فَما فاضَلَت بَيتاً بِبَيتِكَ عامِرٌ

فَما فاضَلَت بَيتاً بِبَيتِكَ عامِرٌ

إِلى المَجدِ إِلّا كانَ بَيتُكَ أَفضَلا

إِلى المَجدِ إِلّا كانَ بَيتُكَ أَفضَلا

So never did ʿĀmir compare a house with your house

No house excelled yours in glory, O Amer,

in glory without your house proving superior.

Except that your house was even more glorious.

هُوَ البَيتُ بَيتُ اِبنَي نُفَيلٍ بَنى لَهُ

هُوَ البَيتُ بَيتُ اِبنَي نُفَيلٍ بَنى لَهُ

كِلابٌ وَكَعبٌ ذِروَةً لَن تُحَوَّلا

كِلابٌ وَكَعبٌ ذِروَةً لَن تُحَوَّلا

It is the house—the house of Nufayl's two sons—for which was built

It is the house of my son, Nafeel, who built it.

by Kilāb and Kaʿb a summit never to be displaced.

Kilab and Ka'b made it a pinnacle that will not waver.

أَرى اِبنَي نُفَيلٍ مَن يَكونُ أَباً لَهُ

أَرى اِبنَي نُفَيلٍ مَن يَكونُ أَباً لَهُ

وَعَمّاً فَقَد يَومَ الرِهانِ تَمَهَّلا

وَعَمّاً فَقَد يَومَ الرِهانِ تَمَهَّلا

I see that whoever has Nufayl's two sons as father

I see that Nafeel, who will be his father

and uncle has, on the day of the race, surely moved ahead

And uncle? He took his time on the day of reckoning.

عَلى مَن جَرى وَالرافِعينَ أَكُفَّهُم

عَلى مَن جَرى وَالرافِعينَ أَكُفَّهُم

إِلى كُلِّ فَرعٍ كانَ لِلمَجدِ أَطوَلا

إِلى كُلِّ فَرعٍ كانَ لِلمَجدِ أَطوَلا

of those who ran and those who raised their palms

Upon those who excelled, raising their palms

toward every bough that stood tallest in glory.

To every branch of glory, he was the tallest.

وَمَن يَكُ بَينَ الخالِدَينِ وَأُمُّهُ

وَمَن يَكُ بَينَ الخالِدَينِ وَأُمُّهُ

صَفِيَّةُ يَثقُل عِزُّهُ أَن يُحَلحَلا

صَفِيَّةُ يَثقُل عِزُّهُ أَن يُحَلحَلا

And whoever is between the two Khālids, and whose mother is

And he who is between the two immortals, his mother

Ṣafiyya, has honor too weighty to be dislodged.

Being Safiyya, his honor is too heavy to waver.

وَكانَ أَبوها وَاِبنُها خَيرَ عامِرٍ

وَكانَ أَبوها وَاِبنُها خَيرَ عامِرٍ

سِماكَينِ لِلهَلكى إِذا الغَيثُ أَمحَلا

سِماكَينِ لِلهَلكى إِذا الغَيثُ أَمحَلا

And her father and her son were the best of ʿĀmir,

Her father and her son were the best of Amer

two Simāk stars for the perishing when the rain failed.

Like rain clouds to the perished when rain pours.

أَرى المُقسِمَ المُختارَ عَيلانَ كُلَّها

أَرى المُقسِمَ المُختارَ عَيلانَ كُلَّها

إِذا هُوَ لَم يَذكُر نُفَيلاً تَحَلَّلا

إِذا هُوَ لَم يَذكُر نُفَيلاً تَحَلَّلا

I deem that the oath-taker who chooses all of ʿAylān,

I see the impartial judge, Ailan in full

if he does not mention Nufayl, has undone his oath.

Faltering if he does not mention Nafeel.

بَنو أَنفِ قَرمٍ لَم يُدَعثَر سَنامُهُ

بَنو أَنفِ قَرمٍ لَم يُدَعثَر سَنامُهُ

رُكوباً وَلَكِن كانَ أَصيَدَ مُرسِلا

رُكوباً وَلَكِن كانَ أَصيَدَ مُرسِلا

Sons of a noble stud-camel's nose, whose hump was not worn down

The sons of crooked-nosed Qaram, their glory

by riding; but it was proud-necked and free-roaming.

Was not scattered in riding, but in free hunting.

إِذا واضَحوهُ المَجدَ جاءَت دِلاؤُهُ

إِذا واضَحوهُ المَجدَ جاءَت دِلاؤُهُ

مُلاءً إِذا سَجلٌ مِنَ المَجدِ شَوَّلا

مُلاءً إِذا سَجلٌ مِنَ المَجدِ شَوَّلا

When they vied with him in glory, his buckets came up

When they adorned him with glory, his banners

brimming, when another large bucket of glory came up empty.

Came, flooding when pages of glory fluttered.

لَهُ طُرُقٌ عادِيَّةٌ يُهتَدى بِها

لَهُ طُرُقٌ عادِيَّةٌ يُهتَدى بِها

وَهُم خَيرُ قَيسٍ آخِرِيّاً وَأَوَّلا

وَهُم خَيرُ قَيسٍ آخِرِيّاً وَأَوَّلا

He has ancient paths by which one is guided,

He has smooth roads that guide

and they are the best of Qays, last and first.

And they are the best of Qais, early and late.

بَنو عامِرٍ قَمقامُ قَيسٍ وَفيهِمُ

بَنو عامِرٍ قَمقامُ قَيسٍ وَفيهِمُ

مَعاقِلُ جانيها إِذا الوِردُ أَثعَلا

مَعاقِلُ جانيها إِذا الوِردُ أَثعَلا

The sons of ʿĀmir are Qays's vast sea, and among them

The clan of Amer are the pillar of Qais and among them

are refuges for its offender when the water-seeking throng grows dense.

Are fortresses for their protector when the roses bloom.