أَخالِدُ لَولا الدينُ لَم تُعطَ طاعَةً

أَخالِدُ لَولا الدينُ لَم تُعطَ طاعَةً

وَلَولا بَنو مَروانَ لَم توثِقوا نَصرا

وَلَولا بَنو مَروانَ لَم توثِقوا نَصرا

O Khalid, but for the Faith, no obedience would be given you;

O Khalid, but for religion, you would have been granted no obedience;

and but for the sons of Marwan, you all would never have secured a victory.

and but for the sons of Marwan, you would not have bound Nasr.

إِذاً لَوَجَدتُم دونَ شَدِّ وِثاقَهُ

إِذاً لَوَجَدتُم دونَ شَدِّ وِثاقَهُ

بَني الحَربِ لا كُشفَ اللِقاءِ وَلا ضُجرا

بَني الحَربِ لا كُشفَ اللِقاءِ وَلا ضُجرا

Then, had I not drawn its bonds tight, you would have found

Then, between you and the tightening of his bonds, you would have found

the sons of war neither exposed in the clash nor fainthearted—

sons of war, neither unshielded in combat nor impatient,

مَصاليتَ أَبطالاً إِذا الحَربُ شَمَّرَت

مَصاليتَ أَبطالاً إِذا الحَربُ شَمَّرَت

مَرَوها بِأَطرافِ القَنا دُرَراً غُزرا

مَرَوها بِأَطرافِ القَنا دُرَراً غُزرا

fierce champions, heroes, whenever war tucked up her skirts,

dauntless heroes who, when war girded herself,

who milked her with spearpoints, yielding pearls in copious streams.

milked her with spearpoints, drawing copious streams.

أَلا يا بَني مَروانَ مِثلُ بَلائِنا

أَلا يا بَني مَروانَ مِثلُ بَلائِنا

إِذا لَم يُصِب مَن كانَ يُنعِمُهُ شُكرا

إِذا لَم يُصِب مَن كانَ يُنعِمُهُ شُكرا

Take heed, sons of Marwan: service such as ours,

Listen, O sons of Marwan: service such as ours,

if it wins no gratitude from those it benefits,

if the one who bestowed it receives no thanks,

جَديرٌ لِأَن يُنسى إِذا ما دَعَوتُمُ

جَديرٌ لِأَن يُنسى إِذا ما دَعَوتُمُ

وَيورِثَ في صَدرِ المُعيدِ لَهُ غُمرا

وَيورِثَ في صَدرِ المُعيدِ لَهُ غُمرا

deserves to be forgotten whenever you summon us,

deserves to be forgotten when you call,

and to breed deep rancor in the breast of whoever renders it again.

and to breed rancor in the breast of one who repeats it.

أَفي الحَقِّ أَنّا لا تَزالُ كَتيبَةٌ

أَفي الحَقِّ أَنّا لا تَزالُ كَتيبَةٌ

نِطاعِنُها حَتّى تَدينَ لَكُم قَسرا

نِطاعِنُها حَتّى تَدينَ لَكُم قَسرا

Is it right that there should always be some battalion

Is it right that we are forever faced with a battalion

for us to trade spear-thrusts with until it submits to you by force?

we fight with spears until it submits to you by force?

وَإِلّا تَناهَوا تَخطِرِ الخَيلِ بِالقَنا

وَإِلّا تَناهَوا تَخطِرِ الخَيلِ بِالقَنا

وَنَدعُ تَميماً ثُمَّ لا نَطَّلِب عُذرا

وَنَدعُ تَميماً ثُمَّ لا نَطَّلِب عُذرا

If you do not desist, the horses will prance with lances,

And unless you desist, the horses will prance with spears,

and we shall summon Tamim; then we shall make no excuse

and we will summon Tamim, then seek no pardon

إِلَيكُم وَتَلقونا بَني كُلِّ حُرَّةٍ

إِلَيكُم وَتَلقونا بَني كُلِّ حُرَّةٍ

وَفَت ثُمَّ أَدَّت لا قَليلاً وَلا وَعرا

وَفَت ثُمَّ أَدَّت لا قَليلاً وَلا وَعرا

to you—and you will meet us, sons of every freeborn woman

from you; and you will meet us, sons of every freeborn woman

who carried to term, then bore no puny or ignoble son.

who carried to term, then bore sons neither puny nor churlish.

وَإِنّا لَقَتّالو المُلوكِ إِذا اِغتَدَوا

وَإِنّا لَقَتّالو المُلوكِ إِذا اِغتَدَوا

عَلانِيَةَ الهَيجا وَلا نُحسِنُ العُذرا

عَلانِيَةَ الهَيجا وَلا نُحسِنُ العُذرا

Indeed, we are slayers of kings when they set out at dawn,

And we are indeed slayers of kings when they set out at dawn,

openly into battle; excuses are no skill of ours.

openly into battle; and we are not skilled at making excuses.

لَقَد أَصبَحَ الأَخماسُ يَخشَونَ دَرأَنا

لَقَد أَصبَحَ الأَخماسُ يَخشَونَ دَرأَنا

وَنُمسي وَما نَخشى وَلَو أَجمَعوا أَمرا

وَنُمسي وَما نَخشى وَلَو أَجمَعوا أَمرا

Already the five tribal divisions have come to fear our power to repel,

Indeed, at dawn the five divisions fear our onslaught,

while evening finds us fearing nothing, though they resolve together on a plan.

and at dusk we have no fear, even if they agree on a plan.

أَلا أَيُّهاذا السائِلي عَن أَرومَتي

أَلا أَيُّهاذا السائِلي عَن أَرومَتي

أَجِدَّكَ لَم تَعرِف فَتُبصِرَهُ الفَجرا

أَجِدَّكَ لَم تَعرِف فَتُبصِرَهُ الفَجرا

Now then, you there who ask about my lineage:

Listen, you who ask me about my roots:

do I truly find you ignorant of it? Then behold it at dawn,

Do you truly not know nobility well enough to recognize it

إِذا خَطَرَت حَولي الرَبابُ وَمالُكٌ

إِذا خَطَرَت حَولي الرَبابُ وَمالُكٌ

وَعَمروٌ وَسَعدُ الخَيرِ بِخبِخ بِذا فَخرا

وَعَمروٌ وَسَعدُ الخَيرِ بِخبِخ بِذا فَخرا

when al-Ribab and Malik stride proudly around me,

when al-Rabab and Malik swagger around me,

and ʿAmr and Saʿd al-Khayr—bravo, bravo for such glory!

and Amr and Sa'd al-Khayr? Bravo—what glory in this!