الى امرئ نصبت قحطان رايتها

الى امرئ نصبت قحطان رايتها

بالكف منه ورأس العز منكوس

بالكف منه ورأس العز منكوس

To a man—Qahtan planted her banner

To a man who erected the banner of Kahlan,

in his hand, while the head of glory hung bowed.

With his palm holding it and the head of honor bent,

فقام فيها مقاماً لا يقوم به

فقام فيها مقاماً لا يقوم به

عمرو بن هند ولا هند وقابوس

عمرو بن هند ولا هند وقابوس

He took his stand for it, a stand never taken by

He took a stand there that neither Amr ibn Hind

‘Amr ibn Hind, nor Hind, nor Qabus.

Nor Hind and Qabus could take,

مكلم بخماشات الحروب له

مكلم بخماشات الحروب له

كأنه زلم بالعجم مضروس

كأنه زلم بالعجم مضروس

Scarred by the scratches wars have left him,

Well-versed in the swords of battles, as if

as though he were an arrow-shaft, gnawed in testing.

He was brought up among non-Arabs and molded,

مبرأ ليس فيه للعيوب إذا

مبرأ ليس فيه للعيوب إذا

ما عيب عيب ولا في العرض تدنيس

ما عيب عيب ولا في العرض تدنيس

Unblemished: no fault lies within him when

Free of flaws when no flaw is a flaw,

he is examined for faults, nor any stain upon his honor.

And no blemish soils his honor,

ينمي به فوق خولان ويرفعه

ينمي به فوق خولان ويرفعه

عليهم حسب في الدهر قدموس

عليهم حسب في الدهر قدموس

He is raised above Khawlan and lifted

With it he promotes the glory of Khaulan,

over them by ancestral honor, ancient through the ages.

Raising it above them, his lineage in ages a pillar,

وكل ساع إذا يسعى لهمته

وكل ساع إذا يسعى لهمته

فقد يساعده في سعيه البوس

فقد يساعده في سعيه البوس

And every striver, when he strives toward his ambition,

And every time he strives for his aspiration,

may be aided by hardship in his striving.

Kissing assists him in his endeavor,

ولم يزل في أكيل من ابوته

ولم يزل في أكيل من ابوته

نافى المذلة عن خولان عتريس

نافى المذلة عن خولان عتريس

And ever in Akil, among his forefathers, there was

He has not ceased, since his fatherhood,

a mighty warrior who drove humiliation away from Khawlan.

To banish humiliation from Khaulan, untamable,

حجر وحجر وعمرو كلهم رأسوا

حجر وحجر وعمرو كلهم رأسوا

حي قضاعة ما في القوم مرموس

حي قضاعة ما في القوم مرموس

Hujr, Hujr, and ‘Amr—all were chiefs

Rocks, and rocks, and Amr all of them chiefs,

of Quda‘a's tribe; none among the people is buried in obscurity.

The living pride of his people, unyielding,

تلقاك منهم وجوه إن نزلت بهم

تلقاك منهم وجوه إن نزلت بهم

مثل الأهلة ما فيهن تعبيس

مثل الأهلة ما فيهن تعبيس

Faces from among them greet you, if you lodge with them,

You are met by their faces, if you descend among them,

like crescent moons, with not a frown among them.

Like the crescent, without any frown,

سجية لا يزال العسر بنبتها

سجية لا يزال العسر بنبتها

والطبع قبل اكتساب العقل مأسوس

والطبع قبل اكتساب العقل مأسوس

An inborn trait whose growth hardship always accompanies;

Of easy nature, hardship cannot change it,

and nature is grounded before reason is acquired.

And the innate before acquired reason biased,

يوصي أكابرهم منهم أصاغرهم

يوصي أكابرهم منهم أصاغرهم

بسورة المجد ان المجد محروس

بسورة المجد ان المجد محروس

Their elders exhort the younger among them

Their elders instruct their juniors,

to glory's heights: indeed, glory is guarded.

With the chapter of glory, that glory is protected,

حماهم وحماه عند دعوته

حماهم وحماه عند دعوته

من مغرق صنوه والفتية الشوس

من مغرق صنوه والفتية الشوس

They and he were protected at his summons

He protected them and protected him when called upon,

from an engulfing danger by his brother and the fierce-eyed youths,

From the flood drowning its dam and the roaring youths,

وكل تلعاء تعلو كف ملجمها

وكل تلعاء تعلو كف ملجمها

ومخطف خطوه دفق وتكديس

ومخطف خطوه دفق وتكديس

and every long-necked mare, towering above her bridler's hand,

And every rising wave, the palm of its turbulence,

and a lean-flanked steed whose stride surges and bounds,

And its mad torrent poured and heaped up,

مشرف الهاد يرتاح الندي له

مشرف الهاد يرتاح الندي له

فبالأكف له مسح وتحسيس

فبالأكف له مسح وتحسيس

high-necked, in whom the assembly delights;

The guide to virtue rests, and for him the friend,

so with their hands they stroke and caress him.

With palms, pats and touches,