بَني عُثمانَ أَنتُم في غِنِيٍّ

بَني عُثمانَ أَنتُم في غِنِيٍّ

رَعاعٌ وَهيَ في قَيسٍ رَعاعُ

رَعاعٌ وَهيَ في قَيسٍ رَعاعُ

Sons of Uthman, among Ghani you are

O Banu Uthman, you are in prosperity

rabble, and Ghani is rabble among Qays.

While the rabble are in misery

مَتى يُقرى السَديفُ بِساحَتَيكُم

مَتى يُقرى السَديفُ بِساحَتَيكُم

وَمُرُّ الماءِ عِندَكُم يُباعُ

وَمُرُّ الماءِ عِندَكُم يُباعُ

When is camel-hump fat served to guests in your two courtyards,

When will your courtyard be watered

while bitter water is sold among you?

And your water sold for money?

وَإِنَّ بَخيلَكُم بِالجودِ يُكنى

وَإِنَّ بَخيلَكُم بِالجودِ يُكنى

سَفاهاً وَاِسمُ صِفرِدِكُم شُجاعُ

سَفاهاً وَاِسمُ صِفرِدِكُم شُجاعُ

And indeed your miser bears the byname 'Generosity',

Your miser is nicknamed generous

foolishly; and your little bird is named Shujaʿ, 'Brave'.

And your coward named brave

أَبِالأَسماءِ وَالأَلقابِ فيكُم

أَبِالأَسماءِ وَالأَلقابِ فيكُم

يُنالُ المَجدُ وَالشَرَفُ اليَفاعُ

يُنالُ المَجدُ وَالشَرَفُ اليَفاعُ

Is it by names and titles among you

Is it names and titles among you

that glory and lofty honor are attained?

Through which glory and honor are attained?

وَكُنتُم بَعدَ عَبدِكُمُ نَظيفٍ

وَكُنتُم بَعدَ عَبدِكُمُ نَظيفٍ

رَبيضاً أُطلِقَت فيهِ السِباعُ

رَبيضاً أُطلِقَت فيهِ السِباعُ

And after your slave Nazif, you were

After your servant you were

a flock into which beasts of prey were let loose.

White prey for the wolves

يَعِزُّ عَلَيَّ ماصَنَعَت سُلَيمٌ

يَعِزُّ عَلَيَّ ماصَنَعَت سُلَيمٌ

بِكُم وَالحَربُ فاحِشَةٌ شَناعُ

بِكُم وَالحَربُ فاحِشَةٌ شَناعُ

I am grieved by what Sulaym did

What Sulaym did to you grieves me

to you—and war is atrocious and appalling—

For war is a hideous calamity

وَتَخلِيَةُ الدِيارِ فَلا سَروجٌ

وَتَخلِيَةُ الدِيارِ فَلا سَروجٌ

مَحَلٌّ لِلقَويمِ وَلا الفِراغُ

مَحَلٌّ لِلقَويمِ وَلا الفِراغُ

and by the abandonment of the dwellings: Saruj is no longer

Abandoning home, no lamps lit

a home for the little tribe, nor is al-Firagh;

A place for neither guest nor empty

وَخِذلانُ العَشائِرِ حَيثُ أَمَّت

وَخِذلانُ العَشائِرِ حَيثُ أَمَّت

هَوازِنُ دارَكُم وَهُمُ سِراعُ

هَوازِنُ دارَكُم وَهُمُ سِراعُ

and by the clans' desertion, when

And betraying your allied tribes

Hawazin made for your home in haste.

While Hawazin made their home yours and plundered

وَقَد ذَبَحوكُمُ سَرَفاً وَبَغياً

وَقَد ذَبَحوكُمُ سَرَفاً وَبَغياً

بِتَلِّ عُقَيبَ إِذ كُرِهَ المِصاعُ

بِتَلِّ عُقَيبَ إِذ كُرِهَ المِصاعُ

And indeed they slaughtered you, wantonly and unjustly,

They slaughtered you aggressively and wrongfully

at Tall Uqayb, when combat was loathed.

At Tal Uqayb when bartering was hated

فَما حامَت بَنو عَبسٍ عَلَيكُم

فَما حامَت بَنو عَبسٍ عَلَيكُم

وَلا قالَت فَزارَةُ لاتُراعوا

وَلا قالَت فَزارَةُ لاتُراعوا

So the sons of Abs did not defend you,

The Banu Abs did not support you

nor did Fazara say, 'Do not be afraid.'

Nor did Fazarah say "Have caution!"