أَلَم تَذَرِ العَينُ تَسهادَها
وَجَريَ الدُموعِ وَإِنفادَها
Has not the eye let fall its tears
As the tears gushed and drained away?
تَذَكَّرُ شَعثاءَ بَعدَ الكَرى
وَمُلقى عِراصٍ وَأَوتادَها
It recalls the abandoned encampment
And the abodes of tents and tent pegs.
إِذا لَجِبٌ مِن سَحابِ الرَبيعِ
مَرَّ بِساحَتِها جادَها
When a raincloud from the spring clouds
Passes through its courtyard and rains on it,
وَقامَت تُراثيكَ مُغدَودِناً
إِذا ما تَنوءُ بِهِ آدَها
Our dwellings stand, propped up,
Bending under the weight they bear,
وَوَجهاً كَوَجهِ الغَزالِ الرَبيبِ
يَقرو تِلاعاً وَأَسنادَها
With the face of a delicate, startled gazelle
That listens intently with pricked-up ears.
فَأَوَّبَهُ اللَيلُ شَطرَ العِضاهِ
يَخافُ جَهاماً وَصُرّادَها
So night drove it toward the latter part of the night,
Fearing a relentless, evil watcher.
فَإِمّا هَلَكتُ فَلا تَنكِحي
خَذولَ العَشيرَةِ حَسّادَها
If I die, do not marry again,
One who fails his tribe, envious of its glory.
يَرى مِدحَةً شَتمَ أَعراضِها
سَفاهاً وَيُبغِضُ مَن سادَها
He sees praise as blame, faulting their honor,
Foolishly, hating those who lead them.
وَإِن عاتَبوهُ عَلى مِرَّةٍ
وَنابَت مُبَيِّتَةٌ زادَها
If they blame him once
And the camel bitch turns away, spending the night apart,
وَمِثلي أَطاقَ وَلَكِنَّني
أُكَلِّفُ نَفسي الَّذي آدَها
One like me can bear it, but I task myself
With what has spoiled it.
سَأوتي العَشيرَةَ ما حاوَلَت
إِلَيَّ وَأُكذِبُ إِبعادَها
I will give the tribe what it tried to get
From me and belie its sending me away.
وَأَحمِلُ إِن مَغرَمٌ نابَها
وَأَضرِبُ بِالسَيفِ مَن كادَها
I will endure if my love turns from me
And strike with the sword whoever schemes against it.
وَيَثرِبُ تَعلَمُ أَنّا بِها
أُسودٌ تُنَفِّضُ أَلبادَها
Yathrib knows we are lions in it
Who shake the dust off their manes.
نَهُزُّ القَنا في صُدورِ الكُما
ةِ حَتّى نُكَسِّرِ أَعوادَها
We hurl the spears in the breasts of the valorous heroes
Until we shatter their tent posts.
إِذا ما اِنتَشَوا وَتَصابى الحُلو
مُ وَاِحتَلَبَ الناسُ أَحشادَها
When they flock together and rally their confederates
And people mass in crowds,
وَقالَ الحَواضِنُ لِلصالِحي
نَ عادَ لَهُ الشَرُّ مَن عادَها
The wrongdoers said to the righteous,
“Evil will recoil upon him who does evil.”
جَعَلنا النَعيمَ وِقاءَ البُؤو
سِ وَكُنّا لَدى الجَهدِ أَعمادَها
We made bliss a protection against misery
And we were pillars against adversity.
نُقَتِّلُ يَومَ الوَغى بِالصَفي
حِ بَينَ الكَتيبَةِ قُوّادَها
We kill on the day of battle with the sword
Among the brigades, striking its leaders.
وَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ لَنا غارَةٌ
عَلى الأَوسِ نَقتُلُ آسادَها
Every day we have a raid against the Aus
In which we kill their knights.
تَرانا مِنَ البيضِ سُفعَ الخُدودِ
نَلبَسُ لِلحَربِ أَسبادَها
You see us with cheeks marked white
By the dust as we don our armor for war.
