1. إلى القومِ الأُلى جمعوا الجموعا

    إلى نَجدٍ كفَى نجداً هُجوعا

    To the people who mustered the hosts;

    to Najd—Najd has slept enough.

  2. أبتْ شمسُ الهدى إلا طُلوعا

    ففاضَ شُعاعُها يغشى الرُّبوعا

    The sun of guidance refused anything but rising;

    its radiance overflowed, covering the habitations,

  3. ويسطعُ في جوانِبها سُطوعا

    إلى غطفانَ إنّهُمُ استعدُّوا

    and shines brightly throughout their reaches.

    To Ghatafan—they have made ready,

  4. وظنَّ غُواتُهم أن لن يُهدُّوا

    بَني غَطفانَ جِدُّوا ثم جِدُّوا

    and their wayward men thought they would never be crushed.

    Sons of Ghatafan, strive, then strive again!

  5. جَرى القَدرُ المُتاحُ فلا مردُّ

    بني غطفانَ صَبراً أو هلوعا

    The allotted decree has taken its course; there is no turning it back.

    Sons of Ghatafan, endure—or give way to panic.

  6. مشى جُندُ النبيِّ فأيُّ جندِ

    وأين مضى الألى كانوا بِنَجْدِ

    The Prophet's army marched—and what an army!

    And where have those who were in Najd gone?

  7. تولَّى القومُ حَشْداً بعد حشدِ

    حَذارَ البطشِ من جِنٍّ وأُسْدِ

    The people fled, host after host,

    fearing the onslaught of jinn and lions.

  8. ومن ذا يشتهِي الموتَ الفظيعا

    نساءَ الحيِّ ما صنعَ الرجالُ

    And who would crave a dreadful death?

    Women of the clan, what have the men done?

  9. أمكتوبٌ عليكنَّ القتالُ

    لَكُنَّ الأمنُ إن فزعوا فزالوا

    Is fighting ordained for you?

    Safety is yours if they took fright and fled.

  10. أما ومحمدٌ وهو الثَمالُ

    لقد نلتنَّهُ حِرزاً منيعا

    Indeed, Muhammad—he is the refuge—

    you have gained him as an impregnable sanctuary.

  11. إليهِ إليهِ إنّ بكنَّ ضعفا

    وإنّ بهِ لمرحمةً وعطفا

    To him, to him! There is weakness in you,

    and in him, surely, are mercy and compassion,

  12. وفيه من التُّقى ما ليس يَخفى

    وما حاولتُ ترجمةً ووصفا

    and piety in him that cannot be concealed.

    I have not attempted an account or a description,

  13. فلستُ لمثلِ ذلك مُستطيعا

    نزيلَ الشِّعبِ من يحَمِي سواكا

    for I am not capable of such a task.

    Dweller of the mountain pass, who but you gives protection?

  14. ولكن قل تَبارَكَ من هداكا

    أترقدُ هاهنا وهمو هناكا

    But say: Blessed is He who guided you!

    Do you sleep here while they are over there?

  15. أما مِن كالئٍ يُرجَى لذاكا

    إلى أن يبعثَ اللهُ الصّديعا

    Is there no watchman to be relied upon for that,

    until God sends forth the dawn?

  16. ألا طُوبى لعبّادِ بن بشرِ

    وعَمّارٍ كفايةِ كلِّ أمرِ

    Ah, blessed are Abbad ibn Bishr

    and Ammar, equal to every task!

  17. رسولَ اللهِ نحن لهم ويَجرِي

    قضاءُ اللهِ إن طرقوا بِشرِّ

    Messenger of God, we shall stand against them, and there will unfold

    God's decree, should they come by night with evil,

  18. كعهدِكَ إذ جرى سمّاً نقيعا

    وأجرَى الأمرَ عَبّادٌ سويّا

    as you have known it, when it flowed as deadly poison.

    Abbad arranged the matter fairly:

  19. فقامَ ونامَ صاحبهُ مَلِيَّا

    وكان بأن يُناصِفَه حَرِيّا

    he stood watch while his companion slept a long while.

    He was right to share it equally with him,

  20. مُحافظةً على المثلى وبُقيا

    قَرِيعُ شدائدٍ وافى قريعا

    keeping to the finest way and showing compassion.

    A champion of hardships met another champion.

  21. لِرَبِّكَ صلِّ يا عبّادُ فردا

    وَزِدْ آلاءَهُ شُكراً وحمدا

    Pray alone to your Lord, Abbad,

    and increase your thanks and praise for His blessings.

  22. ومُحكَمُ ذكرهِ فاجعلْهُ وِردا

    فإنّ له على الأكبادِ بَردا

    And make His firmly wrought revelation your regular recitation,

    for it brings coolness to the hearts,

  23. وإنْ أذكى الجوانحَ والضُّلوعا

    ولاح سوادهُ فرماهُ رامِ

    even if it sets breast and ribs aflame.

    His dark outline appeared, and an archer shot at him,

  24. أتى إثرَ الحليلةِ في الظلامِ

    فَديتُكَ يا ابن بشرٍ من هُمامِ

    who had come following his wife through the darkness.

    May I be your ransom, son of Bishr—what a hero!

  25. أما تنفكُّ عن نزعِ السِّهامِ

    تُحامِي عن صلاتِكَ ما تُحامِي

    Will you never cease pulling out the arrows?

    You guard your prayer with all your strength,

  26. وجسمُك واهنُ الأعضاءِ دامِ

    أمالكَ يا ابن بشرٍ في السَّلامِ

    while your body, its limbs weakened, bleeds.

    Have you no wish, son of Bishr, to give the closing salutation,

  27. وقد جَرتِ الدِّماءُ على الرغامِ

    ألا أيقِظْ أخاك من المنامِ

    now that blood has flowed upon the dust?

    Come, wake your brother from his sleep!

  28. كفاكَ فقد بَلغتَ مدى التمامِ

    وما تَدَعُ القُنوتَ ولا الخشوعا

    Enough—you have reached the utmost perfection,

    yet you abandon neither devout prayer nor reverent humility.

  29. رأى عمّارُ خَطبكَ حين هبَّا

    فلم يرَ مِثلَهُ من قبلُ خطبا

    Ammar saw your plight when he sprang awake,

    and had never seen a plight like it before.

  30. يقولُ وَنفسُه تنهدُّ كربا

    أيدعوني الحِفاظُ وأنت تأبى

    He says, his soul collapsing with anguish:

    Does loyalty summon me while you refuse?

  31. لقد كُلّفتُ أمراً منك صعبا

    ولو أيقظتني لشَفيتَ قلبا

    I have been charged by you with a hard task.

    And had you woken me, you would have healed a heart

  32. جرحتَ سوادَه جُرحاً وجيعا

    وأبصرَ شخصَه الرامي الملحُّ

    whose core you wounded with a painful wound.

    The relentless archer saw his figure;

  33. فزلزلَ قلبَهُ للرُّعبِ نَضْحُ

    وأمسك منه تَهتانٌ وسحُّ

    a spurt of terror made his heart quake,

    and a downpour and torrent took hold of him.

  34. وما إن راعه سَيفٌ ورُمْحِ

    ولكنْ مسّه خَبَلٌ فَرِيعا

    Yet neither sword nor spear had frightened him;

    but madness seized him, leaving him terror-stricken.

  35. تولَّى يخبط الظلماءَ ذُعرا

    ويحسب دِرعَهُ كَفَناً وقبرا

    He fled, stumbling through the darkness in terror,

    and thought his armor both a shroud and a grave.

  36. ألا أدبِرْ جزاك اللهَ شرّا

    ظَفِرتَ بصابرٍ وأبيت صبرا

    Away with you! May God reward you with evil!

    You prevailed over a steadfast man, yet refused steadfastness,

  37. فآثرتَ الهزيمة والرجوعا

    وجاء غُويرِثٌ يبغي الرسولا

    choosing defeat and retreat.

    Ghuwayrith came seeking the Messenger,

  38. ويطمَعُ أن يُغادِرَهُ قتيلا

    كذلك قال يستهوِي القبيلا

    hoping to leave him slain.

    So he said, beguiling the tribe.

  39. غُوَيرِثُ رُمْتَ أمراً مستحيلا

    فهل لك أن تثوبَ وأن تريعا

    Ghuwayrith, you sought the impossible!

    Will you come to your senses and turn back?

  40. أتيتَ مُحمداً تُبدي السَّلاما

    وتُخفِي الغيظَ يضطرمُ اضطراما

    You came to Muhammad, showing greetings of peace,

    while hiding anger that flared and blazed.

  41. تقول مُخاتِلاً أرِني الحُسَاما

    وتأخذُه فلا تَرعَى الذماما

    Deceitfully you said: Show me the sword.

    And you took it, disregarding the pledge of protection.

  42. أغدراً يا له خُلُقاً وضيعا

    تهمُّ به ولستَ بمستطيعِ

    Treachery? What a base trait!

    You mean to strike him, yet you cannot.

  43. فأين مَضارِبُ السَّيفِ الصنيعِ

    وكيف وَهَتْ قُوى البطلِ الضليعِ

    Where, then, are the edges of that well-forged sword?

    And how did the mighty hero's strength fail?

  44. تعالى اللَّهُ من مَلِكٍ رفيعِ

    يُريك جلاله الصُّنعَ البديعا

    Exalted is God, the sovereign on high,

    whose majesty shows you wondrous workmanship.

  45. سألتَ رسوله أفما تخافُ

    وسيفُكَ في يَدِي موتٌ ذُعافُ

    You asked His Messenger: Do you not fear?

    Your sword in my hand is swift death.

  46. أراكَ من المواردِ ما يُعافُ

    فلا فَرَقٌ عراكَ ولا ارتجافُ

    He showed you a watering place to be shunned,

    yet neither fear nor trembling seized you.

  47. فيا لكِ كَرّةً خسرتْ جميعا

    فقال محمدٌ ربّي يقيني

    Ah, what a charge—utterly lost!

    Then Muhammad said: My Lord protects me,

  48. ويَمنعُ مُهجتي ويصونُ ديني

    وصارِمَه تَلَّقى باليمينِ

    guards my life's blood and preserves my faith.

    And he received his keen sword in his right hand.

  49. ألا بُوركتَ من هادٍ أمينِ

    تَردُّ أناتهُ الحُلْمَ النزيعا

    Blessed are you, trustworthy guide!

    His calm restores the reason torn away.

  50. أخذتَ السّيفَ لو تبغِي القَصاصا

    لما وَجَد المُسِيءُ إذاً مناصا

    You took the sword; had you sought requital,

    the wrongdoer would have found no escape.

  51. تقوله له بمن ترجو الخلاصا

    إذا أنا لم أُرِدْ إلا اقتناصا

    You say to him: Through whom do you hope for deliverance,

    if I desire nothing but to take you as prey?

  52. فلن تجد الوليَّ ولا الشفيعا

    يقول غويرثٌ كن خيرَ مولى

    You will find neither protector nor intercessor.

    Ghuwayrith says: Be the best of protectors,

  53. وأنتَ أحقُّ بالحسنى وأولى

    فقال له أتؤمِنُ قال كلاّ

    and you are most worthy and deserving of goodness.

    He asked him: Will you believe? He answered: No.

  54. ولكنّي أُعاهِدُ ثم ولَّى

    ودينُ اللَّهِ يَطلبُه سريعا

    But I give my pledge. Then he turned away,

    with God's religion swiftly pursuing him.

  55. وحدّثَ قَومَهُ يا قومِ إني

    بخيرِ الناسِ قد أحسنتُ ظنّي

    He told his people: My people, I

    have thought well of the best of men.

  56. رأيتُ خِلالَه فرجعتُ أُثني

    عليه وقد مضى الميثاقُ منّي

    I saw his virtues and returned praising

    him, my covenant already given,

  57. فلستُ لمن يُناوِئه تبيعا

    أعزَّ اللّهُ شيخَ الأنبياء

    so I am no follower of anyone who opposes him.

    God exalted the chief of the prophets,

  58. وأيّدهُ بآياتٍ وضاءِ

    ألم تخبره تَرجمةُ الرغاءِ

    and strengthened him with radiant signs.

    Did not the interpretation of the bellowing tell him

  59. بما يَجِدُ البعيرُ من البلاءِ

    تَوجَّعَ يشتكي سُوءَ الجزاءِ

    of the suffering the camel endured?

    It groaned, complaining of ill recompense,

  60. وفُقدانَ المروءةِ والوفاءِ

    أيذبحُه ذووه على العياءِ

    and the absence of chivalry and loyalty.

    Would its owners slaughter it for its exhaustion,

  61. وبعد الجِدِّ منه والمضاءِ

    رثى لِشكاتِهِ حقَّ الرثاءِ

    after all its diligence and vigor?

    He pitied its complaint with true compassion,

  62. وراضَ ذويه من بعدِ الإباءِ

    فَمُتِّعَ بالسّلامةِ والبقاءِ

    and brought its owners round after their refusal.

    Thus it was granted safety and continued life.

  63. وراحَ فأيَّ حمدٍ أو ثناءِ

    يُؤدّي الحقَّ أو يَجزِي الصّنيعا

    And it went away—what praise or tribute

    could render what is owed, or repay such kindness?