إِنّا مُحَيّوكِ يا سَلمى فَحَيّينا

إِنّا مُحَيّوكِ يا سَلمى فَحَيّينا

وَإِن سَقَيتِ كِرامَ الناسِ فَاِسقينا

وَإِن سَقَيتِ كِرامَ الناسِ فَاِسقينا

We greet you, Salma; greet us in return.

We greet you, O Salma, so greet us!

And if you give drink to noble folk, give us drink.

And if you quench the honor of people, then quench our thirst!

وَإِن دَعَوتِ إِلى جُلّى وَمَكرُمَةٍ

وَإِن دَعَوتِ إِلى جُلّى وَمَكرُمَةٍ

يَوماً سُراةَ كِرامِ الناسِ فَاِدعينا

يَوماً سُراةَ كِرامِ الناسِ فَاِدعينا

And if, for a momentous undertaking and a noble deed, you summon

And if you call to glory and generosity

the chiefs of noble folk one day, then summon us.

One day the elite of the honorable people, then call us!

إِنّا بَني نَهشَلٍ لا نَدّعي لِأَبٍ

إِنّا بَني نَهشَلٍ لا نَدّعي لِأَبٍ

عَنهُ وَلا هُو بِالأَبناءِ يَشرينا

عَنهُ وَلا هُو بِالأَبناءِ يَشرينا

We, the sons of Nahshal, claim descent from no father

We are the sons of Nahshal, we do not claim for a father

other than him, nor does he trade us for other sons.

Beside him, nor does he acquire sons through us.

إِن تُبتَدَر غايَةٌ يَوماً لِمَكرُمَةٍ

إِن تُبتَدَر غايَةٌ يَوماً لِمَكرُمَةٍ

تَلقَ السَوابِقَ مِنّا وَالمُصَلّينا

تَلقَ السَوابِقَ مِنّا وَالمُصَلّينا

If ever a goal is contested in pursuit of honor,

If an ultimate goal is to be attained one day by generosity

you will find among us the frontrunners and the runners-up.

It will meet our front runners and prayers.

وَلَيسَ يَهلَكُ مِنّا سَيِّدٌ أَبَداً

وَلَيسَ يَهلَكُ مِنّا سَيِّدٌ أَبَداً

إِلّا اِفتَلَينا غُلاماً سَيِّداً فينا

إِلّا اِفتَلَينا غُلاماً سَيِّداً فينا

And no chief among us ever dies

No master among us will ever perish

without our choosing a young man as a chief among us.

Except that we beget a masterful lad in his place

إِنّا لنُرخِصُ يَومَ الرَوعِ أَنفُسَنا

إِنّا لنُرخِصُ يَومَ الرَوعِ أَنفُسَنا

وَلَو نُسامُ بِها في الأَمنِ أُغلينا

وَلَو نُسامُ بِها في الأَمنِ أُغلينا

Indeed, we hold our lives cheap on the day of terror;

We will risk our lives in times of turmoil

yet, if bids were made for them in peace, we would command a high price.

Even if we were to bask in security and be overcome by laziness

بيضٌ مَفارِقُنا تَغلي مَراجِلُنا

بيضٌ مَفارِقُنا تَغلي مَراجِلُنا

نَأسو بِأَموالِنا آثارَ أَيدينا

نَأسو بِأَموالِنا آثارَ أَيدينا

White are the partings of our hair; our cauldrons boil.

Pure white are our parting camels that bear our supplies

With our wealth we heal the wounds our hands have left.

We roam with our wealth, the traces of our hands

لَو كانَ في الأَلفِ مِنّا واحدٌ فَدَعَوا

لَو كانَ في الأَلفِ مِنّا واحدٌ فَدَعَوا

مَن فارِسٌ خالَهُم إِيّاهُ يَعنونا

مَن فارِسٌ خالَهُم إِيّاهُ يَعنونا

Were there one of us among a thousand, and they called out,

If there were one among a thousand of us who called out

"Who is a horseman?" he would think they meant him.

"Who is the knight?" they would all respond "It is us!"

إِذا الكُماةُ تَنَحَّوا أَن يُصيبَهُمُ

إِذا الكُماةُ تَنَحَّوا أَن يُصيبَهُمُ

حَدُّ الظُّباةِ وَصَلناها بِأَيدينا

حَدُّ الظُّباةِ وَصَلناها بِأَيدينا

When armored warriors draw back lest they be struck

When archers turn aside, fearing to be hit

by the blades' edge, we meet those blades with our hands.

By the onslaught of lances, we face them with our hands

وَلا تَراهُم وَإِن جَلَّت مُصيبَتُهُم

وَلا تَراهُم وَإِن جَلَّت مُصيبَتُهُم

مَع البُكاةِ عَلى مَن ماتَ يَبكونا

مَع البُكاةِ عَلى مَن ماتَ يَبكونا

And you do not see them, however grievous their calamity,

You will not see them, even if their misfortune is great,

among the mourners, weeping over the dead.

Among the wailers, crying over the dead

وَيركَبُ الكُرهَ أَحياناً فَيَفرُجُهُ

وَيركَبُ الكُرهَ أَحياناً فَيَفرُجُهُ

عَنّا الحِفاظُ وَأَسيافٌ تُواتينا

عَنّا الحِفاظُ وَأَسيافٌ تُواتينا

And at times hardship is braved, then dispelled

Hardship rides us at times, yet relief

from us by zeal for honor and swords that aid us.

Comes to us from our protective companions and our raiding swords