تَأَهَّب مِثلَ أُهبَةِ ذي كِفاحِ

فَإِنَّ الأَمرَ جَلَّ عَنِ التَلاحي

Prepare yourself like one prepared for battle

For the matter has gone beyond compromise

وَإِنّي قَد جَنَيتُ عَلَيكَ حَرباً

تُغِصُّ الشَيخَ بِالماءِ القَراحِ

And I have already waged war against you

That torments the old man with bitter water

مُذَكَّرَةٌ مَتى ما تَصحُ مِنها

تَشُبُّ لَها بِأُخرى غَيرَ صاحِ

A reminder, whenever it is corrected

I add another, not peaceful

تُسَعَّرُ نارُها وَهَجاً وَجاءَت

غِذا خَمَدَت كَنيرانِ الفِصاحِ

Its fire rages with embers and has come

When it subsides, like the fires of eloquence

وَما تَنفَكُّ نائِحَةٌ تُعَزّي

بِما نَدَبَت وَتُعلِنُ بِالنُواحِ

And there is no end to a mourning woman who consoles

What she laments and declares with weeping

تَعَدَّت تَغلِبٌ ظُلماً عَلَينا

بِلا جُرمٍ يُعَدُّ وَلا جُناحِ

Taghlib exceeded oppression against us

Without crime to be counted or sin

سِوى كَلبٍ عَوى في بَطنِ قاعٍ

لِيَمنَعَ حِميَةَ القاعِ المُباحِ

Except a dog that howled in an empty belly

To prevent the sanctity of the permitted belly

فَلَمّا أَن رَأَينا وَاِستَبَنّا

عُقابَ البَغيِ رافِعَةَ الجَناحِ

So when we saw and realized

The punishment of tyranny lifting its wing

صَرَفتُ إِلَيهِ نَحساً يَومَ سوءٍ

لَهُ كَأَسٌ مِنَ المَوتِ المُتاحِ

I diverted misfortune to him on an ill-omened day

For him a cup of accessible death

تُشَكِّلُ دانِياتُ البَغيِ قَوماً

وَتَدعو آخَرينَ إِلى الصَلاحِ

The petty tyrannies of aggression form a people

And invite others to righteousness

ذَريني قَد طَرِبتُ وَحانَ مِنّي

طِرادُ الخَيلِ عارِضَةَ الرِماحِ

Leave me be, I am confused and the time has come for me

To hurl horses, meeting spears

وَما لي هِمَّةٌ أَرجو أَخاها

سِوى الخَطِّيِّ وَالفَرَسِ الوَقاحِ

And I have no ambition I hope for my brother

Except the sinful and the impudent steed