أَوفَتfulfilled بَنوthe sons of عَمروِ‘Amr بنِson of عَوفٍ‘Awf نَذرَهاits vow
أَوفَت بَنو عَمروِ بنِ عَوفٍ نَذرَها
وَتَلَوَّثَتand became stained غَدراًwith treachery بَنوthe sons of النَجّارِal-Najjar
وَتَلَوَّثَت غَدراً بَنو النَجّارِ
Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf fulfilled their vow,
And Banu al-Najjar were stained with treachery.
وَتَخاذَلَتand failed one another يَومَon the day of الحَفيظَةِdefending honor إِنَّهُمindeed they
وَتَخاذَلَت يَومَ الحَفيظَةِ إِنَّهُم
لَيسواthey are not هُنالِكُمُthere, at that time مِنَamong الأَخيارِthe good
لَيسوا هُنالِكُمُ مِنَ الأَخيارِ
And they failed one another on the day of defending honor; they
Were not then among the good.
وَنَسواand they forgot وَصاةَthe injunction of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad فيconcerning صِهرِهِhis kinsman by marriage
وَنَسوا وَصاةَ مُحَمَّدٍ في صِهرِهِ
وَتَبَدَّلواand they took in exchange بِالعِزِّin place of glory دارَan abode of بَوارِruin
وَتَبَدَّلوا بِالعِزِّ دارَ بَوارِ
And they forgot Muhammad's charge concerning his kinsman by marriage,
And traded glory for an abode of ruin.
أَتَرَكتُموهُdid you leave him مُفرَداًalone بِمَضيعَةٍin a place of peril
أَتَرَكتُموهُ مُفرَداً بِمَضيعَةٍ
تَنتابُهُrepeatedly besets him الغَوغاءُthe rabble فيin الأَمصارِthe cities
تَنتابُهُ الغَوغاءُ في الأَمصارِ
Did you leave him alone in a place of peril,
As the rabble repeatedly beset him in the cities?
لَهفانَanguished يَدعوhe calls upon غائِباًabsent أَنصارَهُhis supporters
لَهفانَ يَدعو غائِباً أَنصارَهُ
ياO وَيحَكُمwoe to you ياO مَعشَرَcompany of الأَنصارِthe Ansar
يا وَيحَكُم يا مَعشَرَ الأَنصارِ
In anguish, he calls upon his absent supporters:
O, woe to you, O company of the Ansar!
هَلّاwhy did you not وَفَيتُمyou kept faith عِندَهاat that moment بِعُهودِكُمwith your pledges
هَلّا وَفَيتُم عِندَها بِعُهودِكُم
وَفَدَيتُمُand you ransomed بِالسَمعِwith hearing وَالأَبصارِand sight
وَفَدَيتُمُ بِالسَمعِ وَالأَبصارِ
Why did you not then honor your pledges,
And ransom him with your hearing and sight?
جيرانُهُhis neighbors الأَدنَونَthe nearest حَولَaround بُيوتِهِhis houses
جيرانُهُ الأَدنَونَ حَولَ بُيوتِهِ
غَدَرواthey betrayed وَرَبِّby the Lord of البَيتِthe House ذيpossessing الأَستارِthe curtains
غَدَروا وَرَبِّ البَيتِ ذي الأَستارِ
His nearest neighbors, around his houses,
Betrayed him—by the Lord of the curtained House!
إِنif لَمnot تَرَواyou see مَدَداًreinforcements لَهُfor him وَكَتيبَةًand a battalion
إِن لَم تَرَوا مَدَداً لَهُ وَكَتيبَةً
تَهديleading أَوائِلَthe foremost ranks of جَحفَلٍa mighty host جَرّارِvast
تَهدي أَوائِلَ جَحفَلٍ جَرّارِ
If you do not see reinforcements for him and a battalion
Leading the foremost ranks of a mighty, vast host,
فَعَدِمتُthen may I be bereft of ماwhat وَلَدَbegot اِبنُthe son of عَمرٍ‘Amr مُنذِرِMundhir
فَعَدِمتُ ما وَلَدَ اِبنُ عَمرٍ مُنذِرِ
حَتّىuntil تُنيخُmake camp جُموعُهُمtheir hosts بِصِرارِat Sirar
حَتّى تُنيخُ جُموعُهُم بِصِرارِ
Then may I be bereft of what Ibn ‘Amr, Mundhir, begot,
Until their hosts make camp at Sirar.
وَاللَهِby God لاnot يوفونَthey keep faith بَعدَafter إِمامِهِمtheir leader
وَاللَهِ لا يوفونَ بَعدَ إِمامِهِم
أَبَداًever وَلَوand even if أُمِنواthey were entrusted بِحِلسِwith a saddlecloth of حِمارِa donkey
أَبَداً وَلَو أُمِنوا بِحِلسِ حِمارِ
By God, they will not keep faith after their leader,
Ever, even if entrusted with a donkey's saddlecloth.
أَبلِغconvey to بَنيthe sons of بَكرٍBakr إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis جِئتَهُمyou come to them
أَبلِغ بَني بَكرٍ إِذا ما جِئتَهُم
ذَمّاًreproach فَبِئسَfor wretched are مَواضِعُthe places for الإِصهارِmarriage alliances
ذَمّاً فَبِئسَ مَواضِعُ الإِصهارِ
Convey to Banu Bakr, whenever you come to them,
Reproach—for they are wretched families to marry into!
غَدَرواthey acted treacherously بِأَبيَضَagainst a radiant man كَالهِلالِlike the crescent moon مُبِرَّءٍblameless
غَدَروا بِأَبيَضَ كَالهِلالِ مُبِرَّءٍ
خَلَصَتwas pure مَضارِبُهُhis lineage بِزَندٍwith a firestick وارِkindling flame
خَلَصَت مَضارِبُهُ بِزَندٍ وارِ
They betrayed a man radiant as the crescent, blameless;
His lineage was pure, with a firestick that kindled flame.
مِنamong خَيرِthe best of خِندِفَKhindif كُلِّهاall of it بَعدَafter الَّذيthe one who
مِن خَيرِ خِندِفَ كُلِّها بَعدَ الَّذي
نَصَرَgranted victory الإِلَهُGod بِهِthrough him عَلىover الكُفّارِthe unbelievers
نَصَرَ الإِلَهُ بِهِ عَلى الكُفّارِ
One of the best of all Khindif, after the one
Through whom God granted victory over the unbelievers.
طاوَعتُمُyou obeyed فيهِconcerning him العَدُوَّthe enemy وَكُنتُمُand you were
طاوَعتُمُ فيهِ العَدُوَّ وَكُنتُمُ
لَوif شِئتُمُyou wished فيin مَعزِلٍseclusion وَقَرارِand security
لَو شِئتُمُ في مَعزِلٍ وَقَرارِ
You obeyed the enemy concerning him, though you could have been,
Had you wished, apart and secure.
لاlet not يَحسَبَنَّever suppose المُرجِفونَthe rumor-mongers بِأَنَّهُمthat they
لا يَحسَبَنَّ المُرجِفونَ بِأَنَّهُم
لَنwill not يُطلَبواbe pursued بِدِماءِfor the blood of أَهلِthe people of الدارِthe house
لَن يُطلَبوا بِدِماءِ أَهلِ الدارِ
Let not the rumor-mongers suppose that they
Will not be pursued for the blood of the people of the house.
حاشاexcept بَنيthe sons of عَمروِ‘Amr بنِson of عَوفٍ‘Awf إِنَّهُمindeed they
حاشا بَني عَمروِ بنِ عَوفٍ إِنَّهُم
كُتِبَتwere decreed مَضاجِعُهُمtheir resting places مَعَwith الأَبرارِthe righteous
كُتِبَت مَضاجِعُهُم مَعَ الأَبرارِ
Except Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf: indeed they
Have their resting places decreed among the righteous.