بَنِي الحفيظَة هَل للمجدِ من طلبٍ

بَنِي الحفيظَة هَل للمجدِ من طلبٍ

ليس الطّعان له من أنجح السّببِ

ليس الطّعان له من أنجح السّببِ

Sons of honor's zeal, is there any quest for glory

O Bani Al-Hufayzah, is there any desire for glory?

for which spear-fighting is not among the surest means?

The slanderer has no successful means.

هزّوا إلى الحمد عِطْفَيْ كلِّ سَلْهَبَةٍ

هزّوا إلى الحمد عِطْفَيْ كلِّ سَلْهَبَةٍ

تبُذُّ كلَّ سِراعِ الخيل بالخَبَبِ

تبُذُّ كلَّ سِراعِ الخيل بالخَبَبِ

Urge toward praise both flanks of every long-limbed mare

Rush to praise, the kindliness of every blaze,

that at a trot outstrips every swift horse.

That runs through every steed with delight.

أُحبُّ كلَّ قليلِ الرّيثِ في وطنٍ

أُحبُّ كلَّ قليلِ الرّيثِ في وطنٍ

مُقسّمَ الفِكرِ بينَ الكور والقَتَبِ

مُقسّمَ الفِكرِ بينَ الكور والقَتَبِ

I love every man who lingers little in his homeland,

I love everyone little given to composure in a homeland,

his thoughts divided between the camel-saddle and the pack-saddle.

Whose thoughts are divided between plains and lowlands,

إِمّا على صَهَواتِ الخيل موطِنُهُ

إِمّا على صَهَواتِ الخيل موطِنُهُ

أو دارُهُ في ظهور الأينُقِ النُّجُبِ

أو دارُهُ في ظهور الأينُقِ النُّجُبِ

Either his home is upon horses' backs,

Either in the ravines of steeds is his dwelling,

or his dwelling is on the backs of nobly bred she-camels.

Or his house is in the backs of elegant nobles.

إنّي وأصدقُ قولٍ ما نطقتُ بهِ

إنّي وأصدقُ قولٍ ما نطقتُ بهِ

أَرعى منَ الوِدّ ما أرعى من النّسَبِ

أَرعى منَ الوِدّ ما أرعى من النّسَبِ

Indeed—and the truest speech is what I have uttered—

Truly, and the truest word I have spoken,

I cherish friendship as I cherish kinship.

I tend to love more than I tend to lineage.

ما عاقَني الحلمُ عن باغٍ عَنِفْتُ بهِ

ما عاقَني الحلمُ عن باغٍ عَنِفْتُ بهِ

وَلا نَسيتُ الرّضا في موطن الغَضبِ

وَلا نَسيتُ الرّضا في موطن الغَضبِ

Forbearance never kept me from dealing sternly with an aggressor,

Wisdom did not prevent me from a garden I was violent in,

nor have I forgotten contentment in the midst of anger.

Nor did I forget contentment in the abode of anger.

وَلا خَلطتُ بِيَأسٍ عَن غنىً طمعاً

وَلا خَلطتُ بِيَأسٍ عَن غنىً طمعاً

وَلا مَزجتُ عُقارَ الجِدِّ باللّعِبِ

وَلا مَزجتُ عُقارَ الجِدِّ باللّعِبِ

Nor have I mingled greed with the detachment born of self-sufficiency,

Nor did I mix despair for wealth with greed,

nor blended the wine of earnestness with play.

Nor mix the bitterness of earnestness with play.

أَلستُ إنْ عُدّ هَذا الخَلقُ خيرَهُمُ

أَلستُ إنْ عُدّ هَذا الخَلقُ خيرَهُمُ

لَم يَبرحوا بين جَدٍّ لِي وبين أبِ

لَم يَبرحوا بين جَدٍّ لِي وبين أبِ

Am I not their best, if all these people are counted?

If these people were counted among the best of them,

Their finest have always been among my grandfathers and fathers.

They would not cease between my seriousness and jest.

ما للنجومِ الّتي بانَتْ تُطالِعنا

ما للنجومِ الّتي بانَتْ تُطالِعنا

مِن كُلّ عالٍ عَلا كلَّ الورى حَسبي

مِن كُلّ عالٍ عَلا كلَّ الورى حَسبي

Why do the stars that have appeared gaze upon us

The stars that appeared watching us

from every height? My ancestral honor has risen above all mankind.

From every lofty height above all creation are enough for me.

فَقُل لِمن ضلَّ مَغروراً يُفاخِرني

فَقُل لِمن ضلَّ مَغروراً يُفاخِرني

وَما له مثلُ عُجْمي لا ولا عَرَبي

وَما له مثلُ عُجْمي لا ولا عَرَبي

So tell whoever, deluded, has strayed into boasting against me,

So say to him who went astray proudly boasting to me,

and has none to match my non-Arab kin—no, nor my Arab kin:

And he has none like my Persian or Arabian lineage.

أَلَيسَ بيَن نبيٍّ مُرسَلٍ خُتِمَتْ

أَلَيسَ بيَن نبيٍّ مُرسَلٍ خُتِمَتْ

بهِ النبيّون أو صهرٍ له نسبي

بهِ النبيّون أو صهرٍ له نسبي

Is it not to a prophet sent forth, through whom were sealed

Is he not between a sent prophet with whom

the prophets, or to a son-in-law of his, that my lineage is traced?

Prophethood was sealed or a relative by marriage to him in lineage?

بَني المُخلَّف ما اِستَمْتُمْ مَراتِبنا

بَني المُخلَّف ما اِستَمْتُمْ مَراتِبنا

حَتّى صَفَحنا لكمْ عن تلكُم الرّتبِ

حَتّى صَفَحنا لكمْ عن تلكُم الرّتبِ

Sons of al-Mukhallaf, you did not bid for our stations

O Bani Al-Mukhallaf, you have not attained our ranks,

until we relinquished those ranks to you.

Until we forgave you for those ranks.

أَلِفْتُمُ الحلمَ منّا ثُمّ طابَ لَكُمْ

أَلِفْتُمُ الحلمَ منّا ثُمّ طابَ لَكُمْ

لَمّا اِشرَأبّت إِليكُم أنفُسُ الغضَبِ

لَمّا اِشرَأبّت إِليكُم أنفُسُ الغضَبِ

You grew accustomed to our forbearance; then it grew sweet to you

You have known forbearance from us, then it pleased you,

when the spirits of wrath craned their necks toward you.

When rage was inspired in yourselves.

لَولا دفاعِيَ عَنكمْ يومَ أمْطَرَكمْ

لَولا دفاعِيَ عَنكمْ يومَ أمْطَرَكمْ

نَوء السماكينَ أَشفيتمْ على العَطَبِ

نَوء السماكينَ أَشفيتمْ على العَطَبِ

Had I not defended you on the day you were drenched

Had I not defended you the day the storm poured upon you,

by the Two Simāks' storm, you would have been on the brink of ruin.

You would have perished in misery.

كَم عِندَكمْ وَبِأَيديكم لَنا سَلَبٌ

كَم عِندَكمْ وَبِأَيديكم لَنا سَلَبٌ

لَكِنّه لَو عَلِمتمْ ليس كالسَّلَبِ

لَكِنّه لَو عَلِمتمْ ليس كالسَّلَبِ

How much booty of ours is with you and in your hands!

How much with you and in your hands is our plunder,

Yet, if you knew, it is not like other booty.

But if you knew, it is not like plunder.

مَلأتُمونا عُقوقاً ثُمَّ نَحنُ لَكمْ

مَلأتُمونا عُقوقاً ثُمَّ نَحنُ لَكمْ

طولَ الزَّمانِ الوالدِ الحَدِبِ

طولَ الزَّمانِ الوالدِ الحَدِبِ

You have overwhelmed us with unfilial ingratitude, yet we remain for you

You have filled us with filial disobedience, yet we are to you

throughout all time the tender-hearted father.

Throughout time as the humpbacked father.

عَمَرْتُ ظاهركمْ جُهدي فَكَيف بما

عَمَرْتُ ظاهركمْ جُهدي فَكَيف بما

أَعيا عَليَّ لكُمْ من باطنٍ خَرِبِ

أَعيا عَليَّ لكُمْ من باطنٍ خَرِبِ

I restored your exterior as best I could; but what of

I have built your facade with my effort, so what of

your ruined interior, which proved beyond me?

What has wearied me for you from a ruined essence?

وَكَمْ رَضيتُ ولكنْ زدتُكمْ سَخَطاً

وَكَمْ رَضيتُ ولكنْ زدتُكمْ سَخَطاً

وَلَيسَ بعدَ الرّضا شيءٌ سوى الغَضَبِ

وَلَيسَ بعدَ الرّضا شيءٌ سوى الغَضَبِ

And how often I was content, yet made you more resentful!

And how much did I accept, but I increased your discontent,

And after contentment there is nothing but anger.

And after acceptance, there is nothing but anger.

وَما تأمَّلتُ ما بَيني وبينَكُمُ

وَما تأمَّلتُ ما بَيني وبينَكُمُ

إِلّا رَجعتُ كظيظَ الصّدر بالعجبِ

إِلّا رَجعتُ كظيظَ الصّدر بالعجبِ

And never have I reflected on what lies between me and you

I have not considered what is between me and you

without coming away with my breast choked with astonishment.

Except I returned, my chest tight with wonder.