أَجمَعَت عَمرَةُ صُرماً فَاِبتَكِر

إِنَّما يُدهِنُ لِلقَلبِ الحَصِر

'Amrah gathered together an age, so be inventive

For only restrictions soften the heart

لا يَكُن حُبُّكَ هَذا ظاهِراً

لَيسَ هَذا مِنكَ يا عَمرَ بِسِر

Do not let this love of yours be exposed

This is not for you, O 'Amr, in secret

سَأَلَت حَسّانَ مَن أَخوالُهُ

إِنَّما يُسأَلُ بِالشَيءِ اغُمُر

Hasan asked, "Who are my maternal uncles?"

One is only asked about what is obscure

قُلتُ أَخوالي بَنو كَعبٍ إِذا

أَسلَمَ الأَبطالُ عَوراتِ الدُبُر

I said, "My uncles are the Banu Ka'b if

The heroes submit the flaws of the backsides

رُبَّ خالٍ لِيَ لَو أَبصَرتَهُ

سَبِطِ المِشيَةِ في اليَومِ الخَصِر

Many a maternal uncle I have, if you saw him

Of supple gait in the day of warfare

عِندَ هَذا البابِ إِذ ساكِنُهُ

كُلُّ وَجهٍ حَسَنِ النُقبَةِ حُرّ

By this abode, while its dweller

Has a face brightly complexioned and free

يوقِدُ النارَ إِذا ما أُطفِئَت

يُعمِلُ القِدرَ بِأَثباجِ الجُزُر

He kindles the fire when it goes out

He readies the pot with bundles of sticks

مَن يَغُرُّ الدَهرُ أَو يَأمَنُهُ

مِن قَبيلٍ بَعدَ عَمرٍ وَحُجُر

Who does fate deceive or feel safe from it

After a lifetime and becoming old?

مَلَكا مِن جَبَلِ الثَلجِ إِلى

جانِبَي أَيلَةَ مِن عَبدٍ وَحُرّ

Two kings, from the snow-covered mountain to

The two sides of a doe, of 'Abd and free

ثُمَّ كانا خَيرَ مَن نالَ النَدى

سَبَقا الناسَ بِإِقساطٍ وَبِرّ

Then they were the best two who obtained bounty

They surpassed people in fairness and righteousness

فارِسَي خَيلٍ إِذا ما أَمسَكَت

رَبَّةُ الخِدرِ بِأَطرافِ السِتِر

My two horsemen, when the sand-hill

Doe seizes their steed's hem

أَتَيا فارِسَ في دارِهِمِ

فَتَناهَوا بَعدَ إِعصامٍ بِقُرّ

They came to the horsemen in their abode

And after protecting them, they cudgeled them

ثُمَّ صاحا يالَ غَسّانَ اِصبِروا

إِنَّهُ يَومُ مَصاليتَ صُبُر

Then they cried, "O Ghassan, be patient

It is a day of my ordeal, so be patient"

اِجعَلوا مَعقِلَها أَيمانَكُم

بِالصَفيحِ المُصطَفى غَيرِ الفُطُر

Make the Protected One your oath

With pure striking, not vile

بِضِرابٍ تَأذَنُ الجِنُّ لَهُ

وَطِعانٍ مِثلِ أَفواهِ الفُقُر

With blows the jinn give permission to it

And stabbing like the mouths of hawks

وَلَقَد يَعلَمُ مَن حارَبَنا

أَنَّنا نَنفَعُ قِدماً وَنَضُرّ

And indeed those who fought us know

That we benefit a leg and make it flourish

صُبُرٌ لِلمَوتِ إِن حَلَّ بِنا

صادِقو البَأسِ غَطاريفُ فُخُر

Patience for death if it befalls us

Truthful in might, cavaliers of pride

وَأَقامَ العِزُّ فينا وَالغِنى

فَلَنا مِنهُ عَلى الناسِ الكُبُر

And glory and wealth remained with us

So for us over people is grandeur

مِنهُمُ أَصلي فَمَن يَفخَر بِهِ

يَعرِفِ الناسُ لِفَخرِ المُفتَخِر

Among them is my lineage, so who prides himself in it?

People recognize the pride of the proud

نَحنُ أَهلُ العِزِّ وَالمَجدِ مَعاً

غَيرُ أَنكاسٍ وَلا ميلٍ عُسُر

We are the people of glory and honor together

Without decline or difficult deviation

فَسَلوا عَنّا وَعَن أَفعالِنا

كُلَّ قَومٍ عِندَهُم عِلمُ الخَبَر

So ask about us and our deeds

Every people with knowledge of news'