1. يا بني سَعْدِ بنِ بكرٍ مرحبا

    بادروا القومَ فُرادَى وثُبَى

    O sons of Saʿd ibn Bakr, welcome!

    Rush to confront the host, singly and in bands.

  2. غَشِيَتْكُم من يَهودٍ فِتنةٌ

    كالحَبِيِّ الجَوْنِ يُرخِي الهيدبا

    Strife from the Jews has enveloped you,

    Like a black, low-lying cloud letting down its rain-fringe.

  3. إنّ في خَيبَر من سُمْرِ القنا

    عَدَدَ التمرِ ومن بيضِ الظُّبَى

    Indeed, in Khaybar there are dusky spears,

    As many as the dates, and white sword-edges.

  4. هِيَ للأبطالِ أزكى مطعماً

    يا بني سعدٍ وأشهى مَشربا

    For heroes they are the choicest food,

    O sons of Saʿd, and the most delectable drink.

  5. هل ترون اليومَ إلا مِقنباً

    من حُماةِ الحقِّ يتلو مِقنبا

    Do you see today anything but a cavalry troop

    Of truth's defenders following another troop?

  6. إنّه يومُ عليٍّ فَاصْبِروا

    أو فَحيدوا عنه يوماً أشهبا

    It is Ali's day, so stand firm,

    Or turn aside from him on a grim, ash-gray day.

  7. يا بني سعدِ بن بكرٍ إنّه

    مارِجُ الهيجاءِ يُزجِي اللَّهبا

    O sons of Saʿd ibn Bakr, indeed he is

    The flame of battle, driving the blaze onward.

  8. احذروها وارْحموا أنفسَكم

    لا تكونوا في لَظاها حَطَبا

    Beware of it, and have mercy on yourselves;

    Do not be firewood in its blaze.

  9. دَلَّهُ منكم عليكم رَجُلٌ

    خَشِيَ القتلَ وخافَ العَطَبا

    A man from among you led him to you,

    Fearing death and dreading destruction.

  10. عَينُكم صيَّرها عيناً لكم

    فَاعْجَبوا للأمر كيف انْقلبا

    Your spy he turned into an eye upon you;

    So marvel at how the matter was reversed.

  11. زحَفَ الجيشُ فَذُبْتُم فَرَقاً

    وَارْتَمَى البأسُ فَطِرْتُم هَرَبا

    The army advanced, so you melted in terror;

    And battle's fury hurled itself forth, so you flew in retreat.

  12. ليس غير النّهبِ ما يمنعه

    منكم اليومَ امرؤٌ أن يُنهبَا

    Nothing but plunder is what is protected

    By any man among you today from being plundered.

  13. نكبةُ التَّمرِ فلولا شؤمُه

    لم يَذُقْ آلامَهَا من نُكِبا

    The calamity of the dates! But for their ill omen,

    No one afflicted would have tasted its pains.

  14. أفما جَرّبتُمُ القومَ الأُلى

    خُلِقُوا للشّرِّ فيمن جَرَّبا

    Have you not tested those people who

    Were created for evil, along with others who tested them?

  15. هم وباءُ الأرضِ أو طاعونُها

    شرعوا السُّحْتَ ودانوا بالربا

    They are the earth's pestilence, or its plague.

    They sanctioned illicit gain and made usury their creed.

  16. غَضِبَ اللّهُ عليهم فَرَضُوْا

    رَبِّ زِدْهُم كلَّ يومٍ غَضَبَا

    God was angry with them, and they were content;

    Lord, increase Your anger against them every day.

  17. هالكٌ من ظنّ ممّن يَعتدِي

    ويُعادِي اللّهَ أن لن يُغلبَا

    Doomed is whoever thinks—among those who transgress

    And oppose God—that he will not be defeated.

  18. وأضلُّ النّاسِ في دنياهُ مَنْ

    وَضَح الحقُّ فولَّى وأَبَى

    And furthest astray among people in his worldly life is he

    Who, when truth became clear, turned away and refused.