أَلا أَبلَغَ أَبا الجَرباءَ عَنّي

أَلا أَبلَغَ أَبا الجَرباءَ عَنّي

بِآياتِ التَباغُضِ وَالتَقالي

بِآياتِ التَباغُضِ وَالتَقالي

Hear this: convey to Abu al-Jarba on my behalf

Should I not convey to Abul Jarba

tokens of mutual hatred and loathing.

Signs of hatred and estrangement

فَلا تَذكُر أَباكَ العَبدَ وَاِفخَر

فَلا تَذكُر أَباكَ العَبدَ وَاِفخَر

بِأُمٍّ لَستَ مُكرِمَها وَخالِ

بِأُمٍّ لَستَ مُكرِمَها وَخالِ

So do not mention your father, the slave; boast instead

So mention not your father the slave, and boast

of a mother you do not honor, and a maternal uncle.

Of a mother you do not honor and are rude to

وَهَبها مُهرَةً لَقَحتَ بِبَغلٍ

وَهَبها مُهرَةً لَقَحتَ بِبَغلٍ

فَكانَ جَنينُها شَرُّ البِغالِ

فَكانَ جَنينُها شَرُّ البِغالِ

And suppose her a filly you bred to a mule,

You married her with the dowry of a mule

so the foal she carried was the worst of mules.

Thus her womb begot the worst of mules

إِذا طارَت نُفوسُهُم شَعاعاً

إِذا طارَت نُفوسُهُم شَعاعاً

حَمَينَ المُحصَناتِ لَدى الحِجالِ

حَمَينَ المُحصَناتِ لَدى الحِجالِ

When their souls flew off in all directions,

When their souls soar like flames

they shielded the chaste women beside the curtained chambers,

They protect the inviolable women with shields

بِطَعنٍ تَعثُرُ الأَبطالُ مِنهُ

بِطَعنٍ تَعثُرُ الأَبطالُ مِنهُ

وَضَربٍ حَيثُ تُقتَنَصُ العَوالي

وَضَربٍ حَيثُ تُقتَنَصُ العَوالي

with spear-thrusts that made champions stumble,

With a stab that makes the warriors stumble

and blows where the tall spears were seized.

And a blow where the heights are conquered

أَبى لي أَن أَبائي كِرامٌ

أَبى لي أَن أَبائي كِرامٌ

بَنَوا لي فَوقَ أَشرافٍ طِوالِ

بَنَوا لي فَوقَ أَشرافٍ طِوالِ

My forefathers' nobility will not let me stoop;

My fathers refused that I should dishonor them

they built for me upon tall heights

They built me above the highest summits

بُيوتَ المَجدِ ثُمَّ نَموتُ مِنها

بُيوتَ المَجدِ ثُمَّ نَموتُ مِنها

إِلى عَلياءَ مُشرِفَةِ القَذالِ

إِلى عَلياءَ مُشرِفَةِ القَذالِ

houses of glory; then I rose from them

The houses of glory, and we die from them

to a lofty height with a towering crest.

To the lofty and steep precipices

تَزِلُّ حِجارَةُ الرامينَ عَنها

تَزِلُّ حِجارَةُ الرامينَ عَنها

وَتَقصُرُ دونَها نَبلُ النِصالِ

وَتَقصُرُ دونَها نَبلُ النِصالِ

The throwers' stones slide off it,

The stones of archers slip off them

and pointed arrows fall short of it.

And the arrows fall short of reaching them

أَبا لَحفانِ شَرَّ الناسِ حَيّاً

أَبا لَحفانِ شَرَّ الناسِ حَيّاً

وَأَعناقِ بَني قِتالِ

وَأَعناقِ بَني قِتالِ

O Abu Lahfan, worst of men alive,

Abul Lahfan is the worst of people alive

and of the necks of the sons of Qital,

And the necks of the warriors of Qital

رَفَعَت مُسامِياً لِتَنالَ مَجداً

رَفَعَت مُسامِياً لِتَنالَ مَجداً

فَقَد أَصبَحتَ مِنهُم في سَفالِ

فَقَد أَصبَحتَ مِنهُم في سَفالِ

you raised yourself, vying to attain glory,

They raised clubs to gain glory

yet you have ended up low among them.

Thus you became among them in the lowest