إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَدنس مِن اللُؤمِ عِرضَهُ

إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَدنس مِن اللُؤمِ عِرضَهُ

فَكُلُّ رِداءٍ يَرتَديهِ جَميلُ

فَكُلُّ رِداءٍ يَرتَديهِ جَميلُ

If a man has not sullied his honor with baseness,

If a man's character is not stained by meanness

Then every cloak he wears is fair.

Then every garment he dons is beautiful

إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَحمِل عَلى النَّفسِ ضَيمَها

إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَحمِل عَلى النَّفسِ ضَيمَها

فَلَيسَ إِلى حُسنِ الثَناءِ سَبيلُ

فَلَيسَ إِلى حُسنِ الثَناءِ سَبيلُ

If a man does not make his soul bear its hardship,

If a man does not burden his soul with injustice

Then there is no path to worthy praise.

Then there is no barrier to praise for his virtues

تُعيّرُنا أَنا قَليلٌ عَديدُنا

تُعيّرُنا أَنا قَليلٌ عَديدُنا

فَقُلتُ لَها إِنَّ الكِرامَ قَليلُ

فَقُلتُ لَها إِنَّ الكِرامَ قَليلُ

She taunts us that our numbers are few,

They taunt us for being few though numerous

So I told her, "Indeed, the noble are few."

I said to her, truly, the noble are few

وَما قَلَّ مَن كانَت بَقاياهُ مِثلنا

وَما قَلَّ مَن كانَت بَقاياهُ مِثلنا

شَبابٌ تَسامى لِلعُلا وَكُهولُ

شَبابٌ تَسامى لِلعُلا وَكُهولُ

Nor are those few whose surviving members are like us:

And none remained whose remnants were like us

Young men aspiring to greatness, and mature men.

Youth aspiring to the heights and elders

وَما ضَرَّنا أَنّا قَليلٌ وَجارنا

وَما ضَرَّنا أَنّا قَليلٌ وَجارنا

عَزيزٌ وَجارُ الأَكثرينَ ذليلُ

عَزيزٌ وَجارُ الأَكثرينَ ذليلُ

It has not harmed us that we are few, while our neighbor

It does not harm us that we are few, though our neighbor

Is honored, while the neighbor of the more numerous is abased.

Is mighty, while most people's neighbor is base

لَنا جَبَلٌ يَحتَلُّهُ مَن نُجيرُهُ

لَنا جَبَلٌ يَحتَلُّهُ مَن نُجيرُهُ

مَنيعٌ يَرُدُّ الطرفَ وَهوَ كَليلُ

مَنيعٌ يَرُدُّ الطرفَ وَهوَ كَليلُ

We have a mountain inhabited by those we shelter,

We have a mountain none can ascend but those we permit

Impregnable, sending the gaze back weary.

Impregnable, repelling eyes, though not very tall

رَسا أَصلُهُ تَحتَ الثَرى وَسَما بِهِ

رَسا أَصلُهُ تَحتَ الثَرى وَسَما بِهِ

إِلى النَجمِ فَرعٌ لا ينالُ طَويلُ

إِلى النَجمِ فَرعٌ لا ينالُ طَويلُ

Its base stands firm beneath the soil, and it is lifted

A tree whose roots are below the soil and whose branches

To the stars by a towering peak beyond reach.

Reach to the stars, no tall man can pluck its fruits

وَإِنّا لَقَومٍ ما نَرى القَتلَ سُبَّةً

وَإِنّا لَقَومٍ ما نَرى القَتلَ سُبَّةً

إِذا ما رَأَتهُ عامِرٌ وَسَلولُ

إِذا ما رَأَتهُ عامِرٌ وَسَلولُ

We are indeed a people who deem being killed no disgrace,

We are a people who do not consider killing a disgrace

Even when Amir and Salul deem it so.

When it is witnessed by the populous and elite

يُقَرِّبُ حُبُّ المَوتِ آجالَنا لَنا

يُقَرِّبُ حُبُّ المَوتِ آجالَنا لَنا

وَتَكرَهُهُ آجالُهُم فَتَطولُ

وَتَكرَهُهُ آجالُهُم فَتَطولُ

Love of death brings our appointed ends nearer to us;

Love of death draws our lives nearer to end

Their lifespans detest it, and so grow long.

While their long lives abhor its approach

وَما ماتَ مِنّا سَيِّدٌ حَتفَ أَنفِهِ

وَما ماتَ مِنّا سَيِّدٌ حَتفَ أَنفِهِ

وَلا طُلَّ مَنّا حَيثُ كانَ قَتيلُ

وَلا طُلَّ مَنّا حَيثُ كانَ قَتيلُ

No chief of ours has died a natural death,

No lord of ours died with his nose in the dust

Nor has any slain man of ours gone unavenged, wherever he was.

Nor was any of our dead dragged o’er the earth

تَسيلُ عَلى حَدِّ الظُباتِ نُفوسُنا

تَسيلُ عَلى حَدِّ الظُباتِ نُفوسُنا

وَلَيسَت عَلى غَيرِ الظُباتِ تَسيلُ

وَلَيسَت عَلى غَيرِ الظُباتِ تَسيلُ

Our souls flow upon the edges of sword blades,

Our souls flow freely down spearheads

And nowhere but upon blades do they flow.

And flow not down except on spearheads

صَفَونا فَلَم نَكدر وَأَخلَصَ سِرَّنا

صَفَونا فَلَم نَكدر وَأَخلَصَ سِرَّنا

إِناثٌ أَطابَت حَملَنا وَفُحولُ

إِناثٌ أَطابَت حَملَنا وَفُحولُ

We were pure and never grew turbid; our essence was purified by

We were unadulterated, so did not turbidify

Women who bore us well, and sires.

Females of pure stock who bore flawless males

عَلونا إِلى خَيرِ الظُهورِ وَحطَّنا

عَلونا إِلى خَيرِ الظُهورِ وَحطَّنا

لوَقتٍ إِلى خَيرِ البُطونِ نُزولُ

لوَقتٍ إِلى خَيرِ البُطونِ نُزولُ

We rose into the finest loins, then were brought down

We ascended to the best of pedigrees and descended

In due time into the finest wombs.

For a time to the best of wombs, a noble descent

فَنَحنُ كَماءِ المُزنِ ما في نِصابِنا

فَنَحنُ كَماءِ المُزنِ ما في نِصابِنا

كَهامٌ وَلا فينا يُعدُّ بَخيلُ

كَهامٌ وَلا فينا يُعدُّ بَخيلُ

We are like raincloud water: in our stock there is no

We are like the guaranteed rainfall, in our lineage

Weakling, nor is anyone among us counted miserly.

No miserly one, none counted stingy among us

وَنُنكِرُ أَن شِئنا عَلى الناسِ قَولَهُم

وَنُنكِرُ أَن شِئنا عَلى الناسِ قَولَهُم

وَلا يُنكِرونَ القَولَ حينَ نَقولُ

وَلا يُنكِرونَ القَولَ حينَ نَقولُ

And, if we wish, we reject what people say,

We deny what people say of us and of them

Yet they do not reject our words when we speak.

While they cannot deny what we say

إِذا سَيِّدٌ مِنّا خَلا قامَ سَيِّدٌ

إِذا سَيِّدٌ مِنّا خَلا قامَ سَيِّدٌ

قَؤولٌ لِما قالَ الكِرامُ فُعولُ

قَؤولٌ لِما قالَ الكِرامُ فُعولُ

When a chief of ours passes away, another chief arises,

When one lord of ours passes, a lord rises

Ever speaking what the noble have spoken, and ever acting.

Worthy of what the generous lords did

وَما أُخمِدَت نارٌ لَنا دونَ طارِقٍ

وَما أُخمِدَت نارٌ لَنا دونَ طارِقٍ

وَلا ذَمَّنا في النازِلينَ نَزيلُ

وَلا ذَمَّنا في النازِلينَ نَزيلُ

No fire of ours was ever quenched to turn away a night visitor,

No fire of ours was extinguished except by an igniter

Nor has any guest among those lodging with us disparaged us.

No guest of ours was dispraised by later guest

وَأَيّامُنا مَشهورَةٌ في عَدُوِّنا

وَأَيّامُنا مَشهورَةٌ في عَدُوِّنا

لَها غرَرٌ مَعلومَةٌ وَحُجولُ

لَها غرَرٌ مَعلومَةٌ وَحُجولُ

Our battle-days are renowned among our enemies;

Our days are famed amongst our enemies

They bear well-known white blazes and white stockings.

Renowned are they, with famous deeds

وَأَسيافُنا في كُلِّ غَربٍ وَمَشرِقٍ

وَأَسيافُنا في كُلِّ غَربٍ وَمَشرِقٍ

بِها مِن قِراعِ الدارِعينَ فلولُ

بِها مِن قِراعِ الدارِعينَ فلولُ

And our swords, everywhere west and east,

Our swords in every west and every east

Bear notches from clashes with armored men.

By them the cowards were put to quick flight

معوّدَةً أَلّا تُسَلَّ نِصالُها

معوّدَةً أَلّا تُسَلَّ نِصالُها

فَتُغمَدَ حَتّى يُستَباحَ قَبيلُ

فَتُغمَدَ حَتّى يُستَباحَ قَبيلُ

Accustomed, once their blades are drawn,

They are accustomed to being unsheathed, their blades

Not to be sheathed until a tribe is overrun.

Not sheathed, till a tribe is laid open to plunder

سَلي إِن جَهِلت الناسَ عَنّا وَعَنهُمُ

سَلي إِن جَهِلت الناسَ عَنّا وَعَنهُمُ

وَلَيسَ سَواءً عالمٌ وَجهولُ

وَلَيسَ سَواءً عالمٌ وَجهولُ

Ask the people, if you do not know, about us and them;

Ask, if you are ignorant of us and of them

One who knows and one who is ignorant are not equal.

Not equal are the knowledgeable and the ignorant

فَإِنَّ بَني الديّان قطبٌ لِقَومِهِم

فَإِنَّ بَني الديّان قطبٌ لِقَومِهِم

تَدورُ رَحاهُم حولهُم وَتَجولُ

تَدورُ رَحاهُم حولهُم وَتَجولُ

For the sons of al-Dayyan are the pivot of their people;

The clan of Diyyan is the pole for their people

Their millstone turns around them and revolves.

Their kin revolve around them endlessly