1. هَل عَرَفتَ الغَداةَ مِن أَطلالِ

    رَهنِ ريحٍ وَديمَةٍ مِهطالِ

    Did you recognize this morning any ruins,

    at the mercy of wind and steady, pouring rain?

  2. يَستَبينُ الحَليمُ فيها رُسوماً

    دَارِساتٍ كَصَنعَةِ العُمّالِ

    The wise man discerns in them traces,

    faded, like the workmanship of craftsmen.

  3. قَد رَآها وَأَهلُها أَهلُ صِدقٍ

    لا يُريدونَ نِيَّةَ الاِرتِحالِ

    He had seen them when their people were true-hearted folk,

    who had no intention of departing.

  4. يا لَقَومي لِلَوعَةِ البَلبالِ

    وَلِقَتلِ الكُماةِ وَالأَبطالِ

    O my people, alas for the burning pain of turmoil,

    and for the killing of warriors and champions,

  5. وَلِعَينٍ تَبادَرَ الدَمعُ مِنها

    لِكُلَيبٍ إِذ فاقَها بِانهِمالِ

    and for an eye from which tears rushed forth

    for Kulayb, when the tears outstripped it in their downpour.

  6. لِكُلَيبٍ إِذِ الرِياحُ عَلَيهِ

    ناسِفاتُ التُرابِ بِالأَذيالِ

    For Kulayb, while the winds over him

    scatter the dust with their trailing skirts.

  7. إِنَّني زائِرٌ جُموعاً لِبَكرٍ

    بَينَهُم حارِثٌ يُريدُ نِضالي

    I shall visit the hosts of Bakr,

    among them Harith, who seeks combat with me.

  8. قَد شَفَيتُ الغَليلَ مِن آلِ بَكرٍ

    آلِ شَيبانَ بَينَ عَمٍّ وَخالِ

    I have quenched my burning thirst upon the clan of Bakr,

    the clan of Shayban, paternal and maternal uncles alike.

  9. كَيفَ صَبري وَقَد قَتَلتُم كُلَيباً

    وَشَقيتُم بِقَتلِهِ في الخَوالي

    How can I be patient, when you have killed Kulayb

    and doomed yourselves by killing him in days gone by?

  10. فَلَعَمري لَأَقتُلَنَّ بِكُلَيبٍ

    كُلَّ قَيلٍ يُسَمّى مِنَ الأَقيالِ

    So, by my life, I shall surely kill in vengeance for Kulayb

    every chief named among the chiefs.

  11. وَلَعَمري لَقَد وَطِئتُ بَني بَكرَ

    بِما قَد جَنَوهُ وَطءَ النِعالِ

    And by my life, I have indeed trampled the sons of Bakr,

    for what they committed, with the trampling tread of sandals.

  12. لَم أَدَع غَيرَ أَكلُبٍ وَنِساءٍ

    وَإِماءٍ حَواطِبٍ وَعِيالِ

    I have left none but dogs and women,

    and slave women gathering firewood, and dependants.

  13. فَاِشرَبوا ما وَرَدتُّمُ الآنَ مِنّا

    وَاِصدِروا خاسِرينَ عَن شَرِّ حالِ

    So drink what you have now come to draw from us,

    and depart defeated, in the worst of states.

  14. زَعَمَ القَومُ أَنَّنا جارُ سوءٍ

    كَذَبَ القَومُ عِندَنا في المَقالِ

    The people claimed that we were evil neighbors;

    the people lied, in our view, in what they said.

  15. لَم يَرَ الناسُ مِثلَنا يَومَ سِرنا

    نَسلُبُ المُلكَ بِالرِماحِ الطِوالِ

    People never saw our like on the day we marched,

    wresting dominion with long spears.

  16. يَومَ سِرنا إِلى قَبائِلَ عَوفٍ

    بِجُموعٍ زُهاؤُها كَالجِبالِ

    The day we marched toward the tribes of Awf,

    with hosts whose bulk was like mountains.

  17. بَينَهُم مالِكٌ وَعَمرٌو وَعَوفٌ

    وَعُقَيلٌ وَصالِحٌ بنُ هِلالِ

    Among them were Malik, Amr, and Awf,

    and Uqayl, and Salih son of Hilal.

  18. لَم يَقُم سَيفُ حارِثٍ بِقِتالٍ

    أَسلَمَ الوالِداتِ في الأَثقالِ

    Harith's sword did not stand up to battle;

    he abandoned the mothers among the baggage.

  19. صَدَقَ الجَارُ إِنَّنا قَد قَتَلنا

    بِقِبالِ النَعالِ رَهطَ الرِجالِ

    The neighbor spoke truly: we have indeed killed

    a band of men with sandal-thongs.

  20. لا تَمَلَّ القِتالَ يا اِبنَ عُبادٍ

    صَبِّرِ النَفسَ إِنَّني غَيرُ سالِ

    Do not weary of battle, son of Ubad;

    steel your soul, for I remain unconsoled.

  21. يا خَليلي قَرِّبا اليَومَ مِنّي

    كُلَّ وَردٍ وَأَدهَمٍ صَهّالِ

    My two friends, bring close to me today

    every bay horse and every black, neighing steed.

  22. قَرِّنا مَربَطَ المُشَهَّرِ مِنّي

    لِكُلَيبٍ الَّذي أَشابَ تُطيلا سُؤالي

    Bring al-Mushahhar's tethering place close to me.

    For Kulayb, who made me gray ... you two prolong your questioning of me.

  23. قَرِّنا مَربَطَ المُشَهَّرِ مِنّي

    وَاِسأَلاني وَلا تُطيلا سُؤالي

    Bring al-Mushahhar's tethering place close to me.

    And ask me, both of you, but do not prolong your questioning of me.

  24. قَرِّنا مَربَطَ المُشَهَّرِ مِنّي

    سَوفَ تَبدو لَنا ذَواتُ الحِجالِ

    Bring al-Mushahhar's tethering place close to me.

    Soon the women of curtained chambers will appear to us.

  25. قَرِّنا مَربَطَ المُشَهَّرِ مِنّي

    إِنَّ قَولي مُطابِقٌ لِفِعالي

    Bring al-Mushahhar's tethering place close to me.

    Indeed, my words accord with my deeds.

  26. قَرِّنا مَربَطَ المُشَهَّرِ مِنّي

    لِكُلَيبٍ غَداهُ عَمّي وَخالي

    Bring al-Mushahhar's tethering place close to me.

    For Kulayb, whom my paternal and maternal uncles visited at dawn.

  27. قَرِّنا مَربَطَ المُشَهَّرِ مِنّي

    لِاِعتِناقِ الكُماةِ وَالأَبطالَ

    Bring al-Mushahhar's tethering place close to me.

    To grapple with warriors and champions.

  28. قَرِّنا مَربَطَ المُشَهَّرِ مِنّي

    سَوفَ أُصلي نيرانَ آلِ بِلالِ

    Bring al-Mushahhar's tethering place close to me.

    I shall kindle the fires of the clan of Bilal.

  29. قَرِّنا مَربَطَ المُشَهَّرِ مِنّي

    إِن تَلاقَت رِجالُهُم وَرِجالي

    Bring al-Mushahhar's tethering place close to me.

    If their men and mine meet.

  30. قَرِّنا مَربَطَ المُشَهَّرِ مِنّي

    طالَ لَيلي وَأَقصَرَت عُذّالي

    Bring al-Mushahhar's tethering place close to me.

    My night has grown long, and my reproachers have desisted.

  31. قَرِّنا مَربَطَ المُشَهَّرِ مِنّي

    يا لَبَكرٍ وَأَينَ مِنكُم وِصالي

    Bring al-Mushahhar's tethering place close to me.

    O Bakr, where is my bond with you?

  32. قَرِّنا مَربَطَ المُشَهَّرِ مِنّي

    لِنِضالٍ إِذا أَرادوا نِضالي

    Bring al-Mushahhar's tethering place close to me.

    For combat, if they seek combat with me.

  33. قَرِّنا مَربَطَ المُشَهَّرِ مِنّي

    لِقَتيلٍ سَفَتهُ ريحُ الشَمالِ

    Bring al-Mushahhar's tethering place close to me.

    For a slain man whom the north wind has swept over.

  34. قَرِّنا مَربَطَ المُشَهَّرِ مِنّي

    مَعَ رُمحٍ مُثَقَّفٍ عَسّالِ

    Bring al-Mushahhar's tethering place close to me.

    With a straightened, swaying spear.

  35. قَرِّنا مَربَطَ المُشَهَّرِ مِنّي

    قَرِّباهُ وَقَرِّبا سِربالي

    Bring al-Mushahhar's tethering place close to me.

    Bring him close, both of you, and bring my garment.

  36. ثُمَّ قولا لِكُلِّ كَهلٍ وَناشٍ

    مِن بَني بَكرَ جَرِّدوا لِلقِتالِ

    Then tell every mature man and youth

    of the sons of Bakr: draw your weapons for battle.

  37. قَد مَلَكناكُمُ فَكونوا عَبيداً

    مالَكُم عَن مِلاكِنا مِن مَجالِ

    We have mastered you, so become slaves;

    you have no escape from our mastery.

  38. وَخُذوا حِذرَكُم وَشُدّوا وَجِدّوا

    وَاِصبِروا لِلنِّزالِ بَعدَ النِزالِ

    Take your precautions, charge, and strive hard,

    and stand firm for combat after combat.

  39. فَلَقَد أَصبَحَت جَمائِعُ بَكرٍ

    مِثلَ عادٍ إِذ مُزِّقَت في الرِمالِ

    For the gathered hosts of Bakr have become

    like Ad when it was torn apart amid the sands.

  40. يا كُلَيباً أَجِب لِدَعوَةِ داعٍ

    موجَعِ القَلبِ دائِمِ البَلبالِ

    O Kulayb, answer the call of one

    whose heart is wounded and whose anguish never ceases.

  41. فَلَقَد كُنتَ غَيرَ نِكسٍ لَدى البَأ

    سِ وَلا واهِنٍ وَلا مِكسالِ

    For indeed, you were no coward in battle,

    nor weak, nor slothful.

  42. قَد ذَبَحنا الأَطفالَ مِن آلِ بَكرٍ

    وَقَهَرنا كُماتَهُم بِالنِضالِ

    We have slaughtered the children of the clan of Bakr,

    and subdued their warriors in combat.

  43. وَكَرَرنا عَلَيهِمِ وَاِنثَنَينا

    بِسُيوفٍ تَقُدُّ في الأَوصالِ

    And we charged at them, then wheeled back,

    with swords that cleave through the joints.

  44. أَسلَموا كُلَّ ذاتِ بَعلٍ وَأُخرى

    ذاتَ خِدرٍ غَرّاءَ مِثلَ الهِلالِ

    They abandoned every woman with a husband, and another,

    a secluded maiden, radiant as the crescent moon.

  45. يا لَبَكرٍ فَأَوعِدوا ما أَرَدتُّم

    وَاِستَطَعتُم فَما لِذا مِن زَوالِ

    O Bakr, threaten as much as you wish

    and can, for this shall never pass away.