أَبوكَ رَبيعَةُ الخَيرِ اِبنِ قُرطٍ

أَبوكَ رَبيعَةُ الخَيرِ اِبنِ قُرطٍ

وَأَنتَ المَرءُ تَفعَلُ ما تَقولُ

وَأَنتَ المَرءُ تَفعَلُ ما تَقولُ

Your father is Rabīʿa al-Khayr, son of Qurṭ;

Your father is Rabi‘ah the Good, son of Qurt;

and you are the man who does what he says.

And you are the man who does what he says.

أَشُمُّ كَأَنَّما حَدِبَت عَلَيهِ

أَشُمُّ كَأَنَّما حَدِبَت عَلَيهِ

بَنو الأَملاكِ تَكنُفُها القُيولُ

بَنو الأَملاكِ تَكنُفُها القُيولُ

Lofty and proud, as though bending protectively over him

Noble and high-nosed, as though there had bent over him in care

were sons of kings, while the qayls encompassed him.

The sons of kings, surrounded by princely chiefs.

تَصُدُّ مَناكِبَ الأَعداءِ مِنكُم

تَصُدُّ مَناكِبَ الأَعداءِ مِنكُم

كَراكِرُ مِن أَبي بَكرٍ حُلولُ

كَراكِرُ مِن أَبي بَكرٍ حُلولُ

Your enemies’ shoulders are turned away from you

The enemies’ shoulders are driven back from you

by massed hosts of Abū Bakr, encamped there—

By great bands of Abu Bakr, encamped among you.

كَراكِرُ لا يَبيدُ العِزُّ فيها

كَراكِرُ لا يَبيدُ العِزُّ فيها

وَلَكِنَّ العَزيزَ بِها ذَليلِ

وَلَكِنَّ العَزيزَ بِها ذَليلِ

massed hosts among whom honor never dies,

Great bands in which glory never perishes,

yet by whom the mighty man is brought low.

And yet even the mighty are humbled among them.