كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَقُد بِعُوَيرِضاتٍ
أَبا العَوّامِ فِتياناً قِطاطا
It is as if you had not led noble youths of ‘Awwam
Bearing pure swords that pierce all armour
وَلَم تَحمِل عَلى الأَعداءِ مِنهُم
قَنىً لَدناً وَأَيماناً سِباطا
And you had not borne against the foe among them
Sharp blades and pledges that destroy protection
إِذا المَنجودُ نَبَّهَهُم طُروقاً
رَأى زَعلَ الشَبيبَةِ وَالنَشاطا
Whenever the scout warned them of danger
They saw the ardour and liveliness of youth
قِيامَ السَمهَريِّ تَبادَروها
وَقَد لَبِسوا المَخيلَةَ وَالشَطاطا
Rushing to take their stand with Al-Samhari
Having donned fine garb and shining mail
وَلَم تَسُقِ الجِيادَ مُسَوَّماتٍ
تُجَشِّمُها المَغاوِرَ وَالوِراطا
You had not loosed mailed steeds
Whose flanks the caves and meadows would bruise
وَتُرسِلُها العَرَضنَةَ صادِياتٍ
مُبادَرَةً إِلى الماءِ الغُطاطا
Sending them racing wildly to the waters
Plunging in todrink deeply of its freshness
تُصيبُ بِها فَواغِرَ كُلِّ ثَغرٍ
كَأَنَّكَ تُرسِلُ النَبلَ المِراطا
With them you would strike the throat of every pass
As if you loosed your arrows in torrents
فَلَينَ مَفارِقَ المَعزاءِ وَخداً
كَفَلي الأَنمُلِ اللِمَمَ الشَماطا
When the confederates parted and dawn broke
While the full moon still shone brightly
وَمَن جَعَلَ الدَليلَ لَهُ اِبنَ لَيلى
فَلَن يَخشى الضَلالَ وَلا الغِلاطا
You folded up your cloak after camping
As if you spread out carpets on the sand
وَناجِيَةٍ تُساقِطُها حَسيراً
سِقاطَ حُسامِكَ البُدنَ العِباطَ
You led raids into lands without a guide
As if their vastness was but a little ground
وَتُطلِقُ رَحلَها وَالفَجرُ طِفلٌ
وَقَد أَكَلَ البَوانِيَ وَالمِلاطا
You returned driving their livestock before you
Like ants crawling upon the smooth floor
وَشاذِبَةٍ طَوَيتَ بِها اِعتِسافاً
بِساطَ الدَوِّ إِنَّ لَهُ بِساطا
With a black steed whose flanks
Were clad in the darkness of night
ذَوارِعَ لِلبِلادِ بِغَيرِ حادٍ
تَخالُ فُضولَ أَنسُعِها سِياطا
The stars hung from its sides
As if the night had adorned it with jewels
وَعُدتَ بِهَ تُساوِكُ مِن وَجاها
دَبيبَ النَملِ يَنتَعِلُ البَلاطا
You pierced its darkness with your band
Until you saw the folds of its sides
وَمُنخَرِقٍ كَأَنَّ عَلى رُباهُ
مِنَ الظُلمِ الأَكِنَّةِ وَاللِياطا
And every brave warrior who donned his coat of mail
Made the sheath for his blade his inner cloak
تَعَلَّقَتِ النُجومُ بِجانِبَيهِ
كَأَنَّ اللَيلَ أَلبَسَها القِراطا
With an attacking band you crowded the foe
Exchanging thrusts ofyour deadly blades
طَعَنتَ ظَلامَهُ بِالرَكبِ حَتّى
رَأَيتَ لَهُ اِنجِياباً وَاِنعِطاطا
Their blades sought to tear your skin
Whenever their tongues uttered vile insults
وَكُلُّ فَتىً تَبَطَّنَ بَيتَ نَبعٍ
وَصَيَّرَ غِمدَ قاطِعِهِ إِباطا
On a day of terrible carnage
When the cauldron of war boiled over
أُغَيلِمَةٍ زَحَمتَ بِها الأَعادي
تَعاطى بِالذَوابِلِ ما تَعاطى
You scattered their ranks as buzzards scatter
While the spearpoint mixed the fray
تَخالُ عَلى عَوامِلِها إِذا ما
وَرَدنَ الطَعنَ أَلسُنَها السِلاطا
You offered the cup but the coward refused it
While the valiant gladly drank his share
وَيَومٍ لِلوَقيعَةِ ذي أُوارٍ
كَكيرِ القَينِ أُوقِدَ فَاِستَشاطا
You made the pools of blood in it an omen
To the white ships demanding payment
فَرَقتَ جُموعَهُ فَرقَ العَناصي
وَقَد مَزَجَ الطِعانُ بِهِ اِختِلاطا
In their skulls the peaks scrape
As your swords scraped the whetstones
تُعاطى كَأسَهُ فَتَعُبُّ فيها
وَيُحتَقَرُ الجَبانُ فَلا يُعاطى
After your day, every proud boaster
Claims, as if you were but a fantasy
جَعَلتَ طُلى العِدى فيهِ اِقتَراحاً
عَلى بيضِ القَواضِبِ وَاِشتِراطا
But where is the swift flight from death
If the cloak trips or loosens?
تُغَلغِلُ في جَماجِمِها العَوالي
كَما غَلغَلتَ في اللُمَمِ المِشاطا
When he entered upon the path
You saw him taking long strides
تَتَرّى بَعدَ يَومِكَ كُلُّ خَطبٍ
كَأَنَّكَ كُنتَ لِلجُلّى رِباطا
And I, when I grasped his shoulders
In the distress of the strait, he relieved my burdens
أَلا أَينَ السَريعُ إِلى المَنايا
إِذا المِعزالُ عَرَّدَ أَو تَباطا
How often did the routed call to him
And he hastened, not breaking his pace
إِذا وَلَجَ الرِواقَ رَأَيتَ مِنهُ
طَويلَ الباعِ قَد غَمزَ السِماطا
Say to the deserter who slithers away
Plunge into the fray immersed and choking
وَكُنتُ إِذا أَخَذتُ بِمَنكِبَيهِ
غَداةَ الضيقِ فَرَّجَ لي الضِغاطا
The tides of war drew away his blade
And the long days of peace drew you to comfort
وَكَم بَزلاءَ صيحَ بِها إِلَيهِ
تَطاطَ لَها تَجُزكَ فَما تَطاطا
Though they carried goodness to you unasked
You guarded it closely and selfishly
فَقولا لِلمُنَفَّضِ مِذرَوَيهِ
خُضِ الأَمرَ اِنغِماساً وَاِنغِطاطا
Their protection encompassed you while the tongues
In the valleys cried like seeking birds
مِراسُ الحَربِ أَسحَبَهُ العَوالي
وَطولُ الأَمنِ أَسحَبَكَ الرِياطا
When at dawn the foe entered your homes
They left not a basin in your homes
هُمُ حَمَلوا لَكَ الإِحسانَ عَفواً
فَدونَكَهُنَّ وَلغاً وَاِستِراطا
The peaks rend your skins
As if the spears clothe them in patches
حَمَوكُم وَالأَسِنَّةُ في الهَوادي
وُقوعَ الطَيرِ تَبتَدِرُ اللِقاطا
Each grim-faced one among you
Passes the night sighing and groaning
غَداةَ خَلا بِدارِكُمُ الأَعادي
فَلَم يَدعوا لِحَوضِكُمُ لِياطا
He gathered you when your power waned
From the blows of spears and the hail of swords
تُشَقِّقُ في جُلودِكُمُ العَوالي
كَأَنَّ الطَعنَ يُلبِسُها الرِهاطا
He led the charge with your heroes until you were
Like stars, the nearest of you to the high stars
بِكُلِّ قَرارَةٍ مِنكُم لَحيمٍ
يُقَضّي اللَيلَ زَفراً وَاِنتِحاطا
And a death omen hovered above you
For every bird that takes flight must land
أَجَمَّكُمُ وَلاقى عَن عُلاكُم
عِضاضَ الطَعنِ وَالضَربِ الخِلاطا
No men of Quraysh remain
And I was named among them but now decline
وَقَدَّ بِبوعِكُم حَتّى غَدَوتُم
وَعالي النَجمِ أَقرَبُكُم مَناطا
They enjoyed the fruits of this glory for a time
With the fangs of heroes and in delight
وَحَلَّقَ مَضرَحيٌّ كانَ فيكُم
وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ طائِرَةٍ سِقاطا
The mortal stroke culled them from us
Choosing the best, the ripe fruit
فَلا تَبعُد رِجالٌ مِن قُرَيشٍ
وُسِمتُ بِهِم فَلَم أَعَدُ العِلاطا
They passed away, from each dire strait
When honour demands it, unveiled
رَعوا تَلَعاتِ هَذا المَجدِ لَسّاً
بِأَنيابِ العَوامِلِ وَاِنتِشاطا
They avoided me, and their avoidance shook me
For when they went, they cut the ties
تَخَيَّرَهُم حِمامُ المَوتِ مِنّا
خِيارَ الزائِدِ اِعتَرَضَ النِماطا
تَدعوا كَالسُلوكِ وَهَت قُواها
مُروقاً بِالنَوائِبِ وَاِنخِراطا
مَضوا مِن كُلِّ أَغلَبَ مُستَميتٍ
إِذا ما العارُ جَلَّلَهُ أَماطا
نَأَوا عَنّي فَضَعضَعَني نَواهُم
وَما كانوا فَقَد قَطَعوا النِياطا
