هَلِis المَجدُglory إِلّاanything but السُؤدَدُlordship العَودُlong-established وَالنَدىand generosity
هَلِ المَجدُ إِلّا السُؤدَدُ العَودُ وَالنَدى
وَجاهُand the prestige of المُلوكِkings وَاِحتِمالُand bearing العَظائِمِmighty burdens
وَجاهُ المُلوكِ وَاِحتِمالُ العَظائِمِ
Is glory anything but long-established lordship and generosity,
and the prestige of kings, and bearing mighty burdens?
نَصَرناwe aided وَآوَيناand we sheltered النَبِيَّthe Prophet مُحَمَّداًMuhammad
نَصَرنا وَآوَينا النَبِيَّ مُحَمَّداً
عَلىupon أَنفِthe nose of راضٍone willing مِنof مَعَدٍّMa‘add وَراغِمِand one unwilling
عَلى أَنفِ راضٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ وَراغِمِ
We aided and sheltered the Prophet Muhammad,
in defiance of Ma‘add, willing and unwilling alike,
بِحَيٍّwith a tribe حَريدٍset apart أَصلُهُits roots وَذِمارُهُand its protected kin
بِحَيٍّ حَريدٍ أَصلُهُ وَذِمارُهُ
بِجابِيَةِat Jabiyah الجَولانِof the Golan وَسطَamid الأَعاجِمِnon-Arabs
بِجابِيَةِ الجَولانِ وَسطَ الأَعاجِمِ
with a tribe apart, whose roots and protected kin
are at Jabiyah of the Golan, amid non-Arabs.
نَصَرناهُwe defended him لَمّاwhen حَلَّhe settled وَسطَamong رِحالِناour tents
نَصَرناهُ لَمّا حَلَّ وَسطَ رِحالِنا
بِأَسيافِناwith our swords مِنagainst كُلِّevery باغٍaggressor وَظالِمِand wrongdoer
بِأَسيافِنا مِن كُلِّ باغٍ وَظالِمِ
We defended him when he settled among our tents,
with our swords, against every aggressor and wrongdoer.
جَعَلناwe placed بَنيناour sons دونَهُin front of him وَبَناتِناand our daughters
جَعَلنا بَنينا دونَهُ وَبَناتِنا
وَطِبناand we were willing لَهُfor him نَفساًin spirit بِفَيءِwith the booty of المَغانِمِwar gains
وَطِبنا لَهُ نَفساً بِفَيءِ المَغانِمِ
We set our sons and our daughters to shield him,
and gladly yielded him the spoils of war.
وَنَحنُand we ضَرَبناstruck الناسَthe people حَتّىuntil تَتابَعواthey followed successively
وَنَحنُ ضَرَبنا الناسَ حَتّى تَتابَعوا
عَلىin دينِهِhis faith بِالمُرهَفاتِwith keen-edged swords الصَوارِمِcleaving
عَلى دينِهِ بِالمُرهَفاتِ الصَوارِمِ
And we struck the people until they followed, one after another,
his faith, with keen-edged, cleaving swords.
وَنَحنُand we وَلَدناbrought forth مِنfrom قُرَيشٍQuraysh عَظيمَهاits great man
وَنَحنُ وَلَدنا مِن قُرَيشٍ عَظيمَها
وَلَدناwe brought forth نَبِيَّthe Prophet of الخَيرِgoodness مِنfrom آلِthe house of هاشِمِHashim
وَلَدنا نَبِيَّ الخَيرِ مِن آلِ هاشِمِ
And we brought forth Quraysh’s great man;
we brought forth the Prophet of goodness, from the house of Hashim.
لَناours is المُلكُkingship فيin الإِشراكِpolytheism وَالسَبقُand precedence فيin الهُدىguidance
لَنا المُلكُ في الإِشراكِ وَالسَبقُ في الهُدى
وَنَصرُand support for النَبِيِّthe Prophet وَاِبتِناءُand the building of المَكارِمِnoble deeds
وَنَصرُ النَبِيِّ وَاِبتِناءُ المَكارِمِ
Ours was kingship in pagan days, and precedence in guidance,
and support for the Prophet, and the building of noble deeds.
بَنيO sons of دارِمٍDarim لاdo not تَفخَرواboast إِنَّindeed فَخرَكُمyour boasting
بَني دارِمٍ لا تَفخَروا إِنَّ فَخرَكُم
يَعودُturns into وَبالاًruin عِندَat ذِكرِthe mention of المَكارِمِnoble deeds
يَعودُ وَبالاً عِندَ ذِكرِ المَكارِمِ
Sons of Darim, do not boast: your boasting
turns to ruin when noble deeds are recalled.
هَبِلتُمmay you be bereaved عَلَيناover us تَفخَرونَyou boast وَأَنتُمُwhile you are
هَبِلتُم عَلَينا تَفخَرونَ وَأَنتُمُ
لَناbelonging to us خَوَلٌretainers ماwhat lies بَينَbetween ظِئرِa wet nurse وَخادِمِand a servant
لَنا خَوَلٌ ما بَينَ ظِئرِ وَخادِمِ
May you be bereaved! You boast over us, though you
are our retainers, from wet nurse to servant.
فَإِنso if كُنتُمُyou were جِئتُمyou came لَحِقنَto spare دِمائِكُمyour blood
فَإِن كُنتُمُ جِئتُم لَحِقنَ دِمائِكُم
وَأَموالِكُمand your wealth أَنlest تُقسَمواyou be apportioned فيamong المَقاسِمِthe allotted spoils
وَأَموالِكُم أَن تُقسَموا في المَقاسِمِ
So if you have come to spare your blood
and your wealth, lest you be apportioned among the spoils,
فَلاthen do not تَجعَلواset up لِلَّهِfor God نِدّاًa rival وَأَسلِمواand embrace Islam
فَلا تَجعَلوا لِلَّهِ نِدّاً وَأَسلِموا
وَلاand do not تَلبَسواwear زَيّاًgarb كَزَيِّlike the garb of الأَعاجِمِnon-Arabs
وَلا تَلبَسوا زَيّاً كَزَيِّ الأَعاجِمِ
then set up no rival to God, and embrace Islam;
and do not wear garb like that of non-Arabs.
وَإِلّاotherwise أَبَحناكُمwe shall make you lawful prey وَسُقناand we shall drive off نِساءَكُمyour women
وَإِلّا أَبَحناكُم وَسُقنا نِساءَكُم
بِصُمِّwith stout القَناspears وَالمُقرَباتِand choice steeds الصَلادِمِsturdy
بِصُمِّ القَنا وَالمُقرَباتِ الصَلادِمِ
Otherwise, we shall make you lawful prey and drive off your women
with stout spears and choice, sturdy steeds.
وَأَفضَلُand the best of ماwhat نِلتُمyou attained مِنَof المَجدِglory وَالعُلىand eminence
وَأَفضَلُ ما نِلتُم مِنَ المَجدِ وَالعُلى
رِدافَتُناriding behind us عِندَat اِحتِضارِattendance at المَواسِمِthe seasonal fairs
رِدافَتُنا عِندَ اِحتِضارِ المَواسِمِ
And the best you have attained of glory and eminence
is riding behind us when people gather for the seasonal fairs.