بَناها الأَقرَعُ الباني المَعالي

بَناها الأَقرَعُ الباني المَعالي

وَهَوذَةُ في شَوامِخَ باذِخاتِ

وَهَوذَةُ في شَوامِخَ باذِخاتِ

Al-Aqraʿ built it, the builder of lofty honors,

Built it Al-Aqra' the eminent architect

And Hawdha, amid towering, lofty heights.

A peril in lofty and towering peaks

لَقيطٌ مِن دَعائِمِها وَمِنهُم

لَقيطٌ مِن دَعائِمِها وَمِنهُم

زُرارَةُ ذو النَدى وَالمَكرُماتِ

زُرارَةُ ذو النَدى وَالمَكرُماتِ

Laqit is one of its pillars, and among them is

Foundling among its pillars and of them

Zurara, lord of generosity and noble deeds.

Zurarah of fame and graces

وَبِالعَمرَينِ وَالضَمرَينِ نَبني

وَبِالعَمرَينِ وَالضَمرَينِ نَبني

دَعائِمَ مَجدُهُنَّ مُشَيِّداتِ

دَعائِمَ مَجدُهُنَّ مُشَيِّداتِ

And with the two ʿAmrs and the two Ḍamras we build

With two lives and two fates we build

Pillars that raise their glory high.

Pillars of their glory erected

دَعائِمُها أُلاكَ وَهُم بَنوها

دَعائِمُها أُلاكَ وَهُم بَنوها

فَمَن مِثلُ الدَعائِمِ وَالبُناةِ

فَمَن مِثلُ الدَعائِمِ وَالبُناةِ

Those are its pillars, and they built it;

Its pillars lineages and they its builders

So who can match the pillars and the builders?

Who then like the pillars and builders?

أُلاكَ لِدارِمٍ وَبَناتُ عَوفٍ

أُلاكَ لِدارِمٍ وَبَناتُ عَوفٍ

لِخَيراتٍ وَأَكرَمِ أُمَّهاتِ

لِخَيراتٍ وَأَكرَمِ أُمَّهاتِ

Those belong to Darim; and the daughters of ʿAwf

Lineages of Darim and Banat 'Awf

Are indeed good women, and the noblest of mothers.

For the best and noblest mothers

فَما لَكَ لا تَعُدُّ بَني كُلَيبٍ

فَما لَكَ لا تَعُدُّ بَني كُلَيبٍ

وَتَندُبُ غَيرُهُم بِالمَأثُراتِ

وَتَندُبُ غَيرُهُم بِالمَأثُراتِ

So why do you not count the sons of Kulayb,

Why then do you not count the clan of Kulayb

Yet extol others for their illustrious deeds?

And lament others with eulogies?

وَفَخرُكَ يا جَريرُ وَأَنتَ عَبدٌ

وَفَخرُكَ يا جَريرُ وَأَنتَ عَبدٌ

لَغَيرَ أَبيكَ إِحدى المُنكَراتِ

لَغَيرَ أَبيكَ إِحدى المُنكَراتِ

And your boasting, O Jarir—though you are a slave

Your boasting, O Jarir, you a slave

To someone other than your father—is one of the outrages.

To other than your father, one of the disgraces

تَعَنّى يا جَريرُ لِغَيرِ شَيءٍ

تَعَنّى يا جَريرُ لِغَيرِ شَيءٍ

وَقَد ذَهَبَ القَصائِدُ لِلرُواةِ

وَقَد ذَهَبَ القَصائِدُ لِلرُواةِ

You toil, O Jarir, for nothing,

You care, O Jarir, for naught

While the poems have already passed to the reciters.

While the elegies went to the reciters

فَكَيفَ تَرُدُّ ما بِعُمانَ مِنها

فَكَيفَ تَرُدُّ ما بِعُمانَ مِنها

وَما بِجِبالَ مِصرَ مُشَهَّراتِ

وَما بِجِبالَ مِصرَ مُشَهَّراتِ

So how can you call back those of them in Oman,

How can you refute what of it in Oman

And those made famous in the mountains of Egypt?

And what in the mountains of Egypt proclaimed?

غَلَبتُكَ بِالمُفَقِّئ وَالمُعَنّي

غَلَبتُكَ بِالمُفَقِّئ وَالمُعَنّي

وَبَيتِ المُحتَبي وَالخافِقاتِ

وَبَيتِ المُحتَبي وَالخافِقاتِ

I defeated you with the eye-gouger and the tormentor,

I surpassed you in intricate and meaning

And the verse of the knee-clasping man, and the fluttering ones.

And House of the Love-Struck and the Beating Hearts