1. عَرَفتَ دِيارَ زَينَبَ بِالكَثيبِ

    كَخَطِّ الوَحيِ في الرَقِّ القَشيبِ

    You recognized Zaynab's dwellings by the sand dune,

    Like the strokes of writing on fresh parchment.

  2. تَعاوَرُها الرِياحُ وَكُلُّ جَونٍ

    مِنَ الوَسمِيِّ مُنهَمِرٍ سَكوبِ

    Winds assail them in turn, and every dark cloud

    Of the autumn rains, pouring down in torrents.

  3. فَأَمسى رَسمُها خَلَقاً وَأَمسَت

    يَباباً بَعدَ ساكِنِها الحَبيبِ

    So their traces grew worn, and they became

    Desolate after their beloved dweller had gone.

  4. فَدَع عَنكَ التَذَكُّرَ كُلَّ يَومٍ

    وَرُدَّ حَرارَةَ الصَدرِ الكَئيبِ

    So put aside your daily recollections,

    And quell the heat of your sorrowful breast.

  5. وَخَبِّر بِالَّذي لا عَيبَ فيهِ

    بِصِدقٍ غَيرِ إِخبارِ الكَذوبِ

    And tell of that in which there is no fault,

    Truthfully, not as a liar tells:

  6. بِما صَنَعَ المَليكُ غَداةَ بَدرٍ

    لَنا في المُشرِكينَ مِنَ النَصيبِ

    Of what the Sovereign wrought on the morning of Badr—

    The share allotted us against the polytheists.

  7. غَداةَ كَأَنَّ جَمعَهُمُ حِراءٌ

    بَدَت أَركانُهُ جُنحَ الغُروبِ

    That morning, their host seemed like Mount Hira,

    Its flanks appearing at the approach of sunset.

  8. فَلاقَيناهُمُ مِنّا بِجَمعٍ

    كَأُسدِ الغابِ مِن مُردٍ وَشيبِ

    So we met them with a host of our own,

    Like lions of the thickets, beardless youths and gray-haired men,

  9. أَمامَ مُحَمَّدٍ قَد آزَروهُ

    عَلى الأَعداءِ في رَهجِ الحُروبِ

    In front of Muhammad, whom they aided

    Against the enemies amid the dust of war.

  10. بِأَيديهِم صَوارِمُ مُرهَفاتٌ

    وَكُلُّ مُجَرَّبٍ خاظي الكُعوبِ

    In their hands were sharp, finely honed swords,

    And every battle-tested, stout-jointed spear.

  11. بَنو الأَوسِ الغَطارِفِ آزَرَتها

    بَنو النَجّارِ في الدينِ الصَليبِ

    The noble sons of Aws were aided

    By the sons of al-Najjar in the steadfast faith.

  12. فَغادَرنا أَبا جَهلٍ صَريعاً

    وَعُتبَةَ قَد تَرَكنا بِالجَبوبِ

    So we left Abu Jahl struck down,

    And Utbah we left upon the bare ground.

  13. وَشَيبَةَ قَد تَرَكنا في رِجالٍ

    ذَوي حَسَبٍ إِذا اِنتَسَبوا حَسيبِ

    And Shaybah we left among men

    Of noble lineage, illustrious when they traced their descent.

  14. يُناديهِم رَسولُ اللَهِ لَمّا

    قَذَفناهُم كَباكِبَ في القَليبِ

    The Messenger of God called to them when

    We hurled them in heaps into the well:

  15. أَلَم تَجِدوا حَديثِ كانَ حَقّاً

    وَأَمرُ اللَهِ يَأخُذُ بِالقُلوبِ

    "Did you not find that my words were true?"

    And God's decree lays hold of hearts.

  16. فَما نَطَقوا وَلَو نَطَقوا لَقالوا

    صَدَقتَ وَكُنتَ ذا رَأيٍ مُصيبِ

    So they did not speak; had they spoken, they would have said:

    "You spoke the truth, and your judgment was sound."