عَفا مِجدَلٌ مِن أَهلِهِ فَمُتالِعُ

عَفا مِجدَلٌ مِن أَهلِهِ فَمُتالِعُ

فَمِطلاً أَريكٍ قَد خَلا فَالمَصانِعُ

فَمِطلاً أَريكٍ قَد خَلا فَالمَصانِعُ

Mijdal lies desolate, bereft of its people, and Mutaliʿ too,

Mjdal departed from his people though still young

And Arik’s two heights lie empty, and al-Masaniʿ.

Deserted and empty did his couch remain

دِيارٌ لَنا يا جُملُ إِذ جُلُّ عَيشِنا

دِيارٌ لَنا يا جُملُ إِذ جُلُّ عَيشِنا

رَخِيٌّ وَصَرفُ الدَهرِ لِلحَيِّ جامِعُ

رَخِيٌّ وَصَرفُ الدَهرِ لِلحَيِّ جامِعُ

Dwellings of ours, O Juml, when most of our life

O camel, a home we have when the best of our life

Was easy, and time’s changing fortunes held the clan together.

Is easy and time with the living foregathering

حُبَيِّبَةٌ أَلوَت بِها غُربَةُ النَوى

حُبَيِّبَةٌ أَلوَت بِها غُربَةُ النَوى

لِبَينٍ فَهَل ماضٍ مِنَ العَيشِ راجِعُ

لِبَينٍ فَهَل ماضٍ مِنَ العَيشِ راجِعُ

A dear beloved, whom distant exile swept away

A sweetheart whose love the longing of meadow effaced

Into separation—can any bygone part of life return?

For a separation, is there any life returning?

فَإِن تَبتَغي الكُفّارَ غَيرَ مَلومَةٍ

فَإِن تَبتَغي الكُفّارَ غَيرَ مَلومَةٍ

فَإِنّي وَزيرٌ لِلنَبِيِّ وَتابِعُ

فَإِنّي وَزيرٌ لِلنَبِيِّ وَتابِعُ

So if you seek the unbelievers, without reproach,

If you seek pagans, blameless you would be

Then I am a helper to the Prophet and a follower.

For I am the Prophet's aide and disciple

دَعانا إِلَيهِم خَيرُ وَفدٍ عَلِمتُهُم

دَعانا إِلَيهِم خَيرُ وَفدٍ عَلِمتُهُم

خُزَيمَةُ وَالمَدّارُ مِنهُم وَواسِعُ

خُزَيمَةُ وَالمَدّارُ مِنهُم وَواسِعُ

The finest delegation I knew called us to them:

The best delegation called us to them

Khuzayma, and al-Maddar among them, and Wasiʿ.

Khuzaymah, and Mudar from them and abundant

فَجِئنا بِأَلفٍ مِن سُلَيمٍ عَلَيهِمُ

فَجِئنا بِأَلفٍ مِن سُلَيمٍ عَلَيهِمُ

لَبوسٌ لَهُم مِن نَسجِ داوُدَ رائِعُ

لَبوسٌ لَهُم مِن نَسجِ داوُدَ رائِعُ

So we came with a thousand men of Sulaym, wearing

So we came, a thousand strong, Sulaym their match

Their splendid armor, of David’s weaving.

Raiment of David's weave for them dazzling

نُبايِعُهُ بِالأَخشَبَينِ وَإِنَّما

نُبايِعُهُ بِالأَخشَبَينِ وَإِنَّما

يَدَ اللَهِ بَينَ الأَخشَبَينِ نُبايِعُ

يَدَ اللَهِ بَينَ الأَخشَبَينِ نُبايِعُ

We pledge allegiance to him at the two Akhshabs, and only

Bay'ah we gave between the trees, and only

To God’s hand do we pledge allegiance between the two Akhshabs.

God's hand between the trees did we give bay'ah

فَجُسنا مَعَ المَهدِيِّ مَكَّةَ عَنوَةً

فَجُسنا مَعَ المَهدِيِّ مَكَّةَ عَنوَةً

بِأَسيافِنا وَالنَقعُ كابٍ وَساطِعُ

بِأَسيافِنا وَالنَقعُ كابٍ وَساطِعُ

So we swept through Mecca with the rightly guided one, by force,

With Mahdi we stormed Makkah defiantly

With our swords, as the dust billowed and rose,

With our blades as cups and mail were clashing

عَلانِيَةً وَالخَيلُ يَغشى مُتونَها

عَلانِيَةً وَالخَيلُ يَغشى مُتونَها

حَميمٌ وَآنٍ مِن دَمِ الجَوفِ ناقِعُ

حَميمٌ وَآنٍ مِن دَمِ الجَوفِ ناقِعُ

Openly, while the horses’ backs were covered

Openly, horses covering them

With hot sweat and pooled, scalding blood from the entrails.

Hot blood from their chests spilling and streaming

وَيَومَ حُنَينٍ حينَ سارَت هَوازِنٌ

وَيَومَ حُنَينٍ حينَ سارَت هَوازِنٌ

إِلَينا وَضاقَت بِالنُفوسِ الأَضالِعُ

إِلَينا وَضاقَت بِالنُفوسِ الأَضالِعُ

And on the day of Hunayn, when Hawazin marched

And Day of Hunayn, when Hawazin marched

Toward us, and ribs tightened about our souls,

Against us, and breasts with souls were straitened

صَبَرنا مَعَ الضَحّاكِ لا يَستَفِزُّنا

صَبَرنا مَعَ الضَحّاكِ لا يَستَفِزُّنا

قِراعُ الأَعادي مِنهُمُ وَالوَقائِعُ

قِراعُ الأَعادي مِنهُمُ وَالوَقائِعُ

We stood firm with al-Dahhak; we were not shaken

With Dhahhak we stood, undaunted by the blows

By clashes with their hostile ranks, nor by the battles.

Of foes, their charges and their fierce attacking

أَمامَ رَسولِ اللَهِ يَخفِقُ فَوقَنا

أَمامَ رَسولِ اللَهِ يَخفِقُ فَوقَنا

لِواءٌ كَخُذروفِ السَحابَةِ لامِعُ

لِواءٌ كَخُذروفِ السَحابَةِ لامِعُ

In front of God’s Messenger, above us fluttered

Before Allah's Messenger, fluttering atop us

A gleaming banner, like the cloud’s whirling lightning.

A banner like the Pleiades glittering

عَشِيَّةَ ضَحّاكُ بنُ سُفيانَ مُعتَصٍ

عَشِيَّةَ ضَحّاكُ بنُ سُفيانَ مُعتَصٍ

بِسَيفِ رَسولِ اللَهِ وَالمَوتُ كانِعُ

بِسَيفِ رَسولِ اللَهِ وَالمَوتُ كانِعُ

That evening, Dahhak son of Sufyan took as his staff

Evening Dhahhak Ibn Sufyan steadfast

The sword of God’s Messenger, while death drew near.

With the Messenger's sword, and death fast approaching

نَذودُ أَخانا عَن أَخينا وَلَو نَرى

نَذودُ أَخانا عَن أَخينا وَلَو نَرى

مَصالاً لَكُنّا الأَقرَبينَ نُتابِعُ

مَصالاً لَكُنّا الأَقرَبينَ نُتابِعُ

We drive our brother back from our brother, and if we could see

We defend our brother from our brother, and if

A way out, we would follow our nearest kin.

Reconciliation we espied, we'd be pursuing

وَلَكِنَّ دينَ اللَهِ دينُ مَحَمَّدٍ

وَلَكِنَّ دينَ اللَهِ دينُ مَحَمَّدٍ

رَضينا بِهِ فيهِ الهُدى وَالشَرائِعُ

رَضينا بِهِ فيهِ الهُدى وَالشَرائِعُ

But God’s religion is Muhammad’s religion;

But the religion of Muhammad we accepted

We are content with it; in it are guidance and religious laws.

In it guidance and law clear and concluding

أَقامَ بِهِ بَعدَ الضَلالَةِ أَمرَنا

أَقامَ بِهِ بَعدَ الضَلالَةِ أَمرَنا

وَلَيسَ لِأَمرٍ حَمَّهُ اللَهُ دافِعُ

وَلَيسَ لِأَمرٍ حَمَّهُ اللَهُ دافِعُ

He set our affairs right through it after we had strayed,

After misguidance He established our affair

And none can avert a matter God has decreed.

No repelling a command when God's executing