لَنِعْمَ فَتَى الحَيَّيِنْ عَمْرو بْنِ مُحْصِنِ

لَنِعْمَ فَتَى الحَيَّيِنْ عَمْرو بْنِ مُحْصِنِ

إذا صائِحُ الحَيّ المُصْبِّحُ ثَوَّبَا

إذا صائِحُ الحَيّ المُصْبِّحُ ثَوَّبَا

Truly, an excellent young man of the two tribes is Amr ibn Muhsin,

What a fine young man of the two clans, Amr son of Muhsin,

when the tribe's dawn crier repeats his alarm-call,

When the hay-caller of the clan shouts at dawn,

إذا الخَيْل جَالَتْ بَيْنَها قِصَدُ الْقَنَا

إذا الخَيْل جَالَتْ بَيْنَها قِصَدُ الْقَنَا

يُثِرْنَ عَجَاجاً سَاطِعاً مُتَنَصّبا

يُثِرْنَ عَجَاجاً سَاطِعاً مُتَنَصّبا

when the horses wheel, spear-fragments among them,

When the horses parade between them straight towards the lances,

stirring up dust, rising high and towering.

Stirring up a clatter, towering, bristling.

لَقَدْ فُجِعَ الأنْصَارُ طُرَّا بِسَيِّدِ

لَقَدْ فُجِعَ الأنْصَارُ طُرَّا بِسَيِّدِ

أخي ثِقَةٍ في الصَّالحِينَ مُجَرَّبَا

أخي ثِقَةٍ في الصَّالحِينَ مُجَرَّبَا

Indeed, all the Ansar have been bereaved of a leader,

The Helpers were profoundly grieved by the loss of their chief,

a trustworthy man, tried and proven among the righteous.

My brother, tried and true among the virtuous.

فَيَا رُبَّ خَيْرِ قَدْ أفَدْتَ وَجَفْنَةِ

فَيَا رُبَّ خَيْرِ قَدْ أفَدْتَ وَجَفْنَةِ

مَلأْتَ وَقِرْنٍ قَدْ تَرَكْتَ مُخَيَّبَا

مَلأْتَ وَقِرْنٍ قَدْ تَرَكْتَ مُخَيَّبَا

Ah, how much good you bestowed, and how many bowls

So, Lord of what is best, You have granted success,

you filled, and how many rivals you left thwarted!

And filled the empty saddle that You left deprived.

وَيَا رُبَّ خَصْمٍ قَدْ رَدَدْتَ بِغَيْطهِ

وَيَا رُبَّ خَصْمٍ قَدْ رَدَدْتَ بِغَيْطهِ

فَآبَ ذَلِيلاً بَعْدَ مَا كَانَ مُغْضَبَا

فَآبَ ذَلِيلاً بَعْدَ مَا كَانَ مُغْضَبَا

And many a foe you turned back with his rage,

And Lord of an adversary, You have repelled him with his error,

so he returned humbled after having been enraged.

So he turned away humbled, when he had been enraged,

وَرَايَةِ مَجْدٍ قَدْ حَمَلْتَ وَغَزْوَةٍ

وَرَايَةِ مَجْدٍ قَدْ حَمَلْتَ وَغَزْوَةٍ

شَهِدْتَ إذا النَّكْسُ الْجَبَانُ تَهَيَّبَا

شَهِدْتَ إذا النَّكْسُ الْجَبَانُ تَهَيَّبَا

And many a banner of glory you carried, and many a raid

And the banner of glory You carried, and a raid

you joined when the cowardly weakling shrank in fear.

You witnessed when the coward winced and shuddered with fear.

حَووطاً عَلَى جُلّ الْعَشِيرَةِ مَاجِداً

حَووطاً عَلَى جُلّ الْعَشِيرَةِ مَاجِداً

وَلَمْ يَك في الأنْصَارِ نِكْساً مُؤَنَّبَا

وَلَمْ يَك في الأنْصَارِ نِكْساً مُؤَنَّبَا

A noble protector of the greater part of the clan,

A protector of his noble clan, no base man was he,

he was no reproached weakling among the Ansar.

No turn-tail among the Helpers reproached and vilified.

طَوِيلَ عَمُود الْمجَدِ رَحْباً فِنَاؤْه

طَوِيلَ عَمُود الْمجَدِ رَحْباً فِنَاؤْه

خَصِيباً إذا مَا رَائِدُ الْحَيّ أجْدَبَا

خَصِيباً إذا مَا رَائِدُ الْحَيّ أجْدَبَا

His pillar of glory was tall, his courtyard spacious,

The pillar of glory was tall, its courtyard spacious,

fertile when the tribe's pasture-scout found barren ground.

Fertile when the clan's guide went thirsty.

عَظِيمَ رَمَادِ النارِ لَمْ يَك فَاحِشاً

عَظِيمَ رَمَادِ النارِ لَمْ يَك فَاحِشاً

وَلاَ فَشِلاً يَوْمَ الْقِتَالِ مُغَلَّبَا

وَلاَ فَشِلاً يَوْمَ الْقِتَالِ مُغَلَّبَا

Great were the ashes of his fire; he was not coarse,

Mighty sparks from the fire were no disgrace to him,

nor fainthearted or vanquished on the day of battle.

No weakness on the day of battle, defeated.

وَكُنْتَ رَبيعاً يَنْفَع النَّاسَ سَيْبُه

وَكُنْتَ رَبيعاً يَنْفَع النَّاسَ سَيْبُه

وَسَيْفاً جُزَاراً بَاتِكَ الحَدّ مُقْصَبَا

وَسَيْفاً جُزَاراً بَاتِكَ الحَدّ مُقْصَبَا

And you were a springtime whose bounty benefits the people,

You were a spring whose swords brought benefit to people,

and a slaughtering sword, keen-edged, cutting to pieces.

And a slaughtering sword whose sharp edge was whetted.

مَتَى يَك مَسْروراً بِقَتْلِ ابنِ مُحْصِنٍ

مَتَى يَك مَسْروراً بِقَتْلِ ابنِ مُحْصِنٍ

فَعَاشَ شَقِيَّا ثُمَّ مَاتَ مُعَذَّبَا

فَعَاشَ شَقِيَّا ثُمَّ مَاتَ مُعَذَّبَا

Whenever someone rejoices at the killing of Ibn Muhsin,

When can he be glad at killing Muhsin's son,

so may he live wretchedly, then die tormented,

So he lives wretched, then dies tormented?

وَغُودِرَ مُنْكَبَّا لِفِيهِ وَوَجْهِهِهِ

وَغُودِرَ مُنْكَبَّا لِفِيهِ وَوَجْهِهِهِ

يُعَالجُ رُمْحاً ذَا سِنَانٍ وَثَعْلَبَا

يُعَالجُ رُمْحاً ذَا سِنَانٍ وَثَعْلَبَا

and be left toppled onto his mouth and face,

His shoulder was stabbed, and his cheek,

struggling with a spear bearing a point and a shaft-tip.

As he confronted a spear with sharp point and blade.

فَإِنْ تَقْتُلُوا الحُرَّ الكَرِيمَ ابْنَ مُحْصِنٍ

فَإِنْ تَقْتُلُوا الحُرَّ الكَرِيمَ ابْنَ مُحْصِنٍ

فَنَحْن قَتَلْنَا ذَا الكُلاَعِ وَحَوْشَبَا

فَنَحْن قَتَلْنَا ذَا الكُلاَعِ وَحَوْشَبَا

For if you kill the freeborn, noble Ibn Muhsin,

If you kill the free man, the noble son of Muhsin,

then we have killed Dhu al-Kulaʿ and Hawshab.

Then we killed Dhu'l-Kula and Hawshab too.

وإنْ تَقْتُلُوا ابْنَيْ بَدِيلٍ وهَاشماً

وإنْ تَقْتُلُوا ابْنَيْ بَدِيلٍ وهَاشماً

فَنَحْن تَرَكْنَا مِنْكُمْ القَرْنَ أعضَبَا

فَنَحْن تَرَكْنَا مِنْكُمْ القَرْنَ أعضَبَا

And if you kill Badil's two sons and Hashim,

If you kill the two sons of Badil and Hashim,

then we have left your horn broken off.

Then we left amongst you the fork-horned bull.

وَنَحْنُ تَرَكْنَا حِمْيَراً فِي صفُوفِكُم

وَنَحْنُ تَرَكْنَا حِمْيَراً فِي صفُوفِكُم

لَدَى المْوْتِ صَرْعَى كَالنَّخِيلِ مُشَذَّبَا

لَدَى المْوْتِ صَرْعَى كَالنَّخِيلِ مُشَذَّبَا

And we left Himyar in your ranks,

And we left donkeys amongst your ranks

in death, fallen like palm trees shorn of their fronds.

As corpses by death, felled like date palms.

وَأفْلَتَنَا تَحْتَ الأسِنَّةِ مَرْثَدٌ

وَأفْلَتَنَا تَحْتَ الأسِنَّةِ مَرْثَدٌ

وَكَانَ قَدِيمَاً فِي الفِرَارِ مُجَرِّبَا

وَكَانَ قَدِيمَاً فِي الفِرَارِ مُجَرِّبَا

And Marthad escaped us beneath the spearheads,

And Murthid slipped through beneath the spear-hafts,

and he had long been practiced in flight.

A veteran from way back at deserting.

وَنَحْن تَرَكْنَا عِنْدَ مُخْتَلَفِ القَنَا

وَنَحْن تَرَكْنَا عِنْدَ مُخْتَلَفِ القَنَا

أَخَاكُمْ عُبَيْدَ اللهِ لَحْماً مُلَحَّبَا

أَخَاكُمْ عُبَيْدَ اللهِ لَحْماً مُلَحَّبَا

And at the crossing of spears we left

While by the parting of lances we left

your brother Ubayd Allah, flesh hacked to pieces,

Your brother Ubaydullah as shredded meat.

بِصِفِّينَ لَمَّا ارْفَضَّ عَنْه صفُوفُكُمْ

بِصِفِّينَ لَمَّا ارْفَضَّ عَنْه صفُوفُكُمْ

وَوَجْه ابْنِ عَتَّابِ تَرَكْنَاه مُلْعَبَا

وَوَجْه ابْنِ عَتَّابِ تَرَكْنَاه مُلْعَبَا

at Siffin, when your ranks scattered away from him.

With lines of men when your ranks recoiled from him

And Ibn Attab's face—we left it a plaything,

And Ibn Atta's face we left as a playing field.

وَطَلْحَةَ مِنْ بَعْدِ الزبَيْرِ وَلَمْ نَدَعْ

وَطَلْحَةَ مِنْ بَعْدِ الزبَيْرِ وَلَمْ نَدَعْ

لِضَبَّةَ فِي الْهَيجَا عَرِيفاً وَمَنْكِبَا

لِضَبَّةَ فِي الْهَيجَا عَرِيفاً وَمَنْكِبَا

and Talha after al-Zubayr; and we did not leave

And after Zubayr, Talha, whom we did not spare,

for Dabba in the fray a headman or a chief.

Nor leave for the hyena a sergeant or shoulder.

وَنَحْن أحَطْنا بالبَعِيرِ وَأهْلِهِ

وَنَحْن أحَطْنا بالبَعِيرِ وَأهْلِهِ

وَنَحْن سَقَيْنَاكُمْ سِمَاماً مُقَشَّبَا

وَنَحْن سَقَيْنَاكُمْ سِمَاماً مُقَشَّبَا

And we surrounded the camel and its people,

And we surrounded the camel and its rider,

and we made you drink a deadly mixture of poison.

And we gave you poisoned drink, pure and unsullied.