أولَئِكَ قَومي فَإِن تَسأَلي
كِرامٌ إِذا الضَيفُ يَوماً أَلَم
They are my people, so if you ask
Noble when a guest comes to them distressed
عِظامُ القُدورِ لِأَيسارِهِم
يَكُبّونَ فيها المُسِنَّ السَنِم
Bones of cooking pots for their generosity
Into which they pour the aged ghee
يُواسونَ مَولاهُمُ في الغِنى
وَيَحمونَ جارُهُمُ إِن ظَلُم
They support their protector in times of ease
And defend their neighbor if he’s oppressed
وَكانوا مُلوكاً بِأَرضيهِمِ
يُبادونَ غَصباً بِأَمرٍ غَشِم
They were kings in their lands
Who fought injustice with harsh command
مُلوكاً عَلى الناسِ لَم يُملَكوا
مِنَ الدَهرِ يَوماً كَحِلِّ القَسَم
Kings over people, they were not made kings
By fate for even a day, like kohl's intensity
فَأَنبَوا بِعادٍ وَأَشياعِها
ثَمودَ وَبَعضِ بَقايا إِرَم
They propagated ‘Aad and its branches
Thamud and remnants of people of Iram
بِيَثرِبَ قَد شَيَّدوا في النَخيلِ
حُصوناً وَدَجَّنَ فيها النَعَم
In Yathrib they erected towers in the palms
Where cattle enjoyed shade and rest
نَواضِحَ قَد عَلَّمَتها اليَهودُ
عُلَّ إِلَيكَ وَقَولاً هَلُم
Clear signs the Jews had taught them
Come up to you, and words of gather!
وَفيما اِشتَهَوا مِن عَصيرِ القِطافِ
وَعَيشٍ رَخِيِّ عَلى غَيرِ هَمّ
And whatever fruit juice they craved
And easy life without worries
فَساروا إِلَيهِم بِأَثقالِهِم
عَلى كُلِّ فَحلٍ هِجانٍ قَطِم
They went to them with their belongings
On every mighty, strong camel
جِيادُ الخُيولِ بِأَجنابِهِم
وَقَد جَلَّلوها ثِخانَ الأَدَم
Horses draped in thick leather
Were tethered at their sides
فَلَمّا أَناخوا بِجَنبَي صِرارٍ
وَشَدّوا السُروجَ بِلَيِّ الحُزُم
And when they halted by Saris
And tied saddle girths tight
فَما راعَهُم غَيرُ مَعجِ الخُيولِ
وَالزَحفُ مِن خَلفِهِم قَد دَهَم
Naught alarmed them but the horses pawing
And the creeping up attack from behind
فَطاروا شِلالاً وَقَد أُفزِعوا
وَطِرنا إِلَيهِم كَأُسدِ الأَجَم
So they fled in haste, frightened,
And we pounced on them like furious lions
عَلى كُلِّ سَلهَبَةٍ في الصِيانِ
لا تَستَكينُ لِطولِ السَأَم
On every adventure-seeker among the flocks
That tires not though the fight is prolonged
وَكُلِّ كُمَيتٍ مُطارِ الفُؤادِ
أَمينِ الفُصوصِ كَمِثلِ الزُلَم
And every brave one with eagle heart
Loyal and pure as a bud
عَلَيها فَوارِسُ قَد عاوَدوا
قِراعَ الكُماةِ وَضَربِ البُهَم
On them galloped warriors
Striking skulls and smashing them
لُيوثٌ إِذا غَضِبوا في الحُروبِ
لا يَنكَلونَ وَلَكِن قُدُم
Lions, when enraged in wars
They never wavered but stood firm
فَأُبنا بِسادَتِهِم وَالنِساءِ
قَسراً وَأَموالِهِم تُقتَسَم
We captured their chiefs and their women
By force, and their wealth was apportioned
وَرِثنا مَساكِنَهُم بَعدَهُم
وَكُنّا مُلوكاً بِها لَم نَرِم
We inherited their dwellings after them
And were kings in them, no less esteemed
فَلَمّا أَتانا رَسولُ المَليكِ
هَلُمَّ إِلَينا وَفينا أَقِم
When the king’s messenger came to us
“Come join us and with us stay”
رَكُنّا إِلَيهِ وَلَم نَعصِهِ
غَداةَ أَتانا مِنَ ارضِ الحَرَم
We submitted to him and did not disobey
The next day when he came from the sacred land
وَقُلنا صَدَقتَ رَسولَ المَليكِ
هَلُمَّ إِلَينا وَفينا أَقِم
And we said “You have spoken true, messenger of the King
Come join us and with us stay”
فَنَشهَدُ أَنَّكَ عَبدُ المَليكِ
أُرسِلتَ نوراً بِدينٍ قِيَم
“We testify you’re the King’s servant
Sent with a just, straight religion as light”
فَنادِ بِما كُنتَ أَخفَيتَهُ
نِداءً جِهاراً وَلا تَكتَتِم
“So proclaim what you had concealed
Announcing it openly, do not hide”
فَإِنّا وَأَولادَنا جُنَّةٌ
نَقيكَ وَفي مالِنا فَاِحتَكَم
“We and our sons will protect you
Support you, and in our wealth find succor”
فَنَحنُ وُلاتُكَ إِذ كَذَّبوكَ
فَنادِ نِداءً وَلا تَحتَشِم
So we are your allies when they called you a liar
Announce openly and do not be shy
فَطارَ الغُواةُ بِأَشياعِهِم
إِلَيهِ يَظُنّونَ أَن يُختَرَم
The transgressors flew to attack him
Thinking they would tear him apart
فَقُمنا بِأَسيافِنا دونَهُ
نُجالِدُ عَنهُ بُغاةَ الأُمَم
But we stood with our swords around him
Battling on his behalf the nations’ rebels
بِكُلِّ صَقيلٍ لَهُ مَيعَةٌ
رَقيقَ الذُبابِ غَموسٍ خَذِم
With every sharpened sword that had a sheath
Smooth, slender, resolute, and firm
إِذا ما يُصادِفُ صُمَّ العِظامِ
لَم يَنبُ عَنها وَلَم يَنثَلِم
That when it met hard bones
Did not flinch or get nicked
فَذَلِكَ ما أَورَثَتنا القُرونُ
مَجداً تَليداً وَعِزّاً أَشَم
That is the glory ancestry has handed us
Age-old glory and most noble pride
إِذا مَرَّ قَرنٌ كَفى نَسلُهُ
وَخَلَّفَ قَرناً إِذا ما اِنقَصَم
When an epoch ends, its progeny suffices
Having replaced it when its time has passed
فَما إِن مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا لَنا
عَلَيهِ وَإِن خاسَ فَضلُ النَعَم
Of people, none but us
Has superiority, even if blessings are scarce
