لَو كُنتَ مِن هاشِمٍ أَو مِن بَني أَسَدٍ

لَو كُنتَ مِن هاشِمٍ أَو مِن بَني أَسَدٍ

أَو عَبدِ شَمسٍ أَو اَصحابِ اللِوا الصيدِ

أَو عَبدِ شَمسٍ أَو اَصحابِ اللِوا الصيدِ

If you were of Hashim or the sons of Asad,

If you were from the Hashimite clan or the Banu Asad

or of ʿAbd Shams, or the proud bearers of the banner,

Or the servants of Shams or the people of spears and hunting

أَو مِن بَني نَوفَلٍ أَو رَهطِ  مُطَّلِبٍ

أَو مِن بَني نَوفَلٍ أَو رَهطِ مُطَّلِبٍ

لِلَّهِ دَرُّكَ لَم تَهمُم بِتَهديدي

لِلَّهِ دَرُّكَ لَم تَهمُم بِتَهديدي

or of the sons of Nawfal or Muttalib’s clan,

Or from the tribe of Nawfal or the family of Muttalib

God bless you! You would not have thought of threatening me.

By God, your worth! You would not threaten me

أَو مِن سَرارَةُ أَقوامٍ أُلي حَسَبٍ

أَو مِن سَرارَةُ أَقوامٍ أُلي حَسَبٍ

لَم تُصبِحِ اليَومَ نِكساً ثانيَ الجِيدِ

لَم تُصبِحِ اليَومَ نِكساً ثانيَ الجِيدِ

Or of the elite of peoples with noble lineage,

Or from the elite tribe endowed with glory

you would not be a weakling today, with your neck bowed.

You would not become dejected, one with a severed neck today

أَو في الذُؤابَةِ مِن تَيمٍ رَضيتُ بِهِم

أَو في الذُؤابَةِ مِن تَيمٍ رَضيتُ بِهِم

أَو مِن بَني جُمَحَ الخُضرِ الجَلاعيدِ

أَو مِن بَني جُمَحَ الخُضرِ الجَلاعيدِ

Or among the foremost of Taym, with whom I am pleased,

Or from the praiseworthy Tha’laba clan of Taym

or of the sons of Jumah, dark-hued and mighty,

Or the green, valiant sons of Jumah

أَو كُنتَ مِن زُهرَةَ الأَبطالِ قَد عَلِموا

أَو كُنتَ مِن زُهرَةَ الأَبطالِ قَد عَلِموا

أَو مِن بَني خَلَفِ الزُهرِ الأَماجيدِ

أَو مِن بَني خَلَفِ الزُهرِ الأَماجيدِ

or if you were of Zuhrah, the heroes—as they well know—

Or you were from the flowers of heroes who knew

or of the sons of Khalaf, radiant and illustrious.

Or from the progeny of Khalaf, people of glory

يا آلَ تَيمَ أَلا يُنهى سَفيهُكُمُ

يا آلَ تَيمَ أَلا يُنهى سَفيهُكُمُ

قَبلَ القِذافِ بِأَمثالِ الجَلاميدِ

قَبلَ القِذافِ بِأَمثالِ الجَلاميدِ

O clan of Taym, will your fool not be restrained

O clan of Taym, will not your fool

before a pelting with the likes of boulders?

Be forbidden from the likes of insults

فَنَهنِهوهُ فَإِنّي غَيرُ تارِكُكُم

فَنَهنِهوهُ فَإِنّي غَيرُ تارِكُكُم

إِن عادَ ما اِهتَزَّ ماءٌ في ثَرى عودِ

إِن عادَ ما اِهتَزَّ ماءٌ في ثَرى عودِ

So restrain him, for I will not leave you alone

So forbid him, for I will not let you be

if he returns, as long as water stirs in a tree’s moist soil.

If what was shaken in the ground stirs again

لَولا الرَسولُ فَإِنّي لَستُ عاصِيَهُ

لَولا الرَسولُ فَإِنّي لَستُ عاصِيَهُ

حَتّى يُغَيِّبُني في الرَمسِ مَلحودي

حَتّى يُغَيِّبُني في الرَمسِ مَلحودي

Were it not for the Messenger—for I will not disobey him

If not for the Messenger, I would not disobey him

until my burial niche hides me in the grave—

Until he buries me under the sands

وَصاحِبُ الغارِ إِنّي سَوفَ أَحفَظُهُ

وَصاحِبُ الغارِ إِنّي سَوفَ أَحفَظُهُ

وَطَلحَةُ بنُ عُبَيبِ اللَهِ ذي الجودِ

وَطَلحَةُ بنُ عُبَيبِ اللَهِ ذي الجودِ

and the companion of the cave—whom I shall safeguard—

The companion of the cave, I will protect him

and Talhah son of ʿUbayb Allah, the generous,

And Talha son of Ubayd Allah the generous

لَقَد قَذَفتُ بِها شَنعاءَ فاضِحَةً

لَقَد قَذَفتُ بِها شَنعاءَ فاضِحَةً

يَظَلُّ مِنها لَبيبُ القَومِ كَالمودي

يَظَلُّ مِنها لَبيبُ القَومِ كَالمودي

I would surely have hurled it, hideous and shaming,

I have cast vile, disgraceful words

leaving the clan’s wise man as though dead from it.

That would leave the sensible people disgusted

لَكِن سَأَصرِفُها جُهدي وَأَعدِلُها

لَكِن سَأَصرِفُها جُهدي وَأَعدِلُها

عَنكُم بِقَولٍ رَصينٍ غَيرِ تَهديدِ

عَنكُم بِقَولٍ رَصينٍ غَيرِ تَهديدِ

But I shall do my utmost to turn it aside and divert it

But I will divert them and make them just

away from you, with weighty words, without threats,

For you, with composed speech without threat

إِلى الزَبَعرى فَإِنَّ اللُؤمَ حالَفَهُ

إِلى الزَبَعرى فَإِنَّ اللُؤمَ حالَفَهُ

أَوِ الأَخابِثِ مِن أَولادِ عَبّودِ

أَوِ الأَخابِثِ مِن أَولادِ عَبّودِ

toward al-Zabaʿra, for baseness has allied itself with him,

To Zubayr, for the villain has allied with him

or toward the vilest of ʿAbbud’s offspring.

Or the wicked from the offspring of ‘Aboud