lesser men.

فَضَلنا الناسَ أَنَّ الجارَ فينا

يُجيرُ وَأَيُّ جارٍ يُستَجارُ

We surpass men in that the neighbor among us

Gives refuge, and what neighbor grants refuge?

وَأَنّا نُطعِمُ الأَضيافَ قِدماً

إِذا العَذراءُ أَخرَجَها القُتارُ

And that we feed guests betimes,

When the maiden lays the evening meal.

وَأَنّا الضارِبونَ إِذا اِلتَقَينا

كِباشَ القَومِ قَد عَلِمَت نِزارُ

And we are the warriors when we meet,

The bulls of the tribe, as Nizar knows.

نُدافِعُ في الكَريهَةِ عَن بَنينا

وَنَعلَمُ أَنَّ جُبنَ القَومِ عارُ

We defend against dishonor our sons,

And we know that the tribe's cowardice is shame,

بِضَربٍ لا كِفاءَ لَهُ وَطَعنٍ

كَأَفواهِ المَزادِ لَهُ شَرارُ

With blows none can requite, and stabs

Like mouths of water-skins—theirs is mischief.

شَفَيتُ النَفسَ مِن أَبناءِ قَيسٍ

وَذَلِكَ عَنكَ مِن قَيسٍ جُبارُ

I sated my soul on the sons of Qais,

And that to you from Qais is pride.

أَذاقونا سُيوفَهُمُ وَذاقوا

فَكَيفَ رَأَيتَنا صِرنا وَصاروا

They made us taste their swords, and tasted in turn;

So how saw you us yield, and they become?

تَعوذُ هَوازِنٌ بِاِبنَي دُخانٍ

هَوازِنُ إِنَّ ذا لَهُوَ الصَغارُ

Hudhayl seeks refuge in Ibn Dukhan's sons—

Hudhayl, that indeed is baseness.

وَسَوَّدَ حاتِماً أَن لَيسَ فيها

إِذا ما توقَدُ النيرانُ نارُ

And Hatim denies that among them exists,

When fires flare up, a burning brand.

لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ وَالأَنباءُ تَنمي

لَقَد نَجّاكَ يا زُفرُ الفِرارُ

By your father's life, and tidings spread—

Escape, Zufar, did indeed save you,

وَرَكضُكَ غَيرَ مُلتَفِتٍ إِلَينا

بِخَوّارٍ إِذا عَرِقَ العِذارُ

Your racing off not looking back at us

With dung-splattered crupper when the roans sweat.

أَمَلتَ بِهِ شِمالَكَ مِن بَعيدٍ

يَكادُ مِنَ الفَراغَةِ يُستَطارُ

You aimed it left-handed from afar at us—

It could, from emptiness, be folded up.

فَلا وَأَبيكَ لَو أَمكَنتَ قَومي

لَظَلَّ عَلى جَناجِنِكَ النِسارُ

No, by your father! Could you reach my tribe,

The eagles still would shade your wing bones.

تَصَلَّ حُروبَهُم فَلَسَوفَ تَلقى

رِماحاً لا تُباعُ وَلا تُعارُ

Their wars will continue, so you will meet

Spears that are not for sale or loan.

بِأَيدي مَعشَرٍ قَتَلوا بُجَيراً

لِحَربِهِمِ إِذا شُبَّت سُعارُ

At the hands of a band who slew Bujayr

When their war flared up and fires stoked.