إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ يَبني لِيَ المَجدَ البان

إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ يَبني لِيَ المَجدَ البان

أَندُبُ مَجداً غَيرَ مَجدِ ثُنيان

أَندُبُ مَجداً غَيرَ مَجدِ ثُنيان

Indeed, I am a man for whom the builder builds glory.

I am a man who builds glory upon glory,

I invoke glory, not the glory of a lesser man.

Yearning for a glory other than that of boasters.

مِنّا أَبو قَيسٍ وَمِنّا الحَوطان

مِنّا أَبو قَيسٍ وَمِنّا الحَوطان

وَاِبنُ زُهَيرٍ مُعلِماً وَالعَمران

وَاِبنُ زُهَيرٍ مُعلِماً وَالعَمران

Among us is Abu Qays, and among us the two Hawts.

From us are Abū Qays and al-Ḥawṭān,

And the son of Zuhayr, bearing his battle-emblem, and the two ‘Amrs.

And son of Zuhayr, a teacher and builder.

وَالهَيصَمانِ وَبَنو ذي النيران

وَالهَيصَمانِ وَبَنو ذي النيران

ما لِحَفيفِ القَصَباتِ الجوفان

ما لِحَفيفِ القَصَباتِ الجوفان

And the two Haysams and the sons of Dhu al-Niran.

And the two Hayṣams, and the sons of Dhū al-Nīrān,

What use is the rustling of hollow reeds?

What is with the whirring of hollow reeds?

عُدّوا الفَعالَ وَزِنوا بِالميزان

عُدّوا الفَعالَ وَزِنوا بِالميزان

جيئوا بِمِثلِ قَعنَبٍ وَالعَلهان

جيئوا بِمِثلِ قَعنَبٍ وَالعَلهان

Count the deeds, and weigh them in the balance.

Appraise the deeds and weigh with the scales.

Bring the likes of Qa‘nab and al-‘Alhan,

Bring the likes of Qaʿnab and al-ʿAlhān,

وَاِبنِ أَبي سودٍ غَداةَ الأَرنان

وَاِبنِ أَبي سودٍ غَداةَ الأَرنان

أَو كَأَبي حَزرَةَ سَمِّ الفُرسان

أَو كَأَبي حَزرَةَ سَمِّ الفُرسان

And the son of Abu Sud on the morning of al-Arnan,

And son of Abī Sūd on the day the spears clash,

Or one like Abu Hazra, poison to the horsemen,

Or like Abū Ḥazra on the day the stallions leap,

وَالحَنتَفَينِ يَومَ شَلِّ الأَظعان

وَالحَنتَفَينِ يَومَ شَلِّ الأَظعان

وَما اِبنُ حِناءَةَ الرَتِّ الوان

وَما اِبنُ حِناءَةَ الرَتِّ الوان

And the two Hantafs, on the day the women's litters were driven off.

And the Ḥanṭafays on the day the ranks waver,

Nor was the son of Hina’a the stammerer a laggard,

And not Ibn Ḥināʾa, the wild and wayward,

يَومَ تَسَدّى الحَكَمَ بنَ مَروان

يَومَ تَسَدّى الحَكَمَ بنَ مَروان

وَالمُطعِمونَ في لَيالي الشَفّان

وَالمُطعِمونَ في لَيالي الشَفّان

The day he assailed al-Hakam ibn Marwan.

On the day Ḥakam bin Marwān was deposed,

And those who feed others on nights of biting, damp cold.

And the hosts on the nights of clashing swords,

وَحِظوَةُ السَبقِ لَنا وَالأَلفان

وَحِظوَةُ السَبقِ لَنا وَالأَلفان

طَعدو بِنا الخَيلُ طُموحَ العِقبان

طَعدو بِنا الخَيلُ طُموحَ العِقبان

And the honor of first place is ours, and the two thousand.

For racing and learning, we have the instruments,

The horses gallop with us, soaring like eagles.

Our horses leap, ambitious steeds,

نَحمي ذِمارَ جَدَفٍ بِمَرّان

نَحمي ذِمارَ جَدَفٍ بِمَرّان

نَحنُ اِستَلَبنا الجَونَ وَاِبنِ حَسّان

نَحنُ اِستَلَبنا الجَونَ وَاِبنِ حَسّان

We guard the honor of Jadaf with ash-wood spears.

We protect the vessels with practice,

We are the ones who despoiled al-Jawn and the son of Hassan.

We are the ones who captured al-Jawna and Ibn Ḥassān,

وَرادَفَ الأَملاكَ مِنّا رِدفان

وَرادَفَ الأَملاكَ مِنّا رِدفان

قَد عَلِمَت بَكرٌ وَقَيسُ عَيلان

قَد عَلِمَت بَكرٌ وَقَيسُ عَيلان

And two men of ours served as deputies to kings.

And who paired with kings, a double dose,

Bakr and Qays ‘Aylan have indeed learned,

Bakr and Qays ʿAylān have been informed,

وَالخِندِفِيّونَ بِغَدرِ الأَقيان

وَالخِندِفِيّونَ بِغَدرِ الأَقيان

إِذ كَذَّبَ الأَقرَعُ دَعوى الفُرسان

إِذ كَذَّبَ الأَقرَعُ دَعوى الفُرسان

And Khindif's descendants, of the smiths' treachery,

And the Khindifiyyūn, of the betrayal of warriors,

When al-Aqra‘ belied the horsemen's boast,

When al-Aqraʿ denied the claim of horsemen,

وَخَرَّ في بَحرِ الرِماحِ الأَشطان

وَخَرَّ في بَحرِ الرِماحِ الأَشطان

عَلى الجَبينِ ساجِدَ العِمران

عَلى الجَبينِ ساجِدَ العِمران

And fell into a sea of spears, long as ropes,

And fell in a sea of piercing spears,

Upon his brow, prostrate before the two ‘Amrs.

Bowing in prayer upon his brow.

إِنَّ اِبنَ وَقبٍ وَاِبنَ أُمِّ خَوران

إِنَّ اِبنَ وَقبٍ وَاِبنَ أُمِّ خَوران

وَاِبنَ القُيونِ غُلَّقٌ في الأَقران

وَاِبنَ القُيونِ غُلَّقٌ في الأَقران

Indeed, the son of Waqb and the son of Umm Khawran,

Verily the sons of Waqab and of Umm Khawrān,

And the son of the smiths, are captives held fast in fetters.

And the son of Qayyūn, shackled in fetters,

يُصَلصِلُ الحِجلَ بِغَيرِ الإيمان

يُصَلصِلُ الحِجلَ بِغَيرِ الإيمان

لا سَلَّمَ اللَهُ عَلى القِردِ الزان

لا سَلَّمَ اللَهُ عَلى القِردِ الزان

He makes the anklet clink, without faith.

Clanking arms without faith,

May God grant no peace to the fornicating monkey.

May Allah not grant safety to the immoral monkey,

وَيَسأَلُ المَوتى فُضولَ الأَكفان

وَيَسأَلُ المَوتى فُضولَ الأَكفان

شاعَ الحَديثُ يا فَتاةَ الفِتيان

شاعَ الحَديثُ يا فَتاةَ الفِتيان

And he begs the dead for remnants of their shrouds.

Who asks the dead for burial shrouds,

The story has spread, O girl of the young men!

The tale spread, O maid of youth.