وَأَضيافِ لَيلٍ قَد نَقَلنا قِراهُمُ

إِلَيهِم فَأَتلَفنا المَنايا وَأَتلَفوا

And guests of night whose abodes we once knew

To them we came and shared our fate while they shared theirs

قَرَيناهُمُ المَأثورَةَ البيضَ قَبلَها

يُثِجُّ العُروقَ الأَزأَنِيُّ المُثَقَّفُ

Their distinguished dwellings, white before,

Now stir the nerves, cultivated and lettered

وَمَسروحَةً مِثلَ الجَرادِ يَسوقُها

مُمَرٌّ قُواهُ وَالسَراءُ المُعَطَّفُ

And open like locusts herded on

By a leader, strong and cloaked

فَأَصبَحَ في حَيثُ اِلتَقَينا شَريدُهُم

طَليقٌ وَمَكتوفُ اليَدَينِ وَمُزعَفُ

Thus in the morning where we met, their wanderer

Roamed free, hands clasped, in tatters clothed

وَكُنّا إِذا ما اِستَكرَهَ الضَيفُ بِالقِرى

أَتَتهُ العَوالي وَهيَ بِالسُمِّ تَرعَفُ

Whenever a guest felt unease in their abodes

Misfortune came to them, with poison wet

وَلا نَستَجِمُّ الخَيلَ حَتّى نُعيدَها

غَوانِمَ مِن أَعدائِنا وَهيَ زُحَّفُ

Nor did we let horses rest before returning them

As spoils from our enemies, while they crept

كَذَلِكَ كانَت خَيلُنا مَرَّةً تُرى

سِماناً وَأَحياناً تُقادُ فَتَعجَفُ

Thus were our horses, sometimes seen

Saddled, and sometimes led, stumbling as they stepped

عَلَيهِنَّ مِنّا الناقِصونَ ذَحولَهُم

فَهُنَّ بِأَعباءِ المَنِيَّةِ كُتَّفُ

The destitute rode them, with baggy robes

Bearing the burdens of death, shoulders bent

مَداليقُ حَتّى تَأتِيَ الصارِخَ الَّذي

دَعا وَهوَ بِالثَغرِ الَّذي هُوَ أَخوَفُ

Wandering until the screaming one came

Calling, from the most dreadful gaping tent

وَكُنّا إِذا نامَت كُلَيبٌ عَنِ القِرى

إِلى الضَيفِ نَمشي بِالعَبيطِ وَنَلحَفُ

And when the hounds had neglected the dwellings

To the guest we’d walk with hyena and fox

وَقِدرٍ فَثَأنا غَليَها بَعدَما غَلَت

وَأُخرى حَشَشنا بِالعَوالي تُؤَثَّفُ

And a cooking pot whose boil had ceased

Another we’d pack with misfortune enclosed

وَكُلُّ قِرى الأَضيافِ نَقري مِنَ القَنا

وَمُعتَبَطٍ فيهِ السَنامُ المُسَدَّفُ

And all the guests’ abodes we’d pick clean

With ladle inside, the saddlebags tossed

وَلَو تَشرَبُ الكَلبى المَراضُ دِماءَنا

شَفَتها وَذو الداءِ الَّذي هُوَ أَدنَفُ

And if, with our blood, the mangy hounds’ mouths

Were wet, from the greater malady they were saved

مِنَ الفائِقِ المَحبوسِ عَنهُ لِسانُهُ

يَفوقُ وَفيهِ المَيِّتُ المُتَكَنَّفُ

The tongue surpasses though it’s locked

In the deceased, shrouded and wrapped

وَجَدنا أَعَزَّ الناسِ أَكثَرَهُم حَصىً

وَأَكرَمَهُم مَن بِالمَكارِمِ يُعرَفُ

We found the noblest people the most populous

And the most generous were the most famed

وَكِلتاهُما فينا إِلى حَيثُ تَلتَقي

عَصائِبُ لاقى بَينَهُنَّ المُعَرَّفُ

And both amongst us, wherever tribes connect

Through ties, by standards, creed, and arms bound