أَثبَتُّ مُرَّةَ وَالسُيوفُ شَواهِرٌ
وَصَرَفتُ مُقدَمَها إِلى هَمّامِ
I stood firm once, with swords drawn,
And turned their vanguard towards Hammam.
وَبَني لُجَيمٍ قَد وَطَأنا وَطأَةً
بِالخَيلِ خارِجَةً عَنِ الأَوهامِ
And we trod the houses of Lujaim
With horses swift beyond imagination.
وَرَجَعنا نَجتَنِئُ القَنا في ضُمَّرٍ
مِثلَ الذِئابِ سَريقَةِ الإِقدامِ
We returned tearing through Dummar
Like wolves hastening to their prey.
وَسَقَيتُ تَيمَ اللاتِ كَأساً مُرّةً
كَالنارِ شُبَّ وَقودثها بِضِرامِ
I made Taim drink a bitter cup,
Like blazing fire stoked with embers.
وَبُيوتَ قَيسٍ قَد وَطَأنا وَطأَةً
فَتَرَكنا قَيساً غَيرَ ذاتِ مَقامِ
And we trod the houses of Qais a trodding
Leaving Qais with no place to dwell.
وَلَقَد قَتَلتُ الشَعثَمَينِ وَمالِكاً
وَاِبنَ المُسَوَّرِ وَاِبنَ ذاتِ دَوامِ
I killed Shu’aym and his brother Malik,
Ibn Musawwar and Ibn Dhat Dawam.
وَلَقَد خَبَطتُّ بُيوتَ يَشكُرَ خَبطَةً
أَخوالُنا وَهُمُ بَنو الأَعمامِ
And I battered the houses of Yashkur with blows—
Our uncles, they are the sons of uncles.
لَيسَت بِراجِعَةٍ لَهُم أَيامُهُم
حَتّى تَزولَ شَوامِخُ الأَعلامِ
Their days will not return to them
Until the tallest banners bow down.
قَتَلوا كُلَيباً ثُمَّ قالوا أَرتِعوا
كَذِبوا وَرَبِّ الحِلِّ وَالإِحرامِ
They killed Kulayb, then said, “Graze freely,”
They lied, by the Lord of sanctity and pilgrimage!
حَتّى تُلَفُّ كَتيبَةٌ بِكَتيبَةٍ
وَيَحُلَّ أَصرامٌ عَلى أَصرامِ
Until war party engages with war party,
And noble lineages battle noble lineages,
وَتَقومَ رَبّاتُ الخُدورِ حَواسِراً
يَمسَحنَ عَرضَ تَمائِمِ الأَيتامِ
Until chieftainesses act as champions
And wipe clean the honor of orphans,
حَتّى نَرى غُرَراً تُجَرُّ وَجُمَّةً
وَعِظامَ رُؤسٍ هُشِّمَت بِعِظامِ
Until we see graves being dragged about,
And skulls smashed against skulls,
حَتّى يَعَضَّ الشَيخُ مِن حَسَراتِهِ
مِمّا يَرى جَزَعاً عَلى الإِبهامِ
Until elders bite their hands in sorrow
At what they see, in anguish for their loved ones.
وَلَقَد تَرَكنا الخَيلَ في عَرَصاتِها
كَالطَيرِ فَوقَ مَعالِمِ الأَجرامِ
We left the horses in their meadows
Like birds above the landmarks.
فَقَضَينَ دَيناً كُنَّ قَد ضُمِّنَّهُ
بِعَزائِمٍ غُلبِ الرِقابِ سَوامِ
We repaid a debt they designed for us,
With resolves to subjugate the stiff necks.
مِن خَيلِ تَغلِبَ عِزَّةً وَتَكَرُّماً
مِثلَ اللُيوثِ بِساحَةِ الآنامِ
Horses of Taghlib, in their honor and nobility,
Like lions in the battleground of men.
