ربَعيٌّ من بني جُشَمٍ

ربَعيٌّ من بني جُشَمٍ

كل بيتٍ منه خفَّانُ

كل بيتٍ منه خفَّانُ

A Rabiʿite of Banu Jusham—

A quarter of the tribe of Jusham

every household of his is Khaffān, a lions’ haunt.

Each of its homes a Khiffan

حولهُ جُرْدٌ مُسومةٌ

حولهُ جُرْدٌ مُسومةٌ

وظُبىً بيضٌ وخرْصانُ

وظُبىً بيضٌ وخرْصانُ

Around him are sleek, marked steeds,

Around it a bare plain

and white sword-edges and slender lances.

With white antelope and mountain cows

ترجفُ البَيداءُ إن ركبوا

ترجفُ البَيداءُ إن ركبوا

فكأَنَّ القاعَ نَشْوانُ

فكأَنَّ القاعَ نَشْوانُ

The desert trembles if they ride,

The desert trembles when they ride

so the plain seems drunk.

As if the ground were a dancing place

غَدَروا ظُلماً بلا سببٍ

غَدَروا ظُلماً بلا سببٍ

فَوَفيُّ القوم خَوَّانُ

فَوَفيُّ القوم خَوَّانُ

They broke faith unjustly, without cause;

They wrongfully attacked without cause

so even their faithful man is a habitual traitor.

So the people's protector is the betrayer

فصبحْنا هم على نُذُرٍ

فصبحْنا هم على نُذُرٍ

وبَشيرُ الصُّبْح عَجْلانُ

وبَشيرُ الصُّبْح عَجْلانُ

So we attacked them at dawn, though they were forewarned,

We were left with only promises

and dawn’s herald was swift.

While the harbinger of dawn is hasty

غارةً يَرْوي الحُسامُ بها

غارةً يَرْوي الحُسامُ بها

وكميُّ الجيشِ ظَمْآنُ

وكميُّ الجيشِ ظَمْآنُ

A raid in which the keen sword drank its fill,

A raid in which the swords quench their thirst

while the army’s armored champion was thirsty.

And the whole army is thirsty

رَعَتِ الأرماحَ خَيْلُهم

رَعَتِ الأرماحَ خَيْلُهم

فكأنَّ السُّمْرَ حَوْذانُ

فكأنَّ السُّمْرَ حَوْذانُ

Their horses grazed on spears,

Their horses shook the spears

as though the brown spears were buttercups.

As if they were swaying cypress trees

وأذلَّتْهم بسالتُنا

وأذلَّتْهم بسالتُنا

فالأبيُّ القَيْلُ مِذْعانُ

فالأبيُّ القَيْلُ مِذْعانُ

And our valor humbled them,

Our courage humiliated them

so the proud king submitted.

So the most courageous warriors surrendered

نحنُ قومٌ من بني مُضرٍ

نحنُ قومٌ من بني مُضرٍ

جَدُّنا في الفخر عَدنانُ

جَدُّنا في الفخر عَدنانُ

We are a people of the sons of Muḍar;

We are a people of the Mudar tribe

our forefather—our pride—is ʿAdnān.

Our ancestry in pride is Adnan

خُشُنٌ والضَّيمُ مُعْتَرضٌ

خُشُنٌ والضَّيمُ مُعْتَرضٌ

ذُلُلٌ والنَّاسُ إِخوان

ذُلُلٌ والنَّاسُ إِخوان

Stern when faced with injustice,

Haughty, though wronged, standing tall

gentle when people are brothers.

Humble, though people are brothers

نارُنا فوقَ الجبالِ بها

نارُنا فوقَ الجبالِ بها

يهتدي سَفْرٌ ورُكبانُ

يهتدي سَفْرٌ ورُكبانُ

Our fire is on the mountaintops; by it

Our fire on the mountains is a guide

travelers and riders find their way.

For travelers and riding caravans

كلُّ مِطْعامٍ على سَغبٍ

كلُّ مِطْعامٍ على سَغبٍ

وهو يومَ الرَّوع مِطعانُ

وهو يومَ الرَّوع مِطعانُ

Each feeds others lavishly, despite hunger,

Every meal is plentiful

and on the day of terror is a fierce spearman.

And on moving day it is packed

وعلى النَّادي تُضيءُ لنا

وعلى النَّادي تُضيءُ لنا

أوجهٌ غُرٌّ وتيجانُ

أوجهٌ غُرٌّ وتيجانُ

And above the assembly shine for us

The gathering place shines for us

radiant faces and crowns.

With strange faces and crowns

مَعْشري لا مَعْشرٌ كُهُمٌ

مَعْشري لا مَعْشرٌ كُهُمٌ

زانَهم حُسْنٌ وإِحْسانُ

زانَهم حُسْنٌ وإِحْسانُ

My people are no dull, ineffectual folk;

A people whose company is no rabble

beauty and beneficence adorn them.

Their beauty is kindness and grace

خُطباءٌ لا يَفوتُهُم

خُطباءٌ لا يَفوتُهُم

في أداءِ القولِ تِبْيانُ

في أداءِ القولِ تِبْيانُ

Orators who never lack

Orators who overlook no eloquence

clarity in the delivery of speech.

In clear speech delivery

ومُلوكٌ والملوكُ لَهُمْ

ومُلوكٌ والملوكُ لَهُمْ

في امتِثالِ الأمر عُبْدانُ

في امتِثالِ الأمر عُبْدانُ

And kings, to whom kings

And kings whom kings

are slaves in carrying out commands.

Obey in carrying out commands

يَحسدُ الدَّأمأءُ أيْديَهم

يَحسدُ الدَّأمأءُ أيْديَهم

ونسيمُ الليلِ شفَّانُ

ونسيمُ الليلِ شفَّانُ

The sea envies their hands,

The cup of life envies their hands

while the night breeze is bitterly cold.

And the night breeze is infatuated

كرضيِّ الدينِ يَحْسدُهُ

كرضيِّ الدينِ يَحْسدُهُ

في نَداهُ الغَمْرِ تَهْتانُ

في نَداهُ الغَمْرِ تَهْتانُ

Like Raḍī al-Dīn, who is envied

Like pleasure of religion it envies him

for his abundant bounty by pouring rain.

Plunged in seas of bounty drowning

واهبُ الدُّنيا بمُعْذرةٍ

واهبُ الدُّنيا بمُعْذرةٍ

حيثُ مُعْطى النَّزْرِ مَنَّانُ

حيثُ مُعْطى النَّزْرِ مَنَّانُ

He gives away the world with an apology,

Bestower of the world apologetically

whereas the giver of a pittance vaunts his favors.

Where giving a pittance seems obliging

نائمٌ عن كل مُخْزيةٍ

نائمٌ عن كل مُخْزيةٍ

وهو في العلياء يَقظان

وهو في العلياء يَقظان

Asleep to every shameful deed,

Asleep to all dishonor

yet wide awake to lofty glory.

While awake in the highest heaven

غَيثُ جَدْبٍ وهو جَذْلانُ

غَيثُ جَدْبٍ وهو جَذْلانُ

ليثُ حربٍ وهو غَضبانُ

ليثُ حربٍ وهو غَضبانُ

A drought’s saving rain when joyful,

A rain for drought and yet a torrent

a lion in war when angry.

A lion in war and raging

كرمٌ ما شابَ رَيِّقَهُ

كرمٌ ما شابَ رَيِّقَهُ

لأولي الحاجاتِ ليَّانُ

لأولي الحاجاتِ ليَّانُ

Generosity whose pure essence has never been marred

A generosity whose spring was never muddied

by putting off those in need.

Toward the needy soft and shining