تَفَرَّقَ أَهلي مِن مُقيمٍ وَظاعِنٍ

فَلِلَّهِ دَرّي أَيَّ أَهلِيَ أَتبَعُ

My people parted, some staying, some departing,

So by God, which of my people should I follow?

أَقامَ الَّذينَ لا أُبالي فِراقَهُم

وَشَطَّ الَّذينَ بَينَهُم أَتَوقَّعُ

Those who stayed I don't care for their leaving,

And those who left, I longed that we'd meet.

عَلى كُلِّهِم آسَى وَلِلأَصلِ زُلفَةٌ

فَزَحزِح عَنِ الأَدنَينَ أَن يَتَصَدَّعوا

I grieve for them all, though my roots pull me near,

So move the closer ones, lest our bond crack and tear.

وَفارَقَ أَهلي أَهلَ عَوفِ بنِ عامرٍ

وَكانَت خَوى عَوفٍ قَديماَ تَطَلَّعُ

My people left the family of Awff ibn Amer,

Though long they were allies Awff hoped to pair.

قَضَى اِبنُ مُعاذٍ مَرَّةً دونَ قَومهِ

بِعَيبٍ وَأَمري ما يَكادُ يُجَمَّعُ

Ibn Mu'az judged against his people once,

With a fault, though a commander should rarely err.

أَمَرتُهمُ أَمري بمُنعَرَجِ الِلوى

وَلا أَمرَ لِلمَعصِيِّ إلاّ مُضَيَّعُ

I sent them where the paths wind through the pastures,

But disobedience only brings loss, nothing gained.

أَلِكني إِلى قَومي ضُبَيعَةَ إِنَّهُم

أُناسي فَلومُوا بَعدَ ذَلِكَ أَو دَعُوا

Take me to my people Dhubay'ah, they are still

My folk, so blame me later or hold back the pain.

وَقَد كانَ أَخوالي كَريماً جِوارُهُم

وَلَكِنَّ أَصلَ العودِ مِن حَيثُ يُنزَعُ

And my in-laws were generous, gracious hosts,

But a branch must bend back to whence it was lain.

فَلا تَحسِبَنّي خاذِلاً مُتَخَلِّفاً

وَلا عَينُ صَيدٍ مِن هَوايَ وَلَعلَعُ

Think not that I abandoned, shirked the battle,

Or tired like a hunter of sport and the chase.

وَلَكِنَّني أَغرَبتُ في جَيشِ طَوَّسٍ

وَكَانَت مَعَدٌّ كُلَّ أَوبٍ تَصَدَّعُ

Nay, but I wandered with the army of Tawwus,

And Mu'add was an ally time can't efface.