يا اِبنَي رِفاعَةَ ما بالي وَبالُكُما

هَل تُقصِرانِ وَلَم تَمسَسكُما ناري

O sons of Rifa'ah, what is my plight and what is yours?

Do you fall short while my fire has not touched you?

ما كانَ مُنتَهِياً حَتّى يُقاذِفَني

كَلبٌ وَجَأتُ عَلى فيهِ بِأَحجارِ

It would not have ended until a dog attacks me

And I pelt it with stones in its mouth

يَكسو الثَلاثَةَ نِصفُ الثَوبِ بَينَهُمُ

لِمِئزَرٍ وَرِداءٍ غَيرِ أَطهارِ

Three share half a garment between them

For a waist-wrapper and cloak without purity

قَد خابَ قَومٌ نِيارٌ مِن سَراتِهِمِ

رِجلاً مُجَوَّعَةٍ شُبَّت بِمِسعارِ

A people has failed, feeble because of their elite

Bare-legged, kindled with flint

لَولا اِبنُ هَيشَةَ إِنَّ المَرءَ ذو رَحِمٍ

إِذاً لَأَنشَبتُ بِالبَزواءِ أَظفاري

Were it not for Ibn Hayshah's son, a man of kin

I would then dig my claws into the open ground