دَعا دَعوَةَ الحُبلى زَبابُ وَقَد رَأى

بَني قَطَنٍ هَزّوا القَنا فَتَزَعزَعا

Zabab called the call of the pregnant, and he saw

The sons of Qatan, they shook the spears and wavered,

كَأَنَّهُمُ اِقتادوا بِهِ مِن بُيوتِهِم

خَروفاً مِنَ الشاءِ الحِجازِيِّ أَبقَعا

As if they had led with it from their homes

A lamb from the Hejazi sheep, dappled.

فَلَو أَنَّ لَوماً كانَ مُنجِيَ أَهلِهِ

لَنَجّى زَباباً لَومُهُ أَن يُقَطَّعا

If blame could save his family,

Zabab's blame would have saved him from being cut off.

إِذاً لَكَفَتهُ السَيفَ أُمٌّ لَئيمَةٌ

وَخالٌ رَعى الأَشوالَ حَتّى تَسَعسَعا

Then a vile mother would have restrained him from the sword,

And an uncle who herded the young camels until they trotted.

رُمَيلَةُ أَو شَيماءُ أَو عَرَكِيَّةٌ

دَلوكٌ بِرِجلَيها القَعودَ المُوَقَّعا

Rumailah or Shaima or Arakiyyah,

With her legs she kicks the sitting camels.

فَلا تَحسَبا يا اِبنَي رُمَيلَةَ أَنَّهُ

يَكونُ بَواءً دونَ أَن تُقتَلا مَعا

So do not think, O sons of Rumailah, that it

Will be a disaster without you both being killed together.

وَإِن تُقتَلا لا توفَيا غَيرَ أَنَّهُ

دَمُ الثَأرِ أَحرى أَن يُصابَ فَيَنقَعا

And if you both are killed, you will not fulfill anything but that

The blood of revenge is more deserving to be attained and shed.

بَني صامِتٍ هَلّا زَجَرتُم كِلابَكُم

عَنِ اللَحمِ بِالخَبراءِ أَن يَتَمَزَّعا

O silent sons, why did you not restrain your dogs

From the meat with the experts lest they be torn apart?

وَلَيسَ كَريمٌ لِلخُرَيبَينِ ذائِقاً

قِرىً بَعدَما نادى زَبابٌ فَأَسمَعا

And no generous man tasting

Abodes after Zabab called out, made them hear.

فَشَرعُكُما أَلبانَها فَاِصفِرا بِها

إِذا الفَأرُ مِن أَرضِ السَبِيَّةِ أَمرَعا

So set them to work, milking them, and yellow with it

When the rat from the captive woman’s land scampered.

وَقَد كانَ عَوفٌ ذا ذُحولٍ كَثيرَةٍ

وَذا طَلَباتٍ تَترُكُ الأَنفَ أَجدَعا

And Auf had many spun threads

And requests that leave the nose bridge-less.

أَتَيتَ بَني الشَرقِيِّ تَحسِبُ عِزَّهُم

عَلى عَهدِ ذي القِرنَينِ كانَ تَضَعضَعا

You came to the sons of the East thinking their glory

Was in the era of Dhu al-Qarnayn - it shook and wavered.

أَتَيتَهُمُ تَسعى لِتَسقي دِماءَهُم

وَعَمروٌ بِشاجٍ قَبرُهُ كانَ أَضيَعا

You came to them seeking to shed their blood

While Amr in Shaj, his grave was desolate.

أَتَأتونَ قَوماً نارُهُم في أَكُفِّهِم

وَقاتِلُ عَمروٍ يَرقُدُ اللَيلَ أَكتَعا

You come upon a people whose fire is in their palms

And the killer of Amr sleeps the night eyeless.