إِذا جَحَدَ الجَميلَ بَنو قُرادٍ

إِذا جَحَدَ الجَميلَ بَنو قُرادٍ

وَجازى بِالقَبيحِ بَنو زِيادِ

وَجازى بِالقَبيحِ بَنو زِيادِ

If the sons of Qurad deny a kindness,

If the sons of Qurad refuse to acknowledge kindness,

and the sons of Ziyad repay it with vileness,

and the sons of Ziyad repay it with wrongdoing,

فَهُم ساداتُ عَبسٍ أَينَ حَلّوا

فَهُم ساداتُ عَبسٍ أَينَ حَلّوا

كَما زَعَموا وَفُرسانُ البِلادِ

كَما زَعَموا وَفُرسانُ البِلادِ

then they are the lords of ʿAbs wherever they settle,

then they are the lords of Abs wherever they dwell,

as they claim—and the horsemen of the land.

as they claim, and the horsemen of the land.

وَلا عَيبٌ عَلَيَّ وَلا مَلامٌ

وَلا عَيبٌ عَلَيَّ وَلا مَلامٌ

إِذا أَصلَحتُ حالي بِالفَسادِ

إِذا أَصلَحتُ حالي بِالفَسادِ

No fault attaches to me, nor any blame,

And no fault is mine, nor any blame,

if I set my fortunes right through devastation.

if I set my affairs right through wrongdoing.

فَإِنَّ النارَ تُضرَمُ في جَمادِ

فَإِنَّ النارَ تُضرَمُ في جَمادِ

إِذا ما الصَخرُ كَرَّ عَلى الزِنادِ

إِذا ما الصَخرُ كَرَّ عَلى الزِنادِ

For fire is kindled in lifeless stone

For fire is kindled in lifeless matter

when rock strikes against the firesteel.

when stone strikes against the fire-striker.

وَيُرجى الوَصلُ بَعدَ الهَجرِ حيناً

وَيُرجى الوَصلُ بَعدَ الهَجرِ حيناً

كَما يُرجى الدُنُوُّ مِنَ البِعادِ

كَما يُرجى الدُنُوُّ مِنَ البِعادِ

And union sometimes returns after estrangement,

And reunion is sometimes hoped for after estrangement,

as nearness may be hoped for after distance.

as nearness is hoped for from afar.

حَلُمتُ فَما عَرَفتُم حَقَّ حِلمي

حَلُمتُ فَما عَرَفتُم حَقَّ حِلمي

وَلا ذَكَرَت عَشيرَتُكُم وِدادي

وَلا ذَكَرَت عَشيرَتُكُم وِدادي

I showed forbearance, but you did not acknowledge its due,

I showed forbearance, but you did not give it its due,

nor did your clan remember my affection.

nor did your clan remember my affection.

سَأَجهَلُ بَعدَ هَذا الحِلمِ حَتّى

سَأَجهَلُ بَعدَ هَذا الحِلمِ حَتّى

أُريقُ دَمَ الحَواضِرِ وَالبَوادي

أُريقُ دَمَ الحَواضِرِ وَالبَوادي

After such forbearance I shall rage, until

I shall act rashly after this forbearance, until

I spill the blood of town-dwellers and desert folk;

I shed the blood of townsfolk and desert-dwellers,

وَيَشكو السَيفُ مِن كَفّي مَلالاً

وَيَشكو السَيفُ مِن كَفّي مَلالاً

وَيَسأَمُ عاتِقي حَملَ النِجادِ

وَيَسأَمُ عاتِقي حَملَ النِجادِ

until the sword complains of weariness in my hand,

and the sword complains of weariness at my hand,

and my shoulder tires of carrying the sword-belt.

and my shoulder tires of bearing the baldric.

وَقَد شاهَدتُمُ في يَومِ طَيٍّ

وَقَد شاهَدتُمُ في يَومِ طَيٍّ

فِعالي بِالمُهَنَّدَةِ الحِدادِ

فِعالي بِالمُهَنَّدَةِ الحِدادِ

You witnessed, on the battle-day of Ṭayyiʾ,

And indeed you witnessed, on the day of Tayy,

my deeds with sharp, well-tempered Indian blades.

my deeds with keen Indian-forged swords.

رَدَدتُ الخَيلَ خالِيَةً حَيارى

رَدَدتُ الخَيلَ خالِيَةً حَيارى

وَسُقتُ جِيادَها وَالسَيفُ حادي

وَسُقتُ جِيادَها وَالسَيفُ حادي

I drove the cavalry back, riderless and bewildered,

I drove the horses back, riderless and bewildered,

and herded away their fine steeds, the sword my drover.

and drove their steeds, the sword my drover.

وَلَو أَنَّ السِنانَ لَهُ لِسانٌاً

وَلَو أَنَّ السِنانَ لَهُ لِسانٌاً

حَكى كَم شَكَّ دِرعاً بِالفُؤادِ

حَكى كَم شَكَّ دِرعاً بِالفُؤادِ

Had the spearpoint possessed a tongue,

And if the spearhead had a tongue,

it would tell how many coats of mail it pierced through to the heart.

it would tell how many coats of mail it pierced, heart and all.

وَكَم داعٍ دَعا في الحَربِ بِاِسمي

وَكَم داعٍ دَعا في الحَربِ بِاِسمي

وَناداني فَخُضتُ حَشا المُنادي

وَناداني فَخُضتُ حَشا المُنادي

How many a challenger called my name in battle

And how many a caller called my name in battle,

and summoned me—then I plunged into the caller’s vitals.

and called to me—so I plunged into the caller's entrails.

لَقَد عادَيتَ يا اِبنَ العَمِّ لَيثاً

لَقَد عادَيتَ يا اِبنَ العَمِّ لَيثاً

شُجاعاً لا يَمَلُّ مِنَ الطِرادِ

شُجاعاً لا يَمَلُّ مِنَ الطِرادِ

You have indeed beheld, cousin, a lion—

You have indeed made an enemy of a lion, cousin,

a valiant one who never tires of the chase,

a brave one who never tires of mounted combat.

يَرُدُّ جَوابَهُ قَولاً وَفِعلاً

يَرُدُّ جَوابَهُ قَولاً وَفِعلاً

بِبيضِ الهِندِ وَالسُمرِ الصِعادِ

بِبيضِ الهِندِ وَالسُمرِ الصِعادِ

who gives his answer in word and deed,

He gives his answer in word and deed,

with India’s white blades and tall brown spears.

with India's white blades and straight brown spears.

فَكُن يا عَمروُ مِنهُ عَلى حِذارٍ

فَكُن يا عَمروُ مِنهُ عَلى حِذارٍ

وَلا تَملَأ جُفونَكَ بِالرُقادِ

وَلا تَملَأ جُفونَكَ بِالرُقادِ

So, ʿAmr, beware of him,

So, Amr, be on your guard against him,

and do not fill your eyelids with sleep.

and do not fill your eyelids with sleep.

وَلَولا سَيِّدٌ فينا مُطاعٌ

وَلَولا سَيِّدٌ فينا مُطاعٌ

عَظيمُ القَدرِ مُرتَفِعُ العِمادِ

عَظيمُ القَدرِ مُرتَفِعُ العِمادِ

Were it not for a chief among us, obeyed,

And were it not for a chief among us who is obeyed,

great in rank, his tent-pole raised high,

great in standing, with lofty tent-poles,

أَقَمتُ الحَقَّ بِالهِندِيِّ رَغماً

أَقَمتُ الحَقَّ بِالهِندِيِّ رَغماً

وَأَظهَرتُ الضَلالَ مِنَ الرَشادِ

وَأَظهَرتُ الضَلالَ مِنَ الرَشادِ

I would uphold justice with an Indian blade, by force,

I would have upheld the right with the Indian blade, by force,

and make error plain apart from right guidance.

and made error distinct from right guidance.