لَعَمْري لَقَدْ حَكَّتْ رَحَى الحرب بَعْدَما

لَعَمْري لَقَدْ حَكَّتْ رَحَى الحرب بَعْدَما

أطارَتْ لُؤَيّاً قَبْلُ شَرْقاً وَمُغْرِبا

أطارَتْ لُؤَيّاً قَبْلُ شَرْقاً وَمُغْرِبا

By my life, war's millstone has ground down—after

By my life, the millstone of war ground on after

it had earlier scattered Luʾayy eastward and westward—

It had earlier raised bright embers east and west.

بَقِيَّةَ آلِ الكاهنينَ وعَزَّها

بَقِيَّةَ آلِ الكاهنينَ وعَزَّها

فَعادَ ذَليلاً بَعْدَ ما كان أَغْلَبا

فَعادَ ذَليلاً بَعْدَ ما كان أَغْلَبا

the remnant of the priests' house, and overpowered it;

It spared the rest of the priestly house and their might―

so it became abased after once being mighty.

And he who had been mighty returned humiliated.

فَطَاحَ سَلامٌ وابنُ سَعْيَةَ عَنْوةً

فَطَاحَ سَلامٌ وابنُ سَعْيَةَ عَنْوةً

وقيدَ ذَليلاً للمنايا ابن أخطبا

وقيدَ ذَليلاً للمنايا ابن أخطبا

Then Salām and Ibn Saʿya fell by force,

Peace fell by force―also Sa'ya's son.

and Ibn Akhṭab was led, abased, to death.

And the son of Akhtab was bound humiliated for death.

وأجْلَبَ يَبْغي العِزَّ والذلَّ يَبْتضغي

وأجْلَبَ يَبْغي العِزَّ والذلَّ يَبْتضغي

خِلافَ يَدَيْه ما جَنَى حِينَ أَجْلبا

خِلافَ يَدَيْه ما جَنَى حِينَ أَجْلبا

And he rallied, seeking glory, yet seeking humiliation;

It sought honor but ignominy sought it.

what he reaped when he rallied ran counter to his hands' striving.

Unlike its hands what it had earlier reaped when it dragged off booty.

كتارِكِ سَهْلِ الأرْضِ والحَزْنُ هُمُّهُ

كتارِكِ سَهْلِ الأرْضِ والحَزْنُ هُمُّهُ

وَقَدْ كانَ ذا في الناسِ أَكْدَى وَأَغْلَبا

وَقَدْ كانَ ذا في الناسِ أَكْدَى وَأَغْلَبا

Like one abandoning level ground, with rugged ground his concern,

Saddened, the leaving of the easy life of the plain.

though this man had been most intractable and powerful among men.

Though he had been among the people most stubborn and powerful.

وَشَأْسٌ وَعَزّالُ وَقَدْ صُلِيَا بِها

وَشَأْسٌ وَعَزّالُ وَقَدْ صُلِيَا بِها

وما غُيِّبا عَنْ ذاكَ فِيمْنَ تَغَيَّبا

وما غُيِّبا عَنْ ذاكَ فِيمْنَ تَغَيَّبا

And Shaʾs and ʿAzzāl—both were scorched by it,

Both Sha's and 'Azzal were ruined by it.

nor were they kept from that among those who stayed away.

And neither was absent from it among those who were ruined.

وَعَوْفُ بنُ سَلْمى وابنُ عوفٍ كلاهما

وَعَوْفُ بنُ سَلْمى وابنُ عوفٍ كلاهما

وكَعْبٌ رئيسُ القَومِ حانَ وخُيِّبا

وكَعْبٌ رئيسُ القَومِ حانَ وخُيِّبا

And ʿAwf son of Salmā and Ibn ʿAwf, both of them,

And 'Awf ibn Salma, and Ibn 'Awf―both of them,

and Kaʿb, chief of the people, met his doom and was thwarted.

And Ka'b the chief of the people swayed and was ruined.

فبُعْداً وَسُحْقاً للنَّضِير ومِثْلُها

فبُعْداً وَسُحْقاً للنَّضِير ومِثْلُها

إِنِ أعْقَبَ فَتْحٌ أَو إنِ اللهُ أَعْقَبَا

إِنِ أعْقَبَ فَتْحٌ أَو إنِ اللهُ أَعْقَبَا

So away with al-Naḍīr, and may they perish—and the same again,

So away with the Nadir! Perdition take it and the like of it!

if a victory follows, or if God brings one in its wake.

If a conquest follows or if Allah makes one follow.