أَبي حامِلُ الأَلفِ الَّتي جَرَّ حارِثٌ

لِمُرَّةَ إِذ لَم يُرقِ عِرقاً رِجالُها

My father bears the banner which Harith

Dragged at Murra when her men's veins did not quiver,

وَنَحنُ وَدَينا الجَونَ مِن جَذمِ كَفِّهِ

غَناءَ اليَمينِ زايَلَتها شِمالُها

And we cherished life from his palm though

The melody of fortune forsook its right.

وَنَحنُ حَمَلنا عَن كِنانَةَ جُرحَها

وَجُرمَ هِلالٍ حينَ ضاقَت نِعالُها

We, for Kinana's wound, her suffering have borne

And for a crescent moon, when her shoes were straitened,

وَنَحنُ إِذا ضاقَت مَعَدٌّ حُلومُها

وَنَحنُ إِذا خَفَّت مَعَدٌّ جِبالُها

And when the bowels of Ma'add were gripped with hunger

And when the mountains of Ma'add were stripped bare.

وَلَسنا كَقَومٍ مُحدِثينَ سِيادَةً

يُرى مالُها وَلا يُحَسُّ فَعالُها

We are not like a people who newly come to power,

Their wealth is seen, but their works are not felt.

مَساعيهُمُ مَقصورَةٌ في بُيوتِهِم

وَمَسعاتُنا ذُبيانُ طُرّاً عِيالُها

Their labours are limited to their houses,

While our forays are dove-flighted raids sending their families into mourning.

يُريغونَ في الخِصبِ الأُمورَ وَنَفعُهُم

قَليلٌ إِذا الأَموالُ طالَ هُزالُها

They slander destiny in prosperity, but their benefit

Is little when possessions lose their savour,

وَقُلنا بِلا عِيٍّ وَسُسنا بِطاقَةٍ

إِذا النارُ نارُ الحَربِ طالَ اِشتِعالُها

And we spoke without defect and spun with an effortless whorl

What time the fires of war sent up their flames.