تِعطي حِبالاً مَن عَقَدتَ لَهُ

تِعطي حِبالاً مَن عَقَدتَ لَهُ

لَيسَت بِأَرمامٍ وَلا بُترِ

لَيسَت بِأَرمامٍ وَلا بُترِ

You give ropes of protection to anyone you make a pledge to,

Neither frayed nor severed.

أَصبَحتَ أَعلى الناسِ مَنزِلَةً

أَصبَحتَ أَعلى الناسِ مَنزِلَةً

وَأَحَقَّهُم بِمَكارِمِ الفَخرِ

وَأَحَقَّهُم بِمَكارِمِ الفَخرِ

You have become the highest of men in rank,

And the most deserving of glory’s noble honors,

وَوَلِيَّ أَمرِهِمِ وَأَعدَلَهُم

وَوَلِيَّ أَمرِهِمِ وَأَعدَلَهُم

وَنَهارَهُم وَضِياءَ مَن يَسري

وَنَهارَهُم وَضِياءَ مَن يَسري

And the guardian of their affairs, and the most just among them,

And their daylight, and the light of those who journey by night.

يا لَيتَ أَنفُسَنا تُقاسِمُها

يا لَيتَ أَنفُسَنا تُقاسِمُها

أَعمارُنا لَكَ وافِيَ الشَطرِ

أَعمارُنا لَكَ وافِيَ الشَطرِ

O that our souls could share

Our lifetimes with you, one full half!

لَم تَعدُ مُذ أَدرَكتَ أَربَعَةً

لَم تَعدُ مُذ أَدرَكتَ أَربَعَةً

إِلّا بِسابِقِ غايَةٍ تَجري

إِلّا بِسابِقِ غايَةٍ تَجري

Since you reached four, you have never raced

Except in the lead toward whatever goal you race for.

وَنَمَتكَ مِن غَطَفانَ مُنجِبَةٌ

وَنَمَتكَ مِن غَطَفانَ مُنجِبَةٌ

شَمسُ النَهارِ لِكامِلِ البَدرِ

شَمسُ النَهارِ لِكامِلِ البَدرِ

And a mother of noble offspring from Ghatafan bore you—

The sun of day, for a perfect full moon,

لِأَبي الوَليدِ فَبَشَّروهُ بِهِ

لِأَبي الوَليدِ فَبَشَّروهُ بِهِ

بِالسَعدِ وافَقَ لَيلَةَ القَدرِ

بِالسَعدِ وافَقَ لَيلَةَ القَدرِ

For Abu al-Walid; they gave him glad news of the child,

Whose birth auspiciously fell on the Night of Decree.

أَنتَ اِبنُ مُعتَرِكِ البِطاحِ وَمِن

أَنتَ اِبنُ مُعتَرِكِ البِطاحِ وَمِن

أَعياصِها في طَيِّبٍ نَضرِ

أَعياصِها في طَيِّبٍ نَضرِ

You are the son of al-Bitah’s warrior, and from

Its noble stocks, of fine and flourishing growth.

قَد يَعلَمُ النَفرُ الَّذينَ مَشَوا

قَد يَعلَمُ النَفرُ الَّذينَ مَشَوا

مُتَعَلِّقينَ وَهُم عَلى الجِسرِ

مُتَعَلِّقينَ وَهُم عَلى الجِسرِ

Those men who made their way know well,

Clinging fast while they were on the bridge,

بَذَلوا نُفوسَهُمُ مُخاطَرَةً

بَذَلوا نُفوسَهُمُ مُخاطَرَةً

وَهُمُ وَراءَ خَنادِقِ الحَفرِ

وَهُمُ وَراءَ خَنادِقِ الحَفرِ

Having staked their lives in a perilous venture,

While behind the dug-out trenches,

أَنَّ الأَمانَ لَهُم إِذا خَرَجوا

أَنَّ الأَمانَ لَهُم إِذا خَرَجوا

بَحراكَ مِن فَرَقٍ مِنَ الدَهرِ

بَحراكَ مِن فَرَقٍ مِنَ الدَهرِ

That their safety, when they came forth,

Lay in your two seas, against the dread of time.

لَمّا أَتوكَ كَأَنَّما عَقَلوا

لَمّا أَتوكَ كَأَنَّما عَقَلوا

بِذُرى مُشَمِّرَةٍ مِنَ الغُبرِ

بِذُرى مُشَمِّرَةٍ مِنَ الغُبرِ

When they came to you, it was as though they had tethered their mounts

At the summits of towering grey mountains,

دونَ السَماءِ ذُرى مَعاقِلِها

دونَ السَماءِ ذُرى مَعاقِلِها

عَنها تَزِلُّ قَوائِمُ العُفرِ

عَنها تَزِلُّ قَوائِمُ العُفرِ

Whose strongholds’ peaks rise just beneath the sky,

From which even the legs of pale antelopes slip.

خَرَجوا وَدونَهُمُ مُدَجَّجَةٌ

خَرَجوا وَدونَهُمُ مُدَجَّجَةٌ

وَمُخَندَقٌ مُتَصَوِّبُ القَعرِ

وَمُخَندَقٌ مُتَصَوِّبُ القَعرِ

They came out, with an armored force before them,

And an entrenchment whose bottom plunged steeply down.

بَل ما رَأَيتَ ثَلاثَةً خَرَجوا

بَل ما رَأَيتَ ثَلاثَةً خَرَجوا

مِن مِثلِ مَخرَجِهِم عَلى الخَطرِ

مِن مِثلِ مَخرَجِهِم عَلى الخَطرِ

Nay, you have never seen three men come out

By such a way of escape as theirs, amid such danger.

أَبَني المُهَلَّبِ قَد وَفى لَكُمُ

أَبَني المُهَلَّبِ قَد وَفى لَكُمُ

جارٌ أَمَرَّ لَكُم عَلى شَزرِ

جارٌ أَمَرَّ لَكُم عَلى شَزرِ

O sons of al-Muhallab, faith has been kept with you

By a protector who made your bond fast with a firm twist.