1. مَنَعَ النَومَ بِالعَشاءِ الهُمومُ

    وَخَيالٌ إِذا تَغورُ النُجومُ

    Cares kept sleep from me at evening,

    and a vision came as the stars sank away.

  2. مِن حَبيبٍ أَصابَ قَلبَكَ مِنهُ

    سَقَمٌ فَهوَ داخِلٌ مَكتومُ

    From a beloved, your heart has taken

    a sickness hidden deep within.

  3. يا لَقَومي هَل يَقتُلُ المَرءَ مِثلي

    واهِنُ البَطشِ وَالعِظامِ سَؤومُ

    O my people, can one like me be undone by

    one weak of grip and weary in her bones?

  4. هَمُّها العِطرُ وَالفِراشُ وَيَعلو

    ها لِجَينٌ وَلُؤلُؤٌ مَنظومُ

    Her cares are perfume and bedding, and upon

    her lie silver and strung pearls.

  5. لَو يَدِبُّ الحَولِيُّ مِن وَلَدِ الذَر

    رِ عَلَيها لَأَندَبَتها الكُلومُ

    If even a year-old offspring of an ant were to crawl

    upon her, sores would leave their marks.

  6. لَم تَفُقها شَمسُ النَهارِ بِشَيءٍ

    غَيرَ أَنَّ الشَبابَ لَيسَ يَدومُ

    The daytime sun surpasses her in nothing,

    save that youth does not endure.

  7. إِنَّ خالي خَطيبُ جابِيَةِ الجَو

    لانِ عِندَ النُعمانِ حينَ يَقومُ

    My maternal uncle is the orator of Jabiyah in the Golan,

    before al-Nu'man when he rises to speak.

  8. وَأَبي في سُمَيحَةَ القائِلُ الفا

    صِلُ يَومَ اِلتَفَّت عَلَيهِ الخُصومُ

    And my father at Sumayha spoke the decisive word

    when adversaries gathered around him.

  9. يَصِلُ القَولَ بِالبَيانِ وَذو الرَأ

    يِ مِنَ القَومِ ظالِعٌ مَكعومُ

    He joined speech with clarity, while the man of counsel

    among the people limped, muzzled.

  10. وَأَنا الصَقرُ عِندَ بابِ اِبنِ سَلمى

    يَومَ نُعمانُ في الكُبولِ مُقيمُ

    And I was the falcon at the gate of Ibn Salma

    on the day Nu'man remained in chains.

  11. وَأُبَيٌّ وَواقِدٌ أُطلِقا لي

    ثُمَّ رُحنا وَقُفلُهُم مَحطومُ

    Ubayy and Waqid were released for my sake;

    then we departed, their lock broken.

  12. وَرَهَنتُ اليَدَينِ عَنهُم جَميعاً

    كُلُّ كَفٍّ فيها جُزٌ مَقسومُ

    I pledged both hands on behalf of them all,

    each palm bearing its allotted share.

  13. وَسَطَت نِسبَتي الذَوائِبَ مِنهُم

    كُلُّ دارٍ فيها أَبٌ لي عَظيمُ

    My lineage reached the foremost men among them;

    in every house I had a great forefather.

  14. رُبَّ حِلمٍ أَضاعَهُ عَدَمُ الما

    لِ وَجَهلٍ غَطّى عَلَيهِ النَعيمُ

    How often want of wealth has ruined forbearance,

    while comfort has covered over ignorance.

  15. ما أُبالي أَنَبَّ بِالحُزنِ تَيسٌ

    أَم لَحاني بِظَهرِ غَيبٍ لَئيمُ

    I care no more whether a billy goat bleats on rough ground

    or a base man reproaches me behind my back.

  16. لا تَسُبَّنَّني فَلَستَ بِسَبّي

    إِنَّ سَبّي مِنَ الرِجالِ الكَريمُ

    Do not revile me; you are no match for reviling me:

    one who reviles me must be noble among men.

  17. تِلكَ أَفعالُنا وَفِعلُ الزَبَعرى

    خامِلٌ في صَديقِهِ مَذمومُ

    Those are our deeds, while the deeds of al-Ziba'ra

    are obscure and condemned even by his friend.

  18. وَلِيَ الناسَ مِنهُمُ إِذ حَضَرتُم

    أُسرَةٌ مِن بَني قُصَيٍّ صَميمُ

    Among them, when you were present, the people were led

    by a family of the true stock of Banu Qusayy.

  19. تِسعَةٌ تَحمِلُ اللِواءَ وَطارَت

    في رِعاعٍ مِنَ القَنا مَخزومُ

    Nine bore the banner, and it flew

    among a rabble of spears and Makhzum.

  20. لَم يُوَلّوا حَتّى أُبيدوا جَميعاً

    في مَقامٍ وَكُلُّهُم مَذمومُ

    They did not turn back until all were destroyed

    where they stood, every one of them condemned.

  21. بِدَمٍ عاتِكٌ وَكانَ حِفاظاً

    أَن يُقيموا إِنَّ الكَريمَ كَريمُ

    There was fierce bloodshed, and honor required

    that they stand firm: a noble man remains noble.

  22. وَأَقاموا حَتّى أُزيروا شُعوباً

    وَالقَنا في نُحورِهِم مَحطومُ

    They stood until they were sent to Shu'ub,

    with spears broken against their throats.

  23. وَقُرَيشٌ تَلوذُ مِنّا لِواذاً

    لَم يُقيموا وَخَفَّ مِنها الحُلومُ

    Quraysh sought refuge from us again and again;

    they did not hold their ground, and their wits grew light.

  24. لَم تُطِق حَملَهُ العَواتِقُ مِنهُم

    إِنَّما يَحمِلُ اللِواءَ النُجومُ

    Their young shoulders could not bear its weight;

    only the stars can bear the banner.