إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَحقُن دَماً لِاِبنِ عَمِّهِ

بِمَخلولَةٍ مِن مالِهِ أَو بِمُقحَمِ

If a man does not defend the blood of his cousin

With money taken from his wealth or with inserted spear

فَلَيسَ بِذي حَقٍّ يُهابُ لِحَقِّهِ

وَلا ذي حَريمٍ تَتَّقيهِ لِمَحرَمِ

Then he is not a man whose right is to be feared

Nor one whose inviolability you would avoid violating

فَخَلِّ عَنِ الحَيّاتِ إِن نَهَدَت لَهُ

وَلا تَدعُوَن يَوماً بِهِ عِندَ مُعظَمِ

So leave the serpents be if they coil for him

And do not call him to your presence when you are honored

أَبى حَكَمٌ مِن مالِهِ أَن يُعينَنا

عَلى حَلِّ حَبلِ الأَبيَضِيِّ بِدِرهَمِ

A judge refused to give us aid

To free the rope of Al-Abyad with a dirham

وَقُلتُ لَهُ مَولاكَ يَدعو يَقودُهُ

إِلَيكَ بِحَبلٍ ثائِرٌ غَيرُ مِنعِمِ

And I said to him, your master calls you

To him with a turbulent rope, not gentle

بَكى بَينَ ظَهرَي رَهطِهِ بَعدَما دَعا

ذَوي المُخِّ مِن أَحسابَهُم وَالمُطَعَّمِ

He cried amongst his companions after calling

The collectors of taxes from their accounts and assets

فَقالَ لَهُم راخوا خِناقي وَأَطلِقوا

وِثاقي فَإِنّي بَينَ قَتلٍ وَمَغرَمِ

So he said to them, "Loosen my noose and release

My bonds, for I am between being killed and fined"

وَمِن حَولِهِ رَهطٌ أَصابَ أَخاهُمُ

بِهازِمَةٍ تَحتَ الفِراشِ المُحَطَّمِ

And around him were companions whose brother

Was struck down beneath the broken bed

بَنو عِلَّةٍ مُستَبسِلونَ قَدِ اِلتَوَت

قُواهُم بِثَأرٍ في المَريرَةِ مُسلَمِ

The sons of apathy persistently dressed

Their strength with vengeance in bitterness completely

وَلَم يَدعُ حَتّى مالَهُ عِندَ طارِقٍ

وَلا سائِرِ الأَبناءِ مِن مُتَلَوَّمِ

And he did not stop until his wealth ran out with Tar iq

And the rest of the stricken sons

فَقالوا اِستَغِث بِالقَبرِ أَو أَسمِعِ اِبنَهُ

دُعاءَكَ يَرجِع ريقُ فيكَ إِلى الفَمِ

So they said, "Call out to the grave or make your son

Hear your prayer so that your saliva returns to your mouth"

فَأَقسَمَ لا يَختارُ حَيّاً بِغالِبٍ

وَلَو كانَ في لَحدٍ مِنَ الأَرضِ مُظلِمِ

But he swore he would not choose life with an overcomer

Even if he were in a dark grave

دَعا بَينَ آرامِ المَقَرِّ اِبنَ غالِبٍ

وَعاذَ بِقَبرٍ تَحتَهُ خَيرُ أَعظُمِ

He called between the rows of graves the son of an overcomer

And sought refuge in a grave beneath which was the best of the greatest

فَقُلتُ لَهُ أُقريكَ عَن قَبرِ غالِبٍ

هُنَيدَةَ إِذ كانَت شِفاءً مِنَ الدَمِ

So I said to him, "I will acquaint you with the grave of the overcomer

Huneidah when it was a cure from blood"