نَمى بِكَ مِن فَرعَي رَبيعَةَ لِلعُلى

نَمى بِكَ مِن فَرعَي رَبيعَةَ لِلعُلى

بِحَيثُ يَرُدُّ الطَرفَ لِلعَينِ ناظِرُه

بِحَيثُ يَرُدُّ الطَرفَ لِلعَينِ ناظِرُه

From Rabi‘ah’s two branches, you were raised to glory,

You have been nurtured by the noble branches of Rabee'ah, for glory,

To where the beholder turns his gaze back to his eye.

So that the onlooker's gaze is awed by you.

مَراجيحُ ساداتٌ عِظامٌ جُدودُها

مَراجيحُ ساداتٌ عِظامٌ جُدودُها

وَفيهِم لِأَيّامِ الطِعانِ مَساعِرُه

وَفيهِم لِأَيّامِ الطِعانِ مَساعِرُه

Men of sound judgment, lords with mighty forefathers,

Swings of chiefs, great ancestors,

And among them are the firebrands for days of spear-fighting.

Whose bravery in days of defamation flames.

وَمَن يَطَّلِب مَسعاةَ قَومٍ يَجِد لَهُم

وَمَن يَطَّلِب مَسعاةَ قَومٍ يَجِد لَهُم

شَماريخَ مِن عِزٍّ عِظامٍ مَآثِرُه

شَماريخَ مِن عِزٍّ عِظامٍ مَآثِرُه

And whoever seeks a people’s noble achievements will find they have

And he who seeks the refuge of a people finds for them

Lofty peaks of honor, whose glorious deeds are great.

Landmarks of might and greatness and remarkable feats.

وَجَدتُ القَنا الهِندِيَّ فيكُم طِعانُهُ

وَجَدتُ القَنا الهِندِيَّ فيكُم طِعانُهُ

وَضَربٌ يُدَهدي لِلرُؤوسِ فَوادِرُه

وَضَربٌ يُدَهدي لِلرُؤوسِ فَوادِرُه

I found among you the thrusting of Indian spears,

I found the Indian spear in you slandering,

And blows whose mighty strokes send heads tumbling.

And a blow that makes heads spill their blood.

إِذا ما يَدُ الدِرعُ اِلتَوى ساعِدٌ لَهُ

إِذا ما يَدُ الدِرعُ اِلتَوى ساعِدٌ لَهُ

بِأَسيافِهِم وَالمَوتُ حُمرٌ دَوائِرُه

بِأَسيافِهِم وَالمَوتُ حُمرٌ دَوائِرُه

When his forearm twisted in a coat of mail’s sleeve,

When the coat of mail twists around an arm,

Under their swords, while death’s circles ran red.

With their swords, and death in red circles around it.

رَأَيتُ النِساءَ الساعِياتِ رِماحُنا

رَأَيتُ النِساءَ الساعِياتِ رِماحُنا

مَعاقِلُها إِذ أَسلَمَ الغَوثَ ناصِرُه

مَعاقِلُها إِذ أَسلَمَ الغَوثَ ناصِرُه

I saw the women hastening; our spears

I saw women seeking lances as our strongholds

Were their strongholds when al-Ghawth’s supporter forsook him.

When their supporter surrendered the reinforcements.

إِذا المُضَرانِ الأَكرَمانِ تَلاقَيا

إِذا المُضَرانِ الأَكرَمانِ تَلاقَيا

إِلَيكَ فَقَد أَربى عَلى الناسِ فاخِرُه

إِلَيكَ فَقَد أَربى عَلى الناسِ فاخِرُه

When Mudar’s two noblest branches converge

When the two honored Mudars meet

Toward you, he who boasts of him has indeed surpassed all men.

Towards you, the eminent above all people has thrived.

إِذا خِندِفٌ جاءَت وَقَيسٌ إِذ اِلتَقَت

إِذا خِندِفٌ جاءَت وَقَيسٌ إِذ اِلتَقَت

بِرُكبانِها حَجٌّ مِلاءٌ مَشاعِرُه

بِرُكبانِها حَجٌّ مِلاءٌ مَشاعِرُه

When Khindif comes, and Qays, when they gather

When Khindif comes and Qais meets,

With their riders—a pilgrimage whose sacred stations are full.

Their riding camels fill the plains.

بِحَقِّ اِمرِئٍ لا يَبلُغُ الناسُ قِبصَهُ

بِحَقِّ اِمرِئٍ لا يَبلُغُ الناسُ قِبصَهُ

بَنو البَزَرى مِن قَيسِ عَيلانَ ناصِرُه

بَنو البَزَرى مِن قَيسِ عَيلانَ ناصِرُه

By virtue of a man whose multitude no people can match,

By the right of a man whom people cannot equal,

The sons of al-Bazra, of Qays ‘Aylan, are his supporters.

The clan of Bazraa from Qais Ailan are its supporters.

إِلَيهِم تَناهَت ذِروَةُ المَجدِ وَالحَصى

إِلَيهِم تَناهَت ذِروَةُ المَجدِ وَالحَصى

وَقِبصُ الحَصى إِذ حَصَّلَ القِبصَ خابِرُه

وَقِبصُ الحَصى إِذ حَصَّلَ القِبصَ خابِرُه

In them glory reached its summit, and the pebble-count its limit,

To them the pinnacle of glory and impenetrability extends,

And the mass of pebbles, when its reckoner tallied the multitude.

And the impenetrability when its matcher tried to breach it failed.

تَميمٌ وَما ضَمَّت هَوازِنَ أَصبَحَت

تَميمٌ وَما ضَمَّت هَوازِنَ أَصبَحَت

وَعَظمُهُما المُنهاضُ قَد شُدَّ جابِرُه

وَعَظمُهُما المُنهاضُ قَد شُدَّ جابِرُه

Tamim and all that Hawazin embraces now stand,

Tameem and whatever Hawazin included,

With their rebroken bone firmly bound by its setter.

Their greatness the unifier has fastened together.

رَأَيتُ هِشاماً سَدَّ أَبوابَ فِتنَةً

رَأَيتُ هِشاماً سَدَّ أَبوابَ فِتنَةً

بِراعٍ كَفى مِن خَوفِهِ ما يُحاذِرُه

بِراعٍ كَفى مِن خَوفِهِ ما يُحاذِرُه

I saw Hisham bar the gates of strife,

I saw Hisham block the doors of strife,

Through a shepherd who spared him the danger he feared.

With a leader whose caution suffices what he fears.

بِمُنتَجِبٍ مِن قَيسِ عَيلانَ صَعَّدَت

بِمُنتَجِبٍ مِن قَيسِ عَيلانَ صَعَّدَت

يَدَيهِ إِلى ذاتِ البُروجِ أَكابِرُه

يَدَيهِ إِلى ذاتِ البُروجِ أَكابِرُه

Through a chosen man of Qays ‘Aylan—raised aloft

With a select one from Qais Ailan, he ascended

Were his hands to the heaven of constellations by his leading men.

His hands to the stars and its brightest.

فَما أَحَدٌ مِن قَيسِ عَيلانَ فاخِراً

فَما أَحَدٌ مِن قَيسِ عَيلانَ فاخِراً

عَلَيهِ وَلا مِنهُم كَثيرٌ يُكاثِرُه

عَلَيهِ وَلا مِنهُم كَثيرٌ يُكاثِرُه

So no one of Qays ‘Aylan can boast

So no eminent person from Qais Ailan rivals him,

Over him, nor does any multitude among them rival his numbers.

Nor the many from them match him.

وَنامَت عُيونٌ كانَ سُهِّدَ لَيلُها

وَنامَت عُيونٌ كانَ سُهِّدَ لَيلُها

وَفَتَّحَ باباً كُلُّ بادٍ وَحاضِرُه

وَفَتَّحَ باباً كُلُّ بادٍ وَحاضِرُه

And eyes slept whose nights had been made sleepless,

Eyes that were sleepless, their night was smoothed,

And every desert-dweller and his settled counterpart threw open a door.

And every door of wind and settled was opened.

أَلَمّا يَنَل لي أَن تَعودَ قَرابَةً

أَلَمّا يَنَل لي أَن تَعودَ قَرابَةً

وَحِلمٌ عَلى قَيسٍ رِحابٌ مَناظِرُه

وَحِلمٌ عَلى قَيسٍ رِحابٌ مَناظِرُه

Has it not yet been granted me that kinship should return,

If only a kinship would return to me,

And forbearance toward Qays, with spacious vistas?

And forbearance upon Qais, spacious its views!