يُعَلِّمُنا المُهَلَّبُ كُلَّ يَومٍ

يُعَلِّمُنا المُهَلَّبُ كُلَّ يَومٍ

قِتالَ القَومِ تَعليمَ الكِتابِ

قِتالَ القَومِ تَعليمَ الكِتابِ

Al-Muhallab teaches us every day

The tyrant teaches us each day

to fight the foe, as the Book is taught.

To fight the people, teaching the book

وَيُلبِسُنا السِلاحَ إِذا أَمِنّا

وَيُلبِسُنا السِلاحَ إِذا أَمِنّا

لِنَحدِقَ لِبسهُ وَالنَقعُ كابِ

لِنَحدِقَ لِبسهُ وَالنَقعُ كابِ

And he clothes us in arms when we are safe,

And clothes us in armor when we feel safe

so we may master wearing them when the dust rises.

That we may stare at its garb, rust eating away

وَعابَ حَياتَنا بِالجُبنِ حَتّى

وَعابَ حَياتَنا بِالجُبنِ حَتّى

كَأَنَّ حَياتَنا دينُ المُعابِ

كَأَنَّ حَياتَنا دينُ المُعابِ

And he reproached our lives for cowardice, until

And he blamed our lives for cowardice

our lives seemed a debt owed by the reproached.

As though our lives were the faith of the blameworthy

وَيُجزي المُحسِنينَ بِما أَتوهُ

وَيُجزي المُحسِنينَ بِما أَتوهُ

وَيَعفي المُذنِبينَ مِنَ العِتابِ

وَيَعفي المُذنِبينَ مِنَ العِتابِ

And he rewards those who do well for what they have done,

And rewards the benevolent with what they came to him

and spares wrongdoers reproach.

And pardons the sinners from reproach

وَيَضرُبُ دونَنا بِالسَيفِ صَلتاً

وَيَضرُبُ دونَنا بِالسَيفِ صَلتاً

وَيَضرِبُ كُلَّ مُطَّردِ الكِعابِ

وَيَضرِبُ كُلَّ مُطَّردِ الكِعابِ

And he strikes in our defense with an unsheathed sword,

And strikes right beside us with the sword in prayer

and wields every straight-jointed spear.

And strikes each outcast wanderer

سَخِيٌّ بِالنِهابِ بِها وَفِيٌّ

سَخِيٌّ بِالنِهابِ بِها وَفِيٌّ

إِذا ما سادَ اِصحابُ النِهابِ

إِذا ما سادَ اِصحابُ النِهابِ

Generous with plunder, faithful concerning it,

Generous with plunder through it, and of sound judgment

whenever the takers of plunder hold sway.

When the people of plunder come to power

وَفاصَلُ خُطبَةٍ عَظُمَت وَحَلَّت

وَفاصَلُ خُطبَةٍ عَظُمَت وَحَلَّت

عَظيمٌ عِندَهُ فَصلُ الخِطابِ

عَظيمٌ عِندَهُ فَصلُ الخِطابِ

And he resolves a weighty discourse when it arises;

And an eloquent sermon has risen and befallen

great is his command of decisive speech.

Great in his eyes the division of speech

فَلَولا أَنَّ سَيفَ أَبي حَديدٍ

فَلَولا أَنَّ سَيفَ أَبي حَديدٍ

لَصاحَ إِلَيهِ بِالشَكوى غُراب

لَصاحَ إِلَيهِ بِالشَكوى غُراب

Were it not for Abu Hadid's sword,

So were it not for the sword of my father Hudayd

a raven would have cried to him in complaint.

The raven would cry to him in complaint

وَلَولا أَنَّ رُمحَ أَبي سَعيدٍ

وَلَولا أَنَّ رُمحَ أَبي سَعيدٍ

طَويلٌ طالَ عَن عِرسي حِجابي

طَويلٌ طالَ عَن عِرسي حِجابي

And were Abu Sa'id's spear not

And were it not for the spear of my father Sa'id

long, my separation from my wife would have lasted long.

It is long, it has distanced from me the veil

كَفى وَشَفى النُفوسَ أَبو سَعيدٍ

كَفى وَشَفى النُفوسَ أَبو سَعيدٍ

وَقَد أعيى عَلَينا كُلَّ بابِ

وَقَد أعيى عَلَينا كُلَّ بابِ

Abu Sa'id met our needs and healed our souls,

It is enough and has healed the souls, my father Sa'id

when every door had already baffled us.

And every matter has wearied us

فَدالَ لي وَنِعمَتنا عَلَينا

فَدالَ لي وَنِعمَتنا عَلَينا

وَفاهُ الهَنا يَومَ الحِسابِ

وَفاهُ الهَنا يَومَ الحِسابِ

So fortune turned for me, and our blessing was upon us;

So he has drawn near to me, and our blessing is upon us

may bliss repay him fully on the Day of Reckoning.

And suffice us on the day of judgement