يا مَن يُساجِلُني وَلَيسَ بِمُدرِكٍ

يا مَن يُساجِلُني وَلَيسَ بِمُدرِكٍ

شأوي وَأَينَ لَهُ جَلالَةُ مَنصِبي

شأوي وَأَينَ لَهُ جَلالَةُ مَنصِبي

O one who vies with me yet cannot attain

O you who reproaches me yet cannot comprehend my status,

my reach—and how could he possess the grandeur of my station?

What is your concern and where is the grandeur of my position?

لا تَتعَبَنَّ فَدونَ ما أَمَّلتَهُ

لا تَتعَبَنَّ فَدونَ ما أَمَّلتَهُ

خَرطُ القَتادَةِ وَاِمتطاءُ الكَوكَبِ

خَرطُ القَتادَةِ وَاِمتطاءُ الكَوكَبِ

Do not weary yourself, for between you and what you hope for lie

Do not tire yourself, for what you wish for

stripping the qatad thornbush and riding a star.

Is like grasping at stars and riding upon comets.

المَجدُ يَعلَمُ أَيُّنا خَيرٌ أَباً

المَجدُ يَعلَمُ أَيُّنا خَيرٌ أَباً

فَاسأَلْهُ تَعلَم أَيَّ ذي حَسَبٍ أَبي

فَاسأَلْهُ تَعلَم أَيَّ ذي حَسَبٍ أَبي

Glory knows which of us has the nobler father;

Glory knows which of us is better in lineage;

so ask it, and learn how noble a lineage my father has.

Ask it and you will know which of us is nobler in ancestry.

جَدِّي مُعاويَةُ الأَغَرُّ سَمَتْ بِهِ

جَدِّي مُعاويَةُ الأَغَرُّ سَمَتْ بِهِ

جُرثومَةٌ مِن طينِها خُلِقَ النَّبِي

جُرثومَةٌ مِن طينِها خُلِقَ النَّبِي

My forefather, illustrious Muʿawiya, was raised high by

My grandfather Mu‘awiyah, most honorable his features,

an ancestral stock from whose clay the Prophet was created.

Was sculpted from the same clay as the Prophet.

وَوَرِثتُهُ شَرَفاً رَفَعتُ مَنارَهُ

وَوَرِثتُهُ شَرَفاً رَفَعتُ مَنارَهُ

فَبَنو أُمَيَّةَ يَفخَرونَ بِهِ وَبي

فَبَنو أُمَيَّةَ يَفخَرونَ بِهِ وَبي

And from him I inherited nobility whose beacon I raised;

I inherited his nobility and raised its banner;

so the sons of Umayya take pride in it and in me.

The Banu Umayyah prides itself on him and me.