تَطاوَلَ لَيلي بِهَمٍّ وَصِب

تَطاوَلَ لَيلي بِهَمٍّ وَصِب

وَدَمعٍ كَسَحِّ السِقاءِ السَرِب

وَدَمعٍ كَسَحِّ السِقاءِ السَرِب

My night has grown long with unrelenting care,

My night grew long with worries and wakefulness

and tears like the flow of a leaking waterskin,

And tears like the downpour of heavy rain

لِلعبِ قُصَيٍّ بِأَحلامِها

لِلعبِ قُصَيٍّ بِأَحلامِها

وَهَل يَرجِعُ الحلمُ بَعدَ اللَعِب

وَهَل يَرجِعُ الحلمُ بَعدَ اللَعِب

at Qusayy's trifling with its good sense.

For the fate of Quraysh with its dreams

And will good sense return after trifling?

Can a dream return after the end of play?

وَنَفيِ قُصَيٍّ بَني هاشِمٍ

وَنَفيِ قُصَيٍّ بَني هاشِمٍ

كَنَفيِ الطُهاةِ لطافَ الخَشَب

كَنَفيِ الطُهاةِ لطافَ الخَشَب

And at Qusayy's banishment of the sons of Hashim,

And the exile of Quraysh, the Banu Hashim

like cooks casting aside small bits of wood;

Is like the carpenter's repudiation of the finest wood

وَقَولٍ لِأَحمَدَ أَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ

وَقَولٍ لِأَحمَدَ أَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ

خَلوفُ الحَديثِ ضَعيفُ السَبَب

خَلوفُ الحَديثِ ضَعيفُ السَبَب

and their saying to Ahmad, 'You are a man

And the word to Ahmad: "You are a man

false in speech and weak in ties.'

Weak in argument, unreliable in reasoning"

وَإِن كانَ أَحمَدُ قَد جاءَهُم

وَإِن كانَ أَحمَدُ قَد جاءَهُم

بِحَقٍّ وَلَم يَأتِهِم بِالكَذِب

بِحَقٍّ وَلَم يَأتِهِم بِالكَذِب

Even though Ahmad had indeed come to them

Though Ahmad came to them with truth

with truth, and had not come to them with lies.

And did not approach them with lies

عَلى أَنَّ إِخوانَنا وازَروا

عَلى أَنَّ إِخوانَنا وازَروا

بَني هاشِمٍ وَبَني المُطَّلِب

بَني هاشِمٍ وَبَني المُطَّلِب

Yet our brothers have supported

Moreover, our brothers lined up

the sons of Hashim and the sons of al-Muttalib.

Against Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib

هُما أَخَوانِ كَعَظمِ اليَمين

هُما أَخَوانِ كَعَظمِ اليَمين

أَمرّا عَلَينا بِعقدِ الكَرب

أَمرّا عَلَينا بِعقدِ الكَرب

They are two brothers, like the bones of the right hand,

The two brothers bound like the right hand

both binding us fast with knotted cords.

Their matter weighs heavily upon us

فَيالَ قُصَيٍّ أَلَم تُخبَروا

فَيالَ قُصَيٍّ أَلَم تُخبَروا

بِما حَلَّ مِن شُؤونٍ في العَرَب

بِما حَلَّ مِن شُؤونٍ في العَرَب

Then, O Qusayy, have you not been told

Oh Quraysh, have you not been told

of the events that have occurred among the Arabs?

Of what has befallen the Arabs?

فَلا تُمسِكُنَّ بِأَيديكُمُ

فَلا تُمسِكُنَّ بِأَيديكُمُ

بُعَيدَ الأُنوفِ بعَجبِ الذَنَب

بُعَيدَ الأُنوفِ بعَجبِ الذَنَب

So do not grasp with your hands

So do not, with your hands

just beyond the noses, at the root of the tail.

Seize the distant, the arrogant because of his sin

وَرُمتُم بِأَحمَدَ ما رُمتُمُ

وَرُمتُم بِأَحمَدَ ما رُمتُمُ

عَلى الأَصَراتِ وَقُربِ النَسَب

عَلى الأَصَراتِ وَقُربِ النَسَب

And you sought against Ahmad what you sought,

And you threw at Ahmad what you threw

despite the bonds and closeness of kinship.

At the noble families, the closest in lineage

إِلامَ إِلامَ تَلاقَيتُمُ

إِلامَ إِلامَ تَلاقَيتُمُ

بِأَمر مُزاجٍ وَحِلمٍ عَزَب

بِأَمر مُزاجٍ وَحِلمٍ عَزَب

To what end, to what end have you gathered

Why, why did you collide

over a muddled affair, with good sense gone astray?

In a matter of caprice and untamed reason?

زَعَمتُم بِأَنَّكُمُ جيرَةٌ

زَعَمتُم بِأَنَّكُمُ جيرَةٌ

وَأَنَّكُمُ إِخوَةٌ في النَسَب

وَأَنَّكُمُ إِخوَةٌ في النَسَب

You claimed that you are neighbors,

You claimed to be neighbors

and that you are brothers in kinship.

And brothers in lineage

فَكَيفَ تُعادونَ أَبناءَهُ

فَكَيفَ تُعادونَ أَبناءَهُ

وَأَهلَ الدِيانَةِ بَيتَ الحَسَب

وَأَهلَ الدِيانَةِ بَيتَ الحَسَب

Then how can you oppose his sons,

Then how can you be hostile to his sons

and the people of faith, the house of honor?

And the people of his religion, the people of merit?

فَإِنّا وَمَن حَجَّ مِن راكِبٍ

فَإِنّا وَمَن حَجَّ مِن راكِبٍ

وَكَعبَة مَكَّةَ ذاتِ الحُجُب

وَكَعبَة مَكَّةَ ذاتِ الحُجُب

For we swear by every mounted pilgrim,

We and all pilgrims who ride

and by Mecca's Kaaba with its coverings:

And the Kaaba of Mecca of curtains

تَنالونَ أَحمَدَ أَو تَصطَلوا

تَنالونَ أَحمَدَ أَو تَصطَلوا

ظُباةَ الرِماحِ وَحَدَّ القُضُب

ظُباةَ الرِماحِ وَحَدَّ القُضُب

you shall not reach Ahmad until you are seared by

Will take on Ahmad or seek him out

the points of spears and the edges of swords,

Among the tips of spears and the edges of clubs

وَتَعتَرِفوا بَينَ أَبياتِكُم

وَتَعتَرِفوا بَينَ أَبياتِكُم

صُدورَ العَوالي وَخَيلاً عُصب

صُدورَ العَوالي وَخَيلاً عُصب

and come to know, among your dwellings,

And you will acknowledge among yourselves

the points of long spears and horses in bands.

The forelocks of the noble steeds and armored horses

إِذِ الخَيلُ تَمزَعُ في جَريِها

إِذِ الخَيلُ تَمزَعُ في جَريِها

بِسَيرِ العَنيقِ وَحَثِّ الخَبَب

بِسَيرِ العَنيقِ وَحَثِّ الخَبَب

When the horses bound along in their running,

As the horses jerk in their galloping

with a long-striding gait and a quickened trot,

With the walk of the she-camel and the drive of prodding

تَراهُنَّ مِن بَينِ ضافي السَبيبِ

تَراهُنَّ مِن بَينِ ضافي السَبيبِ

قَصيرَ الحِزامِ طَويلَ اللَبَب

قَصيرَ الحِزامِ طَويلَ اللَبَب

you see them: some with flowing manes,

You see them from between the dangling straps

short in girth, long in breaststrap,

Short-girded, long-garmented

وَجَرداءَ كَالظَبي سَيموحَةٍ

وَجَرداءَ كَالظَبي سَيموحَةٍ

طَواها النَقائِعُ بَعدَ الحَلَب

طَواها النَقائِعُ بَعدَ الحَلَب

and a sleek mare, gazelle-like and long-limbed,

And bare like the oryx, slim and erect

made lean by draughts of water after milk.

Covered by the mantle after weaning

عَلَيها كِرامُ بَني هاشِمٍ

عَلَيها كِرامُ بَني هاشِمٍ

هُمُ الأَنجَبونَ مَعَ المُنتَخَب

هُمُ الأَنجَبونَ مَعَ المُنتَخَب

Upon them ride the noble sons of Hashim;

Upon them the honor of Banu Hashim

they are the noblest, with the chosen one.

They are the finest along with the chosen