جَزى اللَهُ أَفناءَ العَشيرَةِ كُلِّها

بِدارَةِ مَوضوعٍ عُقوقاً وَمَأثَما

May Allah reward the nobles of the tribe, all of them

For managing an affair of disobedience and sin

بَني عَمِّنا الأَدنَينَ مِنهُم وَرَهطَنا

فَزارَةَ إِذ رامَت بِنا الحَربُ مُعظَما

The sons of our paternal uncle are the lowest of them and our folks

When war was about to afflict us with great adversity

مَوالي مَوالينا الوِلادَةُ مِنهُمُ

وَمَولى اليَمينِ حابِساً مُتَقَسَّما

My tribal allies, we were born amongst them

And the ally of the covenant holding back, divided

وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ الوُدَّ لَيسَ بِنافِعي

وَإِن كان يَوماً ذا كَواكِبَ مُظلِما

And when I saw affection was of no use to me

Even if one day it had obscuring planets

صَبَرنا وَكانَ الصَبرُ فينا سَجِيَّةً

بِأَسيافِنا يَقطَعنَ كَفّاً وَمِعصَما

We were patient and patience was ingrained in us

With our swords that would cut off a hand and a wrist

يُفلِقنَ هاماً مِن رِجالٍ أَعِزَّةٍ

عَلَينا وَهُم كانوا أَعَقَّ وَأَظلَما

Splitting the skull of esteemed men

Who were more unjust and darker against us

وُجوهُ عَدُوٍّ وَالصُدورُ حَديثَةٌ

بِوُدٍّ فَأَودى كُلُّ وُدٍّ فَأَنعَما

The faces of enemies and new chests

With affection, so every affection made comfortable

فَلَيتَ أَبا شِبلٍ رَأى كَرَّ خَيلِنا

وَخَيلُهُمُ بَينَ السِتارِ فَأَظلَما

If only Abu Shibl had seen the defeat of our horses

And their horses in the dark even darker

نُطارِدُهُم نَستَنقِذُ الجُردَ كَالقَنا

وَيَستَنقِذونَ السَمهَرِيَّ المُقَوَّما

We chase them, salvaging the brave ones like arrows

And they salvage the routed, the crippled

فَلَسنا عَلى الأَعقابِ تَدمى كُلومُنا

وَلَكِن عَلى أَقدامِنا تَقطُرُ الدِما

So our backs do not bleed while our feet

Drip blood

عَشِيَّةَ لا تُغني الرِماحُ مَكانَها

وَلا النَبلُ إِلّا المَشرَفِيُّ المُصَمَّما

In the evening, spears are of no use in their place

Nor arrows, except for the resolute, determined one

لَدُن غُدوَةً حَتّى أَتى اللَيلُ ما تَرى

مِنَ الخَيلِ إِلّا خارِجِيّاً مُسَوَّما

From morn till night came, would you see

Of horses, except the wounded, marked ones

وَأَجرَدَ كَالسَرحانِ يَضرِبُهُ النَدى

وَمَحبوكَةً كَالسيدِ شَقّاءَ صِلدِما

Bare as the pasture that the dew strikes

And braided like the well-toiled Sa'd, firm

يَطَأنَ مِنَ القَتلى وَمِن قِصَدِ القَنا

خَباراً يَجرينَ إِلّا تَجَشُّما

Trampling over the slain and the midst of the arrows

News brought only with resolve

عَلَيهِنَّ فِتيانٌ كَساهُم مُحَرِّقٌ

وَكانَ إِذا يَكسو أَجادَ وَأَكرَما

Over them are young men that Burning dressed them

And when it dressed, it was generous and benevolent

صَفائِحَ بُصرى أَخلَصَتها قُيونُها

وَمُطَّرِداً مِن نَسجِ داوودَ مُبهَما

Clear Basran swords whose sheaths

From the weaving of Dawood, ambiguous

يَهُزّونَ سُمراً مِن رِماحِ رُدَينَةٍ

إِذا حُرِّكَت بَضَّت عَوامِلُها دَما

They brandish spears of reddened Rudeina

That if stirred, its accessories would drip blood

أَثَعلَبُ لَو كُنتُم مَوالِيَ مِثلِها

إِذاً لَمَنَعنا حَوضَكُم أَن يُهَدَّما

O Athael! If only you were allies like it

Then we would have prevented your reservoir from being destroyed

وَلَولا رِجالٌ مِن رِزامِ بنِ مالِكٍ

وَآلِ سُبَيعٍ أَو أَسوءَكَ عَلقَما

And were it not for men of Rizam ibn Malik

And the family of Subai and even your Aqam

لَأَقسَمتُ لا تَنفَكُّ مِنّى مُحارِبٌ

عَلى آلَةٍ حَدباءَ حَتّى تَنَدَّما

I swear no warring man would escape me

On a skinny horse until he regretted

وَحَتّى يَرَوا قَوماً تَضِبُّ لِثاتُهُم

يَهُزّونَ أَرماحاً وَجَيشاً عَرَمرَما

And till they saw a people whose

Thighs shake, brandishing spears and a dazed army

وَلا غَروَ إِلّا الخُضرُ خُضرُ مُحارِبٍ

يُمَشّونَ حَولي حاسِراً وَمُلَأَّما

There is nothing surprising except the Greens, warrior Greens

Circling me defeated and wounded

وَجاءَت جَحاشٌ قَضُّها بِقَضيضِها

أَمامَ جُموعِ الناسِ جَمعاً مُقَدَّما

And Jahsh came judging with its judging

Before the crowds of people, brought forward

وَهارِبَةُ البَقعاءِ أَصبَحَ جَمعُها

أَمامَ جُموعِ الناسِ جَمعاً مُقَدَّما

And the fleers of Al-Baq'aa, their group in the morning

Became before the crowds of people, brought forward

بِمُعتَرَكٍ ضَنكٍ بِهِ قِصَدُ القَنا

صَبَرنا لَهُ قَد بَلَّ أَفراسَنا دَما

In a narrow struggle wherein lies the intention of the arrows

We were patient with it though it made our horses bleed

وَقُلتُ لَهُم يا آلَ ذُبيانَ ما لَكُم

تَفاقَدتُمُ لا تُقدِمونَ مُقَدَّما

And I said to them, O Family of Thubian, why have you

Been remiss? Do not put anyone forward

أَما تَعلَمونَ اليَومَ حِلفَ عُرَينَةٍ

وَحِلفاً بِصَحراءِ الشَطونِ وَمُقسَما

Do you not know today is the pact of Urainah

And a pact by the desert of Ashatun and vow

وَأَبلِغ أُنَيساً سَيِّدَ الحَيِّ أَنَّهُ

يَسوسُ أُموراً غَيرَها كانَ أَحزَما

And let Unais, the master of the tribe know, that he

Manages matters others than it would be more wise

فَإِنَّكَ لَو فارَقتَنا قَبلَ هَذِهِ

إِذاً لَبَعَثنا فَوقَ قَبرِكَ مَأتَما

So if you left us before this

Then we would erect over your grave, a mourning place

وَأَبلِغ تَليداً إِن عَرَضتَ اِبنَ مالِكٍ

وَهَل يَنفَعَنَّ العِلمُ إِلّا المُعَلَّما

And let Talid know, if you pass Ibn Malik

Does knowledge benefit except the educated one?

فَإِن كُنتَ عَن أَخلاقِ قَومِكَ راغِباً

فَعُذ بِضُبَيعٍ أَو بِعَوفِ بنِ أَصرَما

So if you dislike the morals of your people

Then seek refuge in Thubian or Awaf ibn Asram

أَقيمي إِلَيكِ عَبدَ عَمرٍو وَشايِعي

عَلى كُلِّ ماءٍ وَسطَ ذُبيانَ خَيَّما

Settle down to you Abd Amr and Shayi

At every water source midst Thubian they camped

وَعوذي بِأَفناءِ العَشيرَةِ إِنَّما

يَعوذُ الذَليلُ بِالعَزيزِ لِيُعصَما

And seek refuge in the nobles of the tribe, verily

The weak seeks refuge in the mighty to be protected

جَزى اللَهُ عَنّا عَبدَ عَمرٍو مَلامَةً

وَعَدوانَ سَهمٍ ما أَدَقَّ وَأَلاما

May Allah reward on our behalf Abd Amr with blame

And the harm of an arrow however accurate and painful

وَحَيَّ مَنافٍ قَد رَأَينا مَكانَهُم

وَقُرّانَ إِذ أَجرى إِلَينا وَأَلجَما

And greet Manaf whom we saw their place

And Qurran when he advanced to us defeated

وَآلَ لَقيطٍ إِنَّني لَن أَسوأَهُم

إِذاً لَكَسَوتُ العَمَّ بُرداً مُسَهَّما

And the family of Laqit, I shall not do them wrong

If I dressed the paternal uncle in a donated garment

وَقالوا تَبَيَّن هَل تَرى بَينَ ضارِجٍ

وَنَهيِ أَكُفٍّ صارِخاً غَيرَ أَعجَما

And they said, consider, do you see amidst Darig

And the scream of Akuff, a non-foreign screamer?

فَأَلحَقنَ أَقواماً لِئاماً بِأَصلِهِم

وَشَيَّدنَ أَحساباً وَفاجَأنَ مَغنَما

So we added despicable people to their origin

And we calculated surprises and suddenly gained spoils

وَأَنجَينَ مَن أَبقَينَ مِنّا بِخُطَّةٍ

مِنَ العُذرِ لَم يَدنَس وَإِن كانَ مُؤلَما

And we saved those we kept amongst us with a plan

Of excuse that did not blemish though was painful

أَبى لِاِبنِ سَلمى أَنَّهُ غَيرُ خالِدٍ

مُلاقي المَنايا أَيَّ صَرفٍ تَيَمَّما

It defied the son of Salma that he is other than Khalid

Meeting demise, what fortune told fortunes?

لَعَمرُكَ ما لامَ اِمرَءاً مِثلُ نَفسِهِ

كَفى لِاِمرِئٍ إِن زَلَّ بِالنَفسِ لائِما

By your life, no man blames the like of himself

It suffices a man if his self slips, to blame

تَأَخَّرتُ أَستَبقي الحَياةَ فَلَم أَجِد

لِنَفسي حَياةً مِثلَ أَن أَتَقَدَّما

I lagged to retain life, but I did not find

For myself a life like to advance

فَلَستُ بِمُبتاعِ الحَياةِ بِسُبَّةٍ

وَلا مُبتَغٍ مِن رَهبَةِ المَوتِ سُلَّما

So I am not one who buys life with captivity

Nor one seeking from fear of death, a ladder

وَلَكِن خُذوني أَيَّ يَومٍ قَدَرتُمُ

عَلَيَّ فَحُزّوا الرَأسَ أَن أَتَكَلَّما

But take me whichever day you overpower me

So decapitate my head that I cease to speak

بِآيَةِ أَنّي قَد فَجَعتُ بِفارِسٍ

إِذا عَرَّدَ الأَقوامُ أَقدَمَ مُعلِما

With the sign that I have anguished over a horseman

That when people parade, he steps forward a leader