يا لَلحَماسَةِ ضاقَت بَينَكُم حِيَلي

يا لَلحَماسَةِ ضاقَت بَينَكُم حِيَلي

وَضاعَ حَقِّيَ بَينَ العُذرِ وَالعَذَلِ

وَضاعَ حَقِّيَ بَينَ العُذرِ وَالعَذَلِ

O valor! My resources have failed among you,

O enthusiasm, between you my wiles are confined

and my right was lost between excuse and reproach.

And my right is lost between excuse and rebuke

فَقُلتُ مَع قِلَّةِ الأَنصارِ وَالخَوَلِ

فَقُلتُ مَع قِلَّةِ الأَنصارِ وَالخَوَلِ

لَو كُنتُ مِن مازِنٍ لَم تَستَبِح إِبِلي

لَو كُنتُ مِن مازِنٍ لَم تَستَبِح إِبِلي

So I said, with few supporters and retainers:

So I said, though supporters are few and cowards plentiful

Had I belonged to Mazin, my camels would not have been plundered

Had I been from Mazin my camels would not have been pilfered

بَنو اللَقيطَةِ مِن ذُهلِ بنِ شَيبانا

بَنو اللَقيطَةِ مِن ذُهلِ بنِ شَيبانا

لَو أَنَّني بَرُعاةِ العُربِ مُقتَرِنُ

لَو أَنَّني بَرُعاةِ العُربِ مُقتَرِنُ

by the sons of the foundling woman, of Dhuhl ibn Shayban.

The sons of Luqayt from Duhl of Shayban

Had I been allied with the shepherds of the Arabs,

If I were joined with the shepherds of the Arabs

لَهُم نَزيلٌ وَلي في حَيِّهِم سَكَنُ

لَهُم نَزيلٌ وَلي في حَيِّهِم سَكَنُ

وَمَسَّني في حِمى أَبنائِهِم حَزَنُ

وَمَسَّني في حِمى أَبنائِهِم حَزَنُ

a guest of theirs, with a dwelling in their clan,

They would lodge me and I’d reside in their quarters

and sorrow touched me within their sons' protected domain,

And sorrow has touched me for their sons’ sanctuary

إِذَن لَقامَ بِنَصري مَعشَرٌ خُشُنُ

إِذَن لَقامَ بِنَصري مَعشَرٌ خُشُنُ

عِندَ الحَفيظَةِ إِن ذو لَوثَةِ لانا

عِندَ الحَفيظَةِ إِن ذو لَوثَةِ لانا

then a stern band would surely have risen to my aid,

Then a group, hardy and bold, would rise to my aid

when honor is roused, even if a strong man should yield.

At Al-Hafizah, he who is audacious if tried

لِلَّهِ قَومي الأُلى صانوا مَنازِلَهُم

لِلَّهِ قَومي الأُلى صانوا مَنازِلَهُم

عَنِ الخُطوبِ كَما أَفنَوا مُنازِلَهُم

عَنِ الخُطوبِ كَما أَفنَوا مُنازِلَهُم

God be praised for my people, who guarded their homes

My staunch tribe who safeguarded their abodes

against calamities, just as they annihilated their adversary.

From perils as they demolished their abodes

لا تَجسُرُ الأُسدُ أَن تَغشى مَناهِلَهُم

لا تَجسُرُ الأُسدُ أَن تَغشى مَناهِلَهُم

قَومٌ إِذا الشَرُّ أَبدى ناجِذَيهِ لَهُم

قَومٌ إِذا الشَرُّ أَبدى ناجِذَيهِ لَهُم

Lions dare not enter their watering places.

No lion dares to tread their watering holes

A people who, when evil bares its two back teeth at them,

A people when evil bares its incisors at them

طاروا إِلَيهِ زَرافاتٍ وَوُحدانا

طاروا إِلَيهِ زَرافاتٍ وَوُحدانا

قَومٌ نَجيعُ دَمِ الأَبطالِ مَشرَبُهُم

قَومٌ نَجيعُ دَمِ الأَبطالِ مَشرَبُهُم

fly toward it in bands and singly.

They charge it like ostriches and single mounts

A people whose drink is the freshly shed blood of heroes,

A people whose drink is the blood of heroes

وَرَنَّةُ البيضِ في الهاماتِ تُطرِبُهُم

وَرَنَّةُ البيضِ في الهاماتِ تُطرِبُهُم

إِذا دَعاهُم لِحَربٍ مَن يُجَرِّبُهُم

إِذا دَعاهُم لِحَربٍ مَن يُجَرِّبُهُم

and the ring of bright swords on heads delights them.

And the clangor of lances in the fray gladdens them

When one who tests them calls them to war,

When summoned to a war by whoever would test them

لا يَسأَلونَ أَخاهُم حينَ يَندُبُهُم

لا يَسأَلونَ أَخاهُم حينَ يَندُبُهُم

في النائِباتِ عَلى ما قالَ بُرهانا

في النائِباتِ عَلى ما قالَ بُرهانا

they do not ask their brother, when he summons them

They do not ask their brother when enlisted

in calamities, for proof of what he has said.

In tribulations, as Burhan spoke truly

فَاليَومَ قَومي الَّذي أَرجو بِهِم مَدَدي

فَاليَومَ قَومي الَّذي أَرجو بِهِم مَدَدي

لِأَستَطيلَ إِلى ما لَم تَنَلهُ يَدي

لِأَستَطيلَ إِلى ما لَم تَنَلهُ يَدي

Yet today my people, through whom I hope for support,

So today my tribe, my asset and support

so I might reach what my hand has not attained,

To gain what my hands never grasped

تَخونُني مَع وُفورِ الخَيلِ وَالعُدَدِ

تَخونُني مَع وُفورِ الخَيلِ وَالعُدَدِ

لَكِنَّ قَومي وَإِن كانوا ذَوي عَدَدِ

لَكِنَّ قَومي وَإِن كانوا ذَوي عَدَدِ

betray me despite their abundance of horses and armaments.

They betray me despite horses and numbers

But my people, even though they are numerous,

But my tribe, abundant as they are

لَيسوا مِنَ الشَرِّ في شَيءٍ وَإِن هانا

لَيسوا مِنَ الشَرِّ في شَيءٍ وَإِن هانا

يولونَ جاني الأَسى عَفواً وَمَعذِرَةً

يولونَ جاني الأَسى عَفواً وَمَعذِرَةً

have no part in evil, even when it is slight.

Are in no way wicked, though disgraced

They grant the inflictor of sorrow pardon and excuse,

They pardon my sorrow, excuses rendering

كَعاجِزٍ لَم يُطِق في الحُكمِ مَقدَرَةً

كَعاجِزٍ لَم يُطِق في الحُكمِ مَقدَرَةً

فَإِن رَأوا حالَةً في الناسِ مُنكَرَةً

فَإِن رَأوا حالَةً في الناسِ مُنكَرَةً

like a helpless man unable to wield power in judgment.

As one impotent to rule with competence

So if they see a reprehensible state among people,

And if they see in people things indecent

يَجزونَ مِن ظُلمِ أَهلِ الظُلمِ مَغفِرَةً

يَجزونَ مِن ظُلمِ أَهلِ الظُلمِ مَغفِرَةً

وَمِن إِساءَةِ أَهلِ السوءِ إِحسانا

وَمِن إِساءَةِ أَهلِ السوءِ إِحسانا

they repay the oppression of oppressors with forgiveness,

They grant forgiveness for oppressors’ injustice

and the offenses of evildoers with kindness.

And for evildoers’ misdeeds, kindness extending

كُلٌّ يَدِلُّ عَلى الباري بِعِفَّتِهِ

كُلٌّ يَدِلُّ عَلى الباري بِعِفَّتِهِ

وَيَستَكِفُّ أَذى الجاني بِرَأفَتِهِ

وَيَستَكِفُّ أَذى الجاني بِرَأفَتِهِ

Each presumes upon the Creator because of his self-restraint,

Each indicates God by their chastity

and seeks to ward off the offender's harm with his compassion.

And endures the harm of the offender with mercy

وَيَحسَبُ الأَرضَ تَشكو ثِقلَ مَشيَتِهِ

وَيَحسَبُ الأَرضَ تَشكو ثِقلَ مَشيَتِهِ

كَأَنَّ رَبَّكَ لَم يَخلُق لِخَشيَتِهِ

كَأَنَّ رَبَّكَ لَم يَخلُق لِخَشيَتِهِ

And he thinks the earth complains of the weight of his tread,

And reckons the earth complains of their tread’s weight

as though your Lord had not created, to fear Him,

As though your Lord created none but them, no other man

سِواهُمُ مِن جَميعِ الخَلقِ إِنسانا

سِواهُمُ مِن جَميعِ الخَلقِ إِنسانا

لَو قابَلوا كُلَّ أَقوامٍ بِما كَسَبوا

لَو قابَلوا كُلَّ أَقوامٍ بِما كَسَبوا

any human being in all creation except them.

If they met each folk with what they reaped

Had they repaid all peoples for what they had earned,

Neither Arabs nor foreigners would tend their flocks

ماراعَ سِربَهُمُ عُجمٌ وَلا عَرَبُ

ماراعَ سِربَهُمُ عُجمٌ وَلا عَرَبُ

بَلِ اِرتَضوا بِصَفاءِ العَيشِ وَاِحتَجَبوا

بَلِ اِرتَضوا بِصَفاءِ العَيشِ وَاِحتَجَبوا

neither non-Arabs nor Arabs would have frightened their flock.

Rather they prefer a pure living, in seclusion cloaked

Instead, they were content with life's serenity and secluded themselves.

Would that I had them as a tribe, mounted if provoked

فَلَيتَ لي بِهِمُ قَوماً إِذا رَكِبوا

فَلَيتَ لي بِهِمُ قَوماً إِذا رَكِبوا

شَنّوا الإِغارَةَ فُرساناً وَرُكبانا

شَنّوا الإِغارَةَ فُرساناً وَرُكبانا

So, if only I had in their place a people who, when they mounted,

To launch raids, horsemen and riders interspersed

launched raids as horsemen and camel riders!