مِنّاamong us الَّذيthe one who اِختيرَwas chosen الرِجالَthe men سَماحَةًfor generosity
مِنّا الَّذي اِختيرَ الرِجالَ سَماحَةً
وَخَيراًand goodness إِذاwhen هَبَّblew الرِياحُthe winds الزَعازِعُtempestuous
وَخَيراً إِذا هَبَّ الرِياحُ الزَعازِعُ
Among us is he who was chosen above other men for generosity,
Among us are those chosen as the most clement of men,
and goodness, when the tempestuous winds blow.
And the most virtuous when misfortunes blow as gales,
وَمِنّاand among us الَّذيthe one whom أَعطىgave الرَسولُthe Messenger عَطِيَّةًa gift
وَمِنّا الَّذي أَعطى الرَسولُ عَطِيَّةً
أُسارىcaptives تَميمٍof Tamim وَالعُيونُand the eyes دَوامِعُstreaming with tears
أُسارى تَميمٍ وَالعُيونُ دَوامِعُ
And among us is he to whom the Messenger gave, as a gift,
Among us is he who gave the Prophet gifts
Tamim's captives, while eyes streamed with tears.
Of Tameem's captives while their eyes were shining bright,
وَمِنّاand among us الَّذيthe one who يُعطيgives المِئينَhundreds وَيَشتَريand buys الـthe
وَمِنّا الَّذي يُعطي المِئينَ وَيَشتَري الـ
ـغَواليprecious things وَيَعلوand surpasses فَضلُهُhis excellence مَنwhoever يُدافِعُcontends
ـغَوالي وَيَعلو فَضلُهُ مَن يُدافِعُ
And among us is he who gives hundreds and buys the
Among us is he who gives two hundred and buys back
precious things, and his excellence surpasses whoever contends with him.
The prisoners, his merit rising over the defender's might,
وَمِنّاand among us خَطيبٌan orator لاnot يُعابُis faulted وَحامِلٌand a burden-bearer
وَمِنّا خَطيبٌ لا يُعابُ وَحامِلٌ
أَغَرُّillustrious إِذاwhen اِلتَفَّتgathered عَلَيهِaround him المَجامِعُthe assemblies
أَغَرُّ إِذا اِلتَفَّت عَلَيهِ المَجامِعُ
And among us is an orator beyond reproach, and a burden-bearer,
Among us a speaker beyond reproach and a warrior
illustrious when the assemblies gather around him.
Most valiant when rallied by the assembling crowds,
وَمِنّاand among us الَّذيthe one who أَحياkept alive الوَئيدَthe infant buried alive وَغالِبٌand Ghalib
وَمِنّا الَّذي أَحيا الوَئيدَ وَغالِبٌ
وَعَمروٌand Amr وَمِنّاand among us حاجِبٌHajib وَالأَقارِعُand the Aqariʿ
وَعَمروٌ وَمِنّا حاجِبٌ وَالأَقارِعُ
And among us is he who saved the infant from live burial, and Ghalib,
Among us are those who revived the lost traditions -
and Amr; among us are Hajib and the Aqariʿ.
Wa'eed, Ghalib, Amr - and among us, chamberlains and the blind,
وَمِنّاand among us غَداةَon the morning of الرَوعِterror فِتيانُyoung men غارَةٍa raid
وَمِنّا غَداةَ الرَوعِ فِتيانُ غارَةٍ
إِذاwhen مَتَعَتrose تَحتَbeneath الزُجاجِthe spear-butts الأَشاجِعُthe knuckles
إِذا مَتَعَت تَحتَ الزُجاجِ الأَشاجِعُ
And among us, on the morning of terror, are young raiders,
Among us are youths who at dawn rushed to battle,
when knuckles rise beneath the spear-butts.
When the morning fires were lit under the cooking pots,
وَمِنّاand among us الَّذيthe one who قادَled الجِيادَthe steeds عَلىdespite الوَجاhoof-soreness
وَمِنّا الَّذي قادَ الجِيادَ عَلى الوَجا
لِنَجرانَto Najran حَتّىuntil صَبَّحَتهاattacked it at dawn النَزائِعُthe steeds brought from afar
لِنَجرانَ حَتّى صَبَّحَتها النَزائِعُ
And among us is he who led the steeds despite their sore hooves,
Among us is he who led the steeds against
to Najran, until the far-brought steeds struck it at dawn.
Najran till the returning horses overcame it,
أولَئِكَthose آبائيmy forefathers فَجِئنيso bring me بِمِثلِهِمwith their like
أولَئِكَ آبائي فَجِئني بِمِثلِهِم
إِذاwhen جَمَعَتناgather us ياO جَريرُJarir المَجامِعُthe assemblies
إِذا جَمَعَتنا يا جَريرُ المَجامِعُ
Those are my forefathers; bring me their equals,
Those were my forefathers, so bring me their equals
when the assemblies bring us together, O Jarir.
When you gather us, O Jarir, in the assembling crowds,
نَمَونيthey begot me فَأَشرَفتُso I ascended العَلايَةَthe summit فَوقَكُمabove you
نَمَوني فَأَشرَفتُ العَلايَةَ فَوقَكُم
بُحورٍseas وَمِنّاand among us حامِلونَburden-bearers وَدافِعُand a defender
بُحورٍ وَمِنّا حامِلونَ وَدافِعُ
They begot me, so I rose to the summit above you—
They brought me up till I towered over you,
men like seas; among us are burden-bearers and a defender.
With heroes, and among us are warriors and defenders,
بِهِمthrough them أَعتَليI rise ماwhatever حَمَّلَتنيhas charged me with مُجاشِعٌMujashiʿ
بِهِم أَعتَلي ما حَمَّلَتني مُجاشِعٌ
وَأَصرَعُand I throw down أَقرانيmy peers الَّذينَwhom أُصارِعُI wrestle
وَأَصرَعُ أَقراني الَّذينَ أُصارِعُ
Through them I rise to all that Mujashiʿ has charged me with,
With them I mount whatever a yielding camel kneels for,
and throw down my peers, those with whom I wrestle.
And wrestle down my peers whom I wrestle and fight,
فَياso, O عَجَبيmy astonishment حَتّىeven كُلَيبٌKulayb تَسُبُّنيreviles me
فَيا عَجَبي حَتّى كُلَيبٌ تَسُبُّني
كَأَنَّas though أَباهاher father نَهشَلٌNahshal أَوor مُجاشِعُMujashiʿ
كَأَنَّ أَباها نَهشَلٌ أَو مُجاشِعُ
How I marvel—even Kulayb reviles me,
How strange, that Kulayb should insult me,
as though her father were Nahshal or Mujashiʿ.
As if her sire were Nahshal or Mujashi`,
أَتَفخَرُdo you boast أَنthat دَقَّتclaimed kinship كُلَيبٌKulayb بِنَهشَلٍwith Nahshal
أَتَفخَرُ أَن دَقَّت كُلَيبٌ بِنَهشَلٍ
وَماand not مِنof كُلَيبٍKulayb نَهشَلٌNahshal وَالرَبائِعُand the Rabaʾiʿ
وَما مِن كُلَيبٍ نَهشَلٌ وَالرَبائِعُ
Do you boast that Kulayb has claimed kinship with Nahshal,
Does she glory that Kulayb struck Nahshal down,
though Nahshal and the Rabaʾiʿ are not of Kulayb?
When no Kulayb is Nahshal among the springing does?
وَلَكِنbut هُماthose two عَمّايَmy two paternal uncles مِنof آلِthe house of مالِكٍMalik
وَلَكِن هُما عَمّايَ مِن آلِ مالِكٍ
فَأَقعِso squat down فَقَدfor already سُدَّتhave been barred عَلَيكَto you المَطالِعُthe paths of ascent
فَأَقعِ فَقَد سُدَّت عَلَيكَ المَطالِعُ
But they are my two paternal uncles, of the house of Malik.
Nay, but they both are my uncles from Malik's clan,
So squat down, for the paths of ascent are barred to you.
So cease, for the ways to you are closed,
فَإِنَّكَfor you indeed إِلّاexcept ماwhen اِعتَصَمتَyou sought refuge بِنَهشَلٍin Nahshal
فَإِنَّكَ إِلّا ما اِعتَصَمتَ بِنَهشَلٍ
لَمُستَضعَفٌsurely deemed weak ياO اِبنَson of المَراغَةِal-Maraghah (the wallower) ضائِعُlost
لَمُستَضعَفٌ يا اِبنَ المَراغَةِ ضائِعُ
For you, unless you seek refuge in Nahshal,
Unless you seek protection in Nahshal,
are surely powerless, O son of al-Maraghah, and lost.
You are a weakling, O son of Maragha, brought low!