أَصابَتِ العامَ رِعلاً غولُ قَومِهِمِ

أَصابَتِ العامَ رِعلاً غولُ قَومِهِمِ

وَسطَ البُيوتِ وَلَونُ الغولِ أَلوانُ

وَسطَ البُيوتِ وَلَونُ الغولِ أَلوانُ

This year the ghoul of their own people struck Ri‘l,

The people were struck this year with the raids of their tribe,

amid the dwellings; the ghoul takes on many hues.

Within the houses, and the color of the raids was diverse,

يا لَهفَ أُمِّ كِلابٍ إِذ تُبَيِّتُهُم

يا لَهفَ أُمِّ كِلابٍ إِذ تُبَيِّتُهُم

خَيلُ اِبنِ هَوذَةَ لا تُنهى وَإِنسانُ

خَيلُ اِبنِ هَوذَةَ لا تُنهى وَإِنسانُ

Alas for Umm Kilab, when they are raided by night

Oh, the anxiety of the mother of pups as they pass the night terrified,

by Ibn Hawdhah's cavalry and men, unrestrained.

The horses of the son of Hawtha cannot be restrained, and the human,

لا تَلفُظوها وَشُدّوا عَقدَ ذِمَّتِكُم

لا تَلفُظوها وَشُدّوا عَقدَ ذِمَّتِكُم

إِنَّ اِبنَ عَمِّكُمُ سَعدٌ وَدُهمانُ

إِنَّ اِبنَ عَمِّكُمُ سَعدٌ وَدُهمانُ

Do not spit it out; tighten the knot of your covenant.

Do not utter it, and strengthen the knot of your covenant,

Indeed, your cousins are Sa‘d and Duhman.

Indeed, your cousin Saad is most honorable and magnanimous,

لا تَرجِعوها وَإِن كانَت مُجلِّلَةً

لا تَرجِعوها وَإِن كانَت مُجلِّلَةً

ما دامَ في النَعَمِ المَأخوذِ أَلبانُ

ما دامَ في النَعَمِ المَأخوذِ أَلبانُ

Do not give it back, even if it brings disgrace,

Do not take it back, even if she is covered in blood,

so long as there is milk in the seized livestock.

As long as the camel that is taken as spoils has milk,

شَنعاءُ جُلِّلَ مِن سَوآتِها حَضَنٌ

شَنعاءُ جُلِّلَ مِن سَوآتِها حَضَنٌ

وَسالَ ذو شَوغَرٍ مِنها وَسُلوَانُ

وَسالَ ذو شَوغَرٍ مِنها وَسُلوَانُ

A hideous deed: Hadan was shrouded in its shame,

A female camel ugly in appearance whom clothes cover her defects,

and Dhu Shawghar and Sulwan flowed from it.

And she leaked from her udder sahwan and sulwan,

لَيسَت بِأَطيَبَ مِمّا يَشتَوي حَذَفٌ

لَيسَت بِأَطيَبَ مِمّا يَشتَوي حَذَفٌ

إِذ قالَ كُلُّ شِواءِ العَيرِ جُوفانُ

إِذ قالَ كُلُّ شِواءِ العَيرِ جُوفانُ

It is no tastier than what Hadhaf roasts,

She is not more noble than what Hadhaf desires to roast,

when he said, 'All the ass's roast is Jufan.'

When the cook of the caravan said all the meat is rotten,

وَفي هَوازِنَ قَومٌ غَيرَ أَنَّ بِهِم

وَفي هَوازِنَ قَومٌ غَيرَ أَنَّ بِهِم

داءَ اليَمانِيِ فَإِن لَم يَغدِروا خانوا

داءَ اليَمانِيِ فَإِن لَم يَغدِروا خانوا

And among Hawazin are men—but they suffer from

And among the Hawazin a people unlike that in them,

the Yemeni's disease: if they do not break faith, they betray.

Is the sickness of treachery, so if they do not betray they are dishonest,

فيهِم أَخٌ لَو وَفَوا أَو بَرَّ عَهدُهُم

فيهِم أَخٌ لَو وَفَوا أَو بَرَّ عَهدُهُم

وَلَو نَهَكناهُمُ بِالطَعنِ قَد لانوا

وَلَو نَهَكناهُمُ بِالطَعنِ قَد لانوا

Among them is a brother—if only they had kept faith or their covenant had proved true.

Among them is a brother who if he fulfills or keeps his covenant,

And had we worn them down with spear-thrusts, they would surely have yielded.

And even if we pierced them with spears, they would not be cured,

أَبلِغ هَوازِنَ أَعلاها وَأسفَلَها

أَبلِغ هَوازِنَ أَعلاها وَأسفَلَها

مِنّي رِسالَةَ نُصحٍ فيهِ تِبيانُ

مِنّي رِسالَةَ نُصحٍ فيهِ تِبيانُ

Convey to Hawazin, its highest and its lowest,

Convey to the higher and lower parts of Hawazin,

from me a message of counsel, with a clear explanation:

A message of sincere advice in which is clarification,

أَنّي أَظُنُّ رَسولَ اللَهِ صابِحَكُم

أَنّي أَظُنُّ رَسولَ اللَهِ صابِحَكُم

جَيشاً لَهُ في فَضاءِ الأَرضِ أَركانُ

جَيشاً لَهُ في فَضاءِ الأَرضِ أَركانُ

that I think God's Messenger will raid you at dawn,

That I think the Messenger of God will raid you,

with an army whose flanks stretch across the open earth.

With an army that has pillars across the land,

فيهِم أَخوكُم سُلَيمٌ غَيرَ تارِكِكُم

فيهِم أَخوكُم سُلَيمٌ غَيرَ تارِكِكُم

وَالمُسلِمونَ عِبادَ اللَهِ غَسّانُ

وَالمُسلِمونَ عِبادَ اللَهِ غَسّانُ

Among them is your brother Sulaym, who will not leave you alone,

Among them is your brother Sulaym, who does not abandon you,

and the Muslims, God's servants—Ghassan.

And the Muslims, the servants of God, the Ghassan,

وَفي عِضادَتِهِ اليُمنى بَنو أَسَدٍ

وَفي عِضادَتِهِ اليُمنى بَنو أَسَدٍ

وَالأَجرَبانِ بَنو عَبسٍ وَذُبيانُ

وَالأَجرَبانِ بَنو عَبسٍ وَذُبيانُ

And on its right flank are Banu Asad,

And supporting him on the right the tribe of Asad,

and the two mangy ones, Banu ‘Abs and Dhubyan.

And the Ajarib, the clan of Abs and Dhubyan.

تَكادُ تَرجُفُ مِنهُ الأَرضُ رَهبَتَهُ

تَكادُ تَرجُفُ مِنهُ الأَرضُ رَهبَتَهُ

وَفي مُقَدَّمِهِ أَوسٌ وَعُثمانُ

وَفي مُقَدَّمِهِ أَوسٌ وَعُثمانُ

The earth almost trembles for fear of it,

The earth almost quakes in fear of him,

and in its vanguard are Aws and ‘Uthman.

And ahead of him are the Aus and Uthman.