إِنّا مُحَيّوكِ يا سَلمى فَحَيّينا

وَإِن سَقَيتِ كِرامَ الناسِ فَاِسقينا

We greet you, O Salma, so greet us!

And if you quench the honor of people, then quench our thirst!

وَإِن دَعَوتِ إِلى جُلّى وَمَكرُمَةٍ

يَوماً سُراةَ كِرامِ الناسِ فَاِدعينا

And if you call to glory and generosity

One day the elite of the honorable people, then call us!

إِنّا بَني نَهشَلٍ لا نَدّعي لِأَبٍ

عَنهُ وَلا هُو بِالأَبناءِ يَشرينا

We are the sons of Nahshal, we do not claim for a father

Beside him, nor does he acquire sons through us.

إِن تُبتَدَر غايَةٌ يَوماً لِمَكرُمَةٍ

تَلقَ السَوابِقَ مِنّا وَالمُصَلّينا

If an ultimate goal is to be attained one day by generosity

It will meet our front runners and prayers.

وَلَيسَ يَهلَكُ مِنّا سَيِّدٌ أَبَداً

إِلّا اِفتَلَينا غُلاماً سَيِّداً فينا

No master among us will ever perish

Except that we beget a masterful lad in his place

إِنّا لنُرخِصُ يَومَ الرَوعِ أَنفُسَنا

وَلَو نُسامُ بِها في الأَمنِ أُغلينا

We will risk our lives in times of turmoil

Even if we were to bask in security and be overcome by laziness

بيضٌ مَفارِقُنا تَغلي مَراجِلُنا

نَأسو بِأَموالِنا آثارَ أَيدينا

Pure white are our parting camels that bear our supplies

We roam with our wealth, the traces of our hands

لَو كانَ في الأَلفِ مِنّا واحدٌ فَدَعَوا

مَن فارِسٌ خالَهُم إِيّاهُ يَعنونا

If there were one among a thousand of us who called out

"Who is the knight?" they would all respond "It is us!"

إِذا الكُماةُ تَنَحَّوا أَن يُصيبَهُمُ

حَدُّ الظُّباةِ وَصَلناها بِأَيدينا

When archers turn aside, fearing to be hit

By the onslaught of lances, we face them with our hands

وَلا تَراهُم وَإِن جَلَّت مُصيبَتُهُم

مَع البُكاةِ عَلى مَن ماتَ يَبكونا

You will not see them, even if their misfortune is great,

Among the wailers, crying over the dead

وَيركَبُ الكُرهَ أَحياناً فَيَفرُجُهُ

عَنّا الحِفاظُ وَأَسيافٌ تُواتينا

Hardship rides us at times, yet relief

Comes to us from our protective companions and our raiding swords