يا مَيُّ إِن تَفقِدي قَوماً وَلَدتِهِمُ

يا مَيُّ إِن تَفقِدي قَوماً وَلَدتِهِمُ

أَو تَخلِسيهِم فَإِنَّ الدَهرَ خَلّاسُ

أَو تَخلِسيهِم فَإِنَّ الدَهرَ خَلّاسُ

O Mayy, if you lose a band of men you bore,

O Mayy, if you lose men whom you bore,

or are robbed of them—for Time is ever a robber—

or have them snatched away, for time is a snatcher:

عَمرٌو وَعَبدُ مُنافٍ وَالَّذي عَهِدَت

عَمرٌو وَعَبدُ مُنافٍ وَالَّذي عَهِدَت

بِطاحُ مَكَّةَ آبي الضَيمِ عَبّاسُ

بِطاحُ مَكَّةَ آبي الضَيمِ عَبّاسُ

ʿAmr, ʿAbd Manāf, and he whom

ʿAmr, ʿAbd Manāf, and the one known to

Mecca’s broad valley knew—ʿAbbās, who would not brook humiliation:

Mecca’s broad valleys—ʿAbbās, who would not endure injustice.

لَيثٌ هِزَبرٌ مُدِلُّ عِندَ خيسَتِهِ

لَيثٌ هِزَبرٌ مُدِلُّ عِندَ خيسَتِهِ

بِالرَقمَتَينِ لَهُ أَجرٍ وَأَعراسُ

بِالرَقمَتَينِ لَهُ أَجرٍ وَأَعراسُ

a lion, a mighty lion, bold beside his lair;

A lion, a mighty lion, proud beside his thicket-lair,

at al-Raqmatayn he has cubs and lionesses.

at al-Raqmatayn, where he has cubs and mates.