إلا لله در الحي كعب

إلا لله در الحي كعب

ذوي العدد المضاعف والخيول

ذوي العدد المضاعف والخيول

Ah, what a fine tribe is Kaʿb,

None but Allah be praised who gave Ka'b,

with their multiplied numbers and their horses!

The clan of many horsemen, and steeds;

أما فيهم كريم مثل نصر

أما فيهم كريم مثل نصر

يورع عنهم سنن الفحول

يورع عنهم سنن الفحول

Is there not among them a noble man like Naṣr

Among them no noble like Nasr

to ward off the stallions’ onrush from them?

From whom the ways of heroes recoil.

تنوخهم نمير كل يوم

تنوخهم نمير كل يوم

كفعل أخي العزازة بالذليل

كفعل أخي العزازة بالذليل

Numayr brings them to their knees each day,

The vultures tear them every day,

as a man of might treats the lowly.

As my brother 'Azzah did the weaklings;

وليسوا مثل عشرهم ولكن

وليسوا مثل عشرهم ولكن

يضيع القوم من قبل العقول

يضيع القوم من قبل العقول

And they are not even a tenth of their number, yet

Not like ten of their number they are;

a people is undone by its own judgment.

But peoples are destroyed for lack of sense.

فأين فوارس السلمات منهم

فأين فوارس السلمات منهم

وجعدة والحريش ذوو الفضول

وجعدة والحريش ذوو الفضول

So where among them are the horsemen of al-Salamāt,

So where are the horsemen of Salamah now?

and Jaʿda and al-Ḥarīsh, men of distinction?

Or Jadhimah and Harith, men of merit?

وأين عبادة الخشناء منهم

وأين عبادة الخشناء منهم

إذا ما ضاق مطلع السبيل

إذا ما ضاق مطلع السبيل

And where among them is rugged ʿUbāda,

Where is 'Abbad of Khushan among them

when the ascent along the path grows narrow?

When the ascent narrows at the pass?