1. لَعَمري لَقَد شانَت هُذَيلَ بنَ مُدرِكٍ

    أَحاديثُ كانَت في خُبَيبٍ وَعاصِمِ

    By my life, Hudhayl son of Mudrik has indeed been disgraced

    by tales concerning Khubayb and Asim.

  2. أَحاديثُ لِحيانٌ صَلوا بِقَبيحِها

    وَلِحيانُ جَرّامونَ شَرَّ الجَرائِمِ

    Tales whose ugliness scorched Lihyan,

    and Lihyan are perpetrators of the worst crimes.

  3. أُناسٌ هُمُ مِن قَومِهِم في صَميمِهِم

    بِمَنزِلَةِ الزِمعانِ دُبرِ القَوادِمِ

    People who, among their own tribe, at its very heart,

    are like small feathers behind the primary flight feathers.

  4. هُمُ غَدَروا يَومَ الرَجيعِ وَأَسلَمَت

    أَمانَتُهُم ذا عِفَّةٍ وَمَكارِمِ

    They betrayed on the day of al-Rajiʿ, and abandoned

    by their pledge was a man of chastity and noble qualities—

  5. رَسولَ رَسولِ اللَهِ غَدراً وَلَم تَكُن

    هُذَيلٌ تُوَقّى مُنكَراتِ المَحارِمِ

    the envoy of God's Messenger, treacherously; nor did

    Hudhayl guard against the abominations of forbidden acts.

  6. فَسَوفَ يَرَونَ النَصرَ يَوماً عَلَيهُمُ

    بِقَتلِ الَذي تَحميهِ دونَ الحَرائِمِ

    So one day they will see victory won against them,

    for killing him who is guarded against desecration

  7. أَبابيلُ دَبرٍ شَمَّسٍ دونَ لَحمِهِ

    حَمَت لَحمَ شَهّادٍ عِظامَ المَلاحِمِ

    by swarms of fierce bees, standing guard before his flesh;

    they guarded the flesh of a veteran of mighty battles.

  8. لَعَلَّ هُذَيلاً أَن يَرَوا بِمُصابِهِ

    مَصارِعَ قَتلى أَو مَقاماً لِماتَمِ

    May Hudhayl, for his slaying, behold

    places where men lie slain, or a place of mourning;

  9. وَنوقِعَ فيهِم وَقعَةً ذاتَ صَولَةٍ

    يُوافي بِها الرُكبانُ أَهلَ المَواسِمِ

    and may we strike them with a fierce onslaught,

    whose news riders will bring to those at the seasonal gatherings,

  10. بِأَمرِ رَسولِ اللَهِ إِنَّ رَسولَهُ

    رَأى رَأيَ ذي حَزمٍ بِلِحيانَ عالِمِ

    at the command of God's Messenger; indeed, His Messenger

    formed the judgment of a prudent man who knows Lihyan.

  11. قُبَيِّلَةٌ لَيسَ الوَفاءُ يُهِمُّهُم

    وَإِن ظُلِموا لَم يَدفَعوا كَفَّ ظالِمِ

    A petty tribe: keeping faith does not concern them;

    and if wronged, they do not repel an oppressor's hand.

  12. إِذا الناسُ حَلّوا بِالفَضاءِ رَأَيتَهُم

    بِمَجرى سَبيلِ الماءِ بَينَ المَخارِمِ

    When people camp in the open, you see them

    in the watercourse, between the mountain passes.

  13. مَحَلُّهُمُ دارُ البَوارِ وَرَأيُهُم

    إِذا نابَهُم أَمرٌ كَرَأيِ البَهائِمِ

    Their dwelling is the abode of ruin, and their judgment,

    when trouble befalls them, is like the judgment of beasts.