بَني عُثمانَ أَنتُم في غِنِيٍّ

بَني عُثمانَ أَنتُم في غِنِيٍّ

رَعاعٌ وَهيَ في قَيسٍ رَعاعُ

رَعاعٌ وَهيَ في قَيسٍ رَعاعُ

Sons of Uthman, among Ghani you are

O clan of Uthman, you are wealthy,

rabble, and it is rabble among Qays.

Yet you are a rabble, while Qais is a rabble.

مَتى يُقرى السَديفُ بِساحَتَيكُم

مَتى يُقرى السَديفُ بِساحَتَيكُم

وَمُرُّ الماءِ عِندَكُم يُباعُ

وَمُرُّ الماءِ عِندَكُم يُباعُ

When is camel-hump fat served to guests in your two courtyards,

When will your courtyard be watered,

while bitter water is sold among you?

And your water sold there?

وَإِنَّ بَخيلَكُم بِالجودِ يُكنى

وَإِنَّ بَخيلَكُم بِالجودِ يُكنى

سَفاهاً وَاِسمُ صِفرِدِكُم شُجاعُ

سَفاهاً وَاِسمُ صِفرِدِكُم شُجاعُ

And your miser is nicknamed for generosity,

And your miser is nicknamed generous,

out of folly, and your coward is named Shuja ('Brave').

While the coward among you is called brave.

أَبِالأَسماءِ وَالأَلقابِ فيكُم

أَبِالأَسماءِ وَالأَلقابِ فيكُم

يُنالُ المَجدُ وَالشَرَفُ اليَفاعُ

يُنالُ المَجدُ وَالشَرَفُ اليَفاعُ

Is it through names and titles among you

Is it by names and titles among you,

that glory and lofty honor are attained?

That glory and noble lineage are attained?

وَكُنتُم بَعدَ عَبدِكُمُ نَظيفٍ

وَكُنتُم بَعدَ عَبدِكُمُ نَظيفٍ

رَبيضاً أُطلِقَت فيهِ السِباعُ

رَبيضاً أُطلِقَت فيهِ السِباعُ

And after your slave Nazif, you were

After your servant you were pure white,

a flock of sheep with beasts of prey let loose among it.

Where foxes roamed freely.

يَعِزُّ عَلَيَّ ماصَنَعَت سُلَيمٌ

يَعِزُّ عَلَيَّ ماصَنَعَت سُلَيمٌ

بِكُم وَالحَربُ فاحِشَةٌ شَناعُ

بِكُم وَالحَربُ فاحِشَةٌ شَناعُ

I am grieved by what Sulaym did

What Sulaim did to you grieves me,

to you—war is heinous and hideous—

Though war is ugly and dreadful.

وَتَخلِيَةُ الدِيارِ فَلا سَروجٌ

وَتَخلِيَةُ الدِيارِ فَلا سَروجٌ

مَحَلٌّ لِلقَويمِ وَلا الفِراغُ

مَحَلٌّ لِلقَويمِ وَلا الفِراغُ

and by the abandonment of homes—neither Saruj

Abandoning home - no lamp lit,

is a dwelling for the little clan, nor al-Firagh—

A place for neither guest nor empty.

وَخِذلانُ العَشائِرِ حَيثُ أَمَّت

وَخِذلانُ العَشائِرِ حَيثُ أَمَّت

هَوازِنُ دارَكُم وَهُمُ سِراعُ

هَوازِنُ دارَكُم وَهُمُ سِراعُ

and by the clans' desertion at the approach

And forsaking the tribes when they sought

of Hawazin to your home, rushing.

Your home, while Hudhail rushed.

وَقَد ذَبَحوكُمُ سَرَفاً وَبَغياً

وَقَد ذَبَحوكُمُ سَرَفاً وَبَغياً

بِتَلِّ عُقَيبَ إِذ كُرِهَ المِصاعُ

بِتَلِّ عُقَيبَ إِذ كُرِهَ المِصاعُ

And they indeed slaughtered you wantonly and unjustly

They slaughtered you excessively, wrongfully,

at the hill of Uqayb, when sword-fighting was detested.

At Uqaybah, when the suckling child was hated.

فَما حامَت بَنو عَبسٍ عَلَيكُم

فَما حامَت بَنو عَبسٍ عَلَيكُم

وَلا قالَت فَزارَةُ لاتُراعوا

وَلا قالَت فَزارَةُ لاتُراعوا

So the sons of Abs did not stand guard over you,

The Banu Abs did not support you,

nor did Fazarah say, 'Do not be afraid.'

Nor did Fazarah say "Have mercy!"