تَطاوَلَ لَيلُكَ بالأَثمُدِ

ونامَ الخَليُّ ولم تَرقُدِ

Your night grew long with sleeplessness

While the tent-dweller slept, you did not rest

وباتَ وباتت له ليلةٌ

كليلةِ ذي العائرِ الأَرمَدِ

And the night passed, and a night like

The night of one with a spotted camel passed for him

وذلكَ من نَبَأٍ جاءني

وأُنبئتُهُ عن أبي الأسودِ

And that is from news that came to me

And I was informed of it by Abu Al-Aswad

ولو عن نَثَا غيرهِ جاءني

وجُرحُ اللسانِ كجُرحِ اليَدِ

And if news had come to me from another source

And the wound of the tongue is like the wound of the hand

لَقُلتُ من القول ما لا يزا

لُ يُؤثَرُ عنّي يَدَ المُسنَدِ

I would have said words that are not proper

To be preferred from me, the outstretched hand

بأَيِّ علاقتنا ترغبونَ

أعن دمِ عمروٍ على مَرثَدِ

With what bond do you wish

About the blood of Amr on Marthad

فَإِن تَدفِنوا الداءَ لا نخفِهِ

وإِن تبعثوا الحربَ لا نَقعدِ

If you bury the disease we will not hide it

And if you ignite war we will not sit

وإِن تقتلونا نُقتِّلكُمُ

وإِن تَقصِدوا لدمٍ نَقصِدِ

And if you kill us we will kill you

And if you seek blood we will seek it

متى عَهدُنا بطِعان الكُما

ةِ والحمدِ والمجدِ والسُؤدُدِ

When did we know submission, praise, glory, and obedience

And domed buildings and filled coffins

وبَنيِ القبابِ وَمَلءِ الجِفا

ن والنّار والحَطَبِ المُفأَدِ

And fire and harvested firewood

And I prepared for war a quick-walking horse

وأَعددتُ للحرب وَثَّابَةً

جوادَ المَحَثَّةِ والمَروَدِ

Eager and bringing it is like

The crackling of ignited palm leaves

سبُوحاً جَمُوحاً وإِحضارُها

كَمعمَعةِ السَّعَفِ الموقَدِ

With tightened bridle, straight and tall

Glittering in the sand like a cold night

ومَشدودةَ السَّكِّ مَوضُونةً

تَضاءَلُ في الطَيِّ كالمِبرَدِ

Its forelegs pour upon the man

Like the pouring of the smooth palm tree

تَفيضُ على المرءِ أَردانُها

كَفيضِ الأَتيِّ النخلةِ الأَجرَدِ

With obscure marks on its leg

If it strikes the bone it does not withdraw

وذا شُطَبٍ غامضاً كَلمُهُ

إِذا صابَ بالعظمِ لم يَنأَدِ