نَشَدتُ بَني النَجّارِ أَفعالَ والِدي

نَشَدتُ بَني النَجّارِ أَفعالَ والِدي

إِذا لَم يَجِد عانٍ لَهُ مَن يُوازِعُه

إِذا لَم يَجِد عانٍ لَهُ مَن يُوازِعُه

I called on the sons of al-Najjār to recall my father's deeds:

I reminded the sons of Najjar of their father’s deeds

When a captive finds no one to aid him,

When he finds no helper to contend with him

وَراثَ عَلَيهِ الوافِدونَ فَما يَرى

وَراثَ عَلَيهِ الوافِدونَ فَما يَرى

عَلى النَأيِ مِنهُم ذا حِفاظٍ يُطالِعُه

عَلى النَأيِ مِنهُم ذا حِفاظٍ يُطالِعُه

And visitors are slow to reach him, so he sees no

The newcomers inherited it from him, yet he sees

Loyal man among them visiting him despite the distance,

No one from afar watching over him

وَسُدَّ عَلَيهِ كُلُّ أَمرٍ يُريدُهُ

وَسُدَّ عَلَيهِ كُلُّ أَمرٍ يُريدُهُ

وَزيدَ وَثاقاً فَاِقفَعَلَّت أَصابِعُه

وَزيدَ وَثاقاً فَاِقفَعَلَّت أَصابِعُه

And every course he seeks is barred to him,

And every matter he wants is denied to him

And he is bound still tighter, so his fingers cramp;

And his shackles were increased, so his fingers twisted

إِذا ذَكَرَ الحَيَّ المُقيمَ حُلولُهُم

إِذا ذَكَرَ الحَيَّ المُقيمَ حُلولُهُم

وَأَبصَرَ ما يَلقى اِستَهَلَّت مَدامِعُه

وَأَبصَرَ ما يَلقى اِستَهَلَّت مَدامِعُه

When he recalls the clan, settled in their encampment,

When he recalls the living tribes settling

And sees what he suffers, his tearful eyes overflow—

And sees what he encounters, his tears poured forth

أَلَسنا نَنُصُّ العيسَ فيهِ عَلى الوَجا

أَلَسنا نَنُصُّ العيسَ فيهِ عَلى الوَجا

إِذا نامَ مَولاهُ وَلَذَّت مَضاجِعُه

إِذا نامَ مَولاهُ وَلَذَّت مَضاجِعُه

Do we not drive the pale camels hard for him, despite their sore feet,

Are we not helping Jesus therein when his Master sleeps

While his ally sleeps, his beds a delight,

And his bedding is soft?

وَلا نَنتَهي حَتّى نَفُكَّ كُبولَهُ

وَلا نَنتَهي حَتّى نَفُكَّ كُبولَهُ

بِأَموالِنا وَالخَيرُ يُحمَدُ صانِعُه

بِأَموالِنا وَالخَيرُ يُحمَدُ صانِعُه

And never stop until we undo his shackles

And we do not stop until we undo his fetters

With our wealth? The doer of good is praised.

With our wealth, and its Maker is praised

وَأَنشُدُكُم وَالبَغيُ مُهلِكُ أَهلِهِ

وَأَنشُدُكُم وَالبَغيُ مُهلِكُ أَهلِهِ

إِذا ما شِتاءُ المَحلِ هَبَّت زَعازِعُه

إِذا ما شِتاءُ المَحلِ هَبَّت زَعازِعُه

And I adjure you—wrongdoing destroys those who commit it—

And I remind you - transgression destroys its people

When the fierce winds of a drought-stricken winter blow,

When the winter of the area blows its gusts

إِذا ما وَليدُ الحَيِّ لَم يُسقَ شَربَةً

إِذا ما وَليدُ الحَيِّ لَم يُسقَ شَربَةً

وَقَد ضَنَّ عَنهُ بِالصَبوحِ مَراضِعُه

وَقَد ضَنَّ عَنهُ بِالصَبوحِ مَراضِعُه

When the clan's infant is given no draught to drink,

When the nursling of the living is not given a drink

And his wet nurses have withheld his morning milk,

And its wet nurses have refused it at dawn

وَراحَت جِلادُ الشَولِ حُدباً ظُهورُها

وَراحَت جِلادُ الشَولِ حُدباً ظُهورُها

إِلى مَسرَحٍ بِالجَوِّ جَدبَ مَرابِعُه

إِلى مَسرَحٍ بِالجَوِّ جَدبَ مَرابِعُه

And the hardy, dry she-camels go out, their backs hunched,

And the backs of the slender camels have become humpbacked

To grazing land in the open valley, its spring pastures barren—

To a pasture in the air whose expanse is barren

أَلَسنا نَكُبُّ الكومَ وَسطَ رِحالِنا

أَلَسنا نَكُبُّ الكومَ وَسطَ رِحالِنا

وَنَستَصلِحُ المَولى إِذا قَلَّ راقِعُه

وَنَستَصلِحُ المَولى إِذا قَلَّ راقِعُه

Do we not lay the high-humped camels low amid our tents,

Are we not overturning the heap amid our belongings

And restore our ally's fortunes when he has little help?

And conciliating the Master when his quilt is little?

فَإِن نابَهُ أَمرٌ وَقَتهُ نُفوسُنا

فَإِن نابَهُ أَمرٌ وَقَتهُ نُفوسُنا

وَما نالَنا مِن صالِحٍ فَهوَ واسِعُه

وَما نالَنا مِن صالِحٍ فَهوَ واسِعُه

Then, if trouble befalls him, our own lives shield him;

So if an order angers him, our souls are his ransom

And whatever good reaches us is ample enough to embrace him.

And whatever good we attain is its plenty

وَأَنشُدُكُم وَالبَغيُ مُهلِكُ أَهلِهِ

وَأَنشُدُكُم وَالبَغيُ مُهلِكُ أَهلِهِ

إِذا الكَبشُ لَم يوجَد لَهُ مَن يُقارِعُه

إِذا الكَبشُ لَم يوجَد لَهُ مَن يُقارِعُه

And I adjure you—wrongdoing destroys those who commit it—

And I remind you - transgression destroys its people

When no one is found to clash with the ram,

When the ram finds none to contend with him

أَلَسنا نُوازيهِ بِجَمعٍ كَأَنَّهُ

أَلَسنا نُوازيهِ بِجَمعٍ كَأَنَّهُ

أَتِيٌّ أَمَدَّتهُ بِلَيلٍ دَوافِعُه

أَتِيٌّ أَمَدَّتهُ بِلَيلٍ دَوافِعُه

Do we not face him with a host that seems

Are we not equaling him with a group as if

A flood, swelled by night by its tributary torrents?

Nighttime sent its visitors to help him?

فَنَكثُرُكُم فيهِ وَنَصلى بِحَرِّهِ

فَنَكثُرُكُم فيهِ وَنَصلى بِحَرِّهِ

وَنَمشي إِلى أَبطالِهِ فَنُماصِعُه

وَنَمشي إِلى أَبطالِهِ فَنُماصِعُه

Then we outnumber you within it and endure its heat,

So we will multiply around it and pray for its sake

And march against its champions, then do battle with it.

And walk to its heroes and claw them

وَأَنشُدُكُم وَالبَغيُ مُهلِكُ أَهلِهِ

وَأَنشُدُكُم وَالبَغيُ مُهلِكُ أَهلِهِ

إِذا الخَصمُ لَم يوجَد لَهُ مَن يُدافِعُه

إِذا الخَصمُ لَم يوجَد لَهُ مَن يُدافِعُه

And I adjure you—wrongdoing destroys those who commit it—

And I remind you - transgression destroys its people

When no one is found to resist the adversary,

When the opponent finds none to defend him

وَأَكثَرَ حَتّى دَرَّ حَبلُ وَريدِهِ

وَأَكثَرَ حَتّى دَرَّ حَبلُ وَريدِهِ

وَقَصَّرَ عَنهُ في المَقالَةِ وازِعُه

وَقَصَّرَ عَنهُ في المَقالَةِ وازِعُه

And he talks on until his jugular cord bulges,

And speaks much until the rope of his vein hangs loose

And the one who would check him falls short of him in argument—

And his censor falls short of him in the address

أَلَسنا نُصاديهِ وَنَعدِلُ مَيلَهُ

أَلَسنا نُصاديهِ وَنَعدِلُ مَيلَهُ

وَلا نَنتَهي أَو يَخلُصَ الحَقُّ ناصِعُه

وَلا نَنتَهي أَو يَخلُصَ الحَقُّ ناصِعُه

Do we not confront him and straighten his crookedness,

Are we not contending with him and straightening his inclination

And never stop until the truth emerges clear and pure?

Nor do we stop until the truth lays bare its defender?

وَأَنشُدُكُم وَالبَغيُ مُهلِكُ أَهلِهِ

وَأَنشُدُكُم وَالبَغيُ مُهلِكُ أَهلِهِ

إِذا الضَيفُ لَم يوجَد لَهُ مَن يُنازِعُه

إِذا الضَيفُ لَم يوجَد لَهُ مَن يُنازِعُه

And I adjure you—wrongdoing destroys those who commit it—

And I remind you - transgression destroys its people

When the guest finds no one to press him to stay,

When the guest finds none to vie with him

أَلَسنا نُحَيِّيهِ وَيَأمَنُ سَربُهُ

أَلَسنا نُحَيِّيهِ وَيَأمَنُ سَربُهُ

وَنَفرُشُهُ أَمناً وَيُطعَمُ جائِعُه

وَنَفرُشُهُ أَمناً وَيُطعَمُ جائِعُه

Do we not greet him, while his company is safe,

Are we not greeting him while his flock is safe

And make safety his bedding, while his hungry companion is fed?

And we furnish him secure and feed his hunger?

فَلا تَكفُرونا ما فَعَلنا إِلَيكُمُ

فَلا تَكفُرونا ما فَعَلنا إِلَيكُمُ

وَأَثنوا بِهِ وَالكُفرُ بورٌ بَضائِعُه

وَأَثنوا بِهِ وَالكُفرُ بورٌ بَضائِعُه

So do not be ungrateful to us for what we have done for you,

So do not deny us what we have done for you

And praise it—ingratitude's wares are worthless.

And praise it, for ingratitude ruins the trader

كَما لَو فَعَلتُم مِثلَ ذاكَ إِلَيهِمِ

كَما لَو فَعَلتُم مِثلَ ذاكَ إِلَيهِمِ

لَأَثنَوا بِهِ ما يَأثُرُ القَولَ سامِعُه

لَأَثنَوا بِهِ ما يَأثُرُ القَولَ سامِعُه

Just as, had you done the same for them,

Just as if you had done the like to them

They would praise it as long as those who hear the tale pass it on.

They would have praised it - speech affects its hearer