جَلبْنا الخيلَ مُشْرفةَ الهَوادي

تُهدِّمُ من حَوافِرها الإِكاما

We brought the horses, overlooking the valleys,

Their hooves demolishing the dunes.

بأعْشاشٍ وبِسْطامُ بنُ قَيْسٍ

يرى الإِحجامَ دون النَّصْرِ ذاما

With the tents of Bani Qais,

Who see retreating as a disgrace.

فأوْرَدْن الصَّوارِمَ والعَوالي

نُحوراً منْ رجالِهُمُ وهاما

So we unleashed the swords and the brave ones,

Slaying their men left and right.

ونحنُ لآسِرونَ بذاتِ كهْفٍ

أبا قابوسَ إذْ يبْغي الذِّماما

We are the captors in the cave of Dhat Kahf,

When Abū Qābūs wants to fight.

ضَربنا جيْشهُ ضَرْباً طِلَخْفاً

يُبيدُ الذِّمْرَ والسَّيف الحُساما

We struck their army a perfect blow,

That destroys the armor and sharp swords.

تركْنا المُنْذِر المرهوب خَوْداً

تَسُحُّ الدَّمْعَ منْ وَلَهٍ سِجاما

We left al-Munđir terrified and humiliated,

With tears streaming down his cheek.

فأيُّ مَقامِ مجْدٍ لم تَنَلْهُ

أوائلُنا ونُتْبِعُهُ مَقاما

What glorious stand did our forefathers not take,

Which we then followed?

ومِنَّا بعدَ هامِدِنا وَزيرٌ

مُلوكُ الأرضِ تخْدِمُهُ قِياما

And after our deceased leader, we have a minister,

Whom the kings of earth serve.

إذا لَثَموا أنامِلَ راحتَيْهِ

غَدَتْ قُبَلُ البَنانِ لهُمْ عِصاما

If they touch the palms of his hands,

The peaks of the mountains become straw to them.

وإِنْ نَظَروا مُحَيَّاهُ أرَمُّوا

فأغْضوا منه واختصروا الكَلاما

And if they look at his face, they shy away,

So they look away from him and cut short the speech.

كأنهمُ بُغاثٌ تحتَ بازٍ

يُريهِمْ منْ تَجَلِّيهِ الحِماما

As if they were partridges under a falcon

That shows them some of its diving.

لَبيقُ العِطْفِ أبْلَجُ خِندفيٌّ

يرى مَنْع القِرى بَسْلاً حَراما

The frankness of a smiling Khandaf,

Who sees the protection of homes as unlawful.

يكونُ الزَّعزعُ الهوجاءُ عزْماً

وعند الحِلْم رَضْوى أو شَماما

Arrogance becomes determination with him

And with wisdom, pleasure or high-mindedness.

ويغدو شَمْألاً لَطُفتْ نَسيماً

ولكن نَقْعُهُ نَقْعُ النُّعامى

In the morning, he is easy going like a gentle breeze,

But his determination is like that of ostriches.

وتعتْكرُ الدُّجى ليلاً وحَظّاً

فيجْلوها نَوالاً وابْتِساما

The darkness of night aggrieves him,

So he unveils it with gifts and a smile.

ويُمْسي ديمَةً يَهْمي إذا ما

سَحابَتُنا غَدَتْ قَزَعاً جَهاما

And he spends the evening frowning if

Our clouds turn into attacking warriors.

وتَلْقى منهُ فرْداً في المَعالي

وجيْشاً في حَفيظَتِهِ لُهاما

He encounters in the high ranks

An individual and an army in his protectorate.

إذا تاجُ المُلوكِ سَعى لأمْرٍ

فما هو بالمَليمِ ولا ألاما

When the crown of kings strives for something,

He is neither weakling nor painful.

يخافُ اللّهَ في حِفْظِ الرَّعايا

وينْصَحُ في أمانَتِهِ الإِماما

He fears Allah in taking care of the subjects,

And he is loyal in his imamate.

ويَعْبَقُ ذِكرهُ في كلِّ نادٍ

كأنَّ حَديثَهُ نَشْرُ الخُزاما

The mention of him spreads in every club,

As if his talk is the spreading of perfume.

وتَقْصُرُ مِدْحَةُ المُدَّاحِ عنه

فلمْ يبلُغْ بَليغُهُمُ التَّماما

The praise of the praiser falls short of him,

For none of them perfected the praise.

ولو علِموا سَرائرَهُ كَعِلْمي

غَدا كُلٌّ كَمثْلي مُسْتهَاما

If they knew his secrets like I know them,

Each would become amazed like me.