أَلَم تَهتَج فَتَدَّكِرَ الوِصالا

أَلَم تَهتَج فَتَدَّكِرَ الوِصالا

وَحَبلاً كانَ مُتَّصِلاً فَزالا

وَحَبلاً كانَ مُتَّصِلاً فَزالا

Were you not stirred to remember union,

Did you not stir, then reminisce about our union,

And a bond once unbroken that then came to an end?

Though we were joined by an unsevered bond now severed?

بَلى فَالدَمعُ مِنكَ لَهُ اِنسِجامٌ

بَلى فَالدَمعُ مِنكَ لَهُ اِنسِجامٌ

كَماءِ المُزنِ يَنسَجِلُ اِنسِجالا

كَماءِ المُزنِ يَنسَجِلُ اِنسِجالا

Yes, for your tears pour forth,

Yes, tears from you are harmoniously aligned,

Like water from rainclouds, pouring in torrents.

As pouring rain conjoins in steady streams.

فَدَع عَنكَ أَدكارَكَ آلَ سُعدى

فَدَع عَنكَ أَدكارَكَ آلَ سُعدى

فَنَحنُ الأَكثَرونَ حَصىً وَمالا

فَنَحنُ الأَكثَرونَ حَصىً وَمالا

So set aside your memories of Su'da's family;

Leave off your brooding, O House of Sa’da!

For we are greatest in numbers and wealth.

Though we are greater in number and wealth.

وَنَحنُ المالِكونَ الناسَ قَسراً

وَنَحنُ المالِكونَ الناسَ قَسراً

نَسومُهُم المَذّلَّةَ وَالنَكالا

نَسومُهُم المَذّلَّةَ وَالنَكالا

And we rule the people by force,

For we subjugate people by force,

Subjecting them to humiliation and exemplary punishment.

Degrading and punishing them.

وَنورِدُهُم حِياضَ الخَسفِ ذُلّاً

وَنورِدُهُم حِياضَ الخَسفِ ذُلّاً

وَما نَألوهُمُ إِلّا خَبالا

وَما نَألوهُمُ إِلّا خَبالا

And we lead them, abased, to the pools of degradation,

We drive them, disgraced, to abysses of ignominy,

And spare no effort in seeking only their ruin.

Inflicting nothing on them but dishonor.

وَطِئنا الأَشعَرينَ بِعِزِّ قَيسٍ

وَطِئنا الأَشعَرينَ بِعِزِّ قَيسٍ

فَيالَكِ وَطأَةً لَن تُستَقالا

فَيالَكِ وَطأَةً لَن تُستَقالا

We trampled the Ash'arites with the might of Qays:

We trampled the Ash'arites with Qays’ might.

So what a trampling—one that will not be undone!

Oh, a trampling not soon undone!

وَهذا خالِدٌ أَمسى أَسيراً

وَهذا خالِدٌ أَمسى أَسيراً

أَلا مَنَعوهُ إِن كانوا رِجالا

أَلا مَنَعوهُ إِن كانوا رِجالا

And here is Khalid, now a captive;

And this is Khalid, now prisoner,

Why did they not defend him, if they were men?

Did they not defend him if they were men?

عَظيمُهُمُ وَسَيِّدُهُم قَديماً

عَظيمُهُمُ وَسَيِّدُهُم قَديماً

جَعَلنا المُخزِياتِ لَهُ ظِلالا

جَعَلنا المُخزِياتِ لَهُ ظِلالا

Their great man and their lord of old—

Once great and chief among them,

We made humiliations his shade.

We made humiliations his shade.

فَلَو كانَت قَبائِلَ ذاتَ عِزٍّ

فَلَو كانَت قَبائِلَ ذاتَ عِزٍّ

لَما ذَهَبَت صَنائِعُهُ ضَلالا

لَما ذَهَبَت صَنائِعُهُ ضَلالا

For had they been tribes possessed of might,

Had their tribes possessed any glory,

His benefactions would not have gone to waste,

His arts had not gone astray.

وَلا تَرَكوهُ مَسلوباً أَسيراً

وَلا تَرَكوهُ مَسلوباً أَسيراً

يُسامِرُ مِن سَلاسِلِنا الثِقالا

يُسامِرُ مِن سَلاسِلِنا الثِقالا

Nor would they have left him despoiled, a captive,

Nor left him plundered and captive

Conversing by night with our heavy chains.

To converse with our heavy chains.

وَكِندَةُ وَالسَكونُ فَما اِستَقالوا

وَكِندَةُ وَالسَكونُ فَما اِستَقالوا

وَلا بَرِحَت خُيولُهُم الرِحالا

وَلا بَرِحَت خُيولُهُم الرِحالا

And Kinda and al-Sakun sought no release,

Kindah and Sakun did not stand their ground,

Nor did their horses leave the camps.

Their horses never stopped roaming.

بِها سُمنا البَرِيَّةِ كُلَّ خَسفٍ

بِها سُمنا البَرِيَّةِ كُلَّ خَسفٍ

وَهَدَّمنا السُهولَةَ وَالجِبالا

وَهَدَّمنا السُهولَةَ وَالجِبالا

With them we subjected mankind to every degradation,

With them we fattened the steppe’s every hollow

And laid waste the plains and the mountains.

And razed the easy plains and hills.

وَلكِنَّ الوَقائِعَ ضَعضَعَتهُم

وَلكِنَّ الوَقائِعَ ضَعضَعَتهُم

وَجَذَّتهُم وَرَدَّتهُم شِلالا

وَجَذَّتهُم وَرَدَّتهُم شِلالا

But the battles shattered them,

But events convulsed and shook them,

And cut them down and sent them back scattered.

Washing and hurling them like torrents.

فَما زالوا لَنا أَبداً عَبيداً

فَما زالوا لَنا أَبداً عَبيداً

نَسومُهُمُ المَذَلَّةَ وَالسَفالا

نَسومُهُمُ المَذَلَّةَ وَالسَفالا

So they have always remained slaves to us,

They remain our slaves forever,

We subject them to humiliation and debasement.

Degraded and debased by us.

شَدَدنا مُلكَنا بِبَني نِزارٍ

شَدَدنا مُلكَنا بِبَني نِزارٍ

وَقَوَّمنا بِهِم مَن كانَ مالا

وَقَوَّمنا بِهِم مَن كانَ مالا

We strengthened our kingdom with the sons of Nizar,

With Banu Nizarr we bolstered our rule

And through them set straight whoever had turned aside.

And propped up, through them, all who owned wealth.

فَأَصبَحتُ الغَداةَ عَلَيَّ تاجٌ

فَأَصبَحتُ الغَداةَ عَلَيَّ تاجٌ

لِمُلكِ الناسِ ما يَبغي اِنتِقالا

لِمُلكِ الناسِ ما يَبغي اِنتِقالا

So this morning a crown rests upon me,

So at dawn, I found myself crowned

For dominion over the people; it seeks not to pass elsewhere.

King of all that seek to change rule.