سائِل قُرَيشاً وَأَحلافَها

سائِل قُرَيشاً وَأَحلافَها

مَتى كانَ عَوفٌ لَها يُنسَبُ

مَتى كانَ عَوفٌ لَها يُنسَبُ

Ask Quraysh and its allies:

Ask the Quraysh and their allies

When was Awf ever counted as their kin?

When was ‘Awf ever attributed to them?

أَفيما مَضى نَسَبٌ ثابِتٌ

أَفيما مَضى نَسَبٌ ثابِتٌ

فَيُعلَمُ أَم دَعوَةٌ تُكذَبُ

فَيُعلَمُ أَم دَعوَةٌ تُكذَبُ

Is there an established lineage from days gone by,

Was there an established lineage in the past

Thus known—or a falsely asserted claim?

That can be known, or is it a claim they fabricate?

فَإِنَّ قُرَيشاً سَتَنفيكُمُ

فَإِنَّ قُرَيشاً سَتَنفيكُمُ

إِلى نَسَبٍ غَيرُهُ أَثقَبُ

إِلى نَسَبٍ غَيرُهُ أَثقَبُ

For Quraysh will cast you out

For the Quraysh will attribute you

To a lineage outshone by another,

To a lineage other than his, more burdensome,

إِلى جِذمِ قَينٍ لَئيمِ العُروقِِ

إِلى جِذمِ قَينٍ لَئيمِ العُروقِِ

عُرقوبُ والِدِهِ أَصهَبُ

عُرقوبُ والِدِهِ أَصهَبُ

To the stock of a blacksmith with ignoble roots;

To the despicable Jidhma of Qays, foul of roots,

His father's heel tendon is tawny.

‘Urqub the father of As-Sabah.

إِلى تَغلِبٍ إِنَّهُم شَرُّ جيلٍ

إِلى تَغلِبٍ إِنَّهُم شَرُّ جيلٍ

فَلَيسَ لَكُم غَيرَهُم مَذهَبُ

فَلَيسَ لَكُم غَيرَهُم مَذهَبُ

To Taghlib—they are indeed the worst of peoples;

To Taghlib - they are the worst of tribes -

So you have nowhere to turn but to them.

You have no refuge but them.

وَقَد كانَ عَهدي بِها لَم تَنَل

وَقَد كانَ عَهدي بِها لَم تَنَل

سَنِيّاً وَلا شَرَفاً تَغلِبُ

سَنِيّاً وَلا شَرَفاً تَغلِبُ

And what I knew of it was that it had not attained

And my pact with them did not gain me

High rank or honor—Taghlib.

A year of honor or nobility they would acknowledge.