لَبِئسَت هَدايا القافِلينَ أَتَيتُمُ

لَبِئسَت هَدايا القافِلينَ أَتَيتُمُ

بِها أَهلَكُم يا شَرَّ جَيشَينِ عُنصُرا

بِها أَهلَكُم يا شَرَّ جَيشَينِ عُنصُرا

What wretched gifts of homecomers you have brought

How wretched are the gifts of the caravans you brought,

to your families, O worse of the two armies in stock!

You ruined your people, O evil armies.

رَجَعتُم عَلَيهِم بِالهَوانِ فَأَصبَحوا

رَجَعتُم عَلَيهِم بِالهَوانِ فَأَصبَحوا

عَلى ظَهرِ عُريانِ السَلائِقِ رَدبَرا

عَلى ظَهرِ عُريانِ السَلائِقِ رَدبَرا

You returned to them with disgrace, and so they found themselves

You returned to them in disgrace, so they became

on the back of a bare, worn-out mount [wording obscure].

With bare backs, riding the saddled camels backwards.

وَقَد كانَ شيمَ السَيفُ بَعدَ اِستِلالِهِ

وَقَد كانَ شيمَ السَيفُ بَعدَ اِستِلالِهِ

عَلَيهِم وَناءَ الغَيثُ فيهِم فَأَمطَرا

عَلَيهِم وَناءَ الغَيثُ فيهِم فَأَمطَرا

And the sword had already been sheathed after being drawn

The swords were in the habit of unsheathing against them,

against them, and the raincloud rose among them and poured.

And the rain poured upon them, so it rained heavily.

رَدَدتُم عَلَينا الخَيلَ وَالتُركَ عِندَكُم

رَدَدتُم عَلَينا الخَيلَ وَالتُركَ عِندَكُم

تَحَدّى طِعاناً بِالأَسِنَّةِ أَحمَرا

تَحَدّى طِعاناً بِالأَسِنَّةِ أَحمَرا

You turned the cavalry against us—with the Turks beside you

You brought back to us horses and Turks with you,

challenging you to blood-red combat with spearheads—

Challenging with crimson tongues and biting.

إِلى مَحِكٍ في الحَربِ يَأبى إِذا اِلتَقَت

إِلى مَحِكٍ في الحَربِ يَأبى إِذا اِلتَقَت

أَسِنَّتُها بِالمَوتِ حَتّى يُخَيَّرا

أَسِنَّتُها بِالمَوتِ حَتّى يُخَيَّرا

toward a man stubborn in war, who holds out when

To a conclusive trial through war which refuses, when

its spearheads meet death, until he is given a choice.

Its tongues meet with death, until it is given the choice.

إِذا عَجَمَتهُ الحَربُ يَوماً أَمَرَّها

إِذا عَجَمَتهُ الحَربُ يَوماً أَمَرَّها

عَلى قُتُرٍ مِنها عَنِ اللينِ أَعسَرا

عَلى قُتُرٍ مِنها عَنِ اللينِ أَعسَرا

When war bites to test him one day, he makes it bitter,

When war excites it one day, it is controlled

along one of its flanks, stubbornly averse to gentleness.

By the most difficult of its bridles, away from gentleness.

وَلَمّا رَأى اللَهُ الَّذي قَد صَنَعتُمُ

وَلَمّا رَأى اللَهُ الَّذي قَد صَنَعتُمُ

وَأَنَّ اِبنَ سَيبُختَ اِعتَدى وَتَجَبَّرا

وَأَنَّ اِبنَ سَيبُختَ اِعتَدى وَتَجَبَّرا

And when God saw what you had done,

And when Allah saw what you have done,

and that the son of Saybukht had transgressed and grown tyrannical,

And that the son of Sibukht overstepped and was arrogant,

وَقارَعتُمُ في الحَقِّ مَن كانَ أَهلُهُ

وَقارَعتُمُ في الحَقِّ مَن كانَ أَهلُهُ

بِباطِلِ سَيبُختَ الضَلالِ وَذَكَّرا

بِباطِلِ سَيبُختَ الضَلالِ وَذَكَّرا

and you had contested the right with those entitled to it,

And you opposed in truth those whose people

with Saybukht's delusive falsehood—and He admonished—

Were with the falsehood of Sibukht and his misguidance.

رَماكُم بِمَيمونِ النَقيبَةِ حازِمٍ

رَماكُم بِمَيمونِ النَقيبَةِ حازِمٍ

إِذا لَم يُقَم بِالحَقِّ لِلَّهِ نَكَّرا

إِذا لَم يُقَم بِالحَقِّ لِلَّهِ نَكَّرا

He assailed you with a resolute man of auspicious disposition,

He threw you with the auspicious right hand of Hazim,

who acts sternly when justice is not upheld for God.

Whenever right is not established for Allah’s sake, it is denied.

أَبِيَّ المُنى لَم تَنتَقِض مُرَّةٌ بِهِ

أَبِيَّ المُنى لَم تَنتَقِض مُرَّةٌ بِهِ

وَلَكِن إِذا ما أَورَدَ الأَمرَ أَصدَرا

وَلَكِن إِذا ما أَورَدَ الأَمرَ أَصدَرا

Unbending in his aims, no strand of resolve has unraveled in him,

My father does not refuse an abode, but when

but whenever he leads an affair to water, he leads it back.

The matter requires, he issues his judgement.

أَخا غَمَراتٍ يَجعَلَ اللَهُ كَعبَهُ

أَخا غَمَراتٍ يَجعَلَ اللَهُ كَعبَهُ

هُوَ الظَفِرُ الأَعلى إِذا البَأسُ أَصحَرا

هُوَ الظَفِرُ الأَعلى إِذا البَأسُ أَصحَرا

A brother of perilous depths, whose standing God makes

Brother of Ghamarat, may Allah make his heel

victorious and uppermost when battle comes into the open.

The highest victory when the affliction becomes widespread.

مُعانٌ عَلى حَقٍّ وَطالِبُ بَيعَةٍ

مُعانٌ عَلى حَقٍّ وَطالِبُ بَيعَةٍ

لِأَفضَلِ أَحياءَ العَشيرَةِ مَعشَرا

لِأَفضَلِ أَحياءَ العَشيرَةِ مَعشَرا

Aided in a just cause, and seeking a pledge of allegiance

Mu'an is on the truth and seeking the pledge

for the finest fellowship among the tribe's clans,

Of allegiance to the best of the tribe’s society.

لِآلِ أَبي العاصي تُراثُ مَشورَةٍ

لِآلِ أَبي العاصي تُراثُ مَشورَةٍ

لِسُلطانِهِم في الحَقِّ أَلّا يُغَيَّرا

لِسُلطانِهِم في الحَقِّ أَلّا يُغَيَّرا

for the house of Abu al-‘Asi, a heritage of consultation,

For the family of Abi Al-'Asi, there is a legacy of consultation

that their rightful authority should not be changed.

For their authority in truth, so it is not altered.

عَجِبتُ لِنَوكى مِن نِزارٍ وَحينِهِم

عَجِبتُ لِنَوكى مِن نِزارٍ وَحينِهِم

رَبيعَةَ وَالأَحزابِ مِمَّن تَمَضَّرا

رَبيعَةَ وَالأَحزابِ مِمَّن تَمَضَّرا

I marvel at the fools of Nizar and their doom—

I am amazed by the camel herds of Nizar and their clan,

Rabi‘a, and the factions among those who joined Mudar.

Rabi'ah and the parties who have become senile.