لِمَن أَربُعٌ أَقوَينَ بَينَ القَدائِمِ

لِمَن أَربُعٌ أَقوَينَ بَينَ القَدائِمِ

أَقَمنَ بِمَدحاةِ الرِياحِ التَوائِمِ

أَقَمنَ بِمَدحاةِ الرِياحِ التَوائِمِ

Whose are the dwellings that lie deserted among al-Qada'im?

For whom are four strong men between pillars?

They have remained on ground swept by the twin winds.

They stood praising the pairing winds.

فَكَلَّفتُ عَينَيَّ البُكاءَ وَخِلتُني

فَكَلَّفتُ عَينَيَّ البُكاءَ وَخِلتُني

قَدَ اِنزَفتُ دَمعي اليَومَ بَينَ الأَصارِمِ

قَدَ اِنزَفتُ دَمعي اليَومَ بَينَ الأَصارِمِ

So I forced my eyes to weep, and thought that I

So I tasked my eyes with crying and they left me,

had exhausted my tears today amid al-Asarim.

Today I have shed my tears amidst the swords.

وَكَيفَ بُكائي في الطُلولِ وَقَد أَتَت

وَكَيفَ بُكائي في الطُلولِ وَقَد أَتَت

لَها حِقَبٌ مُذ فارَقَت أُمّ عاصِمِ

لَها حِقَبٌ مُذ فارَقَت أُمّ عاصِمِ

And how can I weep over the ruins, when there have passed

And how can I cry in longing when already

long ages over them since Umm Asim departed?

Periods have passed since she left Umm Asim?

غِفارِيَّةٌ حَلَّت بِبَولانَ خلَّةً

غِفارِيَّةٌ حَلَّت بِبَولانَ خلَّةً

فَيَنبُعَ أَو حَلَّت بِهَضبِ الرَجائِمِ

فَيَنبُعَ أَو حَلَّت بِهَضبِ الرَجائِمِ

A woman of Ghifar, a beloved who settled at Bawlan,

Ghifaariyah camped at Buwaalani plainly

then at Yanbu, or settled on the rocky heights of al-Raja'im.

So springs flow or camped at rugged highlands.

فَدَعها فَقَد شَطَّت بِها غُربَةُ النَوى

فَدَعها فَقَد شَطَّت بِها غُربَةُ النَوى

وَشِعبٌ لِشَتِّ الحَيِّ غَيرُ مُلائِمِ

وَشِعبٌ لِشَتِّ الحَيِّ غَيرُ مُلائِمِ

So leave her; the exile of separation has carried her far away,

Leave her be, for remoteness of yearning took her

and a ravine cannot reunite the tribe's scattered folk.

And a people, for the brave’s onslaught unapt.

فَبَلِّغ عَلى الشَحناءِ أَفناءَ غالِب

فَبَلِّغ عَلى الشَحناءِ أَفناءَ غالِب

لُؤَيّاً وَتيماً عِندَ نَصرِ الكَرائِمِ

لُؤَيّاً وَتيماً عِندَ نَصرِ الكَرائِمِ

So tell, despite the enmity, the clans of Ghalib,

Convey to Ash-Shahnaa’ the destruction of Gaalib

Lu'ayy and Taym, when noble women need defending,

A refugee and orphan at the victory of the generous.

بِأَنّا سُيوفُ اللَهِ وَالمَجدِ كُلّهِ

بِأَنّا سُيوفُ اللَهِ وَالمَجدِ كُلّهِ

إِذا كانَ صَوتُ القَومِ وَحيَ الغَمائِمِ

إِذا كانَ صَوتُ القَومِ وَحيَ الغَمائِمِ

that we are the swords of God and of all glory,

That we are Allah’s swords and all glory

when the people's clamor is the thunder of clouds.

If the people’s voices were the clouds’ inspirations.

أَلَم تَعلَموا أَنَّ القَطيعَةَ مَأثَمٌ

أَلَم تَعلَموا أَنَّ القَطيعَةَ مَأثَمٌ

وَأَمرُ بَلاءٍ قاتِمٍ غَيرِ حازِمِ

وَأَمرُ بَلاءٍ قاتِمٍ غَيرِ حازِمِ

Did you not know that severing kinship is a sin,

Don’t you know that cutting ties is a sin

and a matter of grim affliction, lacking sound judgment;

And a confusing affair lacking resolve?

وَأَنَّ سَبيلَ الرُشدِ يُعلَمُ في غَدٍ

وَأَنَّ سَبيلَ الرُشدِ يُعلَمُ في غَدٍ

وَأَنَّ نَعيمَ الدَهرِ لَيسَ بِدائِمِ

وَأَنَّ نَعيمَ الدَهرِ لَيسَ بِدائِمِ

and that the path of right guidance will be known tomorrow,

And that the path of righteousness is known tomorrow

and that life's pleasures do not last?

And that the life’s pleasures are not lasting?

فَلا تَسفَهَن أَحلامُكُم في مُحَمَّدٍ

فَلا تَسفَهَن أَحلامُكُم في مُحَمَّدٍ

وَلا تَتبَعوا أَمرَ الغُواةِ الأَشائِمِ

وَلا تَتبَعوا أَمرَ الغُواةِ الأَشائِمِ

So let not your minds act foolishly toward Muhammad,

So do not let your dreams about Muhammad go astray

and do not follow the bidding of ill-omened, misguided men.

Nor follow the order of ghawaas, the ominous.

تَمَنَّيتُمُ أَن تَقتُلوهُ وَإِنَّما

تَمَنَّيتُمُ أَن تَقتُلوهُ وَإِنَّما

أَمانيّكُم هَذي كَأَحلامِ نائِمِ

أَمانيّكُم هَذي كَأَحلامِ نائِمِ

You have wished to kill him, but

You wished to kill him but your wishes

these wishes of yours are only like a sleeper's dreams.

Are like a sleeper’s dreams.

فَإِنَّكُم وَاللَهِ لا تَقتُلونَهُ

فَإِنَّكُم وَاللَهِ لا تَقتُلونَهُ

وَلَمّا تَرَوا قَطفَ اللِحى وَالغَلاصِمِ

وَلَمّا تَرَوا قَطفَ اللِحى وَالغَلاصِمِ

For, by God, you will not kill him

By Allah you will not kill him

before you see beards and throats hewn away,

Nor will you see the harvesting of beards and temples.

وَلَم تُبصِروا الأَحياءُ مِنكُم مَلاحِماً

وَلَم تُبصِروا الأَحياءُ مِنكُم مَلاحِماً

تَحومُ عَلَيها الطَيرُ بَعدَ مَلاحِمِ

تَحومُ عَلَيها الطَيرُ بَعدَ مَلاحِمِ

nor before the living among you behold fields of slaughter,

Nor have the living among you seen fights

over which birds circle, slaughter after slaughter;

With birds hovering over them after fights.

وَتَدعوا بِأَرحامٍ أَواصِرَ بَيننا

وَتَدعوا بِأَرحامٍ أَواصِرَ بَيننا

وَقَد قَطَعَ الأَرحامَ وَقعُ الصَوارِمِ

وَقَد قَطَعَ الأَرحامَ وَقعُ الصَوارِمِ

and you will invoke the bonds of kinship between us,

You claimed ties of wombs that bound us

though the blows of keen swords have already severed kinship;

While the clashing of swords severed wombs.

وَتَسمو بِخَيلٍ بَعدَ خَيلٍ يَحُثُّها

وَتَسمو بِخَيلٍ بَعدَ خَيلٍ يَحُثُّها

إِلى الرَوعِ أَبناءُ الكُهولِ القَماقِمِ

إِلى الرَوعِ أَبناءُ الكُهولِ القَماقِمِ

and advance with cavalry after cavalry, urged onward

And you took pride in horses after horses, goading them

into battle's terror by sons of mighty elders.

To frighten the sons of the dull, old men.

مِنَ البيضِ مِفضالٌ أَبِيٌّ عَلى العِدا

مِنَ البيضِ مِفضالٌ أَبِيٌّ عَلى العِدا

تَمَكَّنَ في الفَرعَينِ في حَيِّ هاشِمِ

تَمَكَّنَ في الفَرعَينِ في حَيِّ هاشِمِ

Among the fair-faced is a lavishly generous man, unyielding toward foes,

Mifdaal, more righteous than many fathers

firmly rooted in both branches, within Hashim's clan.

Took over the two branches among Haashim.

أَمينٌ مُحِبٌّ في العِبادِ مُسَوَّمٌ

أَمينٌ مُحِبٌّ في العِبادِ مُسَوَّمٌ

بِخاتمِ رَبٍّ قاهِرٍ للخَواتِمِ

بِخاتمِ رَبٍّ قاهِرٍ للخَواتِمِ

Trustworthy and loving among humankind, marked

A trusted, loving worshipper, distinguished

with the seal of a Lord who overpowers all seals.

With the seal of an All-Subduer of seals.

يَرى الناسُ بُرهاناً عَلَيهِ وَهَيبَةً

يَرى الناسُ بُرهاناً عَلَيهِ وَهَيبَةً

وَما جاهِلٌ أَمراً كَآخَرَ عالِمِ

وَما جاهِلٌ أَمراً كَآخَرَ عالِمِ

People see proof upon him and a presence that inspires awe,

People see evidence of him and awe,

and one ignorant of a matter is not like another who knows.

An ignorant is not like another knowledgeable.

نَبِيٌّ أَتاهُ الوَحيُ مِن عِندِ رَبِّهِ

نَبِيٌّ أَتاهُ الوَحيُ مِن عِندِ رَبِّهِ

وَمَن قالَ لا يَقرَع بِها سِنَّ نادِمِ

وَمَن قالَ لا يَقرَع بِها سِنَّ نادِمِ

A prophet to whom revelation came from his Lord;

A prophet who received revelation from his Lord

and whoever says 'No' will gnash his teeth over it in regret.

And whoever says no will hit with regret a despaired.

تُطيفُ بِهِ جُرثومَةٌ هاشِمِيَّةٌ

تُطيفُ بِهِ جُرثومَةٌ هاشِمِيَّةٌ

تُذَبِّبُ عَنهُ كُلَّ عاتٍ وَظالِمِ

تُذَبِّبُ عَنهُ كُلَّ عاتٍ وَظالِمِ

A clan of Hashimite stock surrounds him,

Encircling him is a small defending band

warding off from him every insolent aggressor and oppressor.

Repelling from him every wrongdoer and unjust.