وإِنَّ اِمرَءاً أَبو عُتَيبَةَ عَمُّهُ

وإِنَّ اِمرَءاً أَبو عُتَيبَةَ عَمُّهُ

لَفي رَوضَةٍ ما إِن يُسام المَظالِما

لَفي رَوضَةٍ ما إِن يُسام المَظالِما

And indeed, a man whose uncle is Abu Utaybah

A man, uncle of Utba, verily

Is surely in a garden, subjected to no wrongs.

In a garden, if wrongs are not equalized

أَقولُ لَهُ وَأَينَ مِنهُ نَصيحَتي

أَقولُ لَهُ وَأَينَ مِنهُ نَصيحَتي

أَبا مُعتِبٍ ثَبِّت سَوادَكَ قائِما

أَبا مُعتِبٍ ثَبِّت سَوادَكَ قائِما

I say to him—yet how far my counsel is from him!

I say to him, though he's not present

Abu Mu'tib, keep yourself standing firm.

Steadfast Abu Mu'tib, keep your dignity

فَلا تَقبَلَنَّ الدَهرَ ما عِشتَ خُطَّةً

فَلا تَقبَلَنَّ الدَهرَ ما عِشتَ خُطَّةً

تُسَبُّ بِها إِمّا هَبَطتَ المَواسِما

تُسَبُّ بِها إِمّا هَبَطتَ المَواسِما

So never, as long as you live, accept a course

Accept not from fate, whilst you live, dishonor

For which you are reviled when you descend to the seasonal gatherings.

That would be insulted, seasons passed and gone

وَوَلِّ سَبيلَ العَجزِ غَيرَكَ مِنهُمُ

وَوَلِّ سَبيلَ العَجزِ غَيرَكَ مِنهُمُ

فَإِنَّكَ لَم تُخلَق عَلى العَجزِ لازِما

فَإِنَّكَ لَم تُخلَق عَلى العَجزِ لازِما

And leave the path of weakness to another among them,

Leave the path of weakness to others unlike you

For you were not created to persist in weakness.

For you weren't created to be shackled by weakness

وَحارِب فَإِنَّ الحَربَ نِصفٌ وَلَن تَرى

وَحارِب فَإِنَّ الحَربَ نِصفٌ وَلَن تَرى

أَخا الحَربِ يُعطي الخَسفَ حَتّى يُسالما

أَخا الحَربِ يُعطي الخَسفَ حَتّى يُسالما

And fight, for war is fair redress; you will never see

And battle, for battle is halves, you'll never see

A brother of war yield to abasement to make peace.

A battle brother who'll cede loot, until reconciled

وَكَيفَ وَلَم يَجنوا عَلَيكَ عَظيمَةً

وَكَيفَ وَلَم يَجنوا عَلَيكَ عَظيمَةً

وَلَم يخذُلوكَ غانِماً أَو مُغارِما

وَلَم يخذُلوكَ غانِماً أَو مُغارِما

And how could you, when they have done you no grievous wrong,

How could they do you grave wrong or betray you

Nor forsaken you, whether gaining spoils or bearing losses?

As a victor or defeated, or cause you loss

جَزى اللَهُ عَنّا عَبدَ شَمسٍ وَنَوفَلاً

جَزى اللَهُ عَنّا عَبدَ شَمسٍ وَنَوفَلاً

وَتَيماً وَمَخزوماً عُقوقاً وَمَأثَما

وَتَيماً وَمَخزوماً عُقوقاً وَمَأثَما

May God requite Abd Shams and Nawfal on our behalf,

May God reward us well against Abdu Shams, Naufal

And Taym and Makhzum, for their disloyalty and sin,

Taym and Makhzum, for their disloyalty and sins

بِتَفريقِهِم مِن بَعدِ وُدٍّ وَأُلفَةٍ

بِتَفريقِهِم مِن بَعدِ وُدٍّ وَأُلفَةٍ

جَماعَتَنا كَيما يَنالوا المَحارِما

جَماعَتَنا كَيما يَنالوا المَحارِما

For their splitting apart, after affection and fellowship,

Splitting our group apart, after love and harmony

Our community, so they might lay hands on what is inviolable.

So they could seize the unlawful, ill-gotten gains

كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ نُبزى مُحَمَّداً

كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ نُبزى مُحَمَّداً

وَلمّا تَرَوا يَوماً لَدى الشِعبِ قائِما

وَلمّا تَرَوا يَوماً لَدى الشِعبِ قائِما

You lie, by God's House, if you think we shall be robbed of Muhammad,

You lie, and the House of God, Muhammad is insulted

When you have not yet seen a day of battle rise at the ravine.

You've never seen a day he stood at the mountain passes