وَعائِذَةُ الَّتي كانَت تَميمٌ

وَعائِذَةُ الَّتي كانَت تَميمٌ

تُقَدِّمُها لِمَحمِيَةِ الذِمارِ

تُقَدِّمُها لِمَحمِيَةِ الذِمارِ

And ʿĀʾidha, whom Tamīm used

And ʿĀʾidhah, whom Tamīm used to

to send forward where honor stood exposed;

put foremost to defend honor and kin;

وَأَصحابُ الشَقيقَةِ يَومَ لاقَوا

وَأَصحابُ الشَقيقَةِ يَومَ لاقَوا

بَني شَيبانَ بَالأَسَلِ الحِرارِ

بَني شَيبانَ بَالأَسَلِ الحِرارِ

and the men of al-Shaqīqa, on the day they met

And the men of al-Shaqīqah, on the day they faced

Banū Shaybān with thirsting spears;

the sons of Shaybān with fine spears;

وَسامٍ عاقِدٍ خَرَزاتِ مُلكٍ

وَسامٍ عاقِدٍ خَرَزاتِ مُلكٍ

يَقودُ الخَيلَ تَنبِذُ بِالمَهارِ

يَقودُ الخَيلَ تَنبِذُ بِالمَهارِ

and a lofty lord, stringer of a kingdom’s beads,

And many a lofty lord, stringing the beads of kingship,

leading cavalry whose mares cast off their foals.

leading horses that cast forth their foals,

أَناخَ بِهِم مُغاضَبَةً فَلاقى

أَناخَ بِهِم مُغاضَبَةً فَلاقى

شَعوبَ المَوتِ أَو حَلَقَ الإِسارِ

شَعوبَ المَوتِ أَو حَلَقَ الإِسارِ

In fury he descended upon them, and met

encamped among them in wrath, and met

death’s branching paths, or captivity’s rings.

Death the sunderer, or the rings of captivity.

وَفَضَّلَ آلَ ضَبَّةَ كُلَّ يَومٍ

وَفَضَّلَ آلَ ضَبَّةَ كُلَّ يَومٍ

وَقائِعُ بِالمُجَرَّدَةِ العَواري

وَقائِعُ بِالمُجَرَّدَةِ العَواري

And every day the clan of Ḍabba was exalted

And the clan of Ḍabbah was exalted every day

by battles with naked, unsheathed blades;

by battles with unsheathed, naked swords,

وَتَقديمٌ إِذا اِعتَرَكَ المَنايا

وَتَقديمٌ إِذا اِعتَرَكَ المَنايا

بِجُردِ الخَيلِ في اللُجَجِ الغِمارِ

بِجُردِ الخَيلِ في اللُجَجِ الغِمارِ

and by charging foremost when the dooms grappled

and by taking the lead when deadly fates clashed,

on sleek horses, through the engulfing depths.

on sleek horses amid deep, engulfing waters,

وَتَقتيلُ المُلوكِ وَإِنَّ مِنهُم

وَتَقتيلُ المُلوكِ وَإِنَّ مِنهُم

فَوارِسَ يَومَ طِخفَةَ وَالنِسارِ

فَوارِسَ يَومَ طِخفَةَ وَالنِسارِ

They slay kings; and among them are

and by slaughtering kings; and indeed, among them were

the horsemen of the battles of Ṭikhfa and al-Nisār.

horsemen on the days of Ṭikhfah and al-Nisār.

وَإِنَّهُمُ هُمُ الحامونَ لَمّا

وَإِنَّهُمُ هُمُ الحامونَ لَمّا

تَواكَلَ مَن يَذودُ عَنِ الذِمارِ

تَواكَلَ مَن يَذودُ عَنِ الذِمارِ

And they—yes, they—were the defenders when

And indeed, they themselves were the defenders when

each would-be defender left honor to another.

those who defend honor and kin left the duty to one another.

وَمِنهُم كانَتِ الرُؤَساءُ قِدماً

وَمِنهُم كانَتِ الرُؤَساءُ قِدماً

وَهُم قَتَلوا العَدُوَّ بِكُلِّ دارِ

وَهُم قَتَلوا العَدُوَّ بِكُلِّ دارِ

Among them were the chieftains of old,

And the chiefs of old were from among them,

and they slew the enemy in every land.

and they slew the enemy in every land.

فَما أَمسى لِضَبَّةَ مِن عَدُوٍّ

فَما أَمسى لِضَبَّةَ مِن عَدُوٍّ

يَنامُ وَلا يُنيمُ مِنَ الحِذارِ

يَنامُ وَلا يُنيمُ مِنَ الحِذارِ

So no enemy of Ḍabba ever passes the evening

So no enemy of Ḍabbah, at nightfall,

asleep—or lets others sleep—for fear.

sleeps or lets others sleep, for fear.