يا مالُ وَالسَيِّدُ المُعَمَّمُ قَد

يا مالُ وَالسَيِّدُ المُعَمَّمُ قَد

يُبطِرُهُ بَعضُ رَأيِهِ السَرِفُ

يُبطِرُهُ بَعضُ رَأيِهِ السَرِفُ

O Mal, a turbaned lord may

O Mal, the veiled master's reasoning

be made insolent by some reckless judgment of his.

is flawed, though proud he seems.

خالَفتَ في الرَأيِ كُلَّ ذي فَخَرٍ

خالَفتَ في الرَأيِ كُلَّ ذي فَخَرٍ

وَالحَقُّ يا مالُ غَيرُ ما تَصِفُ

وَالحَقُّ يا مالُ غَيرُ ما تَصِفُ

You have opposed in judgment every man of pride,

On matters of opinion you've opposed

and the truth, O Mal, is not what you describe.

each vain pretender it seems.

لا يَرفَعُ العَبدُ فَوقَ سُنَّتِهِ

لا يَرفَعُ العَبدُ فَوقَ سُنَّتِهِ

وَالحَقُّ يوفى بِهِ وَيُعتَرَفُ

وَالحَقُّ يوفى بِهِ وَيُعتَرَفُ

A slave is not raised above his customary station,

No mortal rises above the Way;

and a rightful claim is fulfilled and acknowledged.

truth will be recognized in the end.

إِنَّ بُحَيراً عَبدٌ لِغَيرِكُمُ

إِنَّ بُحَيراً عَبدٌ لِغَيرِكُمُ

يا مالُ وَالحَقُّ عِندَهُ فَقِفوا

يا مالُ وَالحَقُّ عِندَهُ فَقِفوا

Indeed, Buhayr is a slave belonging to someone other than you,

Bohayra is a slave, not of your kind;

O Mal; the right lies with him, so halt.

by him let the argument rest, my friend.

أوتيتُ فيهِ الوَفاءَ مُعتَرِفاً

أوتيتُ فيهِ الوَفاءَ مُعتَرِفاً

بِالحَقِّ فيهِ لَكُم فَلاتَكِفوا

بِالحَقِّ فيهِ لَكُم فَلاتَكِفوا

I was given full satisfaction concerning him, acknowledging

I've been loyal, admitting what's true,

your rightful claim concerning him; so do not transgress.

but don't relent or pretend.

نَحنُ بِما عِندِنا وَأَنتَ بِما

نَحنُ بِما عِندِنا وَأَنتَ بِما

عِندَكَ راضٍ وَالرَأيُ مُختَلِفُ

عِندَكَ راضٍ وَالرَأيُ مُختَلِفُ

We, with what we have, and you, with what

You keep your views; I'll keep mine,

you have, are content; yet opinions differ.

each satisfied, though they contend.

نَحنُ المَكيثونَ حَيثُ يَحمَدُنا ال

نَحنُ المَكيثونَ حَيثُ يَحمَدُنا ال

مُكثُ وَنَحنُ المَصالِتُ الأُنُفُ

مُكثُ وَنَحنُ المَصالِتُ الأُنُفُ

We stand firm where we win praise for

We're steadfast where constancy is praised;

standing firm; and we are bold, proud warriors.

we're pious worshippers without end;

وَالحافِظو عَورَةِ العَشيرَةِ لا

وَالحافِظو عَورَةِ العَشيرَةِ لا

يَأتيهُمُ مِن وَرائِهِم وَكَفُ

يَأتيهُمُ مِن وَرائِهِم وَكَفُ

And we guard the clan's vulnerable points; no

defenders of family honor-behind them

disgrace reaches them from behind.

no enemy passes through a chink or a rend.

وَاللَهُ لا يَزدَهي كَتيبَتَنا

وَاللَهُ لا يَزدَهي كَتيبَتَنا

أُسدُ عَرينٍ مَقيلُها غُرَفُ

أُسدُ عَرينٍ مَقيلُها غُرَفُ

By God, our war band cannot be overawed by

Our brave tribe fears no lions in their den,

lions of a lair whose noonday retreats are lofty chambers.

like cubs at rest in a sheltered bend.

إِذا مَشَينا في الفارِسِيِّ كَما

إِذا مَشَينا في الفارِسِيِّ كَما

تَمشي جِمالٌ مَصاعِبٌ قُطُفُ

تَمشي جِمالٌ مَصاعِبٌ قُطُفُ

When we walk in Persian armor, as

When we walk past the Persian lines

unbroken, short-stepping camels walk,

like camels marching in a stately trend,

نَمشي إِلى المَوتِ مِن حَفائِظِنا

نَمشي إِلى المَوتِ مِن حَفائِظِنا

مَشياً ذَريعاً وَهُكمُنا نَصَفُ

مَشياً ذَريعاً وَهُكمُنا نَصَفُ

we march toward death out of our zeal for honor,

we stride towards death on watchful guard,

with swift strides; and our judgment is fair.

halting halfway in case foes descend.

إِنَّ سَميراً أَبَت عَشيرَتُهُ

إِنَّ سَميراً أَبَت عَشيرَتُهُ

أَن يَعرِفوا فَوقَ مابِهِ نَطِفوا

أَن يَعرِفوا فَوقَ مابِهِ نَطِفوا

Indeed, Samir's clan has refused

Samira's clan refused to acknowledge

to acknowledge more than the stain they bear.

anyone mightier, whomever they offend.

أَو تَصدُرِ الخَيلُ وَهيَ حامِلَةٌ

أَو تَصدُرِ الخَيلُ وَهيَ حامِلَةٌ

تَحتَ صُواها جَماجِمٌ جُفُفُ

تَحتَ صُواها جَماجِمٌ جُفُفُ

Or the horses return, carrying

Nor would our horses march out pregnant,

beneath their raised backs, dry skulls.

skulls of foemen bouncing underneath.

أَو تَجرَعوا الغَيظَ مابَدا لَكُمُ

أَو تَجرَعوا الغَيظَ مابَدا لَكُمُ

فَهارِشوا الحَربَ حَيثُ تَنصَرِفُ

فَهارِشوا الحَربَ حَيثُ تَنصَرِفُ

Or swallow your rage as you please;

You'll never taste humiliation and bitterness;

then goad war wherever it turns.

seek battle elsewhere if you intend.

إِنّي لَأُنمى إِذا اِنتَمَيتُ إِلى

إِنّي لَأُنمى إِذا اِنتَمَيتُ إِلى

غُرٍّ كِرامٍ وَقَومُنا شَرَفُ

غُرٍّ كِرامٍ وَقَومُنا شَرَفُ

Indeed, when I claim my lineage, I am traced to

When I claim descent from generous, noble forebears,

illustrious, noble men; and our people are exalted:

our people's excellence is without end.

بيضٌ جِعادٌ كَأَنَّ أَعيُنَهُم

بيضٌ جِعادٌ كَأَنَّ أَعيُنَهُم

يُكحِلُها في المَلاحِمِ السَدَفُ

يُكحِلُها في المَلاحِمِ السَدَفُ

fair-faced, curly-haired, as though their eyes

Pure white pillars, their eyes kohl-lined

were lined with kohl by darkness amid the battles.

in ferocious scenes of battle they upend.