أَبى زَمَني مَذ شِبتُ أَلّا تَعَوُّجا

وَأَهل وِدادي فيهِ أَلّا تبهرُجا

My youth refused crookedness since I grew up

And my loved ones in it refused turmoil

كَأَن لَم يَشِب فيهِ سِوايَ وَلَم يَكُن

عِذاري وَرَأسي حالك اللَون أَدعَجا

As if I did not grow old in it but me alone

My excuse and my grizzled head were bent

وَلَم أَكُ كالخَطّي أَو غصن بانَةٍ

كَساها بِها فَصل الرَبيع وَدَبَّجا

And I was not like a worn garment or a flexuous branch

Adorned by the spring blossoms and embroidered

بِنوّار نَورٍ يَطَّبي أَعيُن المَها

وَيَفتن ذا الأَلباب بِالشَكل وَالشَجا

With the light of a light that pleases the eyes of the beholder

And captivates the perceptive with its shape and delight

سَقى مَعهَداً كُنّا بِهِ زَمَن الصِبا

مقربة سَحاً وَهاداً وَأَمرَجا

It watered a pact we had made in our youth

Drawing near, docile, and gentle

وَعَهدي بِهِ قَبلَ افتراق فَريقنا

وَأَنداؤُهُ كالبَحرِ لَمّا تَموَّجا

And my covenant with it before our troop parted

Its call like the sea when it surged

بِأَقيال قَحطان وَأساد عامِر

وَفُرسان كَلب كالوَشيج الموشَّجا

With the chiefs of Qahtan and chieftains of Adnan

And the horsemen of Kalb like the adorned groom

خَفاف إِذا اِستَصرَختُهُم عَن جِنايَة

إِلى النَقع لا يَلوون عَنها تعرجا

Valiant when I call upon them against aggression

Toward the battlefield they do not deviate

يَمدون بِالخُطِّ الذَوابِل أَيدياً

مَعودة طَعن الكميِّ المدجَّجا

They extend with the polished Indian swords their hands

Used to stabbing the thickly armored warrior

عَلى كُلِّ خَنذيذٍ طِمَرِّ نخاله

إِذا مزعت يَوم الكَريهة أَعوَجا

At every scornful, stealthy, cowardly enemy

Who turns away twisting on the day of hatred

يَعفُّونَ عَن أَسلاب مَن رام حربهم

وَيَقتَسِموا الأَرواح قَسماً مَلهوجا

They pardon the belongings of those who sought war with them

And share the souls equally, scattered about

أَسائلتي عَن مَشهَدٍ جَلَّ ذِكرِهِ

قَضى كُلَّ نَيل أَو ذِمامٍ فَأَثلَجا

I asked about a glorious scene, mentioning which

Fulfilled every wish or purpose and thrilled

أَتَتنا كِلابٌ في تَميم وَتَغلِب

وَأَحيا نميراً وَالقشيريَّ عَرفَجاء

There came to us dogs from Tameem and Taghlib

And revived Numayr and Qushayri discerned

يؤمهم عطّاف يَطلُب ثأرُهُ

فَأَوردهم وَرداً وَبيّا موهَّجا

Led by Ataaf seeking his revenge

So he brought them to a terrible, confused onslaught

سَقاهُم حياض المَوت بدر عَلى ظَماً

بِهندِيَّة تَفري الحَديد المنسَّجا

He quenched their thirst with the cup of death at Badr

With an Indian sword that splits polished armor

إِذا أَغمَدَت عَن مَعشَر عاد مِنهُما

وَإِن جرِّدَت في جَحفَل عاد منفجا

When it's sheathed it spares the people of Ad

And when unsheathed it returns to Ad, unsheathed

بِأَيدي كِرامٍ مِن ذَؤابة طيىء

وَبحتر مَع رَهط الوَليد وَدعلجا

By the hands of generous men of Thu'al and the Bahr

Along with the band of Al-Walid and Du'alj

يؤمهم البَدر الفَتى ابن رَبيعة

وَقَد صَمَّمَ الرمح الأَصم وَأَرهَجا

Led by the young full moon son of Rabee'ah

Who had determined to hurl the deafening spear

عَلى هَيكَلٍ وَردٍ كَأقطم تَلَّةٍ

سَليم الشَظا لا ذي نَساءٍ وَلا وَجا

Upon the rosy mound like a barren hill

Safe from women and free of burden

يُنادي كِلاباً وَالقَبائِل كُلها

وَهُم سامِعوه مفصحاً ما تلجلجا

Calling out to the dogs and all the tribes

And they listen to him speaking clearly without stuttering

أَنا ابن الَّذي لا يَخمِد الدَهر ناره

ولا أَوقَدت إِلّا لِتَهدي إِلى النَجا

I am the son of him whose fire time does not extinguish

And was lit only to guide to salvation

إِلى راسِيات ما تَنام طُهاتُها

وَمقراة نُبلٍ ما تَغِب المودَّجا

To the lofty principles whose bases do not sleep

And a prepared host of glory that does not disappear

ملكنا جَميع الأَرض مِن بَعدِ جُرهم

وَكانَ لَنا مِن غار فيها وَهملجا

We ruled all the land after their running away

And we had control over every cave and sanctuary in it

وَجاءُوا إِلَينا يَطلُبون ذِمامَنا

مِنَ الشَرقِ وَالغَربِ المُمَنَّعِ وَالنَجا

And they came to us seeking our protection

From east and west, forbidden and free

فَنَحنُ رؤوسٌ وَالخَلائِقُ كُلَّها

لَنا تبعٌ إِلّا النَبيَّ المُتَوَّجا

For we are the leaders and all people

Are our followers, except the crowned Prophet

وَأَبناؤُهُ مِن فاطِم وَعَليّة

أَئمتنا الهادونَ أَوضَح مَنهَجا

And his children from Fatima and Aliya

Our guiding Imams, the clearest method

وَكَرَّ عَلَيهِم كَرَّة حميرية

أَبادهمُ بالسَيفِ طراً فَأَزعَجا

And the donkey raid befell them

Destroying them by the sword, scattered about

فَكُنّا كَبازيِّ هَوى نَحوَ دَردَقٍ

مِنَ الطَير مُنقضٍ فَكُلٌ تَثَبَّجا

So we were like hunting hawks swooping

Toward prey, each vying to tear apart

وَخَلَّفهم بِالقاعِ صَرعى تنوشهم

وَحوش الفَيافي ما لَهُم مِنهُ مُلتَجا

And he left them in the plain as corpses

For the wolves of the deserts, they had no refuge

وَأَشبَع ذِئباً جائِعاً مِن جُسومِهِم

وَضَبعاً وَنِسراً قَشعَمياً وَزَمَّجا

And satiated the hungry wolf with their bodies

And the hyena, lynx, and snarling leopard

حَكَمَت عَلَيهم بَدر أَعدَل حاكِم

بِقَتلِكَ مِن زَمَّ المَطيّ وَأَسرَجا

Badr judged them, the most just of rulers

By your killing them, from the saddle firmly seated

جَعلتَ رَحا الحَربِ العَوان عَلَيهِم

تَدور فَما في القَومِ مِن فيهِ مُرتَجى

You made the spheres of war align against them

Circling, so there was no hope for any among them

مَلأت بروج الحَربِ مِنهُم مع الرُبى

فَلَستَ تَرى إِلّا قَتيلاً مُضَرَّجا

You filled the celestial towers with them and captives

So you see none but the slain, blood-stained

وَأَلحَقت مِنَ أَلفَيتَ مِنهُم نَزاهَة

كَتائِب رَوعٍ أَلحَقَتهُم بِمَن نَجا

And you joined two thousand of their elite

To the terrorized troops whom you drove to flee

فَمَن كانَ حلي السَيف مِنهُم مآبَهُ

كَأنّ حَليَّ السَيفَ قُلباً وَدُملجا

So whoever's sole resort was the sword among them

The sword seemed to him like a heart and breast

فَيَلبِس مَصبوغ الغَواني وَيَبتَغي

مِنَ التِبر خَلخال يَروق مدملجا

So he wears the blood-dyed garments and seeks

Ankle bracelets to please, red and black

أَبا النِجمِ يا بَدِر الدُجى ابن رَبيعَة

ليهنك فَتح في الكِلابينَ أَفلَجا

O father of the star, O Badr of darkness, son of Rabee'ah

Congratulations on the victory over the two dogs

فَما بَعدَ هَذا الحَرب لِلحَربِ عَودة

فَمَن عادَ عُدناهُ إِلى الحيِّ أَعرَجا

After this war no war will recur

And whoever returns we will return to the war, limping

إِلَيكَ رَماها الصدق مِن قَبل مادِحٍ

غَدافية يَضحى بِها الشعر مدرجا

To you truthfulness has tossed it from a praising poet

It is free, with which poetry becomes credentialed

إِذا أَنشَدَت في نادِ قَومٍ تَضَوَّعَت

بيومهم نَدّاً وَفاحَت بنفسَجا

If you recite it in a people's club it will draw them near

On their day fresh and diffusing fragrance