تَأَنَّ وَلا تَعجَل عَلَينا اِبنَ مَعمَرٍ

تَأَنَّ وَلا تَعجَل عَلَينا اِبنَ مَعمَرٍ

فَلَستَ وَإِن أَكثَرتَ مِثلَ المُهَلَّبِ

فَلَستَ وَإِن أَكثَرتَ مِثلَ المُهَلَّبِ

Be deliberate; do not rush against us, son of Maʿmar,

Be patient, do not hurry against us, son of Ma`mar

For you are not al-Muhallab's equal, however much you talk.

For you are not, even if you increase, like the confused one

وَلا لَكَ في الحَربِ المُلِحَّةِ خُطَّةٌ

وَلا لَكَ في الحَربِ المُلِحَّةِ خُطَّةٌ

وَلا لَكَ مَن يُفديكَ بِالأُمِّ وَالأَبِ

وَلا لَكَ مَن يُفديكَ بِالأُمِّ وَالأَبِ

Nor have you a plan in relentless war,

And you have no war tactic in fierce war

Nor anyone to offer mother and father as ransom for you,

Nor do you have anyone who can save you with a mother or father

كَما كانَت الأَحياءُ طُرّاً تَقولُهُ

كَما كانَت الأَحياءُ طُرّاً تَقولُهُ

لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ مُستَحيلٍ عَصَبصَبِ

لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ مُستَحيلٍ عَصَبصَبِ

As the tribes, all of them, used to say it

As the living used to chirp to him

To him on every turbulent, grueling day.

Every impossible day he faces adversity

فَلَو غَيرَنا يَلقى لَقالَ لَنا اِذهَبوا

فَلَو غَيرَنا يَلقى لَقالَ لَنا اِذهَبوا

وَلَو غَيرَهُ نَلقى لَقُلنا لَهُ اِذهَبِ

وَلَو غَيرَهُ نَلقى لَقُلنا لَهُ اِذهَبِ

For if he faced anyone but us, he would tell us, 'Go!'

So if it were other than us who meet, he would say to us, “Go!”

And if we faced anyone but him, we would tell him, 'Go!'

And if it were other than him we meet, we would say to him, “Go!”

وَلكِن مُنينا بِالحَفيظَةِ كُلُّنا

وَلكِن مُنينا بِالحَفيظَةِ كُلُّنا

جِلاداً وَطَعناً بِالوَشيجِ المُعَلَّبِ

جِلاداً وَطَعناً بِالوَشيجِ المُعَلَّبِ

But we were all afflicted with fierce zeal,

But we have all been afflicted with chronic misfortune

In sword-fighting and thrusting with sinew-bound spears.

Lashing and stabbing with a worn out, broken spear

كَذلِكَ كُنّا كُلُّنا يا اِبنَ مَعمَرٍ

كَذلِكَ كُنّا كُلُّنا يا اِبنَ مَعمَرٍ

وَأَنتَ كَبَيتِ العَنكَبوتِ المُذَبذَبِ

وَأَنتَ كَبَيتِ العَنكَبوتِ المُذَبذَبِ

Such were we all, O son of Maʿmar,

That is how we all were, O son of Ma`mar

And you are like the spider's trembling web.

While you are like a spider's fragile web

فَإِن رَمُتَها مِنّا وَلَستَ بَفاعِلٍ

فَإِن رَمُتَها مِنّا وَلَستَ بَفاعِلٍ

رَكِبتَ بِها مِن حَربِنا شَرَّ مَركَبِ

رَكِبتَ بِها مِن حَربِنا شَرَّ مَركَبِ

So if you seek it from us—though you will not do so—

So if you throw it at us, and you will not do it

You will thereby take the worst of rides in war with us.

You will embark with it the worst of our battles

فَلَسنا بِأَنكاسٍ قِصارٍ رِماحُنا

فَلَسنا بِأَنكاسٍ قِصارٍ رِماحُنا

وَلا نَحنُ نَخشى وَثبَةَ المُتَوَثِّبِ

وَلا نَحنُ نَخشى وَثبَةَ المُتَوَثِّبِ

For we are no weaklings with short spears,

For our spears are not short or blunt

Nor do we fear the pounce of one poised to spring.

Nor are we afraid of the attack of the attacker

وَلَسنا نَقولُ الدَهرَ عِصمَةُ أَمرِنا

وَلَسنا نَقولُ الدَهرَ عِصمَةُ أَمرِنا

عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ كانَ طاعَةُ مُصعَبِ

عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ كانَ طاعَةُ مُصعَبِ

Nor do we ever say, 'The safeguard of our cause,

And we do not say time is the protection of our matter

Whatever the circumstances may be, is obedience to Muṣʿab.'

In every situation, it was the obedience of Mu`sab

وَلكِن نَقولُ الحُكمُ لِلَّهِ وَحدَهُ

وَلكِن نَقولُ الحُكمُ لِلَّهِ وَحدَهُ

وَبِاللَهِ نَرضى وَالنَبِيِّ المُقَرَّبِ

وَبِاللَهِ نَرضى وَالنَبِيِّ المُقَرَّبِ

But we say, 'Judgment belongs to God alone.'

Rather we say, judgment is for God alone

And we are content with God and the favored Prophet.

And in God we are content and the blessed Prophet