إِن كُنتَ تَخشى ضِلعَ خِندِفَ فَاِنطَلِق

إِن كُنتَ تَخشى ضِلعَ خِندِفَ فَاِنطَلِق

إِلى الصَيدِ مِن أَولادِ عَمروِ بنُ مَرثَدِ

إِلى الصَيدِ مِن أَولادِ عَمروِ بنُ مَرثَدِ

If you fear the two branches of Khindif, then depart—

If you fear Khindif's partiality, then set out

to the noblemen among the descendants of ʿAmr ibn Marthad,

To the proud chiefs among the sons of ʿAmr ibn Marthad,

وَرَهطِ اِبنِ ذي الجَدَّينِ قَيسِ بنِ خالِدٍ

وَرَهطِ اِبنِ ذي الجَدَّينِ قَيسِ بنِ خالِدٍ

إِلى كُلِّ شَدّاخِ الحَمالَةِ سَيِّدِ

إِلى كُلِّ شَدّاخِ الحَمالَةِ سَيِّدِ

and to the clan of Ibn Dhī al-Jaddayn, Qays ibn Khālid—

And the clan of Ibn Dhi al-Jaddayn, Qays ibn Khalid,

to every chief who shoulders and settles the blood-price;

To every lord who crushes the burden of blood-money,

وَرَهطِ أُثالٍ أَو قُتادَةَ عَمِّهِ

وَرَهطِ أُثالٍ أَو قُتادَةَ عَمِّهِ

وَهَوذَةَ في أَعلى البِناءِ المُشَيَّدِ

وَهَوذَةَ في أَعلى البِناءِ المُشَيَّدِ

and to the clan of Uthāl—or Qatādah, his uncle—

And the clan of Uthal, or Qutadah, his paternal uncle,

and Hawdhah, atop the lofty edifice.

And Hawdhah, at the summit of the lofty edifice.

وَإِن تَأتِ عِجلاً مُطرَخِمّاً قَديمُها

وَإِن تَأتِ عِجلاً مُطرَخِمّاً قَديمُها

وَيَشكُرَ في صَعبِ الذُرى المُتَصَعِّدِ

وَيَشكُرَ في صَعبِ الذُرى المُتَصَعِّدِ

And if you come to ʿIjl, whose ancient stock spreads wide,

And if you come to ʿIjl, whose ancient glory towers,

and Yashkur upon the rugged, ever-rising peaks;

And Yashkur, upon rugged, soaring summits,

وَفي التَيمِ تَيمِ اللاتِ بَيتٌ وَجَدتُهُ

وَفي التَيمِ تَيمِ اللاتِ بَيتٌ وَجَدتُهُ

إِلى نَضَدِ البَيتِ الكَريمِ المُمَرَّدِ

إِلى نَضَدِ البَيتِ الكَريمِ المُمَرَّدِ

and among Taym—Taym al-Lāt—I found a house

And in Taym—Taym al-Lat—is a house I found

reaching to the tiered height of the noble, towering house.

Beside the tiers of the noble, smoothly finished house.

هَلُمَّ إِلى الحُكّامِ بَكرِ بنِ وائِلٍ

هَلُمَّ إِلى الحُكّامِ بَكرِ بنِ وائِلٍ

وَلا تَكُ مِثلَ الحائِرِ المُتَرَدِّدِ

وَلا تَكُ مِثلَ الحائِرِ المُتَرَدِّدِ

Come, then, to the arbiters of Bakr ibn Wāʾil,

Come to the arbiters of Bakr ibn Wa'il,

and do not be like the bewildered man who wavers.

And do not be like one bewildered and wavering.

وَإِن شِئتَ حَكَّمنا أُثالاً وَرَهطَهُ

وَإِن شِئتَ حَكَّمنا أُثالاً وَرَهطَهُ

وَإِن شِئتَ حَكَّمنا رَبيعَ بنَ أَسوَدِ

وَإِن شِئتَ حَكَّمنا رَبيعَ بنَ أَسوَدِ

If you wish, we shall appoint Uthāl and his clan as judges;

And if you wish, we will appoint Uthal and his clan as arbiters,

and if you wish, Rabīʿ ibn Aswad.

And if you wish, we will appoint Rabiʿ ibn Aswad.

أُناسٌ لَهُم عادِيَّةٌ يُهتَدى بِها

أُناسٌ لَهُم عادِيَّةٌ يُهتَدى بِها

لَهُم مِرفَدٌ عالٍ عَلى كُلِّ مِرفَدِ

لَهُم مِرفَدٌ عالٍ عَلى كُلِّ مِرفَدِ

Men with an ancestral precedent by which guidance is found,

A people with an ancient tradition by which one is guided;

with a lofty wellspring of aid surpassing every other;

They have a bowl of hospitality raised above every bowl.

لَهُم قَسوَرٌ لَم يَحطِمِ الناسُ رَأسَهُ

لَهُم قَسوَرٌ لَم يَحطِمِ الناسُ رَأسَهُ

أَبو شائِكٍ أَنيابُهُ لَم يُقَيَّدِ

أَبو شائِكٍ أَنيابُهُ لَم يُقَيَّدِ

with a lion whose head no men have crushed—

They have a lion whose head men have never crushed,

a sharp-fanged sire who has never been fettered.

Sire of a sharp-fanged one, never fettered.

بِأَحلامِهِم يُنهى الجَهولُ فَيَنتَهي

بِأَحلامِهِم يُنهى الجَهولُ فَيَنتَهي

وَهُم حُكَماءُ الناسِ لِلمُتَعَمِّدِ

وَهُم حُكَماءُ الناسِ لِلمُتَعَمِّدِ

By their forbearance the fool is restrained, and he desists;

Through their wisdom the fool is checked, and he desists;

they are mankind’s wise arbiters for whoever seeks their judgment.

And they are the people's sages for whoever seeks them out.

يُروكَ بِعَينَيكَ الهُدى إِن رَأَيتَهُ

يُروكَ بِعَينَيكَ الهُدى إِن رَأَيتَهُ

وَلَيسَ كُلَيبِيٌّ لِخَيرٍ بِمُهتَدِ

وَلَيسَ كُلَيبِيٌّ لِخَيرٍ بِمُهتَدِ

They show you guidance before your very eyes, if you can see it;

They show you guidance with your own eyes, if you see it;

yet no Kulaybite is ever guided toward any good.

And no man of Kulayb is guided toward goodness.

فَقالَت لَنا حُكّامُ بَكرِ بنِ وائِلٍ

فَقالَت لَنا حُكّامُ بَكرِ بنِ وائِلٍ

عَلى مَجمَعٍ مِن كُلِّ قَومٍ وَمَشهَدِ

عَلى مَجمَعٍ مِن كُلِّ قَومٍ وَمَشهَدِ

Then Bakr ibn Wāʾil’s arbiters said to us,

Then the arbiters of Bakr ibn Wa'il said to us,

before an assembly from every people, with all as witnesses:

At an assembly and public gathering of every tribe:

كُلَيبٌ لِئامُ الناسِ لا يُنكِرونَهُ

كُلَيبٌ لِئامُ الناسِ لا يُنكِرونَهُ

عَلَيهِم ثِيابُ الذُلِّ مِن كُلِّ مَقعَدِ

عَلَيهِم ثِيابُ الذُلِّ مِن كُلِّ مَقعَدِ

“Kulayb are mankind’s baseborn; they do not deny it;

Kulayb are the base among men; they do not deny it.

garments of humiliation cling to them in every assembly.”

They wear the garments of humiliation wherever they sit.

وَما يَجعَلُ الظِربا إِلى رَهطِ حاجِبٍ

وَما يَجعَلُ الظِربا إِلى رَهطِ حاجِبٍ

وَرَهطِ عِقالِ ذي النَدى بنِ مُحَمَّدِ

وَرَهطِ عِقالِ ذي النَدى بنِ مُحَمَّدِ

What could set the Arabs beside the clan of Ḥājib,

And what can set the polecats beside the clan of Hajib,

and the clan of ʿIqāl the bountiful, son of Muḥammad?

And the clan of generous ʿIqal, son of Muhammad?