أَنا اِبنُ ضَبَّةَ فَرعٌ غَيرُ مُؤتَشَبِ

أَنا اِبنُ ضَبَّةَ فَرعٌ غَيرُ مُؤتَشَبِ

يَعلو شِهابي لَدى مُستَخمَدِ اللَهَبِ

يَعلو شِهابي لَدى مُستَخمَدِ اللَهَبِ

I am a son of Dabbah, a branch of unmingled stock.

I am the son of Dabba, a branch not twisted,

My firebrand rises where the flame is quenched.

My flame rises when the fire has died down.

سَعدُ بنُ ضَبَّةَ تَنميني لِرابِيَةٍ

سَعدُ بنُ ضَبَّةَ تَنميني لِرابِيَةٍ

تَعلو الرَوابِيَ في عِزٍّ وَفي حَسَبِ

تَعلو الرَوابِيَ في عِزٍّ وَفي حَسَبِ

Saʿd son of Dabbah raises me to a hill

Sa'd the son of Dabba brought me up for leadership

that towers above the hills in might and ancestral honor.

That rises high in power and nobility.

إِذا حَلَلتَ بِأَعلاها رَأَيتَ بِها

إِذا حَلَلتَ بِأَعلاها رَأَيتَ بِها

دوني حَوامِيَ مِن عِرّيسِها الأَشِبِ

دوني حَوامِيَ مِن عِرّيسِها الأَشِبِ

When you camp upon its summit, there you see

If you reach its summits you will see around it

protectors before me, from its tangled lion's lair,

Encircling squadrons of its young horsemen.

المانِعينَ غَداةَ الرَوعِ نِسوَتَهُم

المانِعينَ غَداةَ الرَوعِ نِسوَتَهُم

وَالضارِبينَ كِباشَ العارِضِ اللَجِبِ

وَالضارِبينَ كِباشَ العارِضِ اللَجِبِ

those who shield their women on the morning of terror,

The women of the bold, the morning after fright,

and those who strike the rams of the clamorous host.

And the strikers of the lofty, unbroken waves.

ما زِلتُ أَتبَعُ أَشياخي وَأُتعِبُهُ

ما زِلتُ أَتبَعُ أَشياخي وَأُتعِبُهُ

حَتّى تَذَبذَبتَ يا اِبنَ الكَلبِ بِالنَسَبِ

حَتّى تَذَبذَبتَ يا اِبنَ الكَلبِ بِالنَسَبِ

I have kept following my forebears and wearying him,

I still follow my elders and weary them

until you wavered in your lineage, O son of a dog.

Until you stagger, o son of a dog!

أَنا اِبنُ ضَبَّةَ لِلقَومِ الَّذي خَضَعَت

أَنا اِبنُ ضَبَّةَ لِلقَومِ الَّذي خَضَعَت

خَيرُ القُرومِ فَهَذا خَيرُ مُنتَسَبِ

خَيرُ القُرومِ فَهَذا خَيرُ مُنتَسَبِ

I am a son of Dabbah, of the people to whom bowed

I am the son of Dabba, to the tribe who bowed down,

the finest stallion-like chiefs—this is the finest lineage.

The best of tribes, so this is the best lineage.

اللَهُ يَرفَعُني وَالمَجدُ قَد عَلِموا

اللَهُ يَرفَعُني وَالمَجدُ قَد عَلِموا

وَعِدَّةٌ في مَعَدٍّ غَيرُ ذي رِيَبِ

وَعِدَّةٌ في مَعَدٍّ غَيرُ ذي رِيَبِ

God exalts me, and glory—as they know—

God raises me as glory itself knows

and a force among Maʿadd, beyond all doubt,

And support lies in a prepared, unerring multitude.

وَبَيتُ مَكرُمَةٍ في عِزِّ أَوَّلِنا

وَبَيتُ مَكرُمَةٍ في عِزِّ أَوَّلِنا

مَجدٌ تَليدٌ إِلَيهِ كُلُّ مُنتَجَبِ

مَجدٌ تَليدٌ إِلَيهِ كُلُّ مُنتَجَبِ

and a house of honor in our earliest forebears' might—

And an honored house of our first ones in power

ancestral glory, to which every chosen man belongs

An inherited glory to which all nobles belong.

مِن دارِمٍ حينَ صارَ الأَمرُ وَاِشتَبَهَت

مِن دارِمٍ حينَ صارَ الأَمرُ وَاِشتَبَهَت

مَصادِرُ الناسِ في رَجّافَةِ الكُرَبِ

مَصادِرُ الناسِ في رَجّافَةِ الكُرَبِ

of Darim, when the affair came to pass and confusion clouded

From Darim, when authority was confused

the people's ways out, amid a convulsion of woes.

And the people's policies were in the severity of distress,

قَد عَلِمَت خِندِفٌ وَالمَجدُ يَكنُفُها

قَد عَلِمَت خِندِفٌ وَالمَجدُ يَكنُفُها

أَنَّ لَنا عِزِّها في أَوَّلِ الحِقَبِ

أَنَّ لَنا عِزِّها في أَوَّلِ الحِقَبِ

Khindif has known—glory surrounds her—

Khindif knew, glory being her mantle,

that her might was ours in the earliest ages,

That the power was ours in the first epochs.

وَفي الحَديثِ إِذا الأَقوالُ شارِعَةٌ

وَفي الحَديثِ إِذا الأَقوالُ شارِعَةٌ

في باحَةِ الشُركِ أَو في بَيضَةِ العَرَبِ

في باحَةِ الشُركِ أَو في بَيضَةِ العَرَبِ

and in later times, when words are openly voiced

And in tradition, when views were conflicting

in the courtyard of polytheism, or in the heart of the Arabs.

In the plain of polytheism or in the whiteness of the Arabs,

وَكُلِّ يَومِ هِياجٍ نَحنُ قادَتُهُ

وَكُلِّ يَومِ هِياجٍ نَحنُ قادَتُهُ

إِذا الكُماةُ جَثَوا وَالكَبشُ لِلرُكَبِ

إِذا الكُماةُ جَثَوا وَالكَبشُ لِلرُكَبِ

And on every day of battle, we are its leaders,

And every day of alarm we were its leaders

when armored warriors kneel and the ram falls to his knees.

When the valorous lay flat and the ram led the riding camels.

مِنّا كَتائِبُ مِثلُ اللَيلِ نَجنِبُها

مِنّا كَتائِبُ مِثلُ اللَيلِ نَجنِبُها

بِالجُردِ وَالبارِقاتِ البيضِ وَاليَلَبِ

بِالجُردِ وَالبارِقاتِ البيضِ وَاليَلَبِ

From us come battalions like the night; we lead them

Squadrons of ours like the night we compose

with sleek horses, white flashing swords, and armor,

With the bare sword and white lightning and cutting blades.

وَكُلِّ فَضفاضَةٍ كَالثَلجِ مُحكَمَةٍ

وَكُلِّ فَضفاضَةٍ كَالثَلجِ مُحكَمَةٍ

ما تَرثَعِنَّ لِدَسِّ النَبلِ بِالقُطَبِ

ما تَرثَعِنَّ لِدَسِّ النَبلِ بِالقُطَبِ

and every ample coat of mail, like snow, tightly wrought,

And every swirling mass like compact snow

that never slackens as arrows probe it with their points.

That the slick of arrows cannot penetrate.