تُكَرَّمُ أَوصالُ الفَتى بَعدَ مَوتِهِ

تُكَرَّمُ أَوصالُ الفَتى بَعدَ مَوتِهِ

وَهُنَّ إِذا طالَ الزَمانُ هَباءُ

وَهُنَّ إِذا طالَ الزَمانُ هَباءُ

A young man's limbs are honored after his death,

The limbs of a young man are honored after his death,

yet, when time has worn on, they are dust.

Yet with time they turn to dust.

وَأَرواحُنا كَالراحِ إِن طالَ حَبسُها

وَأَرواحُنا كَالراحِ إِن طالَ حَبسُها

فَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن تَكونَ سِباءُ

فَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن تَكونَ سِباءُ

And our souls are like wine: if their confinement lasts long,

Our souls are like the wind - if confined for long

they must one day be purchased.

They must one day roam free.

يُعَيِّرُنا لَفظَ المَعَرَّةِ أَنَّها

يُعَيِّرُنا لَفظَ المَعَرَّةِ أَنَّها

مِنَ العُرِّ قَومٌ في العُلا غُرَباءُ

مِنَ العُرِّ قَومٌ في العُلا غُرَباءُ

They taunt us with the name al-Maʿarra, claiming it comes

They scorn us, saying we are but strangers

from mange—people who are strangers to nobility.

High-born yet far from home.

فَإِنَّ إِباءَ اللَيثِ ماحَلَّ أَنفُهُ

فَإِنَّ إِباءَ اللَيثِ ماحَلَّ أَنفُهُ

بِأَنَّ مَحَلّاتِ اللُيوثِ إِباءُ

بِأَنَّ مَحَلّاتِ اللُيوثِ إِباءُ

For the lion's pride did not lodge in its nose

But will the lion be shamed that his den

merely because lions' lairs are reed thickets.

Is shared with lionesses?

وَهَل لَحِقَ التَثريبُ سُكّانَ يَثرِبٍ

وَهَل لَحِقَ التَثريبُ سُكّانَ يَثرِبٍ

مِنَ الناسِ لا بَل في الرِجالِ غَباءُ

مِنَ الناسِ لا بَل في الرِجالِ غَباءُ

Has reproach ever befallen Yathrib's inhabitants

Was Medina ever blamed for sheltering

from other people? No; rather, men are foolish.

A people with no shame?

هُمُ ضارَبوا أَولادَ فِهرٍ وَجالَدوا

هُمُ ضارَبوا أَولادَ فِهرٍ وَجالَدوا

عَلى الدينِ إِذا وَشّى المُلوكَ عَباءُ

عَلى الدينِ إِذا وَشّى المُلوكَ عَباءُ

They fought the sons of Fihr and battled

They who struck the sons of snakes and fought

for the faith, when woolen cloaks adorned kings:

Against faith when kings grew cruel,

ضَراباً يُطَيِّرُ الفَرخَ عَن وَكرِ أُمِّهِ

ضَراباً يُطَيِّرُ الفَرخَ عَن وَكرِ أُمِّهِ

وَيَترُكُ دِرعَ المَرءِ وَهيَ قَباءُ

وَيَترُكُ دِرعَ المَرءِ وَهيَ قَباءُ

blows that send a fledgling flying from its mother's nest

Blows that send the chick from its mother's nest

and leave a man's coat of mail a mere robe.

Leaving the man's armor in tatters.

وَذو نَجَبٍ إِن كانَ ما قيلَ صادِقاً

وَذو نَجَبٍ إِن كانَ ما قيلَ صادِقاً

فَما فيهِ إِلّا مَعشَرٌ نُجَباءُ

فَما فيهِ إِلّا مَعشَرٌ نُجَباءُ

And Dhu Najab, if what was said is true,

Yet they boast of noble birth - if this be true

contains none but a company of noble men.

Then among them are only nobles.

هَل الدينُ إِلّا كاعِبٌ دونَ وَصلِها

هَل الدينُ إِلّا كاعِبٌ دونَ وَصلِها

حِجابٌ وَمَهرٌ مُعوزٌ وَحَياءُ

حِجابٌ وَمَهرٌ مُعوزٌ وَحَياءُ

Is religion but a budding-breasted maiden, union with whom is barred by

What is faith without adherence?

a veil, an unaffordable dower, and modesty?

A veil, a price, embarrassment and shame.

وَما قَبِلَت نَفسي مِنَ الخَيرِ لَفظَةً

وَما قَبِلَت نَفسي مِنَ الخَيرِ لَفظَةً

وَإِن طالَ ما فاهَت بِهِ الخُطَباءُ

وَإِن طالَ ما فاهَت بِهِ الخُطَباءُ

And my soul has accepted not a single word of goodness,

My soul accepts no pious words

though the preachers have long spoken of it.

Though preachers prattle on.

تَفَزَّعُ أَعرابِيَّةٌ إِن جَرَت لَها

تَفَزَّعُ أَعرابِيَّةٌ إِن جَرَت لَها

نَواعِبُ يَستَعرِضنَها وَظِباءُ

نَواعِبُ يَستَعرِضنَها وَظِباءُ

A Bedouin woman takes fright if there pass before her

A simple girl is startled if women glide by

cawing ravens crossing her path, and gazelles.

Flaunting their charms.

وَما الأُرَبى لِلحَيِّ إِلّا مُسِفَّةٌ

وَما الأُرَبى لِلحَيِّ إِلّا مُسِفَّةٌ

عَلى أَنَّهُم في أَمرِهِم أُرَباءُ

عَلى أَنَّهُم في أَمرِهِم أُرَباءُ

And for the tribe, calamity is nothing but a low-flying bird,

Yet harboring the living is but a crime

though they are shrewd in their affairs.

To those who are bereft of reason.

تَعادَت بَنو قَيسِ بنِ عَيلانَ بِالغِنى

تَعادَت بَنو قَيسِ بنِ عَيلانَ بِالغِنى

فَثابوا كَأَنَّ العَسجَدَ الثُؤَباءُ

فَثابوا كَأَنَّ العَسجَدَ الثُؤَباءُ

The sons of Qays ibn ʿAylan became rivals over wealth,

With riches the sons of Qais grew self-important

then flocked together, as though gold were a yawn.

As grackles with beaks held high.

وَلَولا القَضاءُ الحَتمُ أُخَبِيَ واقِدٌ

وَلَولا القَضاءُ الحَتمُ أُخَبِيَ واقِدٌ

وَلَم يُبنَ حَولَ الرافِدَينَ خِباءُ

وَلَم يُبنَ حَولَ الرافِدَينَ خِباءُ

And but for inexorable fate, a burning fire would be quenched,

Without fate's decree, the fire-keeper's flame would shine

and no tent would be pitched around the Two Rivers.

And no tents would rise between the rivers.

وَعادوا إِلى ماكانَ إِن جادَ عارِضٌ

وَعادوا إِلى ماكانَ إِن جادَ عارِضٌ

رَأَوا أَنَّ رَعياً في البِلادِ رِباءُ

رَأَوا أَنَّ رَعياً في البِلادِ رِباءُ

And they would return to their former ways: if a cloud gave rain,

When luck abandons them they return

they would reckon grazing in the land a gain.

To days when ruin swallowed the land.

يُبيئونَ قَتلاهُم بِأَكثَرَ مِنهُم

يُبيئونَ قَتلاهُم بِأَكثَرَ مِنهُم

وَإِن قَتَلوا حُرّاً فَلَيسَ يُباءُ

وَإِن قَتَلوا حُرّاً فَلَيسَ يُباءُ

They avenge their slain with more lives than they lost,

They take more lives than they lose,

yet if they kill a free man, no life is taken for him.

And if they kill a freeman no blood-price is due.