قَوميmy people إِيادٌIyad لوif only أَنَهُمthat they أَمَمُnear
قَومي إِيادٌ لو أَنَهُم أَمَمُ
وَلوand if أَقامواthey remained فُتُجزَلُthen would be lavished النِعَمُblessings
وَلو أَقاموا فُتُجزَلُ النِعَمُ
My people are Iyad—if only they were near!
My people, the Iyad, if only they were a nation,
And had they remained, blessings would have been lavished.
And if only they would settle, blessings would be abundant.
قَومٌa people لَهُمbelonging to them ساحَةُthe expanse of العِراقِIraq إِذاwhen
قَومٌ لَهُم ساحَةُ العِراقِ إِذا
سَارواthey marched جَميعاًall together وَالقِطُّand the writ وَالقَلَمُand the pen
سَاروا جَميعاً وَالقِطُّ وَالقَلَمُ
A people who possess Iraq's expanse when
A people who, when united, command Iraq’s plain,
they march all together—and the writ and the pen are theirs.
Marching together, whether scribe or commoner.
وَيلُwoe! أُمِّthe mother of قَومِيَmy people قَوماًa people إِذاwhen قُحِطَwas withheld
وَيلُ أُمِّ قَومِيَ قَوماً إِذا قُحِطَ
القَطرُthe rain وَآضَتand it became كَأَنَّهاas though it were أَدَمُtanned hides
القَطرُ وَآضَت كَأَنَّها أَدَمُ
Woe to my people's mother—what a people, when there is no
Woe to a mother of my people, a people who, when food is scarce
rain, and the land turns like tanned hides,
And rain sparse, are as though bled white.
وَشَوَّذَتand it donned a turban شَمسُهُمtheir sun إِذاwhen طَلَعَتit rose
وَشَوَّذَت شَمسُهُم إِذا طَلَعَت
بِالجِلبِwith cloud هِفَّاًwispy كَأَنَّهُas though it were الكَتَمُthe katam dye-plant
بِالجِلبِ هِفَّاً كَأَنَّهُ الكَتَمُ
and their sun, when it rises, dons a turban
When their sun rises, shrouded in dust,
of wispy cloud, as though it were katam dye.
It sinks again as if snatched into darkness.
جَدّيmy forefather قَسيٌّQasiyy إِذاwhen اِنتَسَبتُI traced my lineage وَمَنصورٌand Mansur
جَدّي قَسيٌّ إِذا اِنتَسَبتُ وَمَنصورٌ
بِحَقّin truth وَيقدُمand Yaqdum القُدُمُthe bold
بِحَقّ وَيقدُم القُدُمُ
My forefather is Qasiyy, when I trace my lineage—and Mansur
My grandfather was stern when I claimed descent, and Mansur,
in truth, and Yaqdum the bold.
Rightfully, though late accepts my claim of kin.
آَباؤُناour forefathers دَمَّنواthey dwelt in تُهامةَTihamah فيin الدَهرِthe ages
آَباؤُنا دَمَّنوا تُهامةَ في الدَهرِ
وَسالتand it flowed بِجَيشِهِمwith their army إِضَمُIdam
وَسالت بِجَيشِهِم إِضَمُ
Our forefathers dwelt in Tihamah through the ages,
Our fathers bloodied Tihama through time
and Idam flowed with their army.
And their army’s march wet its sands.