أَسِنَّةُ هَذا المَجدِ آلُ المُهَلَّبِ

أَسِنَّةُ هَذا المَجدِ آلُ المُهَلَّبِ

وَفُرّاطُهُ في كُلِّ شَرقٍ وَمَغرِبِ

وَفُرّاطُهُ في كُلِّ شَرقٍ وَمَغرِبِ

The house of al-Muhallab are the spearheads of this glory,

The tongues of this glory are the family of al-Muhallab

And its forerunners throughout the East and West.

And its ubiquitous heralds in every east and west

سَلوني عَن مَجدِ المُفَعَّلِ وَاِسأَلوا

سَلوني عَن مَجدِ المُفَعَّلِ وَاِسأَلوا

أَبي عَن أَبيهِ ذي الجَلالِ المُهَذَّبِ

أَبي عَن أَبيهِ ذي الجَلالِ المُهَذَّبِ

Ask me about the glory of al-Mufaʿʿal, and ask

Ask me about the glory of al-Mufaddel, and ask

My father about his father, majestic and refined.

My father about his father of sublime and refined majesty

يَقُل إِنَّ ذاكَ اللَيثَ في كُلِّ مَعرَكٍ

يَقُل إِنَّ ذاكَ اللَيثَ في كُلِّ مَعرَكٍ

وَهَذا الحُسامُ العَضبُ في كُلِّ مَضرِبِ

وَهَذا الحُسامُ العَضبُ في كُلِّ مَضرِبِ

He will say: that one is the lion in every battle,

He says that lion in every battle

And this one the keen-edged sword wherever blows are struck.

And this sharp sword in every strike

وَهَذا الرَبيعُ الطَلقُ رَقَّت فُروعُهُ

وَهَذا الرَبيعُ الطَلقُ رَقَّت فُروعُهُ

نَتيجَةَ ذاكَ العارِضِ المُتَصَبِّبِ

نَتيجَةَ ذاكَ العارِضِ المُتَصَبِّبِ

And this bright spring, whose branches have grown tender,

And this gentle, graceful spring - its branches

Is the offspring of that pouring raincloud.

Were made delicate by that pouring cloud

أَخِلّايَ مِن بَينِ المُلوكِ وَإِخوَتي

أَخِلّايَ مِن بَينِ المُلوكِ وَإِخوَتي

وَأَحلى بِقَلبي مِن بَعيدي وَأَقرَبي

وَأَحلى بِقَلبي مِن بَعيدي وَأَقرَبي

My close friends among kings, and my brothers,

My most intimate of all the kings and my brethren

And sweeter to my heart than my distant and closest kin.

And sweetest to my heart, nearer and further

هُم قَومِيَ الأَدنَونَ مِن بَينِ أُسرَتي

هُم قَومِيَ الأَدنَونَ مِن بَينِ أُسرَتي

وَإِن كانَ شِعبُ القَومِ مِن غَيرِ مَشعِبي

وَإِن كانَ شِعبُ القَومِ مِن غَيرِ مَشعِبي

They are my nearest kin among my family,

They are my people, the nearest of my clan

Though their clan's branch is other than my own.

Even if the tribe's lineage is not from my lineage

فَهَذا ثَنائي لا أُريدُ بِهِ الغِنى

فَهَذا ثَنائي لا أُريدُ بِهِ الغِنى

أَبى المَجدُ لي أَن أَجعَلَ المَدحَ مَكسَبي

أَبى المَجدُ لي أَن أَجعَلَ المَدحَ مَكسَبي

So this is my praise; I seek no wealth through it.

So this is my praise - I do not mean by it gain

Glory has forbidden me to make praise my livelihood.

Glory refused that I make praise my livelihood

وَلَكِن رَجاءً أَن تَكونَ لِهِمَّتي

وَلَكِن رَجاءً أَن تَكونَ لِهِمَّتي

طَريقاً تُؤَديني إِلى كُلِّ مَطلَبي

طَريقاً تُؤَديني إِلى كُلِّ مَطلَبي

But in the hope that you will be, for my ambition,

But in hopes that my ambition

A path that leads me to everything I seek.

Would make for me a way to every desire

فَأَزحَمُ مِنكَ الحادِثاتِ بِمَنكِبٍ

فَأَزحَمُ مِنكَ الحادِثاتِ بِمَنكِبٍ

وَأَقطَعُ مِنكَ النائِباتِ بِمِقضَبِ

وَأَقطَعُ مِنكَ النائِباتِ بِمِقضَبِ

So I push misfortunes aside with a shoulder from you,

I will push events aside with a shoulder

And cut through afflictions with a blade from you.

And cut through misfortunes with a blade

وَأَرمي إِلى أَمرٍ أَظُنُّكَ بابَهُ

وَأَرمي إِلى أَمرٍ أَظُنُّكَ بابَهُ

أَلا إِنَّ بَعضَ الظَنِّ غَيرُ مُكَذَّبِ

أَلا إِنَّ بَعضَ الظَنِّ غَيرُ مُكَذَّبِ

And I aim for a goal whose gateway I believe you to be;

And set my mind on something I think you are

Indeed, some expectations are not proved false.

The gateway - indeed, some guesswork is not wide of the mark