وَقَومٍ مِنَ البَغضاءِ زورٍ كَأَنَّما

وَقَومٍ مِنَ البَغضاءِ زورٍ كَأَنَّما

بِأَجوافِهِم مِمّا تُجِنُّ لَنا الجَمرُ

بِأَجوافِهِم مِمّا تُجِنُّ لَنا الجَمرُ

And there are people bent askew by hatred, as though

And a people of false hatred as if

their bellies held embers from what they harbor against us.

In their chests is what kindles embers against us

يَجيشُ بِما فيها لَنا الغَليُ مِثلَ ما

يَجيشُ بِما فيها لَنا الغَليُ مِثلَ ما

تَجيشُ بِما فيها مِنَ اللَهَبِ القِدرُ

تَجيشُ بِما فيها مِنَ اللَهَبِ القِدرُ

What they harbor against us boils and surges, just as

It boils within them against us like

a cauldron seethes with the flames within it.

A pot boils with what flames are in it

تَصُدُّ إِذا ما واجَهَتني خُدودُهُم

تَصُدُّ إِذا ما واجَهَتني خُدودُهُم

لَدى مَحفَلٍ عَنّي كَأَنَّهُمُ صُعرُ

لَدى مَحفَلٍ عَنّي كَأَنَّهُمُ صُعرُ

Their cheeks turn, whenever they face me

Their cheeks turn away when facing me

at a gathering, away from me, as though their necks were twisted.

At a gathering, as if they are aloof

تُصيخُ إِذا أُنثى بِخَيرٍ لَدَيهِم

تُصيخُ إِذا أُنثى بِخَيرٍ لَدَيهِم

رُؤوسُهُمُ عَنّي وَما بِهِمُ وَقرُ

رُؤوسُهُمُ عَنّي وَما بِهِمُ وَقرُ

When I am praised in their presence, they incline

Their heads recoil if a woman praises me

their heads away from me, though they are not deaf.

While amongst them, and they have no dignity

وَإِن سَمِعوا سوءً بَدا في وُجوهِهِم

وَإِن سَمِعوا سوءً بَدا في وُجوهِهِم

لِما سَمِعوا مِمّا يُقالُ لَنا البِشرُ

لِما سَمِعوا مِمّا يُقالُ لَنا البِشرُ

And if they hear ill, there appears on their faces

If they hear evil, it appears on their faces

delight at what they hear being said about us.

For what they heard said in praise of us

أَجِدِّيَ لا يَنفَكُّ غُسٌّ يَسُبُّني

أَجِدِّيَ لا يَنفَكُّ غُسٌّ يَسُبُّني

فُجوراً بِظَهرِ الغَيبِ أَو مُلحِمٌ قَحرُ

فُجوراً بِظَهرِ الغَيبِ أَو مُلحِمٌ قَحرُ

Is it truly my lot that a base fellow never ceases to abuse me,

I always find a slanderer insulting me

wickedly behind my back—or some hardened, decrepit old man?

Wickedly behind my back or a frowning critic

وَلَو سُئِلَت بَدرٌ بِحُسنِ بَلائِنا

وَلَو سُئِلَت بَدرٌ بِحُسنِ بَلائِنا

فَأَثنَت بِما فينا إِذاً حُمِدَت بَدرُ

فَأَثنَت بِما فينا إِذاً حُمِدَت بَدرُ

And if Badr were asked how well we proved ourselves,

If the full moon were asked about our ordeal

and praised our qualities, then Badr would be praised.

And it praised what is in us, then the full moon would be praised

حِفاظاً عَلى أَحسابِنا بِنُفوسِنا

حِفاظاً عَلى أَحسابِنا بِنُفوسِنا

إِذا لَم يَكُن غَيرَ السُيوفِ لَنا سِترُ

إِذا لَم يَكُن غَيرَ السُيوفِ لَنا سِترُ

Defending our ancestral honor with our lives,

To protect our reputations and our lives

when we had no protection but swords.

When there is no shield for us but swords

وَأَبدَت مَعاريها النِساءُ وَأَبرَزَت

وَأَبدَت مَعاريها النِساءُ وَأَبرَزَت

مِنَ الرَوعِ كابٍ حُسنُ أَلوانِها الزُهرُ

مِنَ الرَوعِ كابٍ حُسنُ أَلوانِها الزُهرُ

And the women bared their limbs and came forth,

The women revealed their bodies and displayed

their complexions’ radiant beauty dimmed by terror.

From fright, stars - the beauty of their complexions flowers