أقيدوا القومَ إنَّ الظُل

مَ لا يرضاهُ دَيَّانُ

Take retribution from the people, for injustice / Is not approved by the Supreme Judge.

And truly, a single fire may become / One day, a raging conflagration.

وإنَّ النارَ قَد تُصـ

ـبِحُ يوماً وَهي نِيرانُ

And in meeting aggression with aggression / There is a weakening and a binding.

And within the tribe, against the tribe / In times of battle, there are equals.

وفي العُدوانِ للعدوا

نِ تَوهينٌ واقران

And some clemency on the day of ignorance / Is but submission to humiliation.

We held back our hands from Banu Hind, / And we said, "These people are brothers."

وفي القومِ معاً للقو

مِ عندَ البأسِ أقرانُ

Hoping that time might return / A people to be as they once were.

But when evil clearly declared itself, / It appeared, and evil was laid bare.

وبعضُ الحلمِ يومَ الجه

لِ للذلَّةِ إذعانُ

And nothing remained but hostility; / We repaid them exactly as they paid.

People from whom we trace our roots, / Yet we dealt with them as they dealt.

كففنا عن بني هندٍ

وقُلنا القَومُ اخوانُ

We used to cast arrows alongside them, / But today we stand apart and alone.

And in obedience to the ignorant man, / For the free soul, there is rebellion.

عسى الأيامُ أن يرجِعـ

ـنَ قوماً كالذي كانوا

So when reconciliation was refused / —And in that lies betrayal—

We charged with the ferocity of a lion, / Who goes forth in the morning, enraged.

فلمّا صرَّحَ الشَّرُّ

بدا والشَّرُّ وعُريانُ

With blows that carry retribution, / Suffering, and loud wailing.

And I may deal gently with some men, / For in facing tyranny, there is strategy.

ولم يبقَ سوى العدوا

نِ دِنّاهم كما دانوا

And mastery has descended upon the whole tribe / After their act of transgression.

With a thrust like the mouth of a waterskin / That bursts forth when full.

أُناسٌ أَصلُنا منهم

ودِنّا كالذي دانوا

From it flows a sudden gush / Of red blood from the cavity, streaming.

And in evil deeds lies salvation, / When kindness can no longer save you.

وكُنّا معهم نرمي

فنحن اليومَ أُحدانُ

And the people accepted judgment / When warriors met warriors.

وفي الطّاعةِ للجا

هلِ عندَ الحُرِّ عِصيانُ

فلما أُبيَ الصُلحَ

وفي ذلكَ خِذلانُ

شَدَدنا شدَّةَ الليثِ

غدا والليثُ غَضبانُ

بضَربٍ فيه تأثِيمٌ

وتفجيعٌ وارنانُ

وقد أدهُنُ بعض القومِ

إذ في البَغيِ ادهانُ

وقد حلَّ بكل الحيِّ

بَعدَ البَغيِ إمكانُ

بطَعنٍ كفمِ الزِّقِّ

غدا والزِّقُّ ملآنُ

له بادِرَةٌ من

أحمرِ الجَوفِ وثُعبانُ

وفي الشَّرِّ نجاةٌ حينَ

لا يُنجِيكَ إحسانُ

ودانَ القومُ أن

لَقِيَ الفِتيانَ فِتيانُ