حارِ بنَ كَعبٍ أَلا الأَحلامُ تَزجُرُكُم

حارِ بنَ كَعبٍ أَلا الأَحلامُ تَزجُرُكُم

عَنّي وَأَنتُم مِنَ الجوفِ الجَماخيرِ

عَنّي وَأَنتُم مِنَ الجوفِ الجَماخيرِ

O Harith ibn Ka'b, do your wits not restrain you

Alas, do dreams not deter you,

from me, while you are among the hollow, hulking men?

While you are pusillanimous and cowardly?

لا عَيبَ بِالقَومِ مِن طولٍ وَلا عِظَمٍ

لا عَيبَ بِالقَومِ مِن طولٍ وَلا عِظَمٍ

جُسمُ البِغالِ وَأَحلامُ العَصافيرِ

جُسمُ البِغالِ وَأَحلامُ العَصافيرِ

These men lack nothing in height or bulk:

There is no defect with the people, neither of height nor bigness,

The bodies of mules, and the wits of sparrows.

The bodies of mules and the dreams of sparrows,

كَأَنَّهُم قَصَبٌ جوفٌ مُكاسِرُهُ

كَأَنَّهُم قَصَبٌ جوفٌ مُكاسِرُهُ

مُثَقَّبٌ فيهِ أَرواحُ الأَعاصيرِ

مُثَقَّبٌ فيهِ أَرواحُ الأَعاصيرِ

They are like hollow reeds, whose broken sections

As though they are hollow reeds, broken in them,

are perforated, with the breaths of whirlwinds inside.

The spirits of hurricanes perforated in them.

أَلا طِعانٌ أَلا فُرسانُ عادِيَةٍ

أَلا طِعانٌ أَلا فُرسانُ عادِيَةٍ

إِلّا تُجَشُّؤُكُم حَولَ التَنانيرِ

إِلّا تُجَشُّؤُكُم حَولَ التَنانيرِ

No spear-fighting? No raiding horsemen?

Alas warriors, alas impetuous horsemen,

Nothing but your belching around the ovens!

Unless you cluster around the cooking pots.

دَعوا التَخاجُؤَ وَاِمشوا مِشيَةً سُجُحاً

دَعوا التَخاجُؤَ وَاِمشوا مِشيَةً سُجُحاً

إِنَّ الرِجالَ ذَوُو عُصبٍ وَتَذكيرِ

إِنَّ الرِجالَ ذَوُو عُصبٍ وَتَذكيرِ

Leave off your swaggering, and walk with an easy gait;

Leave off wavering and walk with dignity and pride,

for men have sinew and manliness.

Verily men are of lofty resolve and reminder.

لا يَنفُعُ الطولُ مِن نوكِ القُلوبِ وَلا

لا يَنفُعُ الطولُ مِن نوكِ القُلوبِ وَلا

يَهدي الإِلَهُ سَبيلَ المَعشَرِ البورِ

يَهدي الإِلَهُ سَبيلَ المَعشَرِ البورِ

Height is no help against folly of heart, nor

Neither length of the bow’s string nor the hollowness of hearts avail,

does God guide the path of worthless folk.

Nor does God guide the way of the ignoble worthless folk.

إِنّي سَأَنصُرُ عِرضي مِن سَراتِكُمُ

إِنّي سَأَنصُرُ عِرضي مِن سَراتِكُمُ

إِنَّ الحَماسَ نَسِيٌّ غَيرُ مَذكورِ

إِنَّ الحَماسَ نَسِيٌّ غَيرُ مَذكورِ

I shall indeed defend my honor against your chiefs;

Verily I will protect my honor from your evils,

indeed, al-Hamas is forgotten, unmentioned.

Verily valor has become forgetful and unmentioned.

أَلفى أَباهُ وَأَلفى جَدَّهُ حُبِسا

أَلفى أَباهُ وَأَلفى جَدَّهُ حُبِسا

بِمَعزِلٍ عَن مَعالي المَجدِ وَالخيرِ

بِمَعزِلٍ عَن مَعالي المَجدِ وَالخيرِ

He found his father and found his grandfather both confined

I found his father and I found his grandfather,

in isolation from the heights of glory and goodness.

Imprisoned far from the glories of glory and good.