أَنا اِبنُ العاصِمينَ بَني تَميمٍ

أَنا اِبنُ العاصِمينَ بَني تَميمٍ

إِذا ما أَعظَمُ الحَدَثانِ نابا

إِذا ما أَعظَمُ الحَدَثانِ نابا

I am the son of the protectors of Banu Tamim,

I am the son of steadfast Tamim,

Whenever the gravest calamity strikes.

When great events approach alarmingly.

نَما في كُلِّ أَصيَدَ دارِمِيٍّ

نَما في كُلِّ أَصيَدَ دارِمِيٍّ

أَغَرَّ تَرى لِقُبَّتِهِ حِجابا

أَغَرَّ تَرى لِقُبَّتِهِ حِجابا

My line grew through every proud lord of Darim,

I slept in every lion's lair,

Illustrious—you see a screen before his pavilion.

Did the canopy veil him carefully?

مُلوكٌ يَبتَنونَ تَوارَثوها

مُلوكٌ يَبتَنونَ تَوارَثوها

سُرادِقَها المُقاوِلُ وَالقِبابا

سُرادِقَها المُقاوِلُ وَالقِبابا

Kings who build, inheriting in succession

Kings inherited it from each other,

Their pavilion walls and domed tents—those chieftains.

Its pavilions and domes excellently.

مِنَ المُستَأذَنينَ تَرى مَعَدّاً

مِنَ المُستَأذَنينَ تَرى مَعَدّاً

خُشوعاً خاضِعينَ لَهُ الرِقابا

خُشوعاً خاضِعينَ لَهُ الرِقابا

Among those whose leave is sought—you see Maʿadd,

Of visitors you see a respected man,

Humble, bowing their necks before him.

Bowing submissively, bending his nape.

شُيوخٌ مِنهُمُ عُدُسُ بنُ زَيدٍ

شُيوخٌ مِنهُمُ عُدُسُ بنُ زَيدٍ

وَسُفيانُ الَّذي وَرَدَ الكُلابا

وَسُفيانُ الَّذي وَرَدَ الكُلابا

Elders among them include ʿUdus ibn Zayd,

Among them are elders like Udas bin Zaid,

And Sufyan, who reached al-Kulab.

And Sufyan who confronted the dogs bravely.

يَقودُ الخَيلَ تَركَبُ مِن وَجاها

يَقودُ الخَيلَ تَركَبُ مِن وَجاها

نَواصِيَها وَتَغتَصِبُ الرِكابا

نَواصِيَها وَتَغتَصِبُ الرِكابا

He leads horses that stumble from sore hooves

They lead the horses, riding because of their dignity,

Onto their forelocks, and seize the riding camels.

Seizing the saddles forcefully.

تَفَرَّعَ في ذُرى عَوفِ بنِ كَعبٍ

تَفَرَّعَ في ذُرى عَوفِ بنِ كَعبٍ

وَتَأبى دارِمٌ لي أَن أُعابا

وَتَأبى دارِمٌ لي أَن أُعابا

My line branched among the summits of ʿAwf ibn Kaʿb,

It branched into the lineages of Auf bin Kaab,

And Darim refuses to let me be disparaged.

And Dharim refuses to disparage me.

وَضَمرَةُ وَالمُجَبِّرُ كانَ مِنهُم

وَضَمرَةُ وَالمُجَبِّرُ كانَ مِنهُم

وَذو القَوسِ الَّذي رَكَزَ الحِرابا

وَذو القَوسِ الَّذي رَكَزَ الحِرابا

And Damra and al-Mujabbir were among them,

And Dhamra, and the Compeller were among them,

And Dhu al-Qaws, the Bow-bearer, who planted the spears.

And the archer who fixed the spears steadfastly.

يَرُدّونَ الحُلومَ إِلى جِبالٍ

يَرُدّونَ الحُلومَ إِلى جِبالٍ

وَإِن شاغَبتَهُم وَجَدوا شِغابا

وَإِن شاغَبتَهُم وَجَدوا شِغابا

They ground their wisdom in mountains,

They return the attacks to the mountains,

And if you provoke them, they find strife.

And if you provoke them, they find someone to blame readily.

أُلاكَ وَعيرِ أُمَّكَ لَو تَراهُم

أُلاكَ وَعيرِ أُمَّكَ لَو تَراهُم

بِعَينِكَ ما اِستَطَعتَ لَهُم خِطابا

بِعَينِكَ ما اِستَطَعتَ لَهُم خِطابا

Those men—by your mother's ass!—if you saw them

Curse your mother - if you see them

With your own eyes, you could not speak to them.

With your eyes you will not be able to address them reproachfully.

رَأَيتَ مَهابَةً وَأُسودَ غابٍ

رَأَيتَ مَهابَةً وَأُسودَ غابٍ

وَتاجَ المُلكِ يَلتَهِبُ اِلتِهابا

وَتاجَ المُلكِ يَلتَهِبُ اِلتِهابا

You would see majesty and lions of the thickets,

You have seen awe and dark thickets,

And the crown of kingship blazing fiercely.

And the crown of the king kindling vehemently.

بَنو شَمسِ النَهارِ وَكُلِّ بَدرٍ

بَنو شَمسِ النَهارِ وَكُلِّ بَدرٍ

إِذا اِنجابَت دُجُنَّتُهُ اِنجِيابا

إِذا اِنجابَت دُجُنَّتُهُ اِنجِيابا

Sons of the sun of day and every full moon,

The sons of the sun of daylight and of every full moon,

When its deep darkness has wholly cleared.

When its burrows give birth generously.

فَكَيفَ تُكَلِّمُ الظَربى عَلَيها

فَكَيفَ تُكَلِّمُ الظَربى عَلَيها

فِراءُ اللُؤمِ أَرباباً غِضابا

فِراءُ اللُؤمِ أَرباباً غِضابا

So how can polecats speak, clad

So how can you talk nonsense about them,

In pelts of baseness, to wrathful lords?

The furthest extent of vileness, violently angry lords?

لَنا قَمَرُ السَماءِ عَلى الثُرَيّا

لَنا قَمَرُ السَماءِ عَلى الثُرَيّا

وَنَحنُ الأَكثَرونَ حَصىً وَغابا

وَنَحنُ الأَكثَرونَ حَصىً وَغابا

Ours is the moon of heaven above the Pleiades,

For us is the moon of the sky over Thurayya,

And we are the most numerous in pebbles and thickets.

And we are the most numerous, counting and estimation failed.