قومٌ إذا نزل الغريبُ بدارهم

تركوه ربّ صواهل وقيان

They are a people who, when a stranger alights at their dwelling,

Leave him transformed into a lord of neighing steeds and singing maidens.

لا ينكتون الأرض عند سؤالهم

لتطلّب العلّات بالعيدان

They do not scratch the ground in hesitation when petitioned for aid,

Seeking pretexts to refuse with the tracing of sticks.

بل يسفرون وجوههم فترى لها

عند السؤال كأحسن الألوان

Rather, they brighten their countenances, and you perceive in them,

At the moment of asking, the most beautiful of hues.

وإذا دعوتهم ليوم كريهة

سدّوا شعاع الشمس بالفرسان

And should you summon them for a day of dreadful battle,

They obstruct the very rays of the sun with their horsemen.