حَلَفتُ بِرَبِّ الجارِياتِ إِذا جَرَت

وَحَيثُ دَنَت مِن مَروَةِ البَيتِ زَمزَمُ

I swore by the Lord of the flowing winds, when they blow

And wherever they approached from Marwah of the house, Zamzam

لَما زادَني مِن خَشيَةٍ إِذ حَبَستَني

عَلى الخَشيَةِ الأولى الَّتي كُنتَ تَعلَمُ

You did not increase me in fear when you detained me

Upon the first fear which you used to know

إِذا ذَكَرَت نَفسي يَدَيكَ نَزَت بِها

كَراسيعُ زالَت وَالقَطيعُ المُحَرَّمُ

When my soul remembers your hands descending with it

The Night of Power has passed and the sacred month

أَعوذُ بِقَبرٍ فيهِ أَكفانُ مُنذِرٍ

وَهُنَّ لِأَيدي المُستَجيرينَ مَحرَمُ

I seek refuge in a grave wherein are the shrouds of Munthir

And they are for the hands of the ones seeking refuge, sacred

أَلَم تَرَني نادَيتُ بِالصَوتِ مالِكاً

لِيَسمَعَ لَمّا غَصَّ بِالريقَةِ الفَمُ

Did you not see me calling Malik loudly

So he may hear when choking closed my mouth

سَتَعلَمُ أَنَّ الكاذِبينَ إِذا اِفتَرَوا

عَلَيَّ إِذا كُرَّ الحَديثُ المُرَجَّمُ

You will know that when the liars attributed lies to me

When the compiled talk circulated

بَني مُنذِرٍ لا جارَ مِن قَبرِ مِنذِرٍ

أَعَزَّ بِجارٍ حينَ يَدعو وَأَسلَمُ

O sons of Munthir, no neighbor can seek refuge from Munthir's grave

A neighbor who is mightier when he calls and safer

فَهَل يُخرِجَنّي مُنذِرٌ مِن مُخَيِّسٍ

وَعُذرٌ بِهِ لي صَوتُهُ يَتَكَلَّمُ

Will Munthir then bring me out from Mukhayyis

With him an excuse for me, his voice speaking

أَعوذُ بِبِشرٍ وَالمُعَلّى كِلَيهِما

بَني مالِكٍ أَوفى جِوارَن وَأَكرَمُ

I seek refuge with Bishr and Al-Mu'allá the two of them

Sons of Malik, most faithful of neighbors and noblest

مِنَ الحارِثِ المُنجي عِياضَ اِبنَ دَيهَثٍ

فَرَدَّ أَبو لَيلى لَهُ وَهوَ أَظلَمُ

Against Al-Hárith the savior, `Iyád the son of Dayhath

So Abu Layla returned it to him while he was most unjust

وَما كانَ جاراً غَيرَ دَلوٍ تَعَلَّقَت

بِعِقدِ رِشاءٍ عَقدُهُ لا يُجَذَّمُ

He was no neighbor but a bucket attached

To a rope of sinews, its knot unbreakable

فَرَدَّ أَخا عَمروِ اِبنِ سَعدٍ بِذَودِهِ

جَميعاً وَهُنَّ المَغنَمُ المُتَقَسَّمُ

He returned the brother of `Amr the son of Sa`d with his repelling

All of them while they are the divided loot

فَمَن يَكُ جارَ اِبنِ المُعَلّى فَقَد عَلا

عَلى الناسِ لا يَخشى وَلا يَتَهَضَّمُ

So whoever is the neighbor of the son of Al-Mu'allá has then ascended

Above people, fearing no harm or injury

وَأَيُّ أَبٍ بَعدَ المُعَلّى وَمُنذِرٍ

وَبِشرٍ يُنادى لِلَّتي هِيَ أَفقَمُ

And which father after Al-Mu'allá and Munthir

And Bishr is called to she who is most silent?

هُمُ النَفَرُ الكافونَ بَيعَةَ ما جَنَت

بِهِم يُرأَبُ الصَدعُ المُفَرَّقُ وَالدَمُ

They are the select few fulfilling the pledge of what

Their pledge mended the rift and the blood

وَكَيفَ بِمَن خَمسونَ قَيداً وَحَلقَةً

عَلَيهِ مَعَ اللَيلِ الَّذي هُوَ أَدهَمُ

And how can one with fifty shackles and rings

Upon him survive the night which is darkest?

أَبيتُ أُقاسي اللَيلَ وَالقَومُ مِنهُمُ

مَعي ساهِرٌ لي لا يَنامُ وَنُوَّمُ

I refused to endure the night and the people among them

Staying awake with me neither sleeping nor slumbering

وَلَو أَنَّها صُمُّ الجِبالِ تَحَمَّلَت

كَما حَمَلَت رِجلايَ كادَت تُحَطَّمُ

And if it were deaf mountains bearing

As my feet carried though nearly crushed

أَمالِكُ إِن أَخرُج بِكَفَّيكَ صالِحاً

تَكُن مِثلُ ذي نُعمى لِمَن كانَ يُنعِمُ

O Malik if you bring me out safe

You would be as he of Nu'mán to one enjoying favor

فَلَو أَنَّ ضَيفَ البارِقَينِ وَلَعلَعٍ

مَكانِكَ مِنّي نازِلٌ حينَ يَضغَمُ

And if instead the guest of lightning and thunder

Were hosted by me when fate frowned

كَأَنَّ شِهابَي قابِسٍ تَحتَ جَبهَةٍ

لَهُ مِن صِلابِ الرَعنِ بَل هُوَ أَجهَمُ

As if the meteors of Qábis were under a darkness

For him from the hardness of granite, no, he is blindest

لَكانَ فُؤادي مِنهُ أَيسَرَ خَشيَةً

وَأَوثَقَ مِنّي لِلمَنِيَّةِ مُسلَمُ

My heart would be easier to fear him

And cling to death more readily in resignation

إِذا كَشَرَت أَنيابُهُ عَن أَسِنَّةٍ

لَهُ بَينَ لَحيَي مُلجَمٍ لا يُثَلَّمُ

When his fangs are bared from incisors

Between an unpierced muzzle and unsevered lips

لَهُ اِبنانِ لا يَنفَكُّ يَجري إِلَيهِما

بِأَوصالِ مَعفورٍ بِهِ يَتَقَرَّمُ

He has two sons who continually run to them

With the limbs of a nimble old man thereby he is nourished

وَأَوَّلُ ما ذاقا لَدُن فَطَمَتهُما

دَمٌ وَبَنانٌ مِن صَريعٍ وَمِعصَمُ

And the first they tasted after weaning them

Was blood and fingers from a slain man and wrist

نَقولُ لِأَوصالِ الرِجالِ إِلَيهِما

وَما لَهُما إِلّا مِنَ القَومِ مَطعَمُ

We say to the limbs of men, to them

And they have none but the people as food

وَلَم تَرَ مَخضوبَينِ أَجرَأَ مِنهُما

أَباً وَيَدَي أُمٍّ لَهُ حينَ تَفطِمُ

You have not seen two more daring than them

A father whose hands, when weaning, are crimson

وَعَلَّمَني مَشيَ المُقَيَّدِ خالِدٌ

وَما كُنتُ أَدنى خَطوِهِ أَتَعَلَّمُ

Khalid taught me the walk of the shackled

And I was not lacking his lead, learning

أَقولُ لِرِجلَيَّ اللَتَينِ عَلَيهِما

عُرىً وَحَديدٌ يَحبِسُ الخَطوَ أَبهَمُ

I say to my two legs upon which

Are fetters and irons restricting each step

أَما في بَني الجارودِ مِن رائِحٍ لَنا

كَما راحَ دُفّاعُ الفُراتِ المُثَلَّمُ

Is there not among the sons of Al-Járúd a scent for us

As the scent of the gap-toothed Euphrates wafted, rippling

وَمَن يَطَّلِب سَعيَ المُعَلّى يَجِد لَهُ

صَعوداً عَلى كَفَّيهِ مَن يَتَجَثَّمُ

And whoever seeks the efforts of Al-Mu'allá will find for him

An ascension on his palms he who stumbles

مَساعِيَ كانَت لِلمُعَلّى نَمى بِها

إِلى المَجدِ حَتّى أَدرَكَ الشَمسَ سُلَّمُ

Efforts for Al-Mu'allá led him to glory

Until he reached the heights, its ladder complete

فَثِنتانِ مَجدُ الجاهِلِيَّةِ فيهِمُ

وَهُم قَبلَ هَذا الناسِ لِلَّهِ أَسلَموا

So excellent are the two glories of the Ignorance within them

And they, before these people, submitted to God

تُعَدُّ بُيوتٌ في قَبائِلِ أَهلِها

وَبَيتاكُمُ مِن كُلِّ بَيتَينِ أَعظَمُ

Houses are counted in the tribes of their people

While yours among each two houses is greatest

عَسى اللَهُ أَن يَرتاحَ لي فَيَكُفَّني

بِرَحمَةِ مَن هُو مِن أَبي هُوَ أَرحَمُ

May God comfort me and restrain me

With the mercy of Him who is more merciful than my father

أَعوذُ بِبِشرٍ وَالمُعَلّى وَمُنذِرٍ

سِماكانِ كانا ذو سِلاحٍ وَمُرزِمِ

I seek refuge with Bishr, Al-Mu'allá and Munthir

Pillars they were, armed and helmeted

وَثالِثُهُنَّ المُهتَدى بِبَياضِهِ

إِلى الخَيرِ في لَيلٍ وَساريهِ مُظلِمُ

And thirdly the guided among them in his whiteness

To goodness in night though it is darkest