هَذي القَضايا فَمَن يُطاوِلها

هَذي القَضايا فَمَن يُطاوِلها

وَهِيَ المَنايا فَمَن يُخاشِنُها

وَهِيَ المَنايا فَمَن يُخاشِنُها

These are the decrees—who can outmatch them?

These are matters, so who can endure them,

And they are deaths—who can defy them?

When they are death, so who can confront it,

لَم يَثنِ عَن فارِسٍ وَحِميَرِها

لَم يَثنِ عَن فارِسٍ وَحِميَرِها

دُروعُها المَوتَ أَو جَواشِنُها

دُروعُها المَوتَ أَو جَواشِنُها

Persia and its Himyar were not shielded

No horseman was deterred by its armor,

From death by their coats of mail or their breastplates,

Whether it was death or its breastplates,

وَلا قُصورٌ لَها مُشَيَّدَةٌ

وَلا قُصورٌ لَها مُشَيَّدَةٌ

قَد مُوِّهَت عَسجَداً رَواشِنُها

قَد مُوِّهَت عَسجَداً رَواشِنُها

Nor by their lofty palaces,

It has no erected palaces,

Whose projecting windows had been plated with gold.

Its nomads have camouflaged it with shabby clothes,

وَبادَ لِلرومِ أُسرَةٌ عَجَبٌ

وَبادَ لِلرومِ أُسرَةٌ عَجَبٌ

تُعرَفُ في وُلدِها شَناشِنُها

تُعرَفُ في وُلدِها شَناشِنُها

And a wondrous family of the Romans perished,

The Romans had amazing prisoners,

Whose traits are recognized in its offspring.

Recognized by their distinguished marks,

وَكانَ في طَيِّئٍ وَإِخوَتِها

وَكانَ في طَيِّئٍ وَإِخوَتِها

مَطاعِمٌ لا يُرَدُّ راشِنُها

مَطاعِمٌ لا يُرَدُّ راشِنُها

And among Tayyiʾ and its kindred tribes there were

The tribe of Tayy and its brothers,

Feasts whose uninvited guest was never turned away.

Had inns whose hosts could not be rejected,

وَآلُ قابوسَ أَهلُ مَملَكَةٍ

وَآلُ قابوسَ أَهلُ مَملَكَةٍ

حامِلَةٍ رَفدَها رَعاشِنُها

حامِلَةٍ رَفدَها رَعاشِنُها

And the house of Qabus, rulers of a kingdom,

The family of Qabous, people of a kingdom,

Whose swift camels bore its bounty.

With supply lines feeding its peripheries.