وَلَم تَحمَ عَبدُ اللَهِ لا دَرَّ دَرُّها

عَلى خَيرِ قَتلاها وَلَم تَحمَ جَعفَرُ

Abdullah's servant did not protect, her pearls no longer glisten,

Nor did Ja'far, though slain in glorious battle,

وَلَم تَحمَ أَولادُ الضَبابِ كَأَنَّما

تُساقُ بِهِم وَسطَ الصَريمَةِ أَبكُرُ

Nor the lads of Dhubyan, led to death unresisting,

Through the wait-thicket at dawn as though goats to the slaughter.

وَدَوكُم غَضا الوادي فَلَم تَكُ دِمنَةٌ

وَلا تِرَةٌ يَسعى بِها المُتَذَكِّرُ

Your blood wherein Wolf Gorge lay soaked

Was no pool muddied for the remembered to ponder,

أَجِدَّكُمُ لَم تَمنَعوا الدَهرَ تَلعَةً

كَما مَنَعَت عُرضَ الحِجازِ مُبَشِّرُ

Yet, kinsmen, you allowed no respite for Time to boast

That he had robbed Hijaz of honour and defender.

لَوَشكانَ ما أَعطَيتَني القَومَ عَنوَةً

هِيَ السُنَّةُ الشَنعاءُ وَالطَعنُ يَظأَرُ

Had you begrudged me the men, you had treated me foully;

Such, alas, is the wont of the bitter cynic's slander;

لَشَتّانَ حَربٌ أَو تَبوءوا بِخِزيَةٍ

وَقَد يَقبَلُ الضَيمَ الذَليلُ المُسَيَّرُ

War, not abasement, may visit a man; and the spiritless

May yet bow under humiliation's burden.