المَرثَدِيّونَ أَقوامٌ تُعَدُّ لَهُم

المَرثَدِيّونَ أَقوامٌ تُعَدُّ لَهُم

مِن وائِلٍ مَأثُراتُ المَجدِ وَالشَرَفُ

مِن وائِلٍ مَأثُراتُ المَجدِ وَالشَرَفُ

The Marthadis are a people credited

The Mardhiyyun are a people whose glories and honors

among Wa'il with glorious deeds and honor.

From Wail are recounted as monumental legends.

تَصَرَّمَ المَجدُ بِالأَقوامِ مِن هِرَمٍ

تَصَرَّمَ المَجدُ بِالأَقوامِ مِن هِرَمٍ

وَمَجدُهُم حَدَثٌ في العَينِ أَو نَصفُ

وَمَجدُهُم حَدَثٌ في العَينِ أَو نَصفُ

Glory has faded among peoples through old age,

Glory has grown old among nations since antiquity,

and their glory, to the eye, is young or middle-aged.

While their glory is recent, before one's eyes or just half.

وَما عَلِيُّ بنُ عَبدِ اللَهِ إِن وُرِدَت

وَما عَلِيُّ بنُ عَبدِ اللَهِ إِن وُرِدَت

جَمّاتُهُ بِثِمادِ الضَحلِ مُنتَزَفُ

جَمّاتُهُ بِثِمادِ الضَحلِ مُنتَزَفُ

And Ali ibn Abd Allah is not, when

And Ali the son of Abdullah, if his warriors are visited

his pools are visited, a scant shallow pool to be drained dry.

Upon the flanks of Duhl, would prove but half their number.

مَتى وَصَفناهُ أَلفَينا مَحاسِنَهُ

مَتى وَصَفناهُ أَلفَينا مَحاسِنَهُ

مِنَ الوُفورِ عَلى أَضعافِ ما نَصِفُ

مِنَ الوُفورِ عَلى أَضعافِ ما نَصِفُ

Whenever we describe him, we find his virtues

When we describe him, though we count his virtues manifold,

so abundant that they are many times what we describe.

Our telling falls short of their full measure many times over.

فَدَتكَ أَنفُسُ مُلتاحينَ أَنفُسُهُم

فَدَتكَ أَنفُسُ مُلتاحينَ أَنفُسُهُم

مُعَلَّقاتٌ بِرِيٍّ مِنكَ يُؤتَنَفُ

مُعَلَّقاتٌ بِرِيٍّ مِنكَ يُؤتَنَفُ

May the souls of thirsty men ransom you; their souls

May your souls be sacrificed, you who sacrifice yourselves,

are bound to renewed quenching of thirst from you.

Suspended on a thread of hope to gain his favors.

سُقيا الزُجاجِ وَإِن جَلَّت مَصَرَّدَةٌ

سُقيا الزُجاجِ وَإِن جَلَّت مَصَرَّدَةٌ

فَسُقيُنا ما عَلَيهِ القارُ وَالخَزَفُ

فَسُقيُنا ما عَلَيهِ القارُ وَالخَزَفُ

Drink served in glass, however grand, leaves thirst unquenched;

Give us to drink from glass vessels, and if a leather bottle is passed around,

so our drink is what pitch and earthenware enclose.

We'd drink what settle on it of clouds and dust.

وَاِنتِف لَنا لَهوَ أَيّامٍ نَعيشُ بِهِ

وَاِنتِف لَنا لَهوَ أَيّامٍ نَعيشُ بِهِ

فَاللَهوُ أَجمَعُ إِن مَيَّزتَهُ نَتَفُ

فَاللَهوُ أَجمَعُ إِن مَيَّزتَهُ نَتَفُ

And pluck for us the pleasure of days, by which we live;

And procure for us the enjoyment of days in which we might live,

for all pleasure, if you sift it, is fragments.

For enjoyment, if you categorize it, is best when unconfined.