يا حارِ لا تَجهَل عَلى أَشياخِنا
إِنّا ذَوو السوراتِ وَالأَحلامِ
O Harith, do not behave insolently toward our chiefs.
For we are men of fierce onslaughts and sound judgment.
مِنّا إِذا بَلَغَ الصَبِيُّ فِطامَهُ
سائِسُ الأُمورِ وَحارِبُ الأَقوامِ
Among us, as soon as a boy reaches weaning age,
he is a master of affairs, a warrior against nations.
قَتَلوا كُلَيباً ثُمَّ قالوا أَربِعوا
كَذَبوا وَرَبِّ الحَلِّ وَالإِحرامِ
They killed Kulayb, then said, “Hold back!”
They lied—by the Lord of the profane and the sacred.
حَتّى نَبيدَ قَبيلَةً وَقَبيلَةً
قَهراً وَنَفلِقَ بِالسُيوفِ الهامِ
until we annihilate tribe after tribe,
by force, and cleave heads with swords,
وَيَقُمنَ رَبّاتُ الخُدورِ حَواسِراً
يَمسَحنَ عَرضَ ذَوائِبِ الأَيتامِ
and the ladies of curtained chambers rise bareheaded,
running their hands across the orphans’ locks.
Sol 5.6