1. وَكانَ يُجيرُ الناسَ مِن سَيفِ مالِكٍ

    فَأَصبَحَ يَبغي نَفسَهُ مَن يُجيرُها

    And he used to shelter people from Mālik’s sword;

    then he himself came to seek someone to shelter him.

  2. فَكانَ كَعَنزِ السوءِ قامَت بِظِلفِها

    إِلى مُديَةٍ وَسطَ التُرابِ تُثيرُها

    So he was like a wretched goat that reached with its hoof

    toward a knife amid the dust, unearthing it.

  3. سَتَعلَمُ عَبدُ القَيسِ إِن زالَ مُلكُها

    عَلى أَيُّ حالٍ يَستَمِرُّ مَريرُها

    ʿAbd al-Qays will learn, if its dominion vanishes,

    in what state its cord of resolve will hold firm.