1. يَأَبى الإِلَهُ وَعِزَّةُ اِبنِ مُحَمَّدٍ

    وَجُدودِ مَلكٍ قَبلَ آلِ ثَمودِ

    God and the honor of Muhammad's son forbid,

    as do royal forebears from before the people of Thamud,

  2. أَن تَأنَسوا بِمُذَمَّمينَ عُروقُهُم

    في الناسِ إِن نُسِبوا عُروقُ عَبيدِ

    that you consort with despised men, whose bloodlines

    among men, if traced, are the bloodlines of slaves.

  3. كَم مِن أَبٍ لَكَ كانَ يَعقِدُ تاجَهُ

    بِجَبينِ أَبلَجَ مِقوَلٍ صِنديدِ

    How many a forefather of yours would fasten his crown

    upon his radiant brow—a king, a mighty champion.

  4. وَإِذا سَأَلتَ المَجدُ أَينَ مَحَلُّهُ

    فَالمَجدُ بَينَ مُحُمَّدٍ وَسَعيدِ

    And if you ask glory where it dwells,

    then glory is between Muhammad and Sa'id,

  5. بَينَ الأَشَجِّ وَبَينَ قَيسٍ باذِجٌ

    بَخ بَخ لِوالِدِهِ وَلِلمَولودِ

    between al-Ashajj and Qays, splendid.

    Bravo, bravo to his father and to the child!

  6. ما قَصَّرَت بِكَ أَن تَنالَ مَدى العُلا

    أَخلاقُ مَكرُمَةٍ وَإِرثُ جُدودِ

    They have not failed you in reaching the utmost heights of glory:

    noble character and the legacy of forefathers.

  7. قَرمٌ إِذا سامى القُرومَ تَرى لَهُ

    أَعراقَ مَجدٍ طارِفٍ وَتَليدِ

    A noble chief: when he vies with chiefs, you see in him

    roots of glory, newly won and inherited of old.

  8. وَإِذا دَعا لِعَظيمَةٍ حُشِدَت لَهُ

    هَمدانُ تَحتَ لِوائِهِ المَعقودِ

    And when he calls for a mighty undertaking, they are mustered for him—

    Hamdan beneath his mounted standard.

  9. يَمشونَ في حَلَقِ الحَديدِ كَأَنَّهُم

    أُسدُ الأَباءِ سَمِعنَ زَأرَ أُسودِ

    They march clad in rings of iron, as though they were

    lions of the reedbeds that have heard the roar of lions.

  10. وَإِذا دَعَوتَ بِآلَ كِندَةَ أَجفَلوا

    بِكُهولِ صِدقٍ سَيِّدٍ وَمَسودِ

    And when you call upon the clan of Kindah, they rush forth

    with mature men of true worth, leaders and followers,

  11. وَشَبابِ مَأسَدَةٍ كَأَنَّ سُيوفُهُم

    في كُلِّ مَلحَمَةٍ بُروقُ رُعودِ

    and youths of a lions' lair, as though their swords

    in every fierce battle were lightning flashes amid thunder.

  12. ما إِن تَرى قَيساً يُقارِبُ قَيسَكُم

    في المَكرُماتِ وَلا تَرى كَسعيدِ

    You see no Qays who comes close to your Qays

    in noble deeds, nor do you see anyone like Sa'id.