أَلا أَبلِغا عَنّي لُؤَيّاً رِسالَةً

أَلا أَبلِغا عَنّي لُؤَيّاً رِسالَةً

بِحَقٍّ وَما تُغني رِسالَةُ مُرسِلِ

بِحَقٍّ وَما تُغني رِسالَةُ مُرسِلِ

Hear now: you two, convey from me to Lu'ayy a message,

Shall I not send to Lu'ayy a message

In truth—yet what good is a sender's message?

With truth, though a messenger's message does not avail?

بَني عَمِّنا الأَدنَينَ تَيماً نَخُصُّهُم

بَني عَمِّنا الأَدنَينَ تَيماً نَخُصُّهُم

وَإِخوانَنا مِن عبدِ شَمسٍ وَنَوفَلِ

وَإِخوانَنا مِن عبدِ شَمسٍ وَنَوفَلِ

Our nearest paternal cousins—Taym, whom we single out,

The sons of our paternal uncle who are nearest to us,

And our brothers of 'Abd Shams and Nawfal.

And our brothers from 'Abd Shams and Nawfal,

أَظاهَرتُمُ قَوماً عَلَينا أَظِنَّةً

أَظاهَرتُمُ قَوماً عَلَينا أَظِنَّةً

وَأَمرَ غَوِيٍّ مِن غُواةٍ وَجُهَّلِ

وَأَمرَ غَوِيٍّ مِن غُواةٍ وَجُهَّلِ

Have you supported a suspect people against us,

You have supported a people against us out of suspicion

And the scheme of a misguided man among the misguided and ignorant?

And the mad order of madmen and fools,

يَقولونَ إِنّا إِن قَتَلنا مُحَمَّداً

يَقولونَ إِنّا إِن قَتَلنا مُحَمَّداً

أَقَرَّت نَواصي هاشِمٍ بِالتَذَلُّلِ

أَقَرَّت نَواصي هاشِمٍ بِالتَذَلُّلِ

They say, 'Indeed, if we kill Muhammad,

Saying, "If we kill Muhammad,

Hashim's forelocks will bow in abasement.'

The nobles of Hashim will bow down in humiliation."

كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ يُثلمُ رُكنُهُ

كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ يُثلمُ رُكنُهُ

وَمَكَّةَ وَالإِشعار في كُلِّ مَعمَلِ

وَمَكَّةَ وَالإِشعار في كُلِّ مَعمَلِ

You lie! By God's House, whose corner is breached,

You have lied! By the House of God whose corner He protects,

And by Mecca, and the marking of offerings at every ritual site,

By Mecca and the idols in every shrine,

وَبِالحَجِّ أَو بِالنيبِ تَدمى نُحورُها

وَبِالحَجِّ أَو بِالنيبِ تَدمى نُحورُها

بِمَدماهُ والرُكنِ العَتيقِ المُقَبَّلِ

بِمَدماهُ والرُكنِ العَتيقِ المُقَبَّلِ

And by the pilgrimage, or by aged she-camels whose throats bleed

By the pilgrimage wherein their throats are bled,

At its place of sacrifice, and by the ancient, kissed corner:

With his blood and the ancient, kissed Corner,

تَنالونَهُ أَو تَعطِفوا دونَ نَيلِهِ

تَنالونَهُ أَو تَعطِفوا دونَ نَيلِهِ

صَوارِمُ تَفري كُلَّ عَظمٍ وَمِفصَلِ

صَوارِمُ تَفري كُلَّ عَظمٍ وَمِفصَلِ

You will not reach him unless you first turn aside

You will get to him or get close without getting to him

Keen swords that cleave every bone and joint.

While swords unsheathe every bone and joint.

وَتَدعو بِأَرحامٍ وَأَنتُم ظَلَمتُمُ

وَتَدعو بِأَرحامٍ وَأَنتُم ظَلَمتُمُ

مَصاليتَ في يَومٍ أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلِ

مَصاليتَ في يَومٍ أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلِ

And you appeal to kinship, though you have wronged

And you claim kinship while having wronged

Valiant warriors, on a day bright-browed and white-footed.

My allies on a day of thick-threaded mantle,

فَمَهلاً وَلَمّا تُنتج الحَربُ بِكرَها

فَمَهلاً وَلَمّا تُنتج الحَربُ بِكرَها

يَبينُ تِمامٌ أَو تأخُّرُ مُعجَلِ

يَبينُ تِمامٌ أَو تأخُّرُ مُعجَلِ

So hold back: war has not yet borne her firstborn;

So wait! When war bears its fruit

Completion—or the delay of what was hastened—will become clear.

The ripeness or unripeness of the early fruit is made clear.

فَإِنَّا مَتى ما نَمرِها بِسُيوفِنا

فَإِنَّا مَتى ما نَمرِها بِسُيوفِنا

نُجالِح فَنَعرُك مِن نَشاءُ بِكَلكَلِ

نُجالِح فَنَعرُك مِن نَشاءُ بِكَلكَلِ

For whenever we milk her with our swords,

When we pass it with our swords,

We fight head-on, then grind down whom we wish beneath a chest.

We will contend and scatter you as we please with stirred sediment.

وَتَلقَوا رَبيعَ الأَبطَحينِ مُحَمَّداً

وَتَلقَوا رَبيعَ الأَبطَحينِ مُحَمَّداً

عَلى رَبوَةٍ في رَأسِ عَيطاءَ عَيطَلِ

عَلى رَبوَةٍ في رَأسِ عَيطاءَ عَيطَلِ

And you will meet the spring of the two Abtahs, Muhammad,

They encountered Rabi'a and al-Abtih at Muhammad

On a rise at the summit of a lofty, towering height.

On a hill at the top of rugged 'Ayn 'Utal.

وَتَأوي إِلَيهِ هاشِمٌ إِنَّ هاشِماً

وَتَأوي إِلَيهِ هاشِمٌ إِنَّ هاشِماً

عَرانينُ كَعبٍ آخِراً بَعدَ أَوَّلِ

عَرانينُ كَعبٍ آخِراً بَعدَ أَوَّلِ

And Hashim takes refuge with him; indeed, Hashim

Hashim resorts to him - Hashim indeed

Are Ka'b's chieftains, the last following the first.

Are the pillars of Ka'b, latter after former.

فَإِن كُنتُمُ تَرجونَ قَتلَ مُحَمَّدٍ

فَإِن كُنتُمُ تَرجونَ قَتلَ مُحَمَّدٍ

فَروموا بِما جَمَّعتُمُ نَقلَ يَذبُلِ

فَروموا بِما جَمَّعتُمُ نَقلَ يَذبُلِ

So if you hope to kill Muhammad,

If you hope to kill Muhammad,

Then try, with what you have mustered, to move Yadhbul.

Then head for what you have mustered of feeble camels.

فَإِنّا سَنَحميهِ بِكُلِّ طمرَّةٍ

فَإِنّا سَنَحميهِ بِكُلِّ طمرَّةٍ

وَذي مَيعَةٍ نَهدِ المَراكِلِ هَيكَلِ

وَذي مَيعَةٍ نَهدِ المَراكِلِ هَيكَلِ

For we shall defend him with every fleet mare,

We will protect him with every gathered cloud

And every spirited steed, strong-flanked and large-framed,

And rain of spring on the settled land.

وَكُلِّ رُدَينِيٍّ ظِماءٍ كُعوبُهُ

وَكُلِّ رُدَينِيٍّ ظِماءٍ كُعوبُهُ

وَعَضبٍ كَإيماضِ الغَمامَةِ مِقصَلِ

وَعَضبٍ كَإيماضِ الغَمامَةِ مِقصَلِ

And every Rudayni spear, whose joints are parched,

And every audacious, thirsty Udayni

And a keen sword, like a cloud's lightning-flash, severing limbs,

Whose tread is like the flashing of lightning through clouds rent in two,

وَكُلِّ جَرورِ الذَيلِ زَعفٍ مُفاضَةٍ

وَكُلِّ جَرورِ الذَيلِ زَعفٍ مُفاضَةٍ

دِلاصٍ كَهَزهازِ الغَديرِ المُسَلسَلِ

دِلاصٍ كَهَزهازِ الغَديرِ المُسَلسَلِ

And every trailing-hemmed, supple, ample coat of mail,

And every long-tailed Ja'rur, nimble Za'f,

Polished as the rippling of a smoothly flowing pool,

Delas, like the swaying of a lasting chain,

بِأَيمانِ شُمٍّ مِن ذوائِبِ هاشِمٍ

بِأَيمانِ شُمٍّ مِن ذوائِبِ هاشِمٍ

مَغاويلُ بِالأَخطارِ في كُلِّ مَحفَلِ

مَغاويلُ بِالأَخطارِ في كُلِّ مَحفَلِ

In the right hands of high-nosed nobles, from Hashim's foremost ranks,

By the oath of Shumus from the tails of Hashim,

Slayers of mighty rivals in every gathering.

Daring heroes in every assembly.

هُمُ سادَةُ الساداتِ في كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ

هُمُ سادَةُ الساداتِ في كُلِّ مَوطِنٍ

وَخيرَةُ رَبِّ الناسِ في كُلِّ مُعضِلِ

وَخيرَةُ رَبِّ الناسِ في كُلِّ مُعضِلِ

They are lords of lords in every place,

They are the best of all tribes everywhere

And the chosen of the Lord of mankind in every ordeal.

And God's choice from among men in every crisis.