إنّي امرُؤٌ من حِمْيَرٍ أسرتي

إنّي امرُؤٌ من حِمْيَرٍ أسرتي

بحيث تَحوي سَروَها حِمْيرُ

بحيث تَحوي سَروَها حِمْيرُ

I am a man of Himyar; my family is

I am a man from the clan of Hashim

where Himyar gathers its nobility.

My family contains elegant date palms

آليتُ لا أمدحُ ذا نائلٍ

آليتُ لا أمدحُ ذا نائلٍ

له سناءٌ وله مَفْخَرُ

له سناءٌ وله مَفْخَرُ

I have sworn to praise no man of bounty,

I have resolved not to praise one with glory

who has eminence and cause for pride,

Or with pride and arrogance

إلا من الغِرّ بني هاشمٍ

إلا من الغِرّ بني هاشمٍ

إن لهم عِندي يداً تُشكَرُ

إن لهم عِندي يداً تُشكَرُ

save one of the illustrious sons of Hashim.

Except those from the youth of Hashim

Indeed, they have done me a favor deserving thanks.

For they have a hand I am grateful for

إنّ لهم عندي يداً شُكرُها

إنّ لهم عندي يداً شُكرُها

حَقٌّ وإن أنْكَرَها مُنْكِرُ

حَقٌّ وإن أنْكَرَها مُنْكِرُ

Indeed, they have done me a favor; gratitude for it

Indeed they have a hand whose gratitude

is a duty, even if a denier denies it.

Is right even if the deniers deny it

يا أحمدَ الخيرِ الذي إنّما

يا أحمدَ الخيرِ الذي إنّما

كان علينا رحمةً تُنْشَرُ

كان علينا رحمةً تُنْشَرُ

O Ahmad of goodness, who

O Ahmed, the bestower of all good

was nothing but a mercy spread over us.

Who was mercy sent down upon us

حمزةُ والطيارُ في جنّةٍ

حمزةُ والطيارُ في جنّةٍ

فحيث ما شاءَ دعا جعفرُ

فحيث ما شاءَ دعا جعفرُ

Hamza and the Flyer are in Paradise;

Hamza and the flier are in Heaven

so wherever he wishes, Ja'far calls.

So Ja'far may call wherever he wishes

منهم وهادينا الذي نحن مِن

منهم وهادينا الذي نحن مِن

بعدِ عَمانا فيه نَستبصرُ

بعدِ عَمانا فيه نَستبصرُ

And among them is our guide, through whom we,

From them is our guide whom we

after our blindness, gained clear sight,

After Iman see clearly through

لما دَجا الدَّينُ ورقَّ الهُدى

لما دَجا الدَّينُ ورقَّ الهُدى

وجارَ أهلُ الأرضِ واستكبروا

وجارَ أهلُ الأرضِ واستكبروا

when faith grew dark and guidance grew faint,

When the faith was dark and guidance folded up

and the earth's people acted unjustly and grew arrogant.

And people on earth rebelled and grew arrogant

ذاك عليّ بن أبي طالبٍ

ذاك عليّ بن أبي طالبٍ

ذاك الذي دانت له خَيبَرُ

ذاك الذي دانت له خَيبَرُ

That is Ali ibn Abi Talib,

That was Ali son of Abu Talib

that is he to whom Khaybar submitted.

He to whom Khaybar surrendered

دانَتْ وما دانت له عَنوة

دانَتْ وما دانت له عَنوة

حتى تَدهدى عرشُهُ الأكبرُ

حتى تَدهدى عرشُهُ الأكبرُ

It submitted, but did not yield to him by force

It surrendered not by force

until its greatest throne came tumbling down.

Until its mighty throne quaked

ويومَ سَلْعٍ إذ أتى عاتِياً

ويومَ سَلْعٍ إذ أتى عاتِياً

عمرُو بن عبدِ مصلِتاً يَخْطُرُ

عمرُو بن عبدِ مصلِتاً يَخْطُرُ

And on the day of Salʿ, when he came defiantly—

And the day of Sal' when the transgressor

Amr ibn Abd, sword drawn, strutting,

Amr bin Abd Wadd came attacking

يَخطُرُ بالسيف مُدِلاً كما

يَخطُرُ بالسيف مُدِلاً كما

يَخطُرُ فحلُ الصِرَمةِ الدوْسَرُ

يَخطُرُ فحلُ الصِرَمةِ الدوْسَرُ

strutting with his sword, vaunting himself, as

Attacking with the sword, subduing as

the herd's massive bull camel struts—

A stud camel with slit nostrils attacks

إذ جَلل السيفَ على رأسِهِ

إذ جَلل السيفَ على رأسِهِ

أبيضَ عَضباً حدُّه مُبْتِرُ

أبيضَ عَضباً حدُّه مُبْتِرُ

when the sword was brought down upon his head—

When he had the sword over his head

white and keen, its edge severing—

White with rage, its edge cutting

فخرّ كالجِذع وأوداجُه

فخرّ كالجِذع وأوداجُه

ينصبُّ منها حَلَبٌ أحْمَرُ

ينصبُّ منها حَلَبٌ أحْمَرُ

he fell like a tree trunk, his jugular veins

He fell like a palm trunk and his veins

pouring forth red milk.

Poured out red milk from them

يَنفث من فيه دماً مُعَجَلاً

يَنفث من فيه دماً مُعَجَلاً

كأنّما ناظِره العُصْفُرُ

كأنّما ناظِره العُصْفُرُ

He spewed blood in a rush from his mouth,

He breathed out hastened blood from his mouth

as though his eye were safflower.

As if the yellow one was watching him