جَلبْنا الخيلَ مُشْرفةَ الهَوادي

جَلبْنا الخيلَ مُشْرفةَ الهَوادي

تُهدِّمُ من حَوافِرها الإِكاما

تُهدِّمُ من حَوافِرها الإِكاما

We brought the horses, their necks held high,

We brought the horses, overlooking the valleys,

leveling the hillocks with their hooves,

Their hooves demolishing the dunes.

بأعْشاشٍ وبِسْطامُ بنُ قَيْسٍ

بأعْشاشٍ وبِسْطامُ بنُ قَيْسٍ

يرى الإِحجامَ دون النَّصْرِ ذاما

يرى الإِحجامَ دون النَّصْرِ ذاما

at Aʿshash, while Bistam ibn Qays

With the tents of Bani Qais,

deems holding back short of victory a disgrace.

Who see retreating as a disgrace.

فأوْرَدْن الصَّوارِمَ والعَوالي

فأوْرَدْن الصَّوارِمَ والعَوالي

نُحوراً منْ رجالِهُمُ وهاما

نُحوراً منْ رجالِهُمُ وهاما

So they brought the keen swords and long spears to drink

So we unleashed the swords and the brave ones,

at the throats and heads of their men.

Slaying their men left and right.

ونحنُ لآسِرونَ بذاتِ كهْفٍ

ونحنُ لآسِرونَ بذاتِ كهْفٍ

أبا قابوسَ إذْ يبْغي الذِّماما

أبا قابوسَ إذْ يبْغي الذِّماما

And at Dhat Kahf we indeed took captive

We are the captors in the cave of Dhat Kahf,

Abu Qabus, when he sought protection.

When Abū Qābūs wants to fight.

ضَربنا جيْشهُ ضَرْباً طِلَخْفاً

ضَربنا جيْشهُ ضَرْباً طِلَخْفاً

يُبيدُ الذِّمْرَ والسَّيف الحُساما

يُبيدُ الذِّمْرَ والسَّيف الحُساما

We struck his army with a crushing blow

We struck their army a perfect blow,

that destroys the brave warrior and the keen-edged sword.

That destroys the armor and sharp swords.

تركْنا المُنْذِر المرهوب خَوْداً

تركْنا المُنْذِر المرهوب خَوْداً

تَسُحُّ الدَّمْعَ منْ وَلَهٍ سِجاما

تَسُحُّ الدَّمْعَ منْ وَلَهٍ سِجاما

We left the dreaded al-Mundhir a tender maiden,

We left al-Munđir terrified and humiliated,

pouring torrents of tears in anguish.

With tears streaming down his cheek.

فأيُّ مَقامِ مجْدٍ لم تَنَلْهُ

فأيُّ مَقامِ مجْدٍ لم تَنَلْهُ

أوائلُنا ونُتْبِعُهُ مَقاما

أوائلُنا ونُتْبِعُهُ مَقاما

What station of glory has not been attained

What glorious stand did our forefathers not take,

by our forebears, as we follow it with another?

Which we then followed?

ومِنَّا بعدَ هامِدِنا وَزيرٌ

ومِنَّا بعدَ هامِدِنا وَزيرٌ

مُلوكُ الأرضِ تخْدِمُهُ قِياما

مُلوكُ الأرضِ تخْدِمُهُ قِياما

And among us, after our departed one, is a vizier

And after our deceased leader, we have a minister,

whom the kings of the earth serve, standing in attendance.

Whom the kings of earth serve.

إذا لَثَموا أنامِلَ راحتَيْهِ

إذا لَثَموا أنامِلَ راحتَيْهِ

غَدَتْ قُبَلُ البَنانِ لهُمْ عِصاما

غَدَتْ قُبَلُ البَنانِ لهُمْ عِصاما

When they kiss the fingertips of his hands,

If they touch the palms of his hands,

those kisses upon his fingers become their protective bond.

The peaks of the mountains become straw to them.

وإِنْ نَظَروا مُحَيَّاهُ أرَمُّوا

وإِنْ نَظَروا مُحَيَّاهُ أرَمُّوا

فأغْضوا منه واختصروا الكَلاما

فأغْضوا منه واختصروا الكَلاما

And if they look upon his face, they fall silent,

And if they look at his face, they shy away,

then lower their gaze before him and shorten their speech.

So they look away from him and cut short the speech.

كأنهمُ بُغاثٌ تحتَ بازٍ

كأنهمُ بُغاثٌ تحتَ بازٍ

يُريهِمْ منْ تَجَلِّيهِ الحِماما

يُريهِمْ منْ تَجَلِّيهِ الحِماما

As though they were weak birds beneath a hawk,

As if they were partridges under a falcon

whose very appearance shows them death.

That shows them some of its diving.

لَبيقُ العِطْفِ أبْلَجُ خِندفيٌّ

لَبيقُ العِطْفِ أبْلَجُ خِندفيٌّ

يرى مَنْع القِرى بَسْلاً حَراما

يرى مَنْع القِرى بَسْلاً حَراما

Graceful of bearing, radiant-faced, a Khindifi,

The frankness of a smiling Khandaf,

he deems withholding hospitality utterly forbidden.

Who sees the protection of homes as unlawful.

يكونُ الزَّعزعُ الهوجاءُ عزْماً

يكونُ الزَّعزعُ الهوجاءُ عزْماً

وعند الحِلْم رَضْوى أو شَماما

وعند الحِلْم رَضْوى أو شَماما

In resolve, he is a fierce, raging gale,

Arrogance becomes determination with him

and in forbearance, Radwa or Shamam.

And with wisdom, pleasure or high-mindedness.

ويغدو شَمْألاً لَطُفتْ نَسيماً

ويغدو شَمْألاً لَطُفتْ نَسيماً

ولكن نَقْعُهُ نَقْعُ النُّعامى

ولكن نَقْعُهُ نَقْعُ النُّعامى

And he becomes a north wind, softened to a breeze,

In the morning, he is easy going like a gentle breeze,

yet his moisture is that of the south wind.

But his determination is like that of ostriches.

وتعتْكرُ الدُّجى ليلاً وحَظّاً

وتعتْكرُ الدُّجى ليلاً وحَظّاً

فيجْلوها نَوالاً وابْتِساما

فيجْلوها نَوالاً وابْتِساما

And darkness thickens, in night and in fortune,

The darkness of night aggrieves him,

so he dispels it with bounty and a smile.

So he unveils it with gifts and a smile.

ويُمْسي ديمَةً يَهْمي إذا ما

ويُمْسي ديمَةً يَهْمي إذا ما

سَحابَتُنا غَدَتْ قَزَعاً جَهاما

سَحابَتُنا غَدَتْ قَزَعاً جَهاما

And he becomes a steady rain, pouring down whenever

And he spends the evening frowning if

our cloud turns to scattered, rainless wisps.

Our clouds turn into attacking warriors.

وتَلْقى منهُ فرْداً في المَعالي

وتَلْقى منهُ فرْداً في المَعالي

وجيْشاً في حَفيظَتِهِ لُهاما

وجيْشاً في حَفيظَتِهِ لُهاما

And in him you find one peerless in lofty deeds,

He encounters in the high ranks

and a vast army in his protective wrath.

An individual and an army in his protectorate.

إذا تاجُ المُلوكِ سَعى لأمْرٍ

إذا تاجُ المُلوكِ سَعى لأمْرٍ

فما هو بالمَليمِ ولا ألاما

فما هو بالمَليمِ ولا ألاما

When the Crown of Kings sets about a task,

When the crown of kings strives for something,

he is not blameworthy, nor does he incur blame.

He is neither weakling nor painful.

يخافُ اللّهَ في حِفْظِ الرَّعايا

يخافُ اللّهَ في حِفْظِ الرَّعايا

وينْصَحُ في أمانَتِهِ الإِماما

وينْصَحُ في أمانَتِهِ الإِماما

He fears God in safeguarding the subjects,

He fears Allah in taking care of the subjects,

and sincerely counsels the Imam in his entrusted duty.

And he is loyal in his imamate.

ويَعْبَقُ ذِكرهُ في كلِّ نادٍ

ويَعْبَقُ ذِكرهُ في كلِّ نادٍ

كأنَّ حَديثَهُ نَشْرُ الخُزاما

كأنَّ حَديثَهُ نَشْرُ الخُزاما

And his renown perfumes every gathering,

The mention of him spreads in every club,

as though talk of him were the fragrance of lavender.

As if his talk is the spreading of perfume.

وتَقْصُرُ مِدْحَةُ المُدَّاحِ عنه

وتَقْصُرُ مِدْحَةُ المُدَّاحِ عنه

فلمْ يبلُغْ بَليغُهُمُ التَّماما

فلمْ يبلُغْ بَليغُهُمُ التَّماما

And the panegyrists' praise falls short of him,

The praise of the praiser falls short of him,

so their eloquent speaker has not praised him fully.

For none of them perfected the praise.

ولو علِموا سَرائرَهُ كَعِلْمي

ولو علِموا سَرائرَهُ كَعِلْمي

غَدا كُلٌّ كَمثْلي مُسْتهَاما

غَدا كُلٌّ كَمثْلي مُسْتهَاما

And if they knew his inner secrets as I do,

If they knew his secrets like I know them,

each would become as love-struck as I am.

Each would become amazed like me.