ألاَ هَلْ أَتَى غَسَّانَ في نَأْيِ دَارِهَا

ألاَ هَلْ أَتَى غَسَّانَ في نَأْيِ دَارِهَا

وَأَخْبَرُ شَيءٍ بالأُمُورِ عَليمُها

وَأَخْبَرُ شَيءٍ بالأُمُورِ عَليمُها

Lo, has news reached Ghassan in its far-off home—

Has Ghassan in her home afar been told

and the one who knows events is best informed of them—

Of what has come to pass, for she is wise,

بأنْ قَدْ رَمَتْنَا عَنْ قِسِيٍّ عَدَاوَةً

بأنْ قَدْ رَمَتْنَا عَنْ قِسِيٍّ عَدَاوَةً

مَعَدٌّ معاً جُهَّالُهَا وحَليمُها

مَعَدٌّ معاً جُهَّالُهَا وحَليمُها

that we have indeed been shot at with bows in enmity

That we a feud with Kais fierce uphold

by Ma‘add, all together, its fools and its wise men?

Though foolish ones and sane of him were ties;

لأَنّا عَبَدْنَا اللهَ لم نَرْجُ غَيْرَهُ

لأَنّا عَبَدْنَا اللهَ لم نَرْجُ غَيْرَهُ

رَجَاءَ الجِنَانِ إذْ أَتَانَا زَعِيمُها

رَجَاءَ الجِنَانِ إذْ أَتَانَا زَعِيمُها

For we worshipped God and put our hope in none but Him,

For we Allah as Lord alone extol

hoping for the Gardens, when their guarantor came to us:

Hoping in Paradise to win a prize,

نَبِيٌّ لَهُ فِي قَوْمِهِ إِرْثُ عِزَّةٍ

نَبِيٌّ لَهُ فِي قَوْمِهِ إِرْثُ عِزَّةٍ

وأَعْراقُ صِدْقٍ هَذَبْتْهَا أرُومُهَا

وأَعْراقُ صِدْقٍ هَذَبْتْهَا أرُومُهَا

a prophet with an inheritance of honor among his people,

The Prophet of a folk of high emprise

and noble bloodlines refined by their ancestral roots.

Whose roots sincerity and truth comprise.

فَسَارُوا وَسِرْنَا فالتَقَيْنَا كأنَّنَا

فَسَارُوا وَسِرْنَا فالتَقَيْنَا كأنَّنَا

أُسُودُ لِقاءٍ لا يُرَجَّى كَلِيمُهَا

أُسُودُ لِقاءٍ لا يُرَجَّى كَلِيمُهَا

So they marched, and we marched, and we met as though we were

As foes we met like lions undismayed

lions in combat, whose wounded victims are beyond hope.

Of fight, though destiny denies such guise.

ضَرَبْنَاهُمُ حتَّى هَوَى في مِكْرِّنَا

ضَرَبْنَاهُمُ حتَّى هَوَى في مِكْرِّنَا

لمنخرِ سُوءٍ من لؤيٍّ عَظِيمُهَا

لمنخرِ سُوءٍ من لؤيٍّ عَظِيمُهَا

We struck them until, amid our charge, there fell

With stratagem we smote till low were laid

nose-first in disgrace, their great man from Lu’ayy.

The nostrils of the basest enemies.

فَوَلُّوْا وَدُسْنَاهُمْ ببِيضٍ صَوَارِمٍ

فَوَلُّوْا وَدُسْنَاهُمْ ببِيضٍ صَوَارِمٍ

سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْنَا حِلفُها وصَمِيمُهَا

سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْنَا حِلفُها وصَمِيمُهَا

So they fled, and we trampled them with gleaming, keen-edged swords;

In white swords sheathed they turned; alike arrayed

alike to us were their sworn allies and their trueborn kin.

Against us stand their friends and enemies.