أَلاAh! لِلَّهِto God وَيومُand the day الدارِal-Dār يَوماًa day
أَلا لِلَّهِ وَيومُ الدارِ يَوماً
بَعيدَfar-reaching الذِكرِrenown مَحمودَpraiseworthy المَآلِthe outcome
بَعيدَ الذِكرِ مَحمودَ المَآلِ
Ah, praise be to God—and what a day was the day of al-Dār,
Behold! By Allah and the Day of Judgment's call
Far-reaching in renown, praiseworthy in outcome!
A day far off, of auspicious rise and fall
تَرَكتُI left بِهِon it نِساءَthe women بَنيthe sons of كِلابٍKilāb
تَرَكتُ بِهِ نِساءَ بَني كِلابٍ
فَوارِكَaverse to husbands مايُرِغنَthey do not incline إِلىtoward الرِجالِmen
فَوارِكَ مايُرِغنَ إِلى الرِجالِ
On that day I left the women of Banu Kilāb
I left the women of rabid dogs, forsaking
Averse to husbands, with no inclination toward men.
Them, caring not for their beguiling thrall
تَرَكناwe left الشَيخَthe elder شَيخَelder بَنيthe sons of قُرَيظٍQurayẓ
تَرَكنا الشَيخَ شَيخَ بَني قُرَيظٍ
بِبَطنِin the hollow of القاعِthe plain مَمنوعَbarred from الزَيالِdeparting
بِبَطنِ القاعِ مَمنوعَ الزَيالِ
We left the elder—the elder of Banu Qurayẓ—
We left the Sheikh of Qurayzah's sons, though old
In the hollow of the plain, barred from departing.
In his hot valley, from rich pastures banned
مُقاطَعَةٌestranged أَحِبَّتُهُhis loved ones وَلَكِنbut
مُقاطَعَةٌ أَحِبَّتُهُ وَلَكِن
يَبيتُhe spends the night مِنَfrom among الخَوامِعِthe hyenas فيin وِصالِintimate union
يَبيتُ مِنَ الخَوامِعِ في وِصالِ
His loved ones are estranged from him, yet
Estranged, though once I loved him, and since then
He spends the night in union with hyenas.
Each dusk he'd leave the cloister where he'd stand
تَخِفُّtakes flight إِذاwhen تَطارَدناwe exchange charges كِلابٌKilāb
تَخِفُّ إِذا تَطارَدنا كِلابٌ
فَكَيفَso how بِهاwith it إِذاwhen قُلناwe say نَزالِcome down to fight!
فَكَيفَ بِها إِذا قُلنا نَزالِ
Kilāb takes flight when we exchange charges;
When hounds chase us, they cower and quake with fear
How then will it fare when we cry, 'Come down to fight!'
Imagine if we said: it's time to brawl!
تَرَكناهاwe left it وَلَمand not يُترَكنَthey were left إِلّاexcept
تَرَكناها وَلَم يُترَكنَ إِلّا
لِأَبناءِfor the sons of العُمومَةِthe paternal uncles وَالمَواليand the retainers
لِأَبناءِ العُمومَةِ وَالمَوالي
We left the tribe, and its women were left only
We left them only for close kin and slaves
For their paternal cousins and retainers.
To take as spoils, and no men stood their call
فَلَمso not يَنهَضنَthey rise عَنfrom تِلكَthose الحَشاياthe mattresses
فَلَم يَنهَضنَ عَن تِلكَ الحَشايا
وَلَمand not يَبرُزنَthey emerge مِنfrom تِلكَthose الحِجالِthe curtained chambers
وَلَم يَبرُزنَ مِن تِلكَ الحِجالِ
So they did not rise from those mattresses,
They did not rise above those rags and steeds
Nor did they emerge from those curtained chambers.
Nor break past their ring of huts and stalls