إِلَيكَ أَبانَ بنَ الوَليدِ تَجاوَزَت

إِلَيكَ أَبانَ بنَ الوَليدِ تَجاوَزَت

قُرىً وَرِجالاً مِنهُمُ المُتَخَيَّرُ

قُرىً وَرِجالاً مِنهُمُ المُتَخَيَّرُ

Toward you, Aban son of al-Walid, it passed beyond

To you, Aban son of al-Walid, I have crossed

villages and men, among them the choicest,

Villages and men, among them the pretentious one,

لِنَلقاكَ وَاللاقيكَ يَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

لِنَلقاكَ وَاللاقيكَ يَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

سَيَلقى فُراتاً وَهوَ مَلآنُ أَكدَرُ

سَيَلقى فُراتاً وَهوَ مَلآنُ أَكدَرُ

so that we might meet you; and whoever meets you knows that he

To meet you, and the one who meets you knows

will meet a Euphrates, full and turbid.

That he will meet Euphrates while it is roiling and turbid,

فَدونَكَ هَذي يا زِيادُ فَإِنَّها

فَدونَكَ هَذي يا زِيادُ فَإِنَّها

هِيَ المَدحُ وَالشِعرُ الَّذي هُوَ أَشعَرُ

هِيَ المَدحُ وَالشِعرُ الَّذي هُوَ أَشعَرُ

So take this, O Ziyad, for it

So before you, O Ziyad, here it is,

is praise, and poetry at its finest.

For it is the praise and poetry that is most eloquent,

أَنا اِبنُ تَميمٍ وَالَّذي لِيَ عِزُّها

أَنا اِبنُ تَميمٍ وَالَّذي لِيَ عِزُّها

عَلى الناسِ بَذّاخٌ مِنَ العِزِّ مُدسَرُ

عَلى الناسِ بَذّاخٌ مِنَ العِزِّ مُدسَرُ

I am a son of Tamim, and her glory is mine

I am the son of Tamim, and for me is its glory,

over men—boastful, fortified by glory.

On people, a squanderer of glory, lavish,

وَمَن يَلقَنا مِن شانِئٍ يَلقَهُ لَنا

وَمَن يَلقَنا مِن شانِئٍ يَلقَهُ لَنا

عَلى الناسِ مَعروفٌ كَثيرٌ وَمُنكَرُ

عَلى الناسِ مَعروفٌ كَثيرٌ وَمُنكَرُ

And any hater who meets us will be met by our

And whoever meets us, from an enemy, meets for us

many favors to men, and our dreadful deeds.

Among people, much good and much evil,

وَقَد عَلِمَ الناسُ الَّذينَ أَبوهُمُ

وَقَد عَلِمَ الناسُ الَّذينَ أَبوهُمُ

لِحَوّاءَ أَنّا مِن حَصى التُربِ أَكثَرُ

لِحَوّاءَ أَنّا مِن حَصى التُربِ أَكثَرُ

And the people have learned—those whose father

And people have known those whose father

is Eve's mate—that we outnumber the pebbles of the earth.

Was for Eve, that we from dust motes are more,

وَإِنّا لَضَرّابونَ لِلهامِ في الوَغى

وَإِنّا لَضَرّابونَ لِلهامِ في الوَغى

إِذا لَم يَكُن غَيرَ الأَسِنَّةِ مَفخَرُ

إِذا لَم يَكُن غَيرَ الأَسِنَّةِ مَفخَرُ

And indeed we are mighty strikers of heads in battle,

And we are fierce strikers for rights in battle

when there is no cause for pride but spearpoints.

When there is no glory but tongues to boast.