تَقاصَرَتِ الجِبالُ لَهُ وَطَمَّت

بِهِ حَوماتُ آخَرُ قَد أَنابا

The mountains diminished before him, and the last remnants were annihilated.

With what spears of yours will you acquire glory,

بِأَيَّةِ زَنمَتَيكَ تَنالُ قَومي

إِذا بَحرِي رَأَيتُ لَهُ عُبابا

When you see that my sea has raging waves?

You see its billows like mountains of luban,

تَرى أَمواجَهُ كَجِبالِ لُبنى

وَطَودِ الخَيفِ إِذ مَلَأَ الجَنابا

And the surging crests when they fill the expanse.

When its sprays surge in the wings of night,

إِذا جاشَت ذُراهُ بِجُنحِ لَيلٍ

حَسِبتَ عَلَيهِ حَرّاتٍ وَلابا

You would think there were burning coals upon it.

With mountains around it, it has shadows

مُحيطاً بِالجِبالِ لَهُ ظِلالٌ

مَعَ الجَرباءِ قَد بَلَغَ الطِبابا

That have reached the morning draught with the gerboa.

So you are in vilifying the clan of Numayr

فَإِنَّكَ مِن هِجاءِ بَني نُمَيرٍ

كَأَهلِ النارِ إِذ وَجَدوا العَذابا

Like the people of Hell when they found the torment.

They hoped that they would find rest from its heat,

رَجَوا مِن حَرِّها أَن يَستَريحوا

وَقَد كانَ الصَديدُ لَهُم شَرابا

Yet boiling pitch had become their drink.

If you live in prosperity and good fortune,

فَإِن تَكُ عامِراً أَثرَت وَطابَت

فَما أَثرى أَبوكَ وَما أَطابا

Neither your father nor forefathers ever prospered or had good fortune.

You have not inherited the knights of Numayr,

وَلَم تَرِثِ الفَوارِسِ مِن نُمَيرٍ

وَلا كَعباً وَرِثتَ وَلا كِلابا

Nor Kab nor inherited Kilab.

Rather, you have inherited the evil and worthless estates

وَلَكِن قَد وَرِثتَ بَني كُلَيبٍ

حَظائِرَها الخَبيثَةَ وَالزِرابا

Of the clan of Kulaib.

Whoever chooses Hawazin, then chooses Numayr,

وَمَن يَختَر هَوازِنَ ثُمَّ يَختَر

نُمَيراً يَختَرِ الحَسَبَ اللُبابا

Chooses a lineage of stupidity and shame.

And he who holds back their sprays by the forelocks

وَيُمسِك مِن ذُراها بِالنَواصي

وَخَيرَ فَوارِسٍ عُلِموا نِصابا

Are the best horsemen, known to be deadly.

They are the ones who raided the encampments and ransacked

هُمُ ضَرَبوا الصَنائِعَ وَاِستَباحوا

بِمَذحِجَ يَومَ ذي كَلَعٍ ضِرابا

On the day of Madhij, the striking of calamity.

Yet you have left the clan of Kulaib

وَإِنَّكَ قَد تَرَكتَ بَني كُلَيبٍ

لِكُلِّ مُناضِلٍ غَرَضاً مُصابا

To every contender, an easy target.

Kulaib is a servant, evil and base;

كُلَيبٌ دِمنَةٌ خَبُثَت وَقَلَّت

أَبى الآبي بِها إِلّا سِبابا

None but the most debauched would vilify with it.

You think that when you dispraise with Kulaib,

وَتَحسِبُ مِن مَلائِمِها كُلَيبٍ

عَلَيها الناسُ كُلَّهُمُ غِضابا

All people are angry at them.