إِذا قَنِعَ الفَتى بِذَميمِ عَيشٍ

إِذا قَنِعَ الفَتى بِذَميمِ عَيشٍ

وَكانَ وَراءَ سَجفٍ كَالبَناتِ

وَكانَ وَراءَ سَجفٍ كَالبَناتِ

If a young man is content with an ignoble life,

If a young man is content with a squalid life

And lives behind a curtain like the girls,

And resides behind walls like maidens

وَلَم يَهجِم عَلى أُسدِ المَناي

وَلَم يَهجِم عَلى أُسدِ المَناي

وَلَم يَطعَن صُدورَ الصافِناتِ

وَلَم يَطعَن صُدورَ الصافِناتِ

And does not charge the lions of death,

And does not attack the lion of death

And does not spear the breasts of poised steeds,

And does not stab the chests of horsemen

وَلَم يَقرِ الضُيوفَ إِذا أَتَوهُ

وَلَم يَقرِ الضُيوفَ إِذا أَتَوهُ

وَلَم يُروِ السُيوفَ مِنَ الكُماةِ

وَلَم يُروِ السُيوفَ مِنَ الكُماةِ

And does not entertain guests when they come to him,

And does not host guests when they visit him

And does not slake the swords with warriors' blood,

And does not quench swords from the scabbards

وَلَم يَبلُغ بِضَربِ الهامِ مَجداً

وَلَم يَبلُغ بِضَربِ الهامِ مَجداً

وَلَم يَكُ صابِراً في النائِباتِ

وَلَم يَكُ صابِراً في النائِباتِ

And does not win glory by striking heads,

And does not achieve glory by striking the neck

And is not steadfast in calamities,

And is not patient in calamities

فَقُل لِلناعِياتِ إِذا نَعَتهُ

فَقُل لِلناعِياتِ إِذا نَعَتهُ

أَلا فَاِقصِرنَ نَدبَ النادِباتِ

أَلا فَاِقصِرنَ نَدبَ النادِباتِ

Then tell the mourning women, when they announce his death:

Then say to the wailing women when they mourn him

Take heed: cut short the mourning women's lament,

Do not prolong your wailing and crying over him

وَلا تَندُبنَ إِلّا لَيثَ غابٍ

وَلا تَندُبنَ إِلّا لَيثَ غابٍ

شُجاعاً في الحُروبِ الثائِراتِ

شُجاعاً في الحُروبِ الثائِراتِ

And mourn none but a lion of the forest,

Only mourn a vanished valiant lion

Brave in raging wars.

Brave in raging wars

دَعوني في القِتالِ أَمُت عَزيزاً

دَعوني في القِتالِ أَمُت عَزيزاً

فَمَوتُ العِزِّ خَيرٌ مِن حَياةِ

فَمَوتُ العِزِّ خَيرٌ مِن حَياةِ

Let me die with honor in battle;

Let me die honored in battle

For an honorable death is better than life.

For honorable death is better than life

لَعَمري ما الفَخارُ بِكَسبِ مالٍ

لَعَمري ما الفَخارُ بِكَسبِ مالٍ

وَلا يُدعى الغَنِيُّ مِنَ السَراةِ

وَلا يُدعى الغَنِيُّ مِنَ السَراةِ

By my life, glory does not lie in gaining wealth,

By my life, pride is not earned by gaining money

Nor is the rich man counted among the noble.

Nor is the wealthy called noble

سَتَذكُرُني المَعامِعُ كُلَّ وَقتٍ

سَتَذكُرُني المَعامِعُ كُلَّ وَقتٍ

عَلى طولِ الحَياةِ إِلى المَماتِ

عَلى طولِ الحَياةِ إِلى المَماتِ

The raging battles will remember me at all times,

Adventures will remember me at all times

Throughout life, until death.

Throughout life until death

فَذاكَ الذِكرُ يَبقى لَيسَ يَفنى

فَذاكَ الذِكرُ يَبقى لَيسَ يَفنى

مَدى الأَيّامِ في ماضٍ وَآتي

مَدى الأَيّامِ في ماضٍ وَآتي

For that remembrance endures; it does not perish,

That remembrance remains, it never perishes

Through the span of days, past and yet to come.

Over days, past and future

وَإِنّي اليَومَ أَحمي عِرضَ قَومي

وَإِنّي اليَومَ أَحمي عِرضَ قَومي

وَأَنصُرُ آلَ عَبسَ عَلى العُداةِ

وَأَنصُرُ آلَ عَبسَ عَلى العُداةِ

And indeed today I defend my people's honor,

Today I protect my people's honor

And aid the clan of ʿAbs against their foes,

And help the clan of Abs against enemies

وَآخُذُ مالَنا مِنهُم بِحَربٍ

وَآخُذُ مالَنا مِنهُم بِحَربٍ

تَخِرُّ لَها مُتونُ الراسِياتِ

تَخِرُّ لَها مُتونُ الراسِياتِ

And reclaim our wealth from them through a war

And take our money from them by war

Before which the ridges of steadfast mountains collapse.

That shakes the foundations of firm mountains

وَأَترُكُ كُلَّ نائِحَةٍ تُنادي

وَأَترُكُ كُلَّ نائِحَةٍ تُنادي

عَلَيهِم بِالتَفَرُّقِ وَالشَتاتِ

عَلَيهِم بِالتَفَرُّقِ وَالشَتاتِ

And leave every wailing woman crying out

And I leave every wailing woman crying over them

Over them, lamenting their separation and dispersal.

Of separation and diaspora