أَلَم تَرَ طَيئاً وَبَني كِلابٍ

أَلَم تَرَ طَيئاً وَبَني كِلابٍ

سَمَوا لِبِلادِ غَزَّةَ وَالعَريشِ

سَمَوا لِبِلادِ غَزَّةَ وَالعَريشِ

Have you not seen Tayyiʾ and the sons of Kilab

Have you not seen the Tayy and the sons of wild dogs

advance toward the lands of Gaza and al-Arish?

They have set out for Gaza and Al Arish

وَلَو قَدِروا عَلى الطَيرِ الغَوادي

وَلَو قَدِروا عَلى الطَيرِ الغَوادي

لَما نَهَضَت إِلى وِكرٍ بِريشِ

لَما نَهَضَت إِلى وِكرٍ بِريشِ

And had they power over the birds that go forth at dawn,

If only they had power over the birds in the wilderness

not one would rise to a nest with feathers.

None would have risen to its nest with feather

إِذا آتاكَ هَذا الدَهرُ مُلكاً

إِذا آتاكَ هَذا الدَهرُ مُلكاً

فَما لَكَ مِن أَقَذّ وَلا مَريشِ

فَما لَكَ مِن أَقَذّ وَلا مَريشِ

If this age grants you kingship,

If this life gives you sovereignty at any time

then you have neither an unfletched arrow nor a fletched one.

You have neither a pillow of down nor an elevated seat

يُجَوِّزُ كَونَ راعي الضَأنِ قَيلاً

يُجَوِّزُ كَونَ راعي الضَأنِ قَيلاً

وَأَن تُدعى الخِلافَةُ في الحَريشِ

وَأَن تُدعى الخِلافَةُ في الحَريشِ

It allows a shepherd of sheep to be a king,

It makes proper the being of a shepherd for an instant

and the caliphate to be claimed among al-Harish.

And that the Caliphate be claimed in the precinct