لَئِن قَيسُ عَيلانَ اِشتَكَتني لِمِثلِ ما

بِها يَتَشَكّى حينَ مَضَّت كُلومُها

If Qais 'Ailan complained of me because

Of that which makes her complain when her ankles were gone,

وَقَد تَرَكَت مِرداةُ خِندِفَ في يَدي

جَماجِمَ مِن قَيسٍ عِظاماً هُزومُها

And Mirdas tribe left in my hands

The skulls of Qais, broken their crowns,

إِذا وَقَعَت فَوقَ الجَماجِمِ لَم يَقُم

إِلى يَومِ بَعثِ الأَوَّلينَ أَميمُها

If they fell upon the skulls, he won't stand

Until the day the early generations are resurrected,

أَبى حَسَبي إِلّا اِنتِصاباً وَغَرَّني

إِذا شالَ أَحسابَ الرِجالِ بَهيمُها

My lineage insisted on pride and it fooled me

When the lineages of men wore their mantles,

أَنا اِبنُ تَميمٍ وَالمُحامي الَّذي بِهِ

تُحامي إِذا غَربٌ تَفَرّى أَديمُها

I am the son of Tamim and the protector by which

It is protected when the west wind blows rowdily,

سَتَأبى تَميمٌ أَن رُضامَ إِذا اِلتَقَت

عَلَيَّ بِأَعناقٍ طِوالٍ قُرومُها

Tamim will refuse to be well disposed if

Upon me with long necks their cows meet,

وَنَحنُ قَتَلنا عامِرَن يَومَ مُلزَقٍ

فَباتَت عَلى قُبلِ البُيوتِ هُجومُها

And we killed 'Amir the day of Mulzaq

So their corpses spent the night at the house-doors lying,

وَنَجّى طُفَيلاً مِن عُلالَةِ قُرزُلٍ

قَوائِمُ يَحمي لَحمَهُ مُستَقيمُها

And saved Tufayl from 'Ulalat Qurzul

Straight legs protecting his flesh,

تَراخَت بِهِ عَن طالِباتٍ كَأَنَّها

جَرادُ فَضاءٍ طَرَ عَنها حَميمُها

Relaxed unto him seekers as though they

Were locusts of the desert flying from him,

إِذا ما تَميمٌ رَصلَحَت ذاتَ بَينِها

وَتَمَّت إِلى سَعدِ السُعودِ تَميمُها

Whenever Tamim become of one mind

And attain the most fortunate of fortunes,

تَجِد مَن عَوى مِن كَلبِ كُلِّ قَبيلَةٍ

وَأُسرَتِهِ هانَت عَلَيَّ رُغومُها

You will find who sought protection of the dog of every tribe

And their militia became despised unto me

تَزيدُ بَنو سَعدٍ عَلى عَدَدِ الحَصى

وَأَثقَلُ مِن وَزنِ الجِبالِ حُلومُها

Banu Sa'd outnumber the pebbles

And heavier than the mountains' mass their corpses

وَلَو وَطِأَت سَعدٌ لِيَأجوجَ رَدمَها

بِأَقدامِها لَاِرفَضَّ عَنها رُدومُها

And if Sa'd trod the dam of Gog and Magog

With their feet, its heights their thighs would tumble.