إِن تَختَلِف مُضَرٌ تَتبَع عَدُوَّهُمُ

إِن تَختَلِف مُضَرٌ تَتبَع عَدُوَّهُمُ

أَو تَجتَمِع تَنفِكُم عَن أَرضِها مُضَرُ

أَو تَجتَمِع تَنفِكُم عَن أَرضِها مُضَرُ

If Mudar falls into discord, you follow their enemy;

If Mudar tribes differ, following their enemy,

or, if they unite, Mudar will banish you from its land.

Or gather, you will not be removed from their land, O Mudar!

فَسَل تَميمَيكَ هَل لاقَت لِعاجِمِها

فَسَل تَميمَيكَ هَل لاقَت لِعاجِمِها

يَومَ اِبنِ أَرطاةَ إِذ أَزرى بِها الحَوَرُ

يَومَ اِبنِ أَرطاةَ إِذ أَزرى بِها الحَوَرُ

So ask your two Tamims whether they proved a match for their tester

Ask Thamim if they encountered for their non-Arabs,

on Ibn Artat's day, when defeat brought them low.

The day of Ibn Arta’ah, when Al-Hawr distressed them.

وَقَد كَفَرتُم بِحِلفِ السَيفِ ضاحِيَةً

وَقَد كَفَرتُم بِحِلفِ السَيفِ ضاحِيَةً

بِالمِربَدَينِ غَداةَ اِغرَورَقَ البَصَرُ

بِالمِربَدَينِ غَداةَ اِغرَورَقَ البَصَرُ

And you openly repudiated the covenant of the sword

You have violated the covenant of the sword, laid bare,

at the two Mirbads, on the morning when eyes brimmed with tears.

With Al-Mirbadain the next morning eyes overflowed with tears.

أَما كَفاها اِبتِياضُ الأَزدِ حُرمَتَها

أَما كَفاها اِبتِياضُ الأَزدِ حُرمَتَها

في عُقرِ دارِهِم أَن يُبعَثَ الحَجَرُ

في عُقرِ دارِهِم أَن يُبعَثَ الحَجَرُ

Was Azd's violation of her sanctity not enough for her,

Is it not enough for them the violation of Azd’s sanctity,

in the heart of their abode, with the stone sent forth?

In the ravaging of their homes, that stones were launched?

وَاِستَجبَرَ الناسُ مَن يَأسو إِذا صَدَحوا

وَاِستَجبَرَ الناسُ مَن يَأسو إِذا صَدَحوا

صَدحَ المَآتِمِ لا يوهونَ ما جَبَروا

صَدحَ المَآتِمِ لا يوهونَ ما جَبَروا

And the people sought mending from those who heal when they cried aloud,

And people were emboldened whom despaired, when they cried out,

with mourners' wails; they do not weaken what they have mended;

The cries of calamities, not conceding what they wrought.

وَمَن إِذا اِختَلَفوا لَم يَجتَمِع أَحَدٌ

وَمَن إِذا اِختَلَفوا لَم يَجتَمِع أَحَدٌ

وَلا لبِجَمعِهِمُ يَستَجمِعُ البَشَرُ

وَلا لبِجَمعِهِمُ يَستَجمِعُ البَشَرُ

and those who, when they disagree, leave no one united,

And when they differed, no one gathered,

nor can humankind muster against their assembled host.

Nor for their gathering, did mankind assemble.

وَما تُبالي تَميمُ سَوؤَةً وَقَعَت

وَما تُبالي تَميمُ سَوؤَةً وَقَعَت

فيها إِذا حالَ دونَ السَوءَةِ العُذَرُ

فيها إِذا حالَ دونَ السَوءَةِ العُذَرُ

And Tamim cares nothing for a disgrace that has befallen

Thamim does not care what disgrace befell it,

her, if excuses stand between her and disgrace.

When the excuse prevents disgrace from occurring.

قَيسُ أَعَزُّ لِدينِ اللَهِ مَنصَرَةً

قَيسُ أَعَزُّ لِدينِ اللَهِ مَنصَرَةً

مِنكُم وَأَكرَمُ خُبراً حينَ تُختَبَرُ

مِنكُم وَأَكرَمُ خُبراً حينَ تُختَبَرُ

Qays is mightier in support of God's faith

Qais, more faithful to God's religion in its defense,

than you, and nobler in character when put to the test.

And more generous in news when you are tested.

وَقَيسُ عَيلانَ لَولا حُسنُ طاعَتِهِم

وَقَيسُ عَيلانَ لَولا حُسنُ طاعَتِهِم

أَلوى بِجِذمِ تَميمٍ حُشَّرٌ شُطُرُ

أَلوى بِجِذمِ تَميمٍ حُشَّرٌ شُطُرُ

And Qays Aylan—were it not for their dutiful obedience—

And Qais Ailan, were it not for their good obedience,

a mustered band of unruly men would have wrenched out Tamim's root.

With the root of Thamim, a torn piece, part.

عاذَت تَميمٌ بِأَخفى الحُمسِ إِذ لَقيتُ

عاذَت تَميمٌ بِأَخفى الحُمسِ إِذ لَقيتُ

إِحدى القَناطِرِ لا يُمشى لَها الخَمَرُ

إِحدى القَناطِرِ لا يُمشى لَها الخَمَرُ

Tamim sought refuge with the most obscure of the Hums, when I encountered

Thamim sought the most secret fifths, when it met

one of the bridges that cannot be approached under cover.

One of the bridges, on which wine cannot be transported.

فَرعا سَبا خُلِقوا إِذ لَم يَكُن عَرَبٌ

فَرعا سَبا خُلِقوا إِذ لَم يَكُن عَرَبٌ

إِلّا هُمُ لَهُمُ عَينٌ وَلا أَثَرُ

إِلّا هُمُ لَهُمُ عَينٌ وَلا أَثَرُ

The two branches of Saba were created when no Arabs,

They were immoral and malignant, when there were no Arabs,

except them, had any living presence or trace.

Except them, for them an eye, but no trace.

قَومٌ عَوادِيُّ مُلكِ الناسِ كانَ لَهُم

قَومٌ عَوادِيُّ مُلكِ الناسِ كانَ لَهُم

وَالشَمسُ إِذ ذاكَ لَم تَطلُع وَلا القَمَرُ

وَالشَمسُ إِذ ذاكَ لَم تَطلُع وَلا القَمَرُ

A people who held primeval sovereignty over humankind,

A folk of deserts, who possessed the kingship of men, theirs it was,

when neither the sun nor the moon had yet risen.

And the sun, at that time, neither rose nor the moon.