إِنّي حَلَفتُ يَميناً غَيرَ كاذِبَةٍ

لَو كانَ لِلحارِثِ الجَفنِيِّ أَصحابُ

I swear an oath not false,

If Al-Harith's companions were from the unyielding tribe of Ghassan,

مِن جِذمِ غَسّانَ مُستَخٍ حَمائِلُهُم

لا يُغبَنونَ مِنَ المَعزى إِذا غابوا

Bearing their engraved swords,

They would not fail to take vengeance when wronged,

وَلا يُذادونَ مُحمَرّاً عُيونُهُمُ

إِذا تُحُضِّرِ عِندَ الماجِدِ البابُ

Nor would their red eyes relent,

When the door of the majestic one is prepared for them,

كانوا إِذا حَضَروا شيبَ العُقارُ لَهُم

وَطيفَ فيهِم بِأَكواسٍ وَأَكوابِ

They would be there when called, the cooking pots boiled for them,

And the cups passed amongst them.

إِذاً لَآبوا جَميعاً أَو لَكانَ لَهُم

أَسرى مِنَ القَومِ أَو قَتلى وَأَسلابُ

Then they would all return together or some taken captive or slain,

They would fight wherever death overtook them,

لَجالَدوا حَيثُ كانَ المَوتُ أَدرَكَهُم

حَتّى يَثوبوا لَهُم أَسرى وَأَسلابُ

Until captives and spoils returned to them,

But he met with misfortune,

لَكِنَّهُ إِنَّما لاقى بِمَأشَبَةٍ

لَيسَ لَهُم عِندَ صِدقِ المَوتِ أَحسابُ

And with the sincerity of death they had no excuses.