فَإِن تَفخَر بِنا فَلَرُبَّ قَومٍ

فَإِن تَفخَر بِنا فَلَرُبَّ قَومٍ

رَفَعنا جَدَّهُم بَعدَ السَفالِ

رَفَعنا جَدَّهُم بَعدَ السَفالِ

So if you boast of us, many a people

If you take pride in us, then many a tribe

have we raised in fortune after abasement.

We have raised their glory after abasement

دَنَوا مِن فيإِنا أَو كانَ فينا

دَنَوا مِن فيإِنا أَو كانَ فينا

لَهُم ضَخمُ الدَسيعَةِ في الحِبالِ

لَهُم ضَخمُ الدَسيعَةِ في الحِبالِ

They drew near our shade, or had among us

They drew near to us or if they had in them

a man of lavish bounty, linked to them by bonds.

Stout warriors wielding ropes in combat

وَما في الناسِ مِن أَحَدٍ يُساوي

وَما في الناسِ مِن أَحَدٍ يُساوي

زُرارَةُ أَو يَنالُ بَني عِقالِ

زُرارَةُ أَو يَنالُ بَني عِقالِ

And among people there is no one who equals

And of mankind there is none can match

Zurārah, or can match the sons of ʿIqāl.

Zurara or attain the sons of Iqal

فَإِيُّكُمُ بَني كَعبٍ إِذا ما

فَإِيُّكُمُ بَني كَعبٍ إِذا ما

مَدَدنا الحَبلَ يَصبِرُ لِلنِضالِ

مَدَدنا الحَبلَ يَصبِرُ لِلنِضالِ

So which of you, sons of Kaʿb, when

So which of you, O sons of Kaab will when

we stretch the rope, can stand firm in the contest?

We extend the rope show patience in strife

أَجَعدِيٌّ أَسَكُّ مِنَ المَخازي

أَجَعدِيٌّ أَسَكُّ مِنَ المَخازي

أَمِ العَجلانُ زائِدَةُ الرِئالِ

أَمِ العَجلانُ زائِدَةُ الرِئالِ

Is it a Jaʿdī, earless from disgrace,

A crook-nosed bargainer, more worthless than whey

or al-ʿAjlān, the extra one among the ostrich chicks?

Or camels bleating with trailing litters

أَلَم تَرَني قَشَرتُ بَني قُشَيرٍ

أَلَم تَرَني قَشَرتُ بَني قُشَيرٍ

كَقِشرِ عَصا المُنَقِّحِ مِن مُعالِ

كَقِشرِ عَصا المُنَقِّحِ مِن مُعالِ

Have you not seen me strip the sons of Qushayr bare,

Did you not see me strip the sons of Qushayr

as a trimmer strips a staff from Muʿāl?

Like stripping a peeled wand of withies

وَما شَيءٌ بِأَضيَعَ مِن قُشَيرٍ

وَما شَيءٌ بِأَضيَعَ مِن قُشَيرٍ

وَلا ضَأنٌ تَريعُ إِلى خَيالِ

وَلا ضَأنٌ تَريعُ إِلى خَيالِ

And nothing is more forlorn than Qushayr,

Naught is more lost than Qushayr nor sheep

not even sheep that turn back toward a scarecrow.

That graze on a phantom or mere semblance

تَراهُم حَولَ خَيرَةَ مِن يَتيمٍ

تَراهُم حَولَ خَيرَةَ مِن يَتيمٍ

وَأَرمَلَةٍ تَموتُ مِنَ الهُزالِ

وَأَرمَلَةٍ تَموتُ مِنَ الهُزالِ

You see them around Khayrah—orphans

You see them gathered round some orphan's spoils

and widows dying of emaciation.

And widow who is dying of emaciation

وَقَد تَحظى اللَئيمَةُ بَعدَ فَقرٍ

وَقَد تَحظى اللَئيمَةُ بَعدَ فَقرٍ

وَتُعطى الرِزقَ مِن وَلَدٍ وَمالِ

وَتُعطى الرِزقَ مِن وَلَدٍ وَمالِ

And a lowborn woman may find favor after poverty,

The wicked woman, after poverty, attains

and be granted the bounty of children and wealth.

Sustenance, from a child and wealth