حَلفتُ بمعشرٍ عَسَفوا المطايا

حَلفتُ بمعشرٍ عَسَفوا المطايا

يريدون البنيّةَ من تِهامَهْ

يريدون البنيّةَ من تِهامَهْ

I swore by a company who drove their mounts hard,

I swore by a people who knew horses

Seeking the sacred House in Tihāmah;

They want the she-camel from her stumbling

وكلِّ مُعَرَّقٍ كالنِّسْعِ ضُمْراً

وكلِّ مُعَرَّقٍ كالنِّسْعِ ضُمْراً

له رَتَكٌ ولا رَتَكُ النّعامَهْ

له رَتَكٌ ولا رَتَكُ النّعامَهْ

And by each gaunt mount, slender as a girth-strap,

And every sweaty one, like a claw wound

Whose swift trot surpasses even the ostrich's.

He has a shoe, but not the ostrich

أتوا جَمْعاً وقد وقفوا جميعاً

أتوا جَمْعاً وقد وقفوا جميعاً

على عَرَفات يا سُقِيَتْ مُقامَهْ

على عَرَفات يا سُقِيَتْ مُقامَهْ

They came to Jamʿ, having all stood

They came together and all stood

At ʿArafāt—oh, may that halting-place be watered!

At Arafat, O quencher of its place

عِراصٌ مَن يزرْ منهنّ شِعباً

عِراصٌ مَن يزرْ منهنّ شِعباً

فقد أمِنَ الملامةَ والنّدامَهْ

فقد أمِنَ الملامةَ والنّدامَهْ

Grounds where whoever visits one of their ravines

A marriageable girl, he who visits her a misfortune

Is safe from blame and regret;

Has avoided blame and regret

وما هَرَقوه عند مِنىً يُبارِي

وما هَرَقوه عند مِنىً يُبارِي

بجَرْيَتِهِ بها ماءَ الغمامَهْ

بجَرْيَتِهِ بها ماءَ الغمامَهْ

And by what they shed at Minā, which rivals

That which they pelted at Mina competes

In its flow there the water of the raincloud;

In its flowing there with the water of the clouds

وأحجار قُذفن تُقىً وبِرّاً

وأحجار قُذفن تُقىً وبِرّاً

كما قُذفتْ بإصبعها القُلامَهْ

كما قُذفتْ بإصبعها القُلامَهْ

And by stones cast in piety and righteousness,

And stones cast for purity and righteousness

As a nail clipping is flicked from its finger;

As pebbles were cast by her finger

وأقدامٌ يُطفْن على أشمٍّ

وأقدامٌ يُطفْن على أشمٍّ

يُطِلْن وقد علقن به اِستلامَهْ

يُطِلْن وقد علقن به اِستلامَهْ

And by feet circling a lofty height,

And feet that trample on "ashes"

Prolonging their reverent touch of it, having clung to it:

Prolonging while she attached to it her turban

لقد فَضَل القبائلَ آلُ موسى

لقد فَضَل القبائلَ آلُ موسى

كما فضلتْ على العَطَبِ السَّلامَهْ

كما فضلتْ على العَطَبِ السَّلامَهْ

The house of Mūsā has indeed surpassed the tribes,

The clan of Moses excelled tribes

Just as safety surpasses ruin.

As the quail excelled the bustard

هُمُ دعموا قِبابَ المجد فينا

هُمُ دعموا قِبابَ المجد فينا

ولولاهمْ لكان بلا دِعامَهْ

ولولاهمْ لكان بلا دِعامَهْ

They supported the domes of glory among us,

They supported the pillars of glory among us

And without them, it would have no supporting pillar.

And were it not for them, it would be without a pillar

وهمْ دأَبوا إلى طُرُقِ المعالي

وهمْ دأَبوا إلى طُرُقِ المعالي

وما حَفِلوا بشيءٍ من سَآمَهْ

وما حَفِلوا بشيءٍ من سَآمَهْ

And they toiled toward the paths of high distinction,

And they persisted upon the paths of loftiness

And paid no heed to any weariness.

And did not care for anything of weariness

وما أيمانُهمْ إلّا لبيضٍ

وما أيمانُهمْ إلّا لبيضٍ

يبلّغْنَ الفتى أبداً مَرامَهْ

يبلّغْنَ الفتى أبداً مَرامَهْ

And their right hands are for gleaming swords alone,

Their oaths are only to the righteous

That always bring the young man to his goal;

To reach the young man forever his purpose

وسُمرٍ مثل أرْشِيَةٍ طوالٍ

وسُمرٍ مثل أرْشِيَةٍ طوالٍ

يَقُدْن إلى الكَمِيِّ بها حمامَهْ

يَقُدْن إلى الكَمِيِّ بها حمامَهْ

And for tawny spears like long well-ropes,

And bay horses like high platforms

Through which they bring the armored warrior his death.

That lead to the perfect one her pigeons

وما أموالُهمْ إلّا لجودٍ

وما أموالُهمْ إلّا لجودٍ

وإلّا للحَمالةٍ والغرامَهْ

وإلّا للحَمالةٍ والغرامَهْ

And their wealth is only for generosity,

And their money is only for generosity

And only for debts borne for others and indemnities.

Or for the carriers and love

وفيهمْ عرّست وبهمْ أقامتْ

وفيهمْ عرّست وبهمْ أقامتْ

شريداتُ الشّجاعةِ والصّرامَهْ

شريداتُ الشّجاعةِ والصّرامَهْ

And among them encamped, and with them settled,

And through them have been wed

The wanderers of courage and resolve.

The unsettled of courage and firmness

وعَرْفُهُمُ يضوع على البرايا

وعَرْفُهُمُ يضوع على البرايا

كما طابتْ لناشِقها المُدامَهْ

كما طابتْ لناشِقها المُدامَهْ

And their fragrance wafts over all creation,

And their honor smells throughout the land

Just as wine delights the one who inhales its scent.

As her wine smelled good to its drinker

ولولا أنّهمْ فينا لكانتْ

ولولا أنّهمْ فينا لكانتْ

رباعُ العزِّ ليس بها إقامَهْ

رباعُ العزِّ ليس بها إقامَهْ

And were they not among us, there would be

And were it not for them being among us

No residence in the dwellings of honor.

The lands of glory would have no settlement