لَناwe have عَدَدٌa multitude يُربيexceeds عَلىbeyond عَدَدُthe number of الحَصىthe pebbles
لَنا عَدَدٌ يُربي عَلى عَدَدُ الحَصى
وَيُضعِفُand exceeds manyfold أَضعافاًmultiples كَثيراًmany عَذيرُهاtheir measure (sense uncertain)
وَيُضعِفُ أَضعافاً كَثيراً عَذيرُها
Our numbers exceed the number of pebbles,
We have a number that grows to exceed
And surpass their measure many times over.
The number of pebbles, and multiplies manifold its excuses
وَماand never حُمِّلَتwere laid as a burden أَضغانُناour grudges مِنany (after negation) قَبيلَةٍtribe
وَما حُمِّلَت أَضغانُنا مِن قَبيلَةٍ
فَتَحمِلَso as to bear ماwhat يُلقىis cast عَلَيهاupon it ظُهورُهاits backs
فَتَحمِلَ ما يُلقى عَلَيها ظُهورُها
Never have our grudges been laid upon a tribe
And none of our burdens have been borne
Whose backs could bear what was cast upon it.
By a tribe, so they bear what is placed upon their backs
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِلتَقىmeet الأَحياءُthe tribes ثُمَّthen تَفاخَرواvie in boasting
إِذا ما اِلتَقى الأَحياءُ ثُمَّ تَفاخَروا
تَقاصَرَfalls short عِندَbeside الحَنظَلِيَّthe Hanzali فُخورُهاtheir great boaster
تَقاصَرَ عِندَ الحَنظَلِيَّ فُخورُها
When the tribes meet and then vie in boasting,
When the living come together and then boast
Their great boaster falls short beside the Hanzali.
Before Al-Hanthalyy pride is diminished
وَإِنand if عُدَّتِare counted الأَحسابُancestral honors يَوماًone day وَجَدتَهاyou will find them
وَإِن عُدَّتِ الأَحسابُ يَوماً وَجَدتَها
يَصيرُleads إِلىto حَيَّيthe two clans of تَميمٍTamim مَصيرُهاtheir final course
يَصيرُ إِلى حَيَّي تَميمٍ مَصيرُها
And if ancestral honors are counted one day, you will find
And if the counts of genealogies were made one day you’d find
Their final course leading to Tamim's two clans.
That it leads to my tribe of Tamim their endpoint
وَإِنand if نَفَرَmuster الأَحياءُthe tribes يَومَon the day of عَظيمَةٍa grave calamity
وَإِن نَفَرَ الأَحياءُ يَومَ عَظيمَةٍ
تَحاقَرَseem insignificant فيamong حَيَّيthe two clans of تَميمٍTamim نُفورُهاtheir contingents
تَحاقَرَ في حَيَّي تَميمٍ نُفورُها
And if the tribes muster on a day of grave calamity,
And if the living disperse one day of great matters
Their contingents seem small beside Tamim's two clans.
In my tribe of Tamim their aversion is belittled
نَمَتنيgave me my lineage قُرومٌmighty chiefs مِنfrom تَميمٍTamim وَخِلتُهاand I deemed them
نَمَتني قُرومٌ مِن تَميمٍ وَخِلتُها
إِلَيهاto them تَناهىculminated مَجدُthe glory of أُدٍّUdd وَخَيرُهاand their excellence
إِلَيها تَناهى مَجدُ أُدٍّ وَخَيرُها
Mighty chiefs of Tamim begot me, and I deemed them
I was raised by lineages from Tamim and their nobility
Those in whom Udd's glory and their excellence culminated.
To it the glory of Udd and its goodness comes to an end
تَميمٌTamim هُمُthey قَوميmy people فَلاso do not تَعدِلَنَّهُمever equate them
تَميمٌ هُمُ قَومي فَلا تَعدِلَنَّهُم
بِحَيٍّwith a tribe إِذاwhen اِعتَزَّgrew formidable الأُمورَaffairs كَبيرُهاthe gravest of them
بِحَيٍّ إِذا اِعتَزَّ الأُمورَ كَبيرُها
Tamim are my people; never put them on a par
Tamim they are my people so do not equate them
With any tribe when the gravest affairs grow formidable.
To any tribe, when matters rely on its elders
هُمُthey مَعقِلُthe stronghold of العِزِّmight الَّذيthat يُتَّقىis warded off بِهِwith it
هُمُ مَعقِلُ العِزِّ الَّذي يُتَّقى بِهِ
ضِراسُthe biting of العِدىthe enemies وَالحَربُwhile war تَغليboil قُدورُهاits cauldrons
ضِراسُ العِدى وَالحَربُ تَغلي قُدورُها
They are the stronghold of might that shields one from
They are the fortress of honor which is feared through it
The biting of enemies while war's cauldrons boil.
The fangs of the enemy and war boil its pots
وَلَوand if ضَمِنَتundertook حَرباًwar لِخِندِفَagainst Khindif أُسرَةٌa clan
وَلَو ضَمِنَت حَرباً لِخِندِفَ أُسرَةٌ
عَبَأناwe would marshal لَهاagainst it مِنfrom خِندِفٍKhindif مَنthose who يُبيرُهاwould annihilate it
عَبَأنا لَها مِن خِندِفٍ مَن يُبيرُها
And were a clan to undertake war against Khindif,
And if a battle were guaranteed for Khindif a band
We would marshal against it, from Khindif, those who would annihilate it.
We would arrange for it from Khindif one who would destroy it
فَماso not تُقبِلُdraw near الأَحياءُthe tribes مِنout of حُبِّlove for خِندِفٍKhindif
فَما تُقبِلُ الأَحياءُ مِن حُبِّ خِندِفٍ
وَلَكِنَّand yet أَطرافَthe points of العَواليthe long spears تَصورُهاbend them
وَلَكِنَّ أَطرافَ العَوالي تَصورُها
So the tribes do not draw near out of love for Khindif;
So the living do not accept love for Khindif
But the points of long spears bend them.
But the edges of the highlands portray it
بِحَقّيby my right أُضيمُI oppress العالِمينَmankind بِخِندِفٍthrough Khindif
بِحَقّي أُضيمُ العالِمينَ بِخِندِفٍ
وَقَدand indeed قَهَرَhas subdued الأَحياءَthe tribes مِنّاfrom among us قَهورُهاtheir mighty conqueror
وَقَد قَهَرَ الأَحياءَ مِنّا قَهورُها
By my right, I oppress mankind through Khindif,
By my right I am wronged by the worlds against Khindif
And their mighty conqueror from among us has subdued the tribes.
And it has conquered the living among us their conquerors
مُلوكٌkings تَسوسُgovern المُسلِمينَthe Muslims وَغَيرَهُمand others besides them
مُلوكٌ تَسوسُ المُسلِمينَ وَغَيرَهُم
إِذاwhen أَنكَرَتthey disapprove كانَتwas شَديداًsevere نَكيرُهاtheir rebuke
إِذا أَنكَرَت كانَت شَديداً نَكيرُها
Kings who govern Muslims and others besides them—
Kings who rule the Muslims and others
When they disapprove, their rebuke is severe.
If they refuse obedience it is severely denied
وَرِثناwe inherited كِتابَthe Book of اللَهِGod وَالكَعبَةَand the Kaaba الَّتيwhich
وَرِثنا كِتابَ اللَهِ وَالكَعبَةَ الَّتي
بِمَكَّةَin Mecca مَحجوباًveiled عَلَيهاover it سُتورُهاits curtains
بِمَكَّةَ مَحجوباً عَلَيها سُتورُها
We inherited God's Book and the Kaaba, which is
We inherited the Book of Allah and the Kaaba which
In Mecca, veiled by its curtains.
In Mecca is veiled over it its curtains
وَأَفضَلُand the best of مَنthose who يَمشيwalk عَلىupon الأَرضِthe earth حَيُّناour tribe
وَأَفضَلُ مَن يَمشي عَلى الأَرضِ حَيُّنا
وَماand those whom ضَمِنَتcontained فيamong الذاهِبينَthe departed قُبورُهاits graves
وَما ضَمِنَت في الذاهِبينَ قُبورُها
And our tribe is the best of those who walk the earth,
And the best who walk upon the earth our tribe
And of the departed whom its graves contain.
And none of the departed are secured in their graves