يسعى أناسُ لكيما يُدركوك ولو

يسعى أناسُ لكيما يُدركوك ولو

خاضوا بحارَك أو ضحضاحها غرقوا

خاضوا بحارَك أو ضحضاحها غرقوا

People strive to match you; yet should they

People strive so they may reach you even if

Wade into your seas—or even their shallows—they would drown.

They crossed your seas or drowned in its tumult

وأنت في الحربِ لا رثُّ القُوى بَرِمٌ

وأنت في الحربِ لا رثُّ القُوى بَرِمٌ

عند اللقاءِ ولا رعديدةٌ فرِق

عند اللقاءِ ولا رعديدةٌ فرِق

And in war you are neither feeble in strength nor fretful

Yet in war, you are no easy prey but

At the encounter, nor a trembling coward.

A formidable encounter at the time of clash

كلُّ الخلال التي يسعى الكرامُ لها

كلُّ الخلال التي يسعى الكرامُ لها

إن يمدحوك بها يوماً فقد صَدقوا

إن يمدحوك بها يوماً فقد صَدقوا

All the virtues for which the noble strive—

All the virtues that the honored seek

If ever they praise you for them, they have spoken truly.

If they praise you one day, they have spoken true

سادَ العراقَ فحالُ الناسِ صالحةٌ

سادَ العراقَ فحالُ الناسِ صالحةٌ

وسادَهم وزمانُ الناس مُنخرِق

وسادَهم وزمانُ الناس مُنخرِق

He ruled Iraq, and the people's condition was sound;

You ruled Iraq, so people's state was mended

And he ruled them when their times were in tatters.

And you ruled them when times were dire and bleak

لا خارجيُّ ولا مستحدث شرفاً

لا خارجيُّ ولا مستحدث شرفاً

بل مجد آل شهابٍ كان مُذ خُلِقوا

بل مجد آل شهابٍ كان مُذ خُلِقوا

No upstart, nor one newly come to honor;

No foreigner and no parvenu in repute

Rather, the glory of Shihab's house has existed since they were created.

But the glory of Shahabs since first conceived