قَومي ثَقِيفُ إِن سَأَلتَ وَأُسرَتي

قَومي ثَقِيفُ إِن سَأَلتَ وَأُسرَتي

وَبِهم أُدافِعُ رُكنَ مَن عاداني

وَبِهم أُدافِعُ رُكنَ مَن عاداني

My people are Thaqif, should you ask—and they are my clan;

My people are Thaqif, if you ask, and so is my clan.

with them I fend off the might of whoever opposes me.

And with them I fend off the might of whoever opposes me.

لا يَنكِتونَ الأَرضَ عِندَ سُؤالِهِم

لا يَنكِتونَ الأَرضَ عِندَ سُؤالِهِم

لِتَطلُبَ العِلاّتَ بِالعيدانِ

لِتَطلُبَ العِلاّتَ بِالعيدانِ

They do not scratch the ground when they are asked,

They do not poke the ground when asked for help,

seeking excuses with their sticks.

To seek excuses with sticks.

بَل يَبسُطونَ وجوهَهَم فَتَرى لَها

بَل يَبسُطونَ وجوهَهَم فَتَرى لَها

عِندَ السُؤالِ كَأَحسَنِ الأَلوانِ

عِندَ السُؤالِ كَأَحسَنِ الأَلوانِ

Rather, they brighten their faces, and there you see,

Rather, they brighten their faces, and you see upon them,

when they are asked, the loveliest of hues.

When asked, hues like the loveliest of colors.

قَومٌ إِذا نَزَلَ المُقِلُّ بِأَرضِهِم

قَومٌ إِذا نَزَلَ المُقِلُّ بِأَرضِهِم

رَدّوه رَبَّ صَواهِلٍ وَقيانِ

رَدّوه رَبَّ صَواهِلٍ وَقيانِ

My people—when a destitute man alights in their land—

A people who, when a poor man lodges in their land,

send him home lord of neighing steeds and singing-girls.

Send him back master of neighing horses and singing slave girls.

وَإِذا دَعَوتَهُم لِكُلِّ مُلِمَّةٍ

وَإِذا دَعَوتَهُم لِكُلِّ مُلِمَّةٍ

ظَسدّوا شُعاعَ الشَمسِ بِالفُرسانِ

ظَسدّوا شُعاعَ الشَمسِ بِالفُرسانِ

And when I summon them to face any calamity,

And when you summon them for any calamity,

they blot out the sunlight with their horsemen.

They block out the sun’s rays with their horsemen.