مجْدٌ على هامَةِ العَيُّوقِ مَرْفوعُ

مجْدٌ على هامَةِ العَيُّوقِ مَرْفوعُ

راقَ الوَرى مِنْهُ مَرْئِيٌ وَمَسْمُوعُ

راقَ الوَرى مِنْهُ مَرْئِيٌ وَمَسْمُوعُ

Glory raised atop Capella’s crown,

Glory raised aloft on the summit of glory

What is seen and heard of it delights humankind;

Radiant over the world both seen and heard

وَسُؤْدَدٌ لم يَجُبَّ الدَّهْرُ غارِبَهُ

وَسُؤْدَدٌ لم يَجُبَّ الدَّهْرُ غارِبَهُ

وَغَيْرُهُ في نَدِيِّ الحَيِّ مَدْفوعُ

وَغَيْرُهُ في نَدِيِّ الحَيِّ مَدْفوعُ

And eminence whose crest time has not cut off,

Never has time darkened its bright rising

While any other is rebuffed in the clan’s assembly.

While others in life’s meadow are downtrodden

طَرْفُ الحَسودِ غَضيضٌ دونَ غَايَتِه

طَرْفُ الحَسودِ غَضيضٌ دونَ غَايَتِه

وَسِنُّهُ بِبنان العَجْز مَقْروعُ

وَسِنُّهُ بِبنان العَجْز مَقْروعُ

The envious man’s gaze is lowered, short of its height,

The envious man’s glance falls short of its goal

And his tooth is struck by the fingertips of helplessness.

His teeth broken on the rocks of failure

وَقَدْ وَرِثْناهُما غُرّاً جَحا جِحةً

وَقَدْ وَرِثْناهُما غُرّاً جَحا جِحةً

أَريبُهُمْ في الندى بِالحمْدِ مَخْدوعُ

أَريبُهُمْ في الندى بِالحمْدِ مَخْدوعُ

And we have inherited both from illustrious, mighty chiefs,

Yet we have inherited from them rancor and spite

Whose shrewdest is beguiled by praise in his generosity.

While we remain mild and praised in gentleness

لكنَّنا في زَمانٍ لَيْتَ دابِرَهُ

لكنَّنا في زَمانٍ لَيْتَ دابِرَهُ

بِما يَشُقُّ على الأَوْغادِ مَقْطوعُ

بِما يَشُقُّ على الأَوْغادِ مَقْطوعُ

But we live in an age—would that its last remnant

If only fate’s end were to cut short

Were cut off by what brings hardship upon the scoundrels.

What grieves base cowards and brings them pain

غَاضَ الكرامُ كما فاضَ اللِّئامُ بِهِ

غَاضَ الكرامُ كما فاضَ اللِّئامُ بِهِ

فَالخَيْرُ مُجْتَنَبٌ وَالشَّرُّ مَتْبوعُ

فَالخَيْرُ مُجْتَنَبٌ وَالشَّرُّ مَتْبوعُ

The noble have ebbed as the base have overflowed in it,

The noble have departed as the vile increase

So goodness is shunned and evil followed.

Good is shunned while evil spreads its wings

وَما لَهُمْ نَسَبٌ لكنْ لَهم نَشَبٌ

وَما لَهُمْ نَسَبٌ لكنْ لَهم نَشَبٌ

وَكُلُّ لُؤْمٍ بِهِ في النّاسِ مَرْقوعُ

وَكُلُّ لُؤْمٍ بِهِ في النّاسِ مَرْقوعُ

And they have no lineage, but they have wealth,

Though they boast no lineage, yet they have temerity

And every ignoble trait is patched over with it among people.

Each villain among the people is feared

وَهَلْ يَضُرُّهُمُ أَنْ ليسَ عَمَّهُمُ

وَهَلْ يَضُرُّهُمُ أَنْ ليسَ عَمَّهُمُ

عَمرُو العُلا هاشِمٌ وَالخَالَ يَرْبوعُ

عَمرُو العُلا هاشِمٌ وَالخَالَ يَرْبوعُ

And does it harm them that their paternal uncle is not

Does it harm them that their uncle is not

ʿAmr al-ʿUlā—Hāshim—and their maternal uncle is not Yarbuʿ?

Amr al-Ula, Hashim, or Rabia?

وَهُمْ شِباعٌ رِواءٌ في الغِنى وَلَنا

وَهُمْ شِباعٌ رِواءٌ في الغِنى وَلَنا

أَحْسابُ آلِ أَبي سُفيَانَ وَالْجوعُ

أَحْسابُ آلِ أَبي سُفيَانَ وَالْجوعُ

And they are sated, their thirst quenched, amid wealth, while we have

While we are sated, quenched in wealth, yet ours

The ancestral honors of the house of Abū Sufyān—and hunger.

Are the fortunes of Abu Sufyan's house and hunger