أَبى قَلبُهُ إِلّا عُميرَةَ إِن دَنَت

أَبى قَلبُهُ إِلّا عُميرَةَ إِن دَنَت

وَإِن حَضَرَت دارَ العِدا فَهوَ حاضِرُ

وَإِن حَضَرَت دارَ العِدا فَهوَ حاضِرُ

His heart would have none but ʿUmayrah, if she drew near;

His heart refused any but Umayrah though she drew near,

And if she visited the enemies’ abode, he would be there.

And if the abode of enmity was present, he too was present,

شَموسٌ حَصانُ السِرِّ رَيّا كَأَنَّها

شَموسٌ حَصانُ السِرِّ رَيّا كَأَنَّها

مُرَبَّبَةٌ مِمّا تَضَمَّنَ حائِرُ

مُرَبَّبَةٌ مِمّا تَضَمَّنَ حائِرُ

Unapproachable, chaste at heart, full-figured, as though she were

Suns, the steed of mystery, smoothly as though

a tenderly nurtured one among those a walled garden holds.

They were pearls from that which a perplexed man contains,

أَنا الغَطَفاني زَينُ ذُبيانَ فَاِبعُدوا

أَنا الغَطَفاني زَينُ ذُبيانَ فَاِبعُدوا

فَلِلزَنجُ أَدنى مِنكُمُ وَيُحابِرُ

فَلِلزَنجُ أَدنى مِنكُمُ وَيُحابِرُ

I am the Ghaṭafānī, the pride of Dhubyān—so keep away!

I am Al-Ghatfani, the adornment of the gazelles, so keep your distance,

For the Zanj are nearer to me than you, and Yuḥābir too.

For the black man is closer to you and more uncouth,

أَبَت لِيَ عَبسٌ أَن أُسامَ دَنِيَّةً

أَبَت لِيَ عَبسٌ أَن أُسامَ دَنِيَّةً

وَسَعدٌ وَذُبيانُ الهِجانُ وَعامِرُ

وَسَعدٌ وَذُبيانُ الهِجانُ وَعامِرُ

ʿAbs refused to let me suffer indignity,

Abs refused that I make peace with the base natured,

as did Saʿd, pure-blooded Dhubyān, and ʿĀmir,

As did Sa'd, the gazelles of Dhubyan, the valiant, and the noble,

وَحَيٌّ كِرامٌ سادَةٌ مِن هَوازِنٍ

وَحَيٌّ كِرامٌ سادَةٌ مِن هَوازِنٍ

لَهُم في المُلِمّات الأُنوفُ الفَواخِرُ

لَهُم في المُلِمّات الأُنوفُ الفَواخِرُ

and a clan of noble lords from Hawāzin;

And Hayy, generous souls, chieftains of Hawazin,

theirs are proud noses in times of calamity.

For them in disasters are the lofty, glorious noses.