أَلَم تَرَ أَنّا وَجَدنا الضَبيحَ

بِثَأرِ أَخيهِ عَلَينا بَخيلا

Have you not seen how we found the impetuous one

Taking revenge for his brother, being miserly with us

كَأَنّا نُباري بِهِ حَيَّةً

عَلى جَبَلٍ لا يُريدُ النُزولا

As if we were contending with a snake

On a mountain that refuses to descend

أَصَمَّ أَبى ما يُجيبُ الرُقى

وَلَم تَرَهُ الشَمسُ إِلّا قَليلا

Deaf, obstinate, answering no supplication

The sun scarcely sees him

أَبِيُّ المَقادَةِ صَعبُ النَجِيِّ

إِذا نَحنُ قُلنا أَبى أَن يَقولا

Refusing to lead, difficult to save

When we say "no" he refuses to speak

سِوى أَنَّهُ قالَ إِنَّ القِلاصَ

قِلاصَ المَعاقِلِ تُرضي الذَليلا

Except to say the avenger

Avenges the fortresses, gratifying the abject

وَلَو قَبِلوا العَقلَ مِن ثَأرِهِم

أَنَخنا لَهُم شَدقَمِيّاً ذَلولا

Had they accepted reason from their vengeance

We would have bent over backwards to gratify them

يُطَبِّقُ بِالأَربَعِ المُعكَياتِ

لَم يَدَعِ الحُكمُ فيها فَصيلا

Clenching the four complainers

The judgment left in it no crack