أَلا كُلُّ أَرماحٍ قِصارٍ أَذِلَّةٍ

أَلا كُلُّ أَرماحٍ قِصارٍ أَذِلَّةٍ

فِداءٌ لِأَرماحٍ رُكِزنَ عَلى الغَمرِ

فِداءٌ لِأَرماحٍ رُكِزنَ عَلى الغَمرِ

Behold, all short, abject spears

Alas! All short spears are humiliated

are a ransom for spears planted at al-Ghamr.

In sacrifice for spears erected in the battle

فَإِنَّ الَّذي أَعطَيتُمُ أَو مَنَعتُمُ

فَإِنَّ الَّذي أَعطَيتُمُ أَو مَنَعتُمُ

لَكَالتَمرِ أَو أَحلى لِخَلفِ بَني فَهرِ

لَكَالتَمرِ أَو أَحلى لِخَلفِ بَني فَهرِ

For what you have given or withheld

Whether you give or withhold

is surely like dates, or sweeter, to the scion of Banu Fihr.

It is like dates or sweeter for the progeny of the noble Fahr

فَباسَت بَني عَبسٍ وَأَفناءِ طَيِّئٍ

فَباسَت بَني عَبسٍ وَأَفناءِ طَيِّئٍ

وَباسَت بَني دودانَ حاشا بَني نَصرِ

وَباسَت بَني دودانَ حاشا بَني نَصرِ

So up the arse of Banu Abs and the clans of Tayy,

It destroyed the Bani Abs and the valiant Ta'i

and up the arse of Banu Dudan, except Banu Nasr!

And destroyed the Bani Dudan except the Bani Nasr

فِدىً لِبَني ذُبيانَ أُمّي وَخالَتي

فِدىً لِبَني ذُبيانَ أُمّي وَخالَتي

عَشِيَّةَ يُحدى بِالرِماحِ أَبو بَكرِ

عَشِيَّةَ يُحدى بِالرِماحِ أَبو بَكرِ

My mother and my maternal aunt are a ransom for Banu Dhubyan,

In sacrifice for my maternal uncles, the Bani Dhubyan

on the evening when Abu Bakr is driven at spearpoint.

On an evening when spears challenge Abu Bakr

أَطَعنا رَسولَ اللَهِ إِذ كانَ صادِقاً

أَطَعنا رَسولَ اللَهِ إِذ كانَ صادِقاً

فَيا عَجَباً ما بالُ دينِ أَبي بَكرِ

فَيا عَجَباً ما بالُ دينِ أَبي بَكرِ

We obeyed God's Messenger when he was truthful;

We obeyed the Messenger of Allah since he was truthful

so, how strange—what is the matter with Abu Bakr's religion,

So strange what the religion of Abu Bakr has become

لِيورِثَها بَكراً إِذا ماتَ بَعدَهُ

لِيورِثَها بَكراً إِذا ماتَ بَعدَهُ

فَتِلكَ وَبَيتِ اللَهِ قاصِمَةُ الظَهرِ

فَتِلكَ وَبَيتِ اللَهِ قاصِمَةُ الظَهرِ

that he should bequeath it to Bakr after him when he dies?

To inherit it when he dies after him

Then that, by God's House, is a back-breaking calamity.

That is the back-breaking blow against God's House

أَبَوا غَيرَ ضَربٍ يَجثُمُ الهامُ وَسطَهُ

أَبَوا غَيرَ ضَربٍ يَجثُمُ الهامُ وَسطَهُ

وَطَعنٍ كَأَفواهِ المُزَقَّقَةِ الحُمرِ

وَطَعنٍ كَأَفواهِ المُزَقَّقَةِ الحُمرِ

They refused all but blows amid which heads lie fallen,

They refused nothing but a blow that crushes the skull

and spear-thrusts like the mouths of red wineskins.

And a stab like the mouths of red camels

فَقوموا وَلا تُعطوا اللِئامَ مَقادَةً

فَقوموا وَلا تُعطوا اللِئامَ مَقادَةً

وَقوموا وَإِن كانَ القِيامُ عَلى الجَمرِ

وَقوموا وَإِن كانَ القِيامُ عَلى الجَمرِ

So stand, and do not yield the reins to the ignoble;

So stand and do not give the wicked a chance for treason

and stand, even if standing is upon embers.

Stand even if standing is on embers