غَنِيٌّ تَآوى بِأَولادِها

غَنِيٌّ تَآوى بِأَولادِها

لِتُهلِكَ جِذمَ تَميمِ بنِ مُر

لِتُهلِكَ جِذمَ تَميمِ بنِ مُر

Ghani has banded together with her offspring

The rich complain about their children

to destroy the stock of Tamim ibn Murr.

To destroy the lineage of Tameem ibn Murr

وَخِندَفُ أَقرِب بِأَنسابِهِم

وَخِندَفُ أَقرِب بِأَنسابِهِم

وَلَكِنَّنا أَهلُ بيتٍ كُثُر

وَلَكِنَّنا أَهلُ بيتٍ كُثُر

And Khindaf—how close their lineages are!

And Khindif is closer in lineage to them

But we are a numerous household.

But we are a numerous household

فَإِن تَصِلونا نُواصِلكُمُ

فَإِن تَصِلونا نُواصِلكُمُ

وَإِن تَصرِمونا فَإِنّا صُبُر

وَإِن تَصرِمونا فَإِنّا صُبُر

So if you keep ties with us, we shall keep ties with you;

If you befriend us, we'll befriend you

and if you cut us off, we are patient.

And if you reject us, we have patience

لَقَد عَلِمَت أَسَدٌ أَنَّنا

لَقَد عَلِمَت أَسَدٌ أَنَّنا

لَهُم نُصُرٌ وَلَنِعمَ النُصُر

لَهُم نُصُرٌ وَلَنِعمَ النُصُر

Asad has surely learned that we

The lion knows well that we

are their helpers—and excellent helpers indeed.

Have help for them - what great help!

فَكَيفَ وَجَدتُم وَقَد ذُقتُمُ

فَكَيفَ وَجَدتُم وَقَد ذُقتُمُ

رَغيغَتَكُم بينَ حُلوٍ وَمُرّ

رَغيغَتَكُم بينَ حُلوٍ وَمُرّ

So how did you find it, having tasted

So how did you find when you tasted

your milk gruel, between sweet and bitter?

Your muddled state of sweet and bitter?

بِكُلِّ مَكانٍ تَرى شَطبَةً

بِكُلِّ مَكانٍ تَرى شَطبَةً

مُوَلِّيَةً رَبَّها مُسبَطِرّ

مُوَلِّيَةً رَبَّها مُسبَطِرّ

Everywhere you see a long, slender mare,

In every place you see a palm trunk

turning away, her master stretched out flat;

Prostrating to its Lord, flattened

وَأُذنٌ لَها حَشرَةٌ مَشرَةٌ

وَأُذنٌ لَها حَشرَةٌ مَشرَةٌ

كَإِعليطِ مَرخٍ إِذا ما صَفِر

كَإِعليطِ مَرخٍ إِذا ما صَفِر

and she has a fine-pointed, slender ear,

With ears like the flapping wings

like a marakh seedpod when emptied.

Of a yellow cockroach when it buzzes

وَقَتلى كَمِثلِ جُذوعِ النَخيلِ

وَقَتلى كَمِثلِ جُذوعِ النَخيلِ

تَغَشّاهُمُ مُسبِلٌ مُنهَمِر

تَغَشّاهُمُ مُسبِلٌ مُنهَمِر

And slain men like the trunks of palms,

And bodies like palm tree trunks

covered by pouring, torrential rain;

Drenched by pouring rain

وَأَحمَرَ جَعداً عَليهِ النُسورُ

وَأَحمَرَ جَعداً عَليهِ النُسورُ

وَفي ضِبنِهِ ثَعلَبٌ مُنكَسِر

وَفي ضِبنِهِ ثَعلَبٌ مُنكَسِر

and a ruddy, curly-haired man with vultures upon him,

The vultures turned his blond hair red

and a broken spear-shaft in his flank;

And in his spine a fox snapped

وَفي صَدرِهِ مِثلُ جيبِ الفَتا

وَفي صَدرِهِ مِثلُ جيبِ الفَتا

ةِ تَشهَقُ حيناً وَحيناً تَهِرّ

ةِ تَشهَقُ حيناً وَحيناً تَهِرّ

and in his chest a wound like a maiden's neckline,

And in his chest like a pocket

gasping at times, and at times growling.

Gasping and growling at times

وَإِنّا وَإِخوانَنا عامِراً

وَإِنّا وَإِخوانَنا عامِراً

عَلى مِثلِ ما بينَنا نَأتَمِر

عَلى مِثلِ ما بينَنا نَأتَمِر

And we and our brothers, Amir,

We and our brothers fully agree

take counsel over matters such as those between us.

On what's between us we concur

لَنا صَرخَةٌ ثُمَّ إِسكاتَةٌ

لَنا صَرخَةٌ ثُمَّ إِسكاتَةٌ

كَما طَرَّقَت بِنَفاسٍ بِكِر

كَما طَرَّقَت بِنَفاسٍ بِكِر

We have a cry, then a spell of silence,

We have a cry then silence

like a first-time mother laboring in childbirth.

Like a virgin camel's first bellow

نَحُلُّ الدِيارَ وَراءَ الدِيارِ

نَحُلُّ الدِيارَ وَراءَ الدِيارِ

ثُمَّ نُجَعجِعُ فيها الجُزُر

ثُمَّ نُجَعجِعُ فيها الجُزُر

We settle in encampment beyond encampment,

We abandon home beyond home

then make the camels for slaughter kneel there.

Then clamor in it like locusts