غِبنا فَلَم نَشهَد بِبَطحاءِ مَكَّةٍ

رِجَالَ بَني كَعبٍ تُحَزُّ رِقابُها

We were absent, and did not witness in Bat'ha

The men of Banu Ka'b, their necks being severed

بِأَيدي رِجالٍ لَم يَسُلّوا سُيوفَهُم

بِحَقٍّ وَقَتلى لَم تُجَنَّ ثِيابُها

By the hands of men who did not draw their swords

For a right cause, and whose victims' clothes were not stained.

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري هَل تَنالَنَّ نُصرَتي

سُهَيلَ بنَ عَمروٍ وَخزُها وَعِقابُها

Oh, would that I knew, will I attain support from

Suhayl ibn ‘Amr, and those who deserted and punished him,

وَصَفوانَ عوداً حَنَّ مِن شُفُرِ اِستِهِ

فَهَذا أَوانُ الحَربِ شُدَّ عِصابُها

And Safwan, who bent from the tips of spears?

For this is the time of war, tighten its headbands.

فَلا تَأمَنَنا يا اِبنَ أُمِّ مُجالِدٍ

إِذا لَقِحَت حَربٌ وَأَعصَلَ نابُها

So do not feel safe from us, O son of Umm Mujalid,

When war ignites and bares its fangs.

وَلَو شَهِدَ البَطحاءَ مِنّا عِصابَةٌ

لَهانَ عَلَينا يَومَ ذاكَ ضِرابُها

And if a band of us had witnessed Bat'ha,

On that day their striking would have wavered against us.