يَظُنُّ الناسُ بِالمَلِكَي

نِ أَنَّهُما قَدِ اِلتَأَما

The people think the two kings

Have made peace with each other

فَإِن تَسمَع بِلَأمِهِما

فَإِنَّ الخَطبَ قَد فَقِما

If you hear of their troubles

Be aware, war is imminent

وَإِنَّ الحَربَ أَمسى فَح

لُها في الناسِ مُحتَلِما

War's dreams have ripened

Among the slumbering populace

حَديداً نابُهُ مُستَد

لِقاً مُتَخَمِّطاً قَطِما

Its sharp teeth are bared

Ready to bite and sever

أَتانا عَن بَني الأَحرا

رِ قَولٌ لَم يَكُن أَمَما

Word came from the Ahrar

Unlike any we'd heard before

أَرادوا نَحتَ أَثلَتِنا

وَكُنّا نَمنَعُ الخُطُما

They wanted to cut down our noble trees

But we refused to let them take an inch

وَكانَ البَغيُ مَكروهاً

وَقَولُ الجَهلِ مُنتَحِما

Aggression was hated

And ignorant talk extinguished

فَباتوا لَيلَهُم سَمَراً

لِيُسدوا غِبَّ ما نَجَما

They spent the night plotting

To make up for what they lacked

فَغَبّوا نَحوَنا لَجِباً

يَهُدُّ السَهلَ وَالأَكَما

They came at us, an army

Flooding plain and hill

سَوابِغَ مُحكَمِ الماذِي

يِ شَدّوا فَوقَها الحُزُما

In thick impenetrable armor

Belted tight at the waist

فَجاءَ القَيلُ هامَرزٌ

عَلَيهِم يُقسِمُ القَسَما

Then came the deadly striker

Vowing vengeance on them all

يَذوقُ مُشَعشَعاً حَتّى

يُفيءَ السَبيَ وَالنَعَما

Until the captives and booty

Were restored to their owners

فَلاقى المَوتَ مُكتَنِعاً

وَذُهلاً دونَ ما زَعَما

He met his death, deceived

Far from what he claimed

أُباةَ الضَيمِ لا يُعطو

نَ مَن عادَوهُ ما حَكَما

Too proud to pay damages

To those they warred against

أَبَت أَعناقُهُم عِزّاً

فَما يُعطونَ مَن غَشَما

Their necks were too proud

To pay those they had wronged

عَلى جُردٍ مُسَوَّمَةٍ

عَوابِسَ تَعلُكُ اللُجُما

Atop short brown steeds

With grim unblinking eyes

تَخالُ ذَوابِلَ الخَطِّي

يِ في حافاتِها أَجَما

Their coats flickered

With the blood of many wounds

قَتَلنا القَيلَ هامَرزاً

وَرَوَّينا الكَثيبَ دَما

We killed the deadly striker

And stained the hill with blood

أَلا يا رُبَّ ما حَسرى

سَتُنكِحُها الرِماحُ حَما

Oh Lord, what sorrow awaits

To be pierced by their spears

صَبَحناهُم مُشَعشَعَةً

تَخالُ مَصَبَّها رَذَما

We met them with carnage

Flooding their dwellings with blood

صَبَحناهُم بِنُشّابٍ

كَفيتٍ قَعقَعَ الأَدَما

We met them with sweet water

Quenching their bloodthirst

هُناكَ فِدى لَهُم أُمّي

غَداةَ تَوارَدوا العَلَما

There my mother's ransom was paid

When they all converged with banners

بِضَربِهِمُ حَبيكَ البَي

ضِ حَتّى ثَلَّموا العَجَما

Beating them back, staining

Their white tunics with red blood

بِمِثلِهِمُ غَداةَ الرَو

عِ يَجلو العِزَّ وَالكَرَما

With the likes of them, on a morn

Of conflict, honor and nobility shine bright

كَتائِبُ مِن بَني ذُهلٍ

عَلَيها الزَغفُ قَد نُظِما

Battalions of the Dhul tribe

With their armor and banners

فَلاقَوا مَعشَراً أُنُفاً

غِضاباً أَحرَزوا الغَنَما

They met a proud company

Who had seized the plunder