نَحنُwe الكِرامُthe noble ones فَلاso no حَيّclan يُعادِلُناequals us
نَحنُ الكِرامُ فَلا حَيّ يُعادِلُنا
مِنّاfrom among us المُلوكُthe kings وَفيناand among us تُنصَبُare erected البِيَعُchurches
مِنّا المُلوكُ وَفينا تُنصَبُ البِيَعُ
We are the noble ones; no clan is our equal.
Kings come from us, and among us churches are raised.
وَكَمand how many قَسَرناwe subdued مِنَfrom among الأَحياءِthe clans كُلِّهِمall of them
وَكَم قَسَرنا مِنَ الأَحياءِ كُلِّهِم
عِندَduring النِهابِplundering وَفضلُand preeminence العِزِmight يُتَّبَعُis pursued
عِندَ النِهابِ وَفضلُ العِزِ يُتَّبَعُ
How many clans, among them all, have we subdued
during plundering, while preeminence in might is pursued!
وَنَحنُand we يُطعَمُis eaten عِندَduring القَحطِdrought مَطعَمُناour fare
وَنَحنُ يُطعَمُ عِندَ القَحطِ مَطعَمُنا
مِنَof الشِواءِroast meat إِذاwhen لَمnot يُونسِis seen القَزَعُscattered clouds
مِنَ الشِواءِ إِذا لَم يُونسِ القَزَعُ
And ours is the fare eaten in times of drought—
roast meat, when no scattered clouds are seen.
بِماbecause of what تَرىsee الناسُthe people تَأتِيناcome to us سُراتُهُمُtheir nobles
بِما تَرى الناسُ تَأتِينا سُراتُهُمُ
مِنfrom كُلِevery أَرضٍland هَويّاًhastening ثُمَthen تَصطَنِعُcultivate goodwill
مِن كُلِ أَرضٍ هَويّاً ثُمَ تَصطَنِعُ
Because of what people see, their nobles come to us
from every land, hastening, then cultivating our friendship.
فَنَنحَرُso we slaughter الكومhigh-humped she-camels عَبطاًwhile healthy فيamong أَرومَتِناour clan
فَنَنحَرُ الكوم عَبطاً في أَرومَتِنا
لِلنازِلينَfor the guests إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle أُنزِلواthey were lodged شَبِعواthey ate their fill
لِلنازِلينَ إِذا ما أُنزِلوا شَبِعوا
So we slaughter high-humped she-camels, still healthy, among our kin,
for guests who, once lodged, eat their fill.
فَلاso not تَراناyou see us إِلtoward حَيٍّa clan نُفاخِرُهُمwe vie with them in pride
فَلا تَرانا إِل حَيٍّ نُفاخِرُهُم
إِلّاexcept that اِستَفادواthey gained فَكانواand so they became الرَأسَthe head يُقتَطَعُis cut off
إِلّا اِستَفادوا فَكانوا الرَأسَ يُقتَطَعُ
You never see us face a clan in a contest of pride
but their gain is to become a head cut off.
فَمَنso whoever يُفاخِرُناvies with us in pride فيin ذاكَthat نَعرِفُهُwe know him
فَمَن يُفاخِرُنا في ذاكَ نَعرِفُهُ
فَيُرجِعَthen he sends back القَومَthe people وَالأَخبارُand the reports تُستَمَعُare heard
فَيُرجِعَ القَومَ وَالأَخبارُ تُستَمَعُ
So whoever vies with us in this, we shall know him;
then he sends the people back, while reports are heard.
إِنّاindeed we أَبَيناhave refused وَلَمand did not يَأبىrefuse لَناto us أَحَدٌanyone
إِنّا أَبَينا وَلَم يَأبى لَنا أَحَدٌ
إِنّاindeed we كَذَلِكَthus عِندَduring الفَخرِboasting نَرتَفِعُrise high
إِنّا كَذَلِكَ عِندَ الفَخرِ نَرتَفِعُ
We have refused to yield, and no one has defied us;
indeed, thus we rise high in contests of pride.
تِلكَthose المَكارِمُnoble honors حُزناهاwe won them مُقارَعَةًthrough rivalry
تِلكَ المَكارِمُ حُزناها مُقارَعَةً
إِذاwhen الكِرامُthe noble ones عَلىfor أَمثالِهاtheir like اِقتَرَعواthey cast lots
إِذا الكِرامُ عَلى أَمثالِها اِقتَرَعوا
Those noble honors we won through rivalry,
when noble men cast lots for their like.
Sol 6.1