أَهاجَكَ بِالبَيداءِ رَسمُ المَنازِلِ

أَهاجَكَ بِالبَيداءِ رَسمُ المَنازِلِ

نَعَم قَد عَفاها كُلُّ أَسحَمَ هاطِلِ

نَعَم قَد عَفاها كُلُّ أَسحَمَ هاطِلِ

Did the trace of dwellings in the desert stir you?

The traces of encampments excite you in the desert,

Yes; every dark, pouring cloud has effaced them.

Though every fool has obliterated them.

وَجَرَّت عَلَيها الرامِساتُ ذُيولَها

وَجَرَّت عَلَيها الرامِساتُ ذُيولَها

فَلَم يَبقَ مِنها غَيرُ أَشعَثَ ماثِلِ

فَلَم يَبقَ مِنها غَيرُ أَشعَثَ ماثِلِ

And the burying winds dragged their skirts over them,

The she-camels have dragged their trains over them,

So nothing remained of them but a ragged, upright remnant.

Leaving nothing but a disheveled ruin.

دِيارُ الَّتي راقَ الفُؤادَ دَلالُها

دِيارُ الَّتي راقَ الفُؤادَ دَلالُها

وَعَزَّ عَلَينا أَن تَجودَ بِنائِلِ

وَعَزَّ عَلَينا أَن تَجودَ بِنائِلِ

The dwellings of her whose coy charm delighted the heart,

The abodes whose charm delighted my heart,

Yet it was hard for us to have her bestow a gift.

And which were too proud to be generous to us.

لَها عَينُ كَحلاءِ المَدامِعِ مُطفِلٍ

لَها عَينُ كَحلاءِ المَدامِعِ مُطفِلٍ

تُراعي نَعاماً يَرتَعي بِالخَمائِلِ

تُراعي نَعاماً يَرتَعي بِالخَمائِلِ

Hers is the eye of a wild creature with young, dark at the tear ducts,

They have an eye like the tearful gaze of a doe

Watching ostriches graze among the thickets.

That grazes ostriches in the thickets.

دِيارُ الَّتي كادَت وَنَحنُ عَلى مِنىً

دِيارُ الَّتي كادَت وَنَحنُ عَلى مِنىً

تَحُلُّ بِنا لَولا نَجاءُ الرَواحِلِ

تَحُلُّ بِنا لَولا نَجاءُ الرَواحِلِ

The dwellings of her who almost, while we were at Mina,

The abodes which, when we were hopeful,

Alighted among us, but for the speed of the riding camels.

Were about to be honored by our coming, had not fate intervened.

أَلا أَيُّها الساعي لِيُدرِكَ مَجدَنا

أَلا أَيُّها الساعي لِيُدرِكَ مَجدَنا

نَأَتكَ العُلى فَاِربَع عَلَيكَ فَسائِلِ

نَأَتكَ العُلى فَاِربَع عَلَيكَ فَسائِلِ

O you who strive to reach our glory,

O you who strive to regain our glory,

The heights are far beyond you; go easy on yourself, and ask.

Come to us; we will meet your demands.

فَهَل يَستَوي ماءانِ أَخضَرُ زاخِرٌ

فَهَل يَستَوي ماءانِ أَخضَرُ زاخِرٌ

وَحِسيٌ ظَنونٌ ماؤُهُ غَيرُ فاضِلِ

وَحِسيٌ ظَنونٌ ماؤُهُ غَيرُ فاضِلِ

So can two waters be equal—one green and surging,

Can brackish stagnant water be compared

And an uncertain sand-well whose water has no surplus?

To a fresh and copious stream?

فَمَن يَعدِلُ الأَذنابَ وَيحَكَ وَالذُرى

فَمَن يَعدِلُ الأَذنابَ وَيحَكَ وَالذُرى

قَدِ اِختَلَفا بِرٌّ يَحُقُّ بِباطِلِ

قَدِ اِختَلَفا بِرٌّ يَحُقُّ بِباطِلِ

So who, woe to you, equates tails with summits?

Who can make the tails equal to the heads, or chaff to grain?

The two indeed differ: righteousness prevails over falsehood.

Right and wrong are clearly distinguished.

تَناوَل سُهَيلاً في السَماءِ فَهاتِهِ

تَناوَل سُهَيلاً في السَماءِ فَهاتِهِ

سَتُدرِكُنا إِن نِلتُهُ بِالأَنامِلِ

سَتُدرِكُنا إِن نِلتُهُ بِالأَنامِلِ

Reach for Suhayl in the sky, and bring it here;

Take Suhail in the sky, for if you obtain it

You will catch up with us if I grasp it with my fingertips.

You will overtake us though we flee.

أَلَسنا بِحَلّالينَ أَرضَ عَدُوِّنا

أَلَسنا بِحَلّالينَ أَرضَ عَدُوِّنا

تَأَرَّ قَليلاً سَل بِنا في القَبائِلِ

تَأَرَّ قَليلاً سَل بِنا في القَبائِلِ

Do we not encamp in our enemy's land?

Are we not the defenders of our foe's land,

Wait a little; ask about us among the tribes.

Ask the tribes if we tarried a little.

تَجِدنا سَبَقنا بِالفَعالِ وَبِالنَدى

تَجِدنا سَبَقنا بِالفَعالِ وَبِالنَدى

وَأَمرِ العَوالي في الخُطوبِ الأَوائِلِ

وَأَمرِ العَوالي في الخُطوبِ الأَوائِلِ

You will find us foremost in deeds and generosity,

You will find we surpassed in deeds and gifts,

And in wielding long spears through the crises of old.

And in lofty enterprises in early days.

وَنَحنُ سَبَقنا الناسَ مَجداً وَسُؤدَداً

وَنَحنُ سَبَقنا الناسَ مَجداً وَسُؤدَداً

تَليداً وَذِكراً نامِياً غَيرَ خامِلِ

تَليداً وَذِكراً نامِياً غَيرَ خامِلِ

And we surpassed others in glory and lordship,

We surpassed men in glory and generosity,

Ancestral, and in growing renown, never obscure.

Anciently and recently, unceasingly.

لَنا جَبَلٌ يَعلو الجِبالَ مُشَرَّفٌ

لَنا جَبَلٌ يَعلو الجِبالَ مُشَرَّفٌ

فَنَحنُ بِأَعلى فَرعِهِ المُتَطاوِلِ

فَنَحنُ بِأَعلى فَرعِهِ المُتَطاوِلِ

Ours is a lofty mountain rising above the mountains,

We have a mountain that dominates mountains, sublime,

So we are on the highest part of its towering peak.

And we are on its loftiest peak.

مَساميحُ بِالمَعروفِ وَسطَ رِحالِنا

مَساميحُ بِالمَعروفِ وَسطَ رِحالِنا

وَشُبّانُنا بِالفُحشِ أَبخَلُ باخِلِ

وَشُبّانُنا بِالفُحشِ أَبخَلُ باخِلِ

Generous in kindness within our encampment,

Our old men are noted for kindness amid our tents,

And our youths are the stingiest of misers when it comes to indecency.

And our youths are stingier with evil than a miser.

وَمِن خَيرِ حَيٍّ تَعلَمونَ لِسائِلٍ

وَمِن خَيرِ حَيٍّ تَعلَمونَ لِسائِلٍ

عَفافاً وَعانٍ موثَقٍ في السَلاسِلِ

عَفافاً وَعانٍ موثَقٍ في السَلاسِلِ

And we are of the best tribe you know for one seeking

As for the finest tribe, when a questioner asks,

A modest sufficiency, and for a captive bound in chains;

You know them to have chastity and a pact bound by chains.

وَمِن خَيرِ حَيٍّ تَعلَمونَ لِجارِهِم

وَمِن خَيرِ حَيٍّ تَعلَمونَ لِجارِهِم

إِذا اِختارَهُم في الأَمنِ أَو في الزَلازِلِ

إِذا اِختارَهُم في الأَمنِ أَو في الزَلازِلِ

And of the best tribe you know for their neighbor,

And the finest of tribes, you know to be for their neighbor,

When he chooses them, in safety or amid upheavals.

If chosen, in time of security or deadly adversity,

وَفينا إِذا ما شُبَّتِ الحَربُ سادَةٌ

وَفينا إِذا ما شُبَّتِ الحَربُ سادَةٌ

كُهولٌ وَفِتيانٌ طِوالُ الحَمائِلِ

كُهولٌ وَفِتيانٌ طِوالُ الحَمائِلِ

And among us, when war is kindled, are lords—

And among us, when war is kindled, are leaders,

Mature men and youths with long sword-straps.

Elders and young men with long spears.

نَصَرنا وَآوَينا النَبِيَّ وَصَدَّقَت

نَصَرنا وَآوَينا النَبِيَّ وَصَدَّقَت

أَوائِلُنا بِالحَقِّ أَوَّلَ قائِلِ

أَوائِلُنا بِالحَقِّ أَوَّلَ قائِلِ

We aided and sheltered the Prophet, and credence was given

We gave victory and shelter to the Prophet, and

By the earliest among us, in truth, to the first to speak.

Our earliest ones confirmed the truth when first proclaimed.

وَكُنّا مَتى يَغزُ النَبِيُّ قَبيلَةً

وَكُنّا مَتى يَغزُ النَبِيُّ قَبيلَةً

نَصِل حافَتَيهِ بِالقَنا وَالقَنابِلِ

نَصِل حافَتَيهِ بِالقَنا وَالقَنابِلِ

And we, whenever the Prophet attacked a tribe,

And whenever the Prophet raided a clan,

Would reinforce both his flanks with spears and squadrons.

We joined his two flanks with the bow and the arrows.

وَيَومَ قُرَيشٍ إِذ أَتَونا بِجَمعِهِم

وَيَومَ قُرَيشٍ إِذ أَتَونا بِجَمعِهِم

وَطِئنا العَدُوَّ وَطأَةَ المُتَثاقِلِ

وَطِئنا العَدُوَّ وَطأَةَ المُتَثاقِلِ

And on the day of Quraysh, when they came against us with their host,

And the day the Quraysh came against us with their multitude,

We trampled the enemy with the tread of one bearing down heavily.

We trod the foe with the tread of a heavily-laden camel.

وَفي أُحُدٍ يَومٌ لَهُم كانَ مُخزِياً

وَفي أُحُدٍ يَومٌ لَهُم كانَ مُخزِياً

نُطاعِنُهُم بِالسَمهَرِيِّ الذَوابِلِ

نُطاعِنُهُم بِالسَمهَرِيِّ الذَوابِلِ

And at Uhud they had a day of disgrace,

And at Uhud, a day of humiliation for them,

As we thrust at them with slender Samhari spears.

Our thrusts with the swords were like lightning bolts.

وَيَومَ ثَقيفٍ إِذ أَتَينا دِيارَهُم

وَيَومَ ثَقيفٍ إِذ أَتَينا دِيارَهُم

كَتائِبَ نَمشي حَولَها بِالمَناصِلِ

كَتائِبَ نَمشي حَولَها بِالمَناصِلِ

And on the day of Thaqif, when we came to their dwellings,

And the day we came to the districts of Thaqif

In battalions, marching around them with blades.

In companies, marching around them with sharp swords.

فَفَرّوا وَشَدَّ اللَهُ رُكنَ نَبِيِّهِ

فَفَرّوا وَشَدَّ اللَهُ رُكنَ نَبِيِّهِ

بِكُلِّ فَتىً حامي الحَقيقَةِ باسِلِ

بِكُلِّ فَتىً حامي الحَقيقَةِ باسِلِ

So they fled, and God strengthened His Prophet's bulwark

So they fled, and God strengthened His Prophet’s position

With every valiant youth, a defender of honor.

With every hero, steadfastly defending the truth.

فَفَرّوا إِلى حِصنِ القُصورِ وَغَلَّقوا

فَفَرّوا إِلى حِصنِ القُصورِ وَغَلَّقوا

وَكائِن تَرى مِن مُشفِقٍ غَيرِ وائِلِ

وَكائِن تَرى مِن مُشفِقٍ غَيرِ وائِلِ

So they fled to the stronghold of the palaces and barred the gates.

So they fled to the fortress of castles and bolted it,

And how many a fearful man you see with no refuge!

And you would see, from one who fears, none to help.

وَأَعطَوا بِأَيديهِم صَغاراً وَتابَعوا

وَأَعطَوا بِأَيديهِم صَغاراً وَتابَعوا

فَأَولى لَكُم أَولى حُداةَ الزَوامِلِ

فَأَولى لَكُم أَولى حُداةَ الزَوامِلِ

And they gave themselves up in humiliation and obeyed.

They gave their wrists in surrender – and followed;

So woe to you, woe, drivers of pack-camels!

So you are more justified, O reddened swords.

وَإِنّي لَسَهلٌ لِلصَديقِ وَإِنَّني

وَإِنّي لَسَهلٌ لِلصَديقِ وَإِنَّني

لَأَعدِلُ رَأسَ الأَصعَرِ المُتَمايِلِ

لَأَعدِلُ رَأسَ الأَصعَرِ المُتَمايِلِ

And I am indeed gentle toward a friend, yet I

Truly, I am easy on a friend, and truly I

Surely straighten the head of the haughty swaggerer.

Rectify the bent head of the swaying drunkard.

وَأَجعَلُ مالي دونَ عِرضي وِقايَةً

وَأَجعَلُ مالي دونَ عِرضي وِقايَةً

وَأَحجُبُهُ كَي لا يَطيبَ لِآكِلِ

وَأَحجُبُهُ كَي لا يَطيبَ لِآكِلِ

And I put my wealth before my honor as a shield,

And I make my wealth a protection, not exposing my honor,

And shield it lest it prove tasty to a devourer.

Veiling it so it will not be good to a devourer.

وَأَيُّ جَديدٍ لَيسَ يُدرِكُهُ البِلى

وَأَيُّ جَديدٍ لَيسَ يُدرِكُهُ البِلى

وَأَيُّ نَعيمٍ لَيسَ يَوماً بِزائِلِ

وَأَيُّ نَعيمٍ لَيسَ يَوماً بِزائِلِ

And what new thing does decay not overtake?

What new thing will not age destroy?

And what bliss will not one day pass away?

What bliss will not one day cease?