سَلي عَنّا سَراةَ بَني كِلابٍ

سَلي عَنّا سَراةَ بَني كِلابٍ

بِبالِسَ عِندَ مُشتَجَرِ العَوالي

بِبالِسَ عِندَ مُشتَجَرِ العَوالي

Ask the chiefs of Banu Kilab about us,

Ask the clan of Banu Kilab at Balis,

at Balis, when the tall spears interlocked.

At the foot of the rugged heights,

لَقَيناهُم بِأَسيافٍ قِصارٍ

لَقَيناهُم بِأَسيافٍ قِصارٍ

كَفَينَ مَؤونَةَ الأَسَلِ الطِوالِ

كَفَينَ مَؤونَةَ الأَسَلِ الطِوالِ

We met them with short swords

We met them with short swords,

that spared us the burden of long spears.

Sufficient for the task of long spears,

وَوَلّى بِاِبنِ عَوسَجَةٍ كَثيرٍ

وَوَلّى بِاِبنِ عَوسَجَةٍ كَثيرٍ

وَساعُ الخَطوِ في ضَنكِ المَجالِ

وَساعُ الخَطوِ في ضَنكِ المَجالِ

And away with Kathir ibn Awsajah fled

And Ibn Awsaja's son fled with many,

a wide-striding steed in the cramped field of battle.

His steps hampered in the narrow terrain,

يَرى البَرغوثَ إِذ نَجّاهُ مِنّا

يَرى البَرغوثَ إِذ نَجّاهُ مِنّا

أَجَلَّ عَقيلَةٍ وَأَحَبَّ مالِ

أَجَلَّ عَقيلَةٍ وَأَحَبَّ مالِ

He deems al-Barghuth ('the Flea'), since it saved him from us,

He saw a flea when we let him escape,

his noblest treasure and dearest possession.

More precious than a close kinswoman or wealth,

تَدورُ بِهِ إِماءٌ مِن قُرَيظٍ

تَدورُ بِهِ إِماءٌ مِن قُرَيظٍ

وَتَسأَلُهُ النِساءُ عَنِ الرِجالِ

وَتَسأَلُهُ النِساءُ عَنِ الرِجالِ

Slave women from Qurayz circle around him,

Umayyad slave girls circle around him,

and the women ask him about the men.

And women ask him about the men,

يَقُلنَ لَهُ السَلامَةُ خَيرُ غُنمٍ

يَقُلنَ لَهُ السَلامَةُ خَيرُ غُنمٍ

وَإِنَّ الذُلَّ في ذاكَ المَقالِ

وَإِنَّ الذُلَّ في ذاكَ المَقالِ

They say to him, 'Safety is the best gain.'

They say to him "Safety is the best spoils,

Yet surely humiliation lies in that saying.

And humiliation lies in that saying,"

وَجُمهانٌ تَجافَت عَنهُ بيضٌ

وَجُمهانٌ تَجافَت عَنهُ بيضٌ

عَدَلنَ عَنِ الصَريحِ إِلى المَوالي

عَدَلنَ عَنِ الصَريحِ إِلى المَوالي

And bright swords turned aside from Jumhan,

And throngs of white horses shunned him,

swerving from the pure-born man toward the clients.

Turning from the open ground to the ravines,

وَعادوا سامِعينَ لَنا فَعُدنا

وَعادوا سامِعينَ لَنا فَعُدنا

إِلى المَعهودِ مِن شَرَفِ الفَعالِ

إِلى المَعهودِ مِن شَرَفِ الفَعالِ

And they returned obedient to us, so we returned

And they returned listening to us, so we returned,

to our customary noble deeds.

To the customary noble deeds,

وَنَحنُ مَتى رَضينا بَعدَ سُخطٍ

وَنَحنُ مَتى رَضينا بَعدَ سُخطٍ

أَسَونا ماجَرَحنا بِالنَوالِ

أَسَونا ماجَرَحنا بِالنَوالِ

And whenever we are appeased after anger,

And whenever we were pleased after anger,

we heal with gifts what we have wounded.

We healed with spears what swords had injured.