ومنand among أيامناour days يومٌa day عجيبwondrous
ومن أيامنا يومٌ عجيب
ولاand no يومٌday كيومِlike the day of بنيthe sons of بهانBahan
ولا يومٌ كيومِ بني بهان
And among our days was a wondrous day;
Among our days was a wondrous day,
And no day was like the day of Banu Bahan.
No day like the day of Bani Bahran.
بناصفةat Nasifah البعوضةal-Ba'udah حيثwhere سالتflowed
بناصفة البعوضة حيث سالت
علىacross بطائحهاits broad flats شعبdivisions الرعانِthe mighty hosts
على بطائحها شعب الرعانِ
At Nasifat al-Ba'udah, where flowed
At the cleft of the fly where the shepherd folk poured down,
Across its broad flats the divisions of mighty hosts.
Responding to the caller without hesitation.
دعاهمhe called them مالكٌMalik حتىuntil استجابواthey answered
دعاهم مالكٌ حتى استجابوا
ولمand not يكُwas فيin استجابتهمtheir response توانِdelay
ولم يكُ في استجابتهم توانِ
Malik called them until they answered,
Guarding him, no intention to evade
And there was no delay in their response.
The stinging blades of the backbiting foe.
محافظةprotective concern عليهfor him ولمand not يريدواthey wished
محافظة عليه ولم يريدوا
صدوداًturning away عنfrom مخالسةexchanging swift blows الطعانِspear-fighting
صدوداً عن مخالسة الطعانِ
Out of concern for him, and they did not wish
My paternal cousins will not go far,
To turn away from exchanging swift spear-thrusts.
My cousins! By your father's life they were not,
فلاso may not يبعدperish بنوsons of عّمٍa paternal uncle وآلٍand kinsfolk
فلا يبعد بنو عّمٍ وآلٍ
بنوsons of عميmy paternal uncle فلاfor indeed, introducing an oath وابيكby your father كانواthey were
بنو عمي فلا وابيك كانوا
So may cousins and kinsfolk never perish—
Valiant raiders and frontier guards
My cousins—for, by your father, they were
When the flames of war raged high.
فوارسhorsemen غارةٍa raid وحماةand guardians ثغرa frontier
فوارس غارةٍ وحماة ثغر
اذاwhen ماemphatic particle شَبّتflared up الحربthe war العوانُoft-renewed
اذا ما شَبّت الحرب العوانُ
Raiding horsemen and guardians of the frontier
Whenever the oft-renewed war flared up.
Partial English translation: 10 of 12 Arabic lines translated.