عَينُ بَكّى بِالمُسبِلاتِ أَبا

عَينُ بَكّى بِالمُسبِلاتِ أَبا

الحارِثِ لا تَذخَري عَلى زَمَعَه

الحارِثِ لا تَذخَري عَلى زَمَعَه

O eye, weep with streaming tears for Abu

A tearful eye for Abu Al-Harith

al-Harith; withhold no tears for Zamʿah,

Do not be stingy for his supporters

وَعَقيلَ بنِ أَسودٍ

وَعَقيلَ بنِ أَسودٍ

البَأسِ ليومِ الهياجِ وَالدُفَعَه

البَأسِ ليومِ الهياجِ وَالدُفَعَه

and ʿAqil son of Aswad,

And Aqil ibn Aswad

mighty in battle, for the day of tumult and assault.

For the day of turmoil and defence

فَعَلى مِثلِ هُلكِهُمُ خَوتِ

فَعَلى مِثلِ هُلكِهُمُ خَوتِ

الجَوزاءُ لا خانَةٌ وَلا خَدَعَه

الجَوزاءُ لا خانَةٌ وَلا خَدَعَه

So for a loss like theirs, there set

So for their like, ambitions perish

Orion, with neither treachery nor deceit.

No betrayal or deceit for Al-Jawza

هُمُ الأُسرَةَ الوَسيطَةُ

هُمُ الأُسرَةَ الوَسيطَةُ

مِن كَعبٍ وَفيهِم كَذورَةُ القَمَعَه

مِن كَعبٍ وَفيهِم كَذورَةُ القَمَعَه

They are the noblest family

They are the moderate captives

of Kaʿb; among them are those like a hill's summit.

Of Kaab and among them buds destruction

أَنبَتوا مِن مَعاشرٍ شَعرَ

أَنبَتوا مِن مَعاشرٍ شَعرَ

الرَأسِ وَهُم أَلحَقوهُمُ المَنَعَه

الرَأسِ وَهُم أَلحَقوهُمُ المَنَعَه

They made clans grow the hair

They grew from a people whose hair

of their heads, and endowed them with protection.

Of the head whitened, and they made them taste prevention

فَبَنو عَمِّهمِ إِذا حَضَرَ

فَبَنو عَمِّهمِ إِذا حَضَرَ

البَأسُ عَلَيهِم أَكبادُهُم وَجِعَه

البَأسُ عَلَيهِم أَكبادُهُم وَجِعَه

So their cousins, when there comes

So their paternal cousins, when calamity descends

battle upon them, have aching livers.

Upon them, their livers ache

وَهُم المُطَمَعونَ إِذ أَقحطَ القَطرُ

وَهُم المُطَمَعونَ إِذ أَقحطَ القَطرُ

وَحالَت فَلا تَرى قَزَعَه

وَحالَت فَلا تَرى قَزَعَه

And they are the feeders [reading uncertain] when the rain fails,

And they are the hopeful ones when rain is scarce

and the sky becomes barren, so you see no wisp of cloud.

And conditions change, you see no discord