وَحيٍّ في الذُّؤَابَةِ مِن قُرَيشٍ

وَحيٍّ في الذُّؤَابَةِ مِن قُرَيشٍ

هُمُ الرَّأسُ المُقَدَّمُ وَالسَّنامُ

هُمُ الرَّأسُ المُقَدَّمُ وَالسَّنامُ

And a clan at the crest of Quraysh—

A revelation among the dwellers of Quraysh,

They are the foremost head and the lofty hump.

They are the leading heads and the high emblems,

يُجاورُهُم بَنو جُشَمِ بْنِ بَكرٍ

يُجاورُهُم بَنو جُشَمِ بْنِ بَكرٍ

وَفيهِم سُؤدَدٌ وَلُهىً عِظامُ

وَفيهِم سُؤدَدٌ وَلُهىً عِظامُ

The sons of Jusham ibn Bakr dwell beside them,

Adjacent to them are the Banu Jusham ibn Bakr,

And among them are high honor and great gifts.

Among them are the sharp swords and grand figures,

إِذا اِعتَقَلوا قَناً خُضِبَتْ نُحورٌ

إِذا اِعتَقَلوا قَناً خُضِبَتْ نُحورٌ

أَوِ اِختَرَطوا سُيوفاً قُدَّ هامُ

أَوِ اِختَرَطوا سُيوفاً قُدَّ هامُ

When they couch spears, throats are bloodstained,

When they clench spears, throats are dyed,

Or unsheathe swords, heads are cleft.

Or when they unsheathe swords, destruction looms,

وَفيهِم مِن ظِباءِ الإِنسِ غيدٌ

وَفيهِم مِن ظِباءِ الإِنسِ غيدٌ

عَفائِفُ لا يَطورُ بِها أَثامُ

عَفائِفُ لا يَطورُ بِها أَثامُ

And among them are lithe gazelles of humankind,

Among them are the virtuous of mankind,

Chaste women whom no sin approaches.

Chaste, no sins dare come near,

تُجِنُّ نَبالَةً وَتُقىً وَحُسناً

تُجِنُّ نَبالَةً وَتُقىً وَحُسناً

فُضولُ الرِّيطِ مِنها وَاللِّثامُ

فُضولُ الرِّيطِ مِنها وَاللِّثامُ

Nobility, piety, and beauty are concealed

They possess nobility, piety and beauty,

By the trailing folds of their fine robes and their veils.

Extravagance and veils are far from them,

وَفيها عَفَّةُ الخَلَواتِ خَوْدٌ

وَفيها عَفَّةُ الخَلَواتِ خَوْدٌ

مَنيعَةُ ما يُصافِحُهُ الخِدامُ

مَنيعَةُ ما يُصافِحُهُ الخِدامُ

And among them is a maiden, chaste in seclusion,

In seclusion, their modesty remains intact,

Inviolate in what her anklets touch.

Inaccessible, no strangers may touch,

ذَكَرتُكِ يا أُمَيمَةُ في مَكَرٍّ

ذَكَرتُكِ يا أُمَيمَةُ في مَكَرٍّ

بِهِ الأَعداءُ وَالمَوتُ الزُّؤامُ

بِهِ الأَعداءُ وَالمَوتُ الزُّؤامُ

I remembered you, O Umayma, in the fray,

I remembered you O Umaimah, during strife

With enemies there, and swift, dreadful death.

With enemies and death the conqueror,

وَخَدُّ الأَرضِ يَغمُرُهُ نَجيعٌ

وَخَدُّ الأَرضِ يَغمُرُهُ نَجيعٌ

وَعَينُ الشَّمسِ يَكحَلُها قَتامُ

وَعَينُ الشَّمسِ يَكحَلُها قَتامُ

And gore floods the cheek of the earth,

The earth’s expanse overwhelmed with gloom,

And dust lines the sun's eye with kohl.

The eye of the sun blackened with darkness,

وَمَن يَذكُرْكِ وَالأَسلاتُ تَدمَى

وَمَن يَذكُرْكِ وَالأَسلاتُ تَدمَى

فَقَد أَدمَى جَوانِحَهُ الغَرامُ

فَقَد أَدمَى جَوانِحَهُ الغَرامُ

And whoever remembers you while spearpoints bleed,

And whoever remembers you while weapons clash,

Then passion has surely bloodied his ribs.

In passion his soul is steeped,

وَلَيلٍ فاتِرِ الخُطُواتِ فيهِ

وَلَيلٍ فاتِرِ الخُطُواتِ فيهِ

بِذِكرِكِ فاضَ أَربَعَةٌ سِجامُ

بِذِكرِكِ فاضَ أَربَعَةٌ سِجامُ

And many a night, sluggish in its steps, in which

On a slumberous night among them,

At the thought of you, four streams of tears overflowed.

Four wakeful in your memory,

يَخوضُ عَلى الكَلالِ حَشاهُ صَحْبي

يَخوضُ عَلى الكَلالِ حَشاهُ صَحْبي

وأُجثِمُهُم سُراهُ وَهُم نِيامُ

وأُجثِمُهُم سُراهُ وَهُم نِيامُ

My companions wade through its belly despite their weariness,

My companions wade into weariness,

And I keep them crouched through its night journey, while they sleep.

I huddle them, their steeds asleep,

كَأَنَّهُمُ عَلى الأَكوارِ شَرْبٌ

كَأَنَّهُمُ عَلى الأَكوارِ شَرْبٌ

تَمَشَّى في مَفاصِلِهِم مُدامُ

تَمَشَّى في مَفاصِلِهِم مُدامُ

As though upon the camel saddles they were a drinking party,

As if drunk from their drinking-places,

With wine coursing through their joints.

In their joints, the wine meanders,

وَكَم مِن قائِلٍ وَالعيسُ تَخدِي

وَكَم مِن قائِلٍ وَالعيسُ تَخدِي

أَلا يَطوي سَبائِبَهُ الظَّلامُ

أَلا يَطوي سَبائِبَهُ الظَّلامُ

And many a man says, while the pale camels trot:

How many say, while the night grows dimmer,

"Will darkness not fold up its tresses?"

Will darkness not fold its robes?

وَمِن يُمنى يُوَدِّعُها قَطيعٌ

وَمِن يُمنى يُوَدِّعُها قَطيعٌ

وَمِن يُسرى يُفارِقُها زِمامُ

وَمِن يُسرى يُفارِقُها زِمامُ

And from a right hand, a whip takes leave,

Some bid farewell from the right,

And from a left hand, a rein parts.

Others lose grip of reins from the left,

نأَيتِ وَبَينَنا رُبَواتُ نَجدٍ

نأَيتِ وَبَينَنا رُبَواتُ نَجدٍ

يُضِلُّ بِها الأَداحيَّ النَّعامُ

يُضِلُّ بِها الأَداحيَّ النَّعامُ

You have gone far away, and between us lie the hills of Najd,

You went far, between us the wilderness of Najd,

Where ostriches lose track of their nesting hollows.

Where ostriches roam its valleys,

فَحَيّاكِ الغَمامُ وَغِيثَ بَكرٌ

فَحَيّاكِ الغَمامُ وَغِيثَ بَكرٌ

مِن أَجلِكِثُمَّ شاعَهُمُ السَّلامُ

مِن أَجلِكِثُمَّ شاعَهُمُ السَّلامُ

So may the clouds greet you, and may Bakr be blessed with rain,

The clouds hailed you, and Bakr’s rain,

For your sake; then may peace accompany them.

For your sake, upon them peace prevailed.