1. أَبَت لَكَ العِزَّةُ القَعساءُ وَالكَرَمُ

    أَن تَقبَلَ الضَيمَ أَو تَرضى بِما يَصِمُ

    Unyielding glory, lofty pride, and generosity refused for you

    that you should accept oppression or consent to anything disgraceful.

  2. وَطالَبَتكَ العُلى إِنجازَ ما وَعَدَت

    فِيكَ المَخائِلُ طِفلاً قَبلَ تَحتَلِمُ

    High aspiration demanded that you fulfill what it had promised—

    its auspicious signs appeared in you as a child, before you came of age.

  3. وَأَقبَلَت نَحوَكَ الأَيّامُ مُذعِنَةً

    طَوعاً لِأَمرِكَ وَاِنقادَت لَكَ الأُمَمُ

    And the days turned their faces toward you, submissive,

    obedient to your command, while the nations submitted to you.

  4. فَاِنهَض وَسِر وَاِفتَحِ الدنيا فَقَد ضَمِنَت

    لَكَ المَهابَةُ ما تَهوى وَتَحتَكِمُ

    Rise, march on, and conquer the world—for it has guaranteed

    you awe and majesty, whatever you desire and decree.

  5. فَالبِيضُ ماضِيَةٌ وَالسُمرُ قاضِيَةٌ

    وَالخَيلُ خاضِبَةٌ أَطرافها زَلَمُ

    White blades strike keenly, and brown spears decide the fray,

    while horses dye their arrow-slender limbs in blood—

  6. خَيلٌ مَتى صَبَّحتَ حَيّاً بِيَومِ وَغىً

    فَما لِمُستَعصِمٍ مِن بَأسِها عِصَمُ

    steeds that, whenever they assail a tribe at dawn on a day of battle,

    leave no refuge to anyone seeking shelter from their might.

  7. قَد عُوِّدَت كُلَّ يَومٍ خَوضَ مَعرَكَةٍ

    ضيوفُ أَبطالِها العِقبانُ وَالرَخَمُ

    They have grown accustomed, every day, to plunging into battle,

    where eagles and vultures are the guests of their champions.

  8. وَوَسَّمَتها العَوالي في مَناخِرِها

    طَعناً كَما وَسَّمَت آنافَها الحَكَمُ

    Tall spears have branded them upon their nostrils

    with thrusts, just as bridles have branded their noses.

  9. يَحمي فَوارِسَها يَومَ الوَغى مَلِكٌ

    حامي الذِمارِ لَهُ في الغايَةِ القدَمُ

    On the day of battle, their horsemen are guarded by a king,

    a defender of honor who holds the foremost rank at the utmost goal:

  10. رَحبُ الذِراعِ إِذا ما هَمَّ أَنجَدَهُ

    عَزمٌ بِهِ جَوهَرُ العَلياءِ مَنتَظِمُ

    vast in reach—when he resolves, courage comes to his aid—

    a man in whom the very essence of glory is bound to resolve.

  11. كَأَنَّهُ مِن تَمامِ الخَلقِ جاءَ بِهِ

    عادٌ أَبُو السَلَفِ الماضِينَ أَو إِرَمُ

    As though, in the perfection of his form, he had been fashioned by

    ‘Ād, forefather of the bygone ancestors, or by Iram.

  12. عَفُّ السَريرَةِ حَمّالُ الجَريرَةِ وَل

    لاجُ الظَهيرَةِ وَالمَعزاءُ تَضطَرِمُ

    Pure-hearted, a bearer of grave burdens, one who plunges—

    through the noonday heat while the stony desert blazes.

  13. أَرسى قَواعِدَ مُلكٍ كانَ أَسَّسَها

    قِدماً أَبُوهُ وَبَحرُ المَوتِ يَلتَطِمُ

    He firmly laid the foundations of a realm that

    his father had founded long ago, while the sea of death surged—

  14. مِن قَبلِ أَن قِيلَ رَثَّ المَجدُ وَاِنفَصَمَت

    عُرى المَعالي وَماتَ العَهدُ وَالذِّمَمُ

    before “Lord of Glory” was ever said of him, and before there snapped

    the bonds of lofty endeavor, and covenants and solemn pledges died.

  15. وَقالَ قَومٌ تَوَلّى المُلكَ مُنصَرِفاً

    عَن آلِ فَضلٍ لَقَد ضَلّوا وَقَد وَهِمُوا

    Some people said, “Sovereignty has turned away, departing

    from the House of Fadl”—surely they strayed and were deluded.

  16. وما دَرَوا أَنَّ فَضلَ الجُودِ يُكذِبُهُم

    عَمّا قَليلٍ بِما في زَعمِهِم زَعَمُوا

    They did not know that the excellence of his generosity would refute them

    before long concerning the claim they had asserted.

  17. وَيَجلِبُ الخَيلَ كَالعِقبانِ يَقدُمُها

    عَلَيهِمُ القُورُ وَالغِيطانُ وَالأَكَمُ

    He brings forth the horses like eagles, leading them onward

    over tablelands, hollows, and hillocks—

  18. سَواهِماً لَم تَزَل تَدمى شَكائِمُها

    مِمّا تَصَلصَلُ في أَشدَاقِها اللُجُمُ

    gaunt steeds whose bits have never ceased to draw blood,

    while bridles clatter within their jaws.

  19. يا آلَ فَضلٍ أَماتَ اللَهُ حاسِدَكُم

    غَيظاً ثِبُوا في ذُرى العَلياءِ وَاِعتَزِمُوا

    O House of Fadl, may God strike your envier dead

    in rage and utter ruin! Hold fast to glory’s heights.

  20. فَفيكُمُ البَيتُ مِن عَدنانَ تَعرِفُهُ

    إِذا اِلتَقت لِلفخارِ العربُ والعَجَمُ

    For among you is the noble House descended from ‘Adnān, recognized

    whenever Arabs and non-Arabs gather to boast of lineage.

  21. بَيتٌ سَما فَرعُهُ فَوقَ السَما وَرَسى

    في التُربِ حَتّى اِنتَأَت عَن أَصلِهِ التُخُمُ

    A house whose branch rose above the heavens, while its roots sank

    into the earth until the frontiers lay far from its base.

  22. بَناهُ صادِقُ بَأسٍ في الوَغى وَنَدىً

    غَمرٌ فَلَيسَ عَلى الأَيّامِ يَنهَدِمُ

    Proven valor in battle and generosity built it—

    generosity so abundant that time can never make it fall.

  23. عِمادُهُ الفَضلُ وَاِبناهُ وَمَركَزُهُ

    مُحمَّدٌ خَيرُ مَن نِيطَت بِهِ الأُدُمُ

    Its pillar is al-Fadl and his two sons, and its center is—

    Muhammad, the best man ever clad in leather—

  24. جَرّارُ كُلِّ كَثيفِ النَقعِ ذِي لَجَبٍ

    كَأَنَّما السُمرُ في حافاتِهِ أَجَمُ

    commander of every dense, dust-darkened, clamorous host,

    as though the brown spears along its flanks were wooded thickets.

  25. تَساقَطَ الطَيرُ رَزحى في جَوانِبِهِ

    وَالوَحشُ تَخطِفُها الأَيدي فَلا تَرِمُ

    Birds drop, weighed down, around the host’s flanks,

    and hands snatch up the wild beasts, leaving them no escape.

  26. خابَت ظُنون رِجالٍ بايَعُوا وَسَعوا

    في قَتلِهِ وَهَفَت أَحلامُهُم وَعَمُوا

    Disappointed were the hopes of men who had sworn allegiance to him and strove

    to kill him; their minds went astray, and they became blind.

  27. بِئسَ الأَمانِيُّ مَنَّتهُم نُفُوسُهُمُ

    جَهلاً وَيا قُربَ ما فاجاهُمُ النَدَمُ

    Evil indeed were the hopes with which their own souls enticed them

    in ignorance—and how swiftly regret surprised them!

  28. مُنُوا بِأَروع تَتلُوهُ خَضارِمَةٌ

    أَماجِدٌ مارَسُوا الهَيجا وَما اِحتَلَمُوا

    They were matched against a splendid hero followed by veteran warriors,

    noble men who practiced fierce battle before they came of age—

  29. مُستَرعِفٍ بِلِواءِ النَصرِ يَحمِلُهُ

    نَهدُ المَراكِلِ مَمسُودُ القَرى زَهِمُ

    pressing onward with victory’s banner, borne

    by a steed full in the flanks, sinewy in the back, and stout,

  30. مِمّا حَباهُ أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ بِهِ

    لما أَتَتهُ بِهِ الوَخّادَةُ الرَسَمُ

    one of the gifts the Commander of the Faithful bestowed upon him

    when swift-trotting, travel-worn camels came to him bearing it.

  31. مُستَعصِماً وَاثِقاً بِالنَصرِ مِنهُ وَهَل

    يَخيبُ مَن بِالإِمامِ البَرِّ يَعتَصِمُ

    He came seeking refuge, confident that victory would come from him—for could

    one who seeks refuge in the righteous Imam ever be disappointed?

  32. أَجابَهُ حينَ ناداهُ وَقَرَّبَهُ

    أَشَمُّ في راحَتَيهِ لِلنَدى دِيَمُ

    He answered him when he called and drew him near—

    a lofty lord whose two palms are lasting rain clouds of bounty,

  33. أَغَرُّ أَبلَجُ مِن آلِ النَبِيِّ بِهِ

    يُستَدفَعُ البُؤسُ وَالضَرّاءُ وَالنِّقَمُ

    radiant and bright-browed, of the Prophet’s house; through him

    misery, adversity, and affliction are warded off.

  34. فَلَو يَشاءُ لَزَجّاها مُلَملَمَةً

    لا مَعقلٌ عاصِمٌ مِنها وَلا أُطُمُ

    Had he wished, he could have sent forth a compact host

    from which neither protecting fortress nor stronghold could save—

  35. تَحوي مِنَ التُركِ وَالأَعرابِ كُلَّ فَتىً

    كَأَنَّهُ أَجدَلٌ مُستَلحِمٌ قَطِمُ

    containing among Turks and Bedouins every young warrior

    like a hawk ravenous for flesh, fierce and voracious.

  36. لَكِنَّهُ اِختارَ إِبقاءً وَعارِفَةً

    وَهَكَذا تَفعَلُ الأَخلاقُ وَالشِيَمُ

    But he chose clemency and beneficence;

    thus do noble natures and virtues act.

  37. فَنالَ ما كانَ يَرجُوهُ وَأَيَّدَهُ

    بِالنَصرِ عَدلٌ قَضاهُ لَيسَ يُتَّهَمُ

    So he attained what he had hoped for, and He strengthened him—

    with victory: the Just One decreed it, beyond suspicion.

  38. فَاِسلم وَعِش لِلعُلا ما ناحَ ذُو شَجَنٍ

    وَما تَعاقَبَتِ الأَنوارُ وَالظُلَمُ

    Live safe, and live for glory as long as one stricken by sorrow laments,

    and as long as light and darkness alternate.

  39. وَليَهنك المُلكُ يا تاجَ المُلوكِ وَلا

    زالَت تُباكِرُك السَرّاءُ وَالنِعَمُ

    May kingship delight you, O crown of kings, and may

    prosperity and blessings never cease to greet you each morning.

  40. فَأَنتَ حِصنٌ لَنا عالٍ نَلُوذُ بِهِ

    إِن عَضَّنا الدَهرُ أَو زَلَّت بِنا القَدَمُ

    For you are a lofty fortress in which we seek refuge

    when time bites us or our footing slips.

  41. وَهَذِهِ دَولَةٌ لَولا الرَجاءُ لَها

    لَما اِنجَلَت كُربَةٌ عَنّا وَلا غُمَمُ

    And this is a dynasty: were it not for the hope placed in it,

    no distress or gloom would ever have lifted from us.

  42. عِشنا بآمالِها دَهراً وَبَلَّغَنا

    إِدراكَها وَاحِدٌ فَردٌ لَهُ القِدَمُ

    We lived upon its hopes for an age, and attained

    their fulfillment through the One, the Peerless, whose primacy is eternal.

  43. فَالحَمدُ وَالشُكرُ مِنّا وَاجِبانِ لَهُ

    لا يَنفَدانِ جَميعاً ما جَرى القَلَمُ

    Praise and gratitude from us are therefore both His due,

    and neither shall be exhausted so long as the Pen runs.