نَحنُ المُقاوِلُ وَالأَملاكُ قَد عَلِمَت

نَحنُ المُقاوِلُ وَالأَملاكُ قَد عَلِمَت

أَهلُ المَراشي بِأَنّا أَهلُ غُمدانا

أَهلُ المَراشي بِأَنّا أَهلُ غُمدانا

We are the princes and kings; well have they learned—

We are the builders and the lords, the people of Marib knew

The people of al-Marashi—that we are the people of Ghumdan,

That we are the people of scabbards

وَأَنَّنا رَبُّ بَينونٍ وَأَضرُعِهِ

وَأَنَّنا رَبُّ بَينونٍ وَأَضرُعِهِ

وَالشيدِ مِن هَكِرٍ ناهيكَ بُنيانا

وَالشيدِ مِن هَكِرٍ ناهيكَ بُنيانا

And that we are lords of Baynun and its spurs,

And that we are the lords of Baynoun and its meadows

And the plasterwork of Hakir—what a building!

And the best builders, not to mention the architecture

بَراقِشٌ وَمَعينٌ نَحنُ عامِرُها

بَراقِشٌ وَمَعينٌ نَحنُ عامِرُها

وَنَحنُ أَربابُ صِرواحٍ وَرَيشانا

وَنَحنُ أَربابُ صِرواحٍ وَرَيشانا

Baraqish and Ma'in—we are their builders.

Baraqish and Ma'een, we populated them

And we are lords of Sirwah and Rayshan.

And we are the lords of Sarwah and Rayshan

وَناعِطٍ نَحنُ شَيَّدنا مَعاقِلَها

وَناعِطٍ نَحنُ شَيَّدنا مَعاقِلَها

وَمأَذَناً قَد عَلا نَشقاً وَنوفانا

وَمأَذَناً قَد عَلا نَشقاً وَنوفانا

And Na'it—we built up its strongholds,

And Na't, we built its fortresses

And Ma'dhan, which rose above Nashq and Nawfan,

And minarets that rose high piercing the skies

وَتَلفَمُ البَونِ وَالقَصرَينِ مِن خَمَرٍ

وَتَلفَمُ البَونِ وَالقَصرَينِ مِن خَمَرٍ

وَتَنعُمٍ وَقُرى شَرحٍ وَدَعّانا

وَتَنعُمٍ وَقُرى شَرحٍ وَدَعّانا

And Talfam of al-Bawn, and the two palaces of Khamar,

Talfam of Bawan and the two palaces, with wine

And Tan'um, and the villages of Sharh and Da'an.

And comfort, and the villages of Sharh and Da'an

وَالهِندَين بَنى ذو التاجِ مِن تُبَعٍ

وَالهِندَين بَنى ذو التاجِ مِن تُبَعٍ

وَقَصرِ ذي الوَرد تاما راسَ أَلهانا

وَقَصرِ ذي الوَرد تاما راسَ أَلهانا

And al-Hindayn was built by a Tubba', the crown-bearer,

And the two Hindas, built by the crowned one from Tubba'

And the palace of Dhu al-Ward, complete atop Alhan.

And the palace of flowers, perfect, topping the summits

وَفي رِئامٍ وَفي النجدَين مِن مَدرٍ

وَفي رِئامٍ وَفي النجدَين مِن مَدرٍ

عَلا المَنارُ وَحَفَ الشيِّدُ إِيوانا

عَلا المَنارُ وَحَفَ الشيِّدُ إِيوانا

And in Ri'am, and in the two uplands of Madar,

And in Riyam and in the two Najds of mud brick

The tower rose, and plasterwork enclosed a hall.

The minaret rose high and the builder surrounded it with a courtyard

وَفي ظِفارَ بَنتَ آباؤنا غُرَفاً

وَفي ظِفارَ بَنتَ آباؤنا غُرَفاً

وَكَوكبانِ وَقصرِ المُلكِ ريدانا

وَكَوكبانِ وَقصرِ المُلكِ ريدانا

And in Zifar our fathers built chambers,

And in Dhofar our fathers built chambers

And in Kawkaban and the royal palace, Raydan.

And domes, and the palace of the king, the unique one

وَقَصرَ بَينُونَ عَلّاهُ وَشيَّدَهُ

وَقَصرَ بَينُونَ عَلّاهُ وَشيَّدَهُ

ذُو الفَخرِ عَمرٌو وَسَوّى قَصرَ غُمدانا

ذُو الفَخرِ عَمرٌو وَسَوّى قَصرَ غُمدانا

And Baynun's palace was raised high and built up

And the palace of Baynoun was erected and built

By 'Amr, possessor of glory, who also fashioned Ghumdan's palace.

By the glorious Amr, and he leveled the palace of Gumdan

وَقَصرَ أَحوَرَ رَأسُ القَيلِ ذي يَزَنٍ

وَقَصرَ أَحوَرَ رَأسُ القَيلِ ذي يَزَنٍ

وَقَصرَ فَيّاشَ في أَريابَ قَد كانا

وَقَصرَ فَيّاشَ في أَريابَ قَد كانا

And Ahwar's palace, the chief seat of the prince Dhu Yazan,

And the palace of Ahwar, the tallest of buildings, of Yazan

And Fayyash's palace in Aryab—both once stood.

And the palace Fayyash in the meadows, both existed

وَقَصرَ سُلحِينِ عَلّاهُ وَشَيَّدَهُ

وَقَصرَ سُلحِينِ عَلّاهُ وَشَيَّدَهُ

كَهلانُ وَالِدُنا أَحبِب بِكَهلانا

كَهلانُ وَالِدُنا أَحبِب بِكَهلانا

And Sulhin's palace was raised high and built up

And the palace of Suhayn was erected and built

By Kahlan, our father—how beloved is Kahlan!

By our father Kahlun whom we loved, O Kahlun

فَأَصبَحَت مارِبٌ لِلريحِ مُختَرَقاً

فَأَصبَحَت مارِبٌ لِلريحِ مُختَرَقاً

بَعدَ القُصور وَبَعدَ الشِيدِ مَيدانا

بَعدَ القُصور وَبَعدَ الشِيدِ مَيدانا

So Ma'rib became a passage for the wind,

So Marib became perforated by the winds

After palaces and plasterwork, an open plain.

After the palaces and after the buildings, an arena

ساقَ المياهَ إِلى سَدٍّ لمارِبنا

ساقَ المياهَ إِلى سَدٍّ لمارِبنا

للجَنتين معايِينا وَثُعبانا

للجَنتين معايِينا وَثُعبانا

He channeled the waters to a dam for our Ma'rib,

He brought water to a dam for our Marib

For the two gardens—flowing springs and a torrent.

For the two gardens, our springs and cobras