فَلَئِن فَخَرتُ بِهِم لِمِثلِ قَديمِهِم

فَلَئِن فَخَرتُ بِهِم لِمِثلِ قَديمِهِم

أَعلو الحُزونَ بِهِ وَلا أَتَسَهَّلُ

أَعلو الحُزونَ بِهِ وَلا أَتَسَهَّلُ

So if I boast of them, it is for the like of their ancient glory;

Though I may boast of a people like those of old

through it I scale the rugged heights, and take no easy ground.

The saddened I exalt through them, and do not make light

زَيدُ الفَوارِسِ وَاِبنُ زَيدٍ مِنهُمُ

زَيدُ الفَوارِسِ وَاِبنُ زَيدٍ مِنهُمُ

وَأَبو قَبيصَةَ وَالرَئيسُ الأَوَّلُ

وَأَبو قَبيصَةَ وَالرَئيسُ الأَوَّلُ

Zayd of the Horsemen and Zayd's son are among them,

Zayd of the knights, and the son of Zayd among them

and Abu Qabisa, and the first chief.

And Abu Qabeesah and the foremost leader

أَوصى عَشِيَّةَ حينَ فارَقَ رَهطَهُ

أَوصى عَشِيَّةَ حينَ فارَقَ رَهطَهُ

عِندَ الشَهادَةِ وَالصَفيحَةِ دَغفَلُ

عِندَ الشَهادَةِ وَالصَفيحَةِ دَغفَلُ

One evening, as he parted from his clan, a final charge was left

He admonished at eve when he parted from his comrades

by Daghfal, at his final testimony and the grave-slab:

At martyrdom and Safeehah he spurred his mount

إِنَّ اِبنَ ضَبَّةَ كانَ خَيراً والِداً

إِنَّ اِبنَ ضَبَّةَ كانَ خَيراً والِداً

وَأَتَمُّ في حَسَبِ الكِرامِ وَأَفضَلُ

وَأَتَمُّ في حَسَبِ الكِرامِ وَأَفضَلُ

Indeed, the son of Dabba was a better father,

Indeed the son of Dabba was the best father

more complete in the honor of noble men, and more excellent

And most perfect in lineage of the generous and most noble

مِمَّن يَكونُ بَني كُلَيبٍ رَهطَهُ

مِمَّن يَكونُ بَني كُلَيبٍ رَهطَهُ

أَو مَن يَكونُ إِلَيهِمُ يَتَخَوَّلُ

أَو مَن يَكونُ إِلَيهِمُ يَتَخَوَّلُ

than one whose clan is the sons of Kulayb,

Than those whose lineage stems from Bani Kilab

or one who claims maternal kinship among them.

Or those who seek alliance through them

وَهُمُ عَلى اِبنِ مُزَيقِياءَ تَنازَلوا

وَهُمُ عَلى اِبنِ مُزَيقِياءَ تَنازَلوا

وَالخَيلُ بَينَ عَجاجَتَيها القَسطَلُ

وَالخَيلُ بَينَ عَجاجَتَيها القَسطَلُ

And they fought against the son of Muzayqiya,

They relinquished leadership to the son of Muzaiqiyah

with thick dust between the cavalry's two dust clouds.

While the horses sniffed each other's docked tails

وَهُمُ الَّذينَ عَلى الأَميلِ تَدارَكوا

وَهُمُ الَّذينَ عَلى الأَميلِ تَدارَكوا

نَعَماً يُشَلُّ إِلى الرَئيسِ وَيُعكَلُ

نَعَماً يُشَلُّ إِلى الرَئيسِ وَيُعكَلُ

And they are those who, at al-Amil, caught up with

It was they who came to the aid of Al-Ameel

livestock being driven to the chief and gathered together.

A blessing brought to the leader, though shackled

وَمُحَرِّقاً صَفَدوا إِلَيهِ يَمينَهُ

وَمُحَرِّقاً صَفَدوا إِلَيهِ يَمينَهُ

بِصِفادِ مُقتَسَرٍ أَخوهُ مُكَبَّلُ

بِصِفادِ مُقتَسَرٍ أَخوهُ مُكَبَّلُ

And they fettered Muharriq's right hand to him

And bound Muharraq's hands to him

with a captive's shackle; his brother was bound in chains.

With his constrained brother's chains

مَلِكانِ يَومَ بَزاخَةٍ قَتَلوهُما

مَلِكانِ يَومَ بَزاخَةٍ قَتَلوهُما

وَكُلاهُما تاجٌ عَلَيهِ مُكَلَّلُ

وَكُلاهُما تاجٌ عَلَيهِ مُكَلَّلُ

Two kings they killed on the day of Bazakha,

Two kings they killed at Bazakha

and each of them wore an adorned crown.

Both crowned, adorned with diadems

وَهُمُ الَّذينَ عَلَوا عُمارَةَ ضَربَةً

وَهُمُ الَّذينَ عَلَوا عُمارَةَ ضَربَةً

فَوهاءَ فَوقَ شُؤونِهِ لا توصَلُ

فَوهاءَ فَوقَ شُؤونِهِ لا توصَلُ

And they are those who struck Umara a blow,

It was they who climbed Umârah, striking

gaping above his skull's sutures, beyond healing.

Above its affairs, no pact could reach

وَهُمُ إِذا اِقتَسَمَ الأَكابِرُ رَدَّهُم

وَهُمُ إِذا اِقتَسَمَ الأَكابِرُ رَدَّهُم

وافٍ لِضَبَّةَ وَالرِكابُ تُشَلَّلُ

وافٍ لِضَبَّةَ وَالرِكابُ تُشَلَّلُ

And when the great men divided up, they were brought back

When the great men shared control, they restored it

by one loyal to Dabba, while the riding-camels were driven away.

To Dabba, though the stirrups slipped

جارٌ إِذا غَدَرَ اللِئامُ وَفى بِهِ

جارٌ إِذا غَدَرَ اللِئامُ وَفى بِهِ

حَسَبٌ وَدَعوَةُ ماجِدٍ لا يُخذَلُ

حَسَبٌ وَدَعوَةُ ماجِدٍ لا يُخذَلُ

A protected neighbor—when the base betray, faith is kept with him

An ally, when the ignoble betrayed he kept faith with him

by ancestral honor and the call of a noble man never forsaken.

Lineage and a gloried man's pledge never fails

وَعَشِيَّةَ الجَمَلِ المُجَلَّلِ ضارَبوا

وَعَشِيَّةَ الجَمَلِ المُجَلَّلِ ضارَبوا

ضَرباً شُؤونَ فِراشِهِ تَتَزَيَّلُ

ضَرباً شُؤونَ فِراشِهِ تَتَزَيَّلُ

And on the evening of the draped camel, they exchanged blows,

And on the eve of the momentous battle they struck

blows that split apart the sutures of its thin skull-bones.

Blows disturbing the comfort of its cushions

يا اِبنَ المَراغَةِ أَينَ خالُكَ إِنَّني

يا اِبنَ المَراغَةِ أَينَ خالُكَ إِنَّني

خالي حُبَيشٌ ذو الفَعالِ الأَفضَلُ

خالي حُبَيشٌ ذو الفَعالِ الأَفضَلُ

O son of al-Maragha, where is your maternal uncle? As for me,

O son of Maraghah, where is your uncle?

my maternal uncle is Hubaysh, a man of deeds, the most excellent.

My uncle is Hubaysh, of most noble deeds

خالي الَّذي غَصَبَ المُلوكَ نُفوسَهُم

خالي الَّذي غَصَبَ المُلوكَ نُفوسَهُم

وَإِلَيهِ كانَ حِباءُ جَفنَةَ يُنقَلُ

وَإِلَيهِ كانَ حِباءُ جَفنَةَ يُنقَلُ

My uncle is he who robbed kings of their lives,

My uncle who stripped kings of their souls

and to him Jafna's gifts used to be carried.

And to him the love of Jafnah was transferred

إِنّا لَنَضرِبُ رَأسَ كُلَّ قَبيلَةٍ

إِنّا لَنَضرِبُ رَأسَ كُلَّ قَبيلَةٍ

وَأَبوكَ خَلفَ أَتانِهِ يَتَقَمَّلُ

وَأَبوكَ خَلفَ أَتانِهِ يَتَقَمَّلُ

Indeed, we strike the head of every tribe,

We shall surely smite the head of every tribe

while your father picks lice behind his she-ass.

While your father trails behind his she-camel