أَلاَ يا سَلمَ عُوجِى تُخبِرِينَا

مَتَى تُمضِينَ وَعدَكِ وَاصدُقِينَا

O Peace! Slanted peace! Tell us when you will fulfill your promise and speak the truth to us

And if you slight me, then for the sake of connection when you are stoned with doubts

وَإِن صَرَّمتِنِى فَلِمثلِ وَصلِى

إِذا رَجَّمتُ بِالغَيبِ الظُّنونَا

I am trustworthy with your secret, lest I suffer from what you entrusted me, distressed

So there is none like me excused with wishes, nor quenched with a cup of the heedless

أَمِيناً عِندَ سِرِّكِ أَن يُعَانَى

بِما استَودَعتِنى حَصِراً ضَنِينَا

And none like me who agrees with a friend, if his affection were skills

Except my peace like a gazelle of the sand, except for its buttocks and what adorned the innocent

فَلا مِثلِى يُعَلَّلُ بِالأَمانِى

وَلا يُسقَى بِكأسِ المُترَفِينَا

And a branch raised in the meadows from it, and the beauty of supple and sturdy ankles

A horse of flank not nursed as an infant at its teats, and did not carry a fetus

وَلاَ مِثلِى يُوَافِقُهُ خَلِيلٌ

إذا كانَت مَوَدَّتُهُ فُنُونَا

And no strained honey in a glass is as delightful in taste to the drinkers

Than the saliva of Peace when the wine skins are tied by the revelers

فَسَلمَى مِثلُ شاء الرّملِ إِلاّ

ذَوَائِبَها وما حُلِىَ البُرِينَا

Without knowledge of it except yearning, privately gazing upon the wishers

Lo! O you arrogant with pride! Come! Lo! Let me tell you the certainty!

وَدِعصاً رابِياً فِى المِرطِ مِنها

وحُسنَ الدَّلِّ وَالكَعبَ الدَّفِينَا

For if you are arrogant and do not believe your words an indication to the askers

And if you are arrogant without reason with which you refute the words of the nullifiers

حَصَانُ الجَنبِ لَم تُرضِع صَبِيَّا

بِثَديَيهَا وَلَم تَحمِل جَنِينَا

Then Khath'am has signs of blessing, guides to guidance, a clear light

And of the signs of your Lord that you see us satisfied with the dwellings of the tribes

وَمَا عَسَلٌ مُصَفّىً فِى زُجَاجٍ

بِرَاحٍ لَذَّةٍ لِلشَّاربِينَا

And if you see among us a poor man, guesting the wealth of other tribes

And that the neighbor sprouts in our midst, and we hasten to the dwellings for the arrivers

بِاَطيَبَ مَوهِناً مِن رِيقِ سَلمَى

إِذا عَصَبَ الكَرَى بِالسَّامِرينَأ

And we will not accompany a traveling group of a people, nor companions of prisons ever living

And they would mix with us, except we parted from them, preferring graciousness

بِلا عِلمٍ بِهِ إِلاّ افتِياقا

خَلاءً مَنظَرَ المُتَأَمِّلِينَا

And of the signs of your Lord decisive ones, what we studied and what we forgot

Caves from knights and dogs, and Amr who admits and complains to us

أَلاَ يا أَيُّها المُعتَدُّ فَخراً

هَلُمَّ أَلاَ أُخَبِّرُكَ اليَقينَا

That Al-Hayy deserted them for a bit, their limit confusing the confused

Nights alive, grinding dogs with effort, yet they are not terminating

فَإِنَّكَ إِن فَخَرتَ وَلَم تُصَدِّق

حَدِيثَكَ آيةً لِلسَّائِلِينَا

And it was playing until we met, so it was stern and we were the players

And it deserted us, its knights and footmen, with the blowing wind, not pillowed

وِإنَّكَ إِن فَخَرتَ بِغَيرِ شَيءٍ

تَرُدُّ بِهِ حَديثَ المُبطِلِينَا

While we remain above a trace, with the rapacious birds contending

As if on its cheek and plaited hair were from the comets poured a draught

فَإِنَّ لِخَثعَمٍ آياتِ نُعمَى

أَماراتِ الهُدَى نوراً مُبينَا

As if the birds were stationed over them, an army of the blacks' gloom

While we hold back the steeds, they bolted with the youths of morn, forewarning

وَمِن آياتِ رَبِّك أَن تَرَانَأ

بِمَسكَنَةِ القَبائِلِ مارَضِينَأ

From the confronting handle, theirs is Mars, to the two water-bearers water-pouring

So we reached the fog, and they had wished meeting us, desiring

وَإِنَّكَ إِن تَرَى منّا فَقيراً

يُضيفُ غِنىَّ قَومٍ آخَرِينا

They lead the looting, so our knights deserted them like the outstretched arms

We missed the steeds stumbling in their channels, frowning like the wheezing, newly bridled

وَإِنَّ الجَارَ يَنبُتُ فى ثَرَانَا

ونُعجِلُ بالقِرَى لِلنَّازِلِينا

Traversing `Amir until we took the people of As-Sudayf at dawn

At At-Tahina as if the eggs amongst it were stars of night or pores of floods

وِإنّا لَن نُصاحِبَ رَكبَ قَومٍ

وَلاَ أَصحابَ سِجنٍ ما حَيِينَأ

With the striking of Jimar's lightening, striking and stabbing, windows

From the impregnable castles, so we camped with them until we cut

فَيَختلِطُوا بِنا إِلاّ افتَرَقنَا

عَلَيهِم بِالسَّماحَةِ مُفضِلينَا

Their tent ropes, which we had reached, a spring

Three months until the tribes of Hawazin altogether submitted

وَمِن آياتِ رَبِّكَ مُحكَماتٍ

مَواثِلَ مَادَرَسنَ وَما نَسِينَا

To the hiddenness of their abode, striking and looting, voracious, not doubling over

We left `Amir and the two sons of Shutayr, and Shaghala busy with the swords, confused

مَغَاوِرُ مِن فَوارِسَ مِن كِلابٍ

وَعَمرٍو يَعتَرِفنَ وَيَشتَكِينَا

And we killed Hazzan the gambler, and left the son of Huzaah humbled

And al-`Abbas the brother of Ru'ayl whose hand we cut

بِأَنَّ الحَىَّ خَثعَمَ غادَرَتهُم

كَلِيلاً حَدُّهُم مُتَضَعضِعِينا

With the white sword of Lahzam from it the sparks flew

And in Anas is resistance and another fled from Umm Hamat, her affairs distracted

لَيالِيَ عامرٌ تَلحَى كِلاباً

عَلَى جَهدٍ وَلَيسُوا مُؤتَلِينَا

And they were patient with the channel and steeds until they climbed it honorably, excusing

While we strike with every anger guiding the white and the ringed fortress

وكانَ مُلاعِباً حَتَّى التقَينَا

فَجَدَّ بِهِ وَكُنَّا اللاّعِبِينَا

With the whip of Ukhtrub striking, we left Shanu'ah thereafter submissive

And the knights of Thaqif came to give victory then

وَغادرَنا فَوارِسَهُ وَرِعلاً

بِفَيفِ الرِّيحِ غَيرَ مُوَسَّدِينَا

When they faced us, they surrendered them and fled to a side from it quickly

And we orphaned Rabi'ah from his father, and with ash-Shadakh we cried the eyes

وَنَحنُ التّارِكُونَ عَلَى سَلِيلٍ

مَعَ الطَّيرِ الخَوامِعَ يَعتَرِينَا

And we killed Sarah of Bani Jihash, and burdened their women with children

And the two Akhnas together we struck with the white of every bone quaking

كأَنَّ بِخَدِّهِ وَالجِيدِ مَنهُ

مِن الجِريالِ مَحلُوباً رَقِينَا

So we left them as meat over which the returning eagles circle and meet

And we pursued the channel regarding the two sons of Dukhan, and they had presented themselves peaceably to us

كأنَّ الطَّيرَ عاكِفَةً عَلَيهِم

جُنُودٌ مِن سَوادِ الأَعجَمِينَا

And regarding their extremities until we returned with it bloodied, rolling

So the day of Al-Qarn, a thousand of Qays had positioned themselves, thirty

وَنَحنُ الوازِعُونَ الخَيلَ تَردَى

بِفِتيانِ الصَّباحِ المُعلِمِينَا

They held out, then departed regretting

And the people counted their killed, and they were over what we counted, multiplying

مِنَ السَّندِ المُقَابِلِ ذَا مُرَيخٍ

إِلَى السّاقَينِ ساقَى ذِى قِضِينَا

And of them is Khalid whose hands fell, and Hamat of Jabir when we were active

And Abraha the son of Sabbah whose companions we gathered, the tyrannizing

فَأَدرَكنَا الضِّبابَ وَقَد تَمَنَّوا

لِقاءَ الجَمعِ مِنّا مُشتَهِينَا

And of their killed were Qatan and Ghanyy in shackles contorting

And we saved tribes who used to be compelled, taking from them brown and grey camels

يَسُوقُونَ النِّهابَ فَغَادَرَتهُم

فَوَارِسُنا كَشَختِ العَاضِدِينَا

And we hastened to `Amr of Bani Zubayd, so Najah the fugitive saved him

And we led his mother until we paired her to two ranks from Juhyan hating

فَقُدنا الخَيلَ تَعثُرُ فى قَناها

عَوَابِسَ كَالسَّعالِى قَد وجِينَا

To the necks, then they disputed her, dragging her fetus

And the day of Al-Qa' we came from Saffan, Bakil and Hashid assembling

تَخَطَّى عامراً حَتَّى أَصَبنَا

بِهِ أَهلَ السّديفِ مُبصَبِّحِينَا

And we came in the vanguard of Tahoon for it ringing that deafens the hearers

As if the neighing of our camel-loads upon them were the neighing of fire igniting the thickets

بِطاحِنةٍ كأَنَّ البِيضَ فيها

نُجُومُ اللَّيلِ أَو نقب البِلينَا

Their zeal for the white castles poured, and we follow them until they withdraw

With polished swords the jinn wetted, with their hands refining the steel

بِبُرقَةِ جامرٍ ضَرباً وطَعناً

نَوَافِذَ مِن حُصُونِ الدَّارِعِينَا

And from he who transgressed the Law, when he trespassed, we tore the crown of the transgressors

So we clothed his body in coarse wool, from the Indian twisted for years

فَعَسكَرنا بِهِم حَتَّى قَطَعنا

عَدامِلَ قَد وَرَدناها مَعينَا

And the tribes learnt of us in Ma'add and Yemen the curing of the unjust

That we are the aggressors when angry, and we are the preferrers when content

ثَلاثَةَ أَشهُرٍ حَتّى استَجَبنا

شُعُوباً مِن هَوازِنَ أَجمَعِينَا

That we do not die, even if we are overcome, upon the high-ground, except advancing

And that we are truthful when we boast, extravagant above the boast of the boasters

بِسُرَّةِ دَارِهِم ضَرباً وَنَهباً

جَوَانِحَ ما ثَأرنَ وَلا ثُنِينَا

With a legacy the truth clarifies from it, and invalidates the lies of the embellishers

It encompassed what is between the coast of the extremity of Qays, to the edges except the circling

تَرَكنا عامِراً وابنَى شُتَيرٍ

وَشَغلَى بِالسُّيُوفِ مُرَعبَلِينا

For it are brigades, if we assaulted with their zeal all the multitudes together and even the jinn unwillingly deserted them for the first bout against them quaking

The Age of Idolatry until the Messenger of God established among us, honest and trustworthy

وَهَزّانَ المقامر قَد قَتلَنا

وَغادَرنا ابنَ هُوذَةَ مُستَكِينَا

So when the religion of Truth became mighty among us, we turned its sharpness to the disbelievers

And we killed the kings of Rome until we lived where they lived

وعبّاساً أخا رعلٍ قَطَعنا

بِأَبيَضَ لَهذَمٍ مِنهُ الوَتِينَا

And we sent its brigades so it ransacked the strongholds of polytheism and the polytheists

وَفِى أَنَسٍ معانِدَةٌ وَأُخرَى

فَرَت عَن أُمَّ هامَتِهِ الشُّؤُونَا

وَقَد صَبَرُوا القَنا والخَيلَ حَتَّى

عَلَوناها كِرَاماً مُعذِرِينَا

وَنَحنُ الضَّارِبُونَ بِكُلِّ عَضبٍ

يَقُدُّ الَبيضَ وَالحَلَقَ الحَصِينَا

بِشَطَّى أَخرُبٍ ضَرباً تَرَكنا

شَنُوءَةَ بَعدَهُ مُتَخَشِّعِينَا

وَأَقبَلَتِ الفَوَارِسُ مِن ثَقِيفٍ

لِنَصرٍ عِندَ ذَلِكَ مُجلِبِينَا

فَلمَّا واجَهُونا أَسلَمُوهُم

وَهَابُوا جانِباً مِنها زَبُونَا

وأَيتَمنَا رَبِيعَةَ مِن أَبيهِ

وَبِالشَّدّاخِ بَكَينَا العُيُونَا

وَقَتَّلنَا سَرَاةَ بَنِى جِحَاشِ

وَأَثكَلنَا نِسَاءَهُمُ البَنِينَا

وَهَامَ الأَخنَسَينِ مَعاً ضَرَبنَا

بِبِيضِ كُلِّ عَظمٍ يَختَلِينَا

فَغَادَرناهُمُ لَحماً عَلَيهِ

عَوَائِدُ يَختَلِفنَ ويَلتَقِينَا

وَأَتبَعنَا القَنَا فِى ابنَى دُخَانٍ

وقَد عَرَضُوا لَنَا مُستَلئِمِينَا

وَفِى أَشيَاعِهِم حَتَّى انثَنَينَا

بِعَالِيهِنَّ مَخضُوباً دَهِينَا

فَيَومَ القَرنِ نَصَّت أَلفَ قَيسٍ

ثَلاثُونَا فأَجلَوا نَادِمِيناَ

وَعَدَّ النَّاسُ قَتلاَهُم وَكانُوا

عَلَى مَا عُدَّ مِنَّا مُضعِفِينَا

وَمِنهُم خَالِدٌ طاحَت يَدَاهُ

وَهَامَةُ جَابِرٍ لَمّا انتُضِينَا

وَأَبرَهَةُ بنُ صَبّاحٍ فَجَعنَا

بِهِ أَصحَابَهُ المُتَجَبِّرِينَا

وَمِن قَتَلاهُمُ قَطَنٌ وَمِنهُم

غَنِىٌّ فِى كُماةٍ مُقعَصِينَا

وأَنقَذنا قَبائلَ كان يجَبِى

يُحابِرُ مِنهُمُ حُمراً وَجُونَا

وَأَسرَعنا لَعَمرِو بَنِى زُبَيدٍ

فأَحرَزَهُ نَجاءُ الهارِبِينا

وَقُدنا أُمَّهُ حَتَّى قَرَنّا

بِها صَفَّينِ مِن حِزَقٍ حَوِينَا

إِلَى الأَعناقِ ثُمَّ تَنازَعاهَا

بِرجلَيها يَجُرَّانِ الجَنِينَا

وَيَومَ القاعِ مِن سَفّانَ جاءَت

بَكِيلُ وحاشِدٌ مُتَأَلِّبِينَا

وَجِئنا فِى مُقَدَّمَةٍ طَحُونٍ

لها زَجَلٌ يُصِمُّ السّامِعِينَأ

كأَنَّ هَرِيرَ حَملَتِنا عَلَيهِم

هَرِيرُ النّارِ أَشعَلَت العَرِينَا

تَطَايَحُ هامُهُم بالبِيضِ شَتَّى

وُنتبِعُهُنَّ حَتَّى يَنثَنِينَا

بِأَسيافٍ سَقَتهَا الجِنُّ مَلساً

بأَيدِيها وَأَخلَصَتِ المُتُونَا

وَعَن ذِى مهدَمِ لَمَّا تَعَدَّى

مَزَقنا تاجَ مُلكِ المُعتَدِينا

فأَشعَرنا حَشاهُ زَعبِيّاً

مِنَ الهِندىِّ مَطرُوراً سَننِينَا

وَقَد علِمَ القَبائِلُ مِن مَعَدٍّ

وَذِى يَمَنٍ شِفاءِ الجائِرِينَا

بِأَنّا المُعتَدُونَ إِذا غَضِبنا

وأنّا المُفضِلُونَ إِذا رَضِينَا

وأَنّا لا نَمُوتُ وَلَوغُشِينَا

عَلَى العِلاّتِ إِلاّ مُقبِلِينَا

وَأَنَّا صادِقُونَ إِذا فَخَرنَا

بَذَخنا فَوقَ بَذخِ البَاذِخِينا

بِمَأَثَرَةٍ يُبِينَ الصِّدقُ عَنها

وَيُبطِلُ بِدعَةَ المُتَأَشِّبِينَا

حَمَت ما بَينَ حَرَّةِ فَرعِ قَيسٍ

إِلَى الأًفراطِ إِلاّ الصّائِفِينَا

لَها مِنها كَتائِبُ لَو رَمَينَا

بِطَمحَتِها جُمُوعَ العَالَمِينا

معاً وَالجِنَّ طَوعاً غادَرَتهُم

لأَوَّلِ وَقعَةٍ مِنهُم طَحِينَا

زَمانَ الشِّركِ حَتَّى قامَ فِينَا

رَسُولُ اللهِ مَرضِيّا أَمِينَا

فَلمّا عَزَّ دِينُ الحَقِّ فِينَا

صَرَفنا حَدَّها لِلكافِرينَا

وَقَتَّلنا مُلُوكَ الرُّومِ حَتَّى

سَكَنّا حَيثُ كانُوا يَسكُنُونَا

وَقَدَّمنا كَتائِبَها فَجَاسَت

مَواخِيرَ الفُجُورِ المُشركينَا