بنى ثعلبة هُبّوا

بنى ثعلبة هُبّوا

فإنّ الليثَ قد عَزَمَا

فإنّ الليثَ قد عَزَمَا

Sons of Thalabah, rise!

The tribe of Tha'labah, come forth,

For the lion has resolved to act.

For the lion has resolved to attack.

رماكم بابن حارثةٍ

رماكم بابن حارثةٍ

رسولُ اللهِ حِينَ رَمَى

رسولُ اللهِ حِينَ رَمَى

Against you was hurled the son of Harithah

You were struck by the son of Harithah -

by God's Messenger, when he struck.

The Messenger of God when he shot his arrows.

زعمتم أنه هو زَعْ

زعمتم أنه هو زَعْ

مَ من يَهْذِي وما عَلِما

مَ من يَهْذِي وما عَلِما

You claimed it was he—a claim

You claimed he was lost and confused,

of one who raves and knows nothing.

Not knowing which way to go.

فَطَارَتْ قَبلَ مَقدمِهِ

فَطَارَتْ قَبلَ مَقدمِهِ

نفوسٌ أُشعِرتْ لَمَمَا

نفوسٌ أُشعِرتْ لَمَمَا

So before his coming, there took flight

Souls took flight before his vanguard,

souls afflicted with a touch of madness.

Inflamed with anxiety and alarm.

ونِعمَ أخو الوغَى زيدٌ

ونِعمَ أخو الوغَى زيدٌ

إذا ما جَدَّ فَاقْتَحَما

إذا ما جَدَّ فَاقْتَحَما

And a fine brother of battle is Zayd,

How excellent a brother of battle is Zaid,

when he fights in earnest and charges in.

When serious, he charges ahead.

يَخوضُ النّقعَ مُرتَكماً

يَخوضُ النّقعَ مُرتَكماً

ويَحمِي السيفَ والعَلَمَا

ويَحمِي السيفَ والعَلَمَا

He wades through the dust, thickly heaped,

He attacks the pool recklessly,

and guards the sword and the banner.

Protecting his sword and banner.

تَولَّى جَمعُهُم فَرَقاً

تَولَّى جَمعُهُم فَرَقاً

ولَو لاقاهُ ما سلما

ولَو لاقاهُ ما سلما

Their host fled in terror,

Their group turned and fled, scattered,

and had it met him, it would not have escaped unharmed.

And had they met him, they wouldn't have survived.

لَبِئْسَ الجمعُ ما صَدَقَتْ

لَبِئْسَ الجمعُ ما صَدَقَتْ

قُواهُ وبئسَ ما زَعَما

قُواهُ وبئسَ ما زَعَما

Wretched indeed the host! False proved

How wretched the group whose strength

its strength, and wretched was its boast.

Betrayed them, and wretched what they claimed!

تلمَّسَهُ ابنُ حارثةٍ

تلمَّسَهُ ابنُ حارثةٍ

فلا صَدَدَاً ولا أَمَمَا

فلا صَدَدَاً ولا أَمَمَا

The son of Harithah sought it out,

The son of Harithah felt for him

but it was neither before him nor nearby.

But found no trace or track.

تَسَرَّبَ في مَخابِئِهِ

تَسَرَّبَ في مَخابِئِهِ

فكان وُجُودُه عَدَما

فكان وُجُودُه عَدَما

It slipped away into its hiding places,

He crept into his hiding places

so its existence became nothingness.

So that his existence was as if naught.

هَلُمَّ هَلُمَّ يا زيدٌ

هَلُمَّ هَلُمَّ يا زيدٌ

هَلُمَّ الشاءَ والنَعَمَا

هَلُمَّ الشاءَ والنَعَمَا

Come, come, O Zayd!

Come, come O Zaid!

Bring the sheep and the livestock!

Come with the sheep and goats!

رُوَيْدَ القومِ هل طلبوا

رُوَيْدَ القومِ هل طلبوا

سِوَى ما يُعجِزُ الهِمَمَا

سِوَى ما يُعجِزُ الهِمَمَا

Give the people time: have they sought

Hold back, people! Did they seek

anything but what defeats resolve?

Aught but what frustrates aspirations?

مَضُوا في إثرِهِ ومَضَى

مَضُوا في إثرِهِ ومَضَى

يَجُرُّ حُسامَه قُدُما

يَجُرُّ حُسامَه قُدُما

They went in his wake, and on he went,

They went after him while he went on,

dragging his keen sword forward.

Dragging his sword ahead.

فما بَلغُوه إذ جَهَدوا

فما بَلغُوه إذ جَهَدوا

ولا رَزأُوهُ ما غَنِمَا

ولا رَزأُوهُ ما غَنِمَا

So they did not reach him, hard as they strove,

They did not catch him though they struggled,

nor deprive him of the booty he won.

Nor did they gain any spoils.

رُوَيْداً عابِدِي الأَصْنا

رُوَيْداً عابِدِي الأَصْنا

مِ إنّ اللهَ قد حَكَما

مِ إنّ اللهَ قد حَكَما

Hold, you worshippers of idols!

Hold back, worshipers of idols!

For God has already passed judgment.

For God has judged.

رَضِيتُمْ ظُلمَ أَنْفُسِكُمْ

رَضِيتُمْ ظُلمَ أَنْفُسِكُمْ

فأَرْدَاكُمُ وما ظَلَمَا

فأَرْدَاكُمُ وما ظَلَمَا

You were content to wrong yourselves,

You were content with oppressing yourselves,

so He brought you to ruin, and did you no wrong.

So He punished you when you did no wrong.