فَمَن يَكُ سائِلاً عَنّي فَإِني

فَمَن يَكُ سائِلاً عَنّي فَإِني

وَجِروَةَ لا تُباعُ وَلا تُعارُ

وَجِروَةَ لا تُباعُ وَلا تُعارُ

If anyone asks about me, then I

So he who asks about me, I am

and Jirwa are neither sold nor lent.

A rock that cannot be sold or lent

مُقَرَّبَةُ الشِتاءِ وَلا تَراها

مُقَرَّبَةُ الشِتاءِ وَلا تَراها

وَراءَ الحَيِّ تَتبَعُها المِهارُ

وَراءَ الحَيِّ تَتبَعُها المِهارُ

She is kept close in winter; you do not see her

Made close in winter, though it's not seen

behind the tribal camp, with foals following her.

Behind the living, the skilled dogs hunt it

لَها بِالصَيفِ آصِرَةٌ وَجُلِّ

لَها بِالصَيفِ آصِرَةٌ وَجُلِّ

وَسِتُّ مِن كَرائِمِها غِزارُ

وَسِتُّ مِن كَرائِمِها غِزارُ

In summer she has a tether and a horse-blanket,

In summer it has many fault lines

and six of her prized she-camels yield plentiful milk.

And six of its generous flowing streams

أَلا أَبلِغ بَني الصَيداءَ عَنّي

أَلا أَبلِغ بَني الصَيداءَ عَنّي

عَلانِيَةً وَما يَغني السِرارُ

عَلانِيَةً وَما يَغني السِرارُ

Listen! Tell the sons of al-Sayda on my behalf,

Won't I send a message to Bani Asad about me

openly—and what good is secret talk?

Openly, and secrecy is no use

قَتَلتُ سُراتكُم وَتَرَكتُ مِنكُم

قَتَلتُ سُراتكُم وَتَرَكتُ مِنكُم

خَشاراً قُل ما نَفَعَ الخِشارُ

خَشاراً قُل ما نَفَعَ الخِشارُ

I killed your chiefs and left among you

I have killed your elite and left among you

rabble—say, what good did the rabble do?

Only the rabble, say what use is the rabble?

وَلَم اِقتُلُكُم سِرّاً وَلَكِن

وَلَم اِقتُلُكُم سِرّاً وَلَكِن

عَلانِيَةً وَقَد سَطَعَ الغُبارُ

عَلانِيَةً وَقَد سَطَعَ الغُبارُ

And I did not kill you secretly, but

And I did not kill you in secret, but

openly, when the dust had already risen high.

Openly with the dust swirling