أَرى كُلَّ قَومٍ يَنسَلُ اللُّؤم عِندَهُم

أَرى كُلَّ قَومٍ يَنسَلُ اللُّؤم عِندَهُم

وَلُؤم بَني حَبناءَ لَيسَ بِناسِلِ

وَلُؤم بَني حَبناءَ لَيسَ بِناسِلِ

I see baseness fall away among every people,

I see that cowardice departs from every tribe,

but the baseness of the sons of Ḥabnāʾ never falls away.

Yet the cowardice of Bani Habna' does not depart.

يَشُبُّ مَعَ المَولودِ مِثلَ شَبابِهِ

يَشُبُّ مَعَ المَولودِ مِثلَ شَبابِهِ

ويَلقاهُ مَولوداً بِأَيدي القَوابِلِ

ويَلقاهُ مَولوداً بِأَيدي القَوابِلِ

It grows up with the newborn, just as he grows,

It grows as the boy grows, equal to his youth,

and meets him, newborn, in the midwives’ hands.

And it meets him born in the hands of midwives.

وَيُرضِعهُ مِن ثَدي أُمٍّ لَئيمَةٍ

وَيُرضِعهُ مِن ثَدي أُمٍّ لَئيمَةٍ

وَيُخلَقُ مِن ماءِ امرئٍ غَير طائِلِ

وَيُخلَقُ مِن ماءِ امرئٍ غَير طائِلِ

And it suckles him from the breast of an ignoble mother,

It suckles him at the breast of a base mother,

and is formed from the seed of a worthless man.

And it is created from the water of a futile man.

تَعالَوا فَعدّوا في الزَّمانِ الَّذي مَضى

تَعالَوا فَعدّوا في الزَّمانِ الَّذي مَضى

وَكُلُّ أُناسٍ مَجدُهُم بِالأَوائِلِ

وَكُلُّ أُناسٍ مَجدُهُم بِالأَوائِلِ

Come, then, count in times gone by—

Come let us count in the time past

and every people’s glory rests on its forebears—

And every people, their glory is in the first ones.

لَكم بِفعالٍ يَعرِفُ النّاسُ فَضلهُ

لَكم بِفعالٍ يَعرِفُ النّاسُ فَضلهُ

إِذا ذُكِرَ الأَملاءُ عِندَ الفَضائِلِ

إِذا ذُكِرَ الأَملاءُ عِندَ الفَضائِلِ

deeds of yours whose merit people recognize,

By deeds are known the excellence of a man

when nobles are named for their virtues.

When the noble ones are mentioned among the virtuous.

فَغازيكم في الجَيشِ أَلأَمَ مَن غَزا

فَغازيكم في الجَيشِ أَلأَمَ مَن غَزا

وَقافِلكُم في النَّاسِ أَلأَم قافِلِ

وَقافِلكُم في النَّاسِ أَلأَم قافِلِ

For your raider in the army is the basest of all who have raided,

So your warrior in the army, is he not the bravest warrior?

and among men, your returning traveler is the basest of all who return.

And your camel driver among the people, is he not the best driver?

وَما أَنتُمُ مِن مالِكٍ غَيرَ أَنَكُم

وَما أَنتُمُ مِن مالِكٍ غَيرَ أَنَكُم

كَمَغرورَةٍ بِالبَوِّ في ظِلِّ باطِلِ

كَمَغرورَةٍ بِالبَوِّ في ظِلِّ باطِلِ

And you are not of Mālik’s line; you are merely

You are not from (the tribe of) Malik except that you are

like a she-camel duped by a stuffed calfskin, in the shade of falsehood.

Like deceivers in the shade of falsehood.

بَنو مالِكٍ زُهرُ الوُجوهِ وَأَنتُمُ

بَنو مالِكٍ زُهرُ الوُجوهِ وَأَنتُمُ

تَبيّن ضاحي لُؤمكُم في الجَحافِلِ

تَبيّن ضاحي لُؤمكُم في الجَحافِلِ

The sons of Mālik are bright-faced, while you—

The clan of Malik, the fairest of faces, while you

your glaring baseness has become evident in your animal-like lips.

Your innate cowardice is clear among the crowds.