أَلاAh! ماwhat لَحيٍّfor a tribe بالعُذَيبِat al-ʿUdhayb خِماصِhungry
أَلا ما لَحيٍّ بالعُذَيبِ خِماصِ
فَلاfor no مالَwealth إِلّاexcept صارميmy keen sword وَدِلاصيand my smooth mail
فَلا مالَ إِلّا صارمي وَدِلاصي
Ah, what ails a hungry tribe at al-ʿUdhayb?
For I have no wealth but my keen sword and smooth coat of mail.
مَصاليتُfearless warriors يَغشَوْنَthey brave المَناياdeaths وَقَولُهُمand their saying
مَصاليتُ يَغشَوْنَ المَنايا وَقَولُهُم
لِمَنto whoever صَدَّturned away عَنهاfrom them لاتَnot حينَa time مَناصِescape
لِمَن صَدَّ عَنها لاتَ حينَ مَناصِ
Fearless warriors who brave death, and who say
To whoever turns away from it: “This is no time for escape.”
أُعِدُّI prepare لَهُمُfor them لِلحَربِfor war تَحرِقُناit scorches us بِهاin it
أُعِدُّ لَهُمُ لِلحَربِ تَحرِقُنا بِها
وَقَدand already شَرِقَتْbecame choked بالدَّارِعينَwith armored men عِراصيmy courtyards
وَقَد شَرِقَتْ بالدَّارِعينَ عِراصي
I make ready for them for war, in which we are scorched,
And my courtyards are already choked with armored men.
إِذاwhen ابتَدَرواthey raced الغاياتِthe goals قَرًّبَهاbrought them nearer لَهُمto them
إِذا ابتَدَروا الغاياتِ قَرًّبَها لَهُم
وَجيفُthe gallop جيادٍfine horses أَوor ذَميلُthe trot قِلاصِyoung she-camels
وَجيفُ جيادٍ أَو ذَميلُ قِلاصِ
When they race toward their goals, these are brought within reach
By the gallop of fine horses or the trot of young she-camels.
مَتىwhenever يَشتَمِلْencompasses إِنعامُناour generosity واِنتِقامُناand our vengeance
مَتى يَشتَمِلْ إِنعامُنا واِنتِقامُنا
عَلىupon كُلِّevery دانٍone nearby فيin البِلادِthe lands وَقاصِand one far away
عَلى كُلِّ دانٍ في البِلادِ وَقاصِ
Whenever our generosity and our vengeance encompass
Everyone near and far throughout the lands,
فَنَحنُthen we مِنَamong القَومِthe people الأُلىwho قَهَرواthey vanquished العِداthe foes
فَنَحنُ مِنَ القَومِ الأُلى قَهَروا العِدا
بِحَزِّby severing رِقابٍnecks أَوor بِجَزِّby shearing نَواصِيforelocks
بِحَزِّ رِقابٍ أَو بِجَزِّ نَواصِي
Then we are of the people who vanquished their foes
By severing necks or shearing forelocks.
إِذاwhen طاوَعَcomplied المِقدارُfate لَمdid not نَحمَدِwe praise الغِنَىwealth
إِذا طاوَعَ المِقدارُ لَم نَحمَدِ الغِنَى
وَلَسناand we are not نَذُمُّwe blame الدَّهرَTime حينَwhen يُعاصيit defies us
وَلَسنا نَذُمُّ الدَّهرَ حينَ يُعاصي
When fate complies, we do not praise wealth,
Nor do we blame Time when it defies us.
Sol 6.1