أَلا أَيُّها الْعَضْبُ الَّذِِي لَيْسَ نابِياً

أَلا أَيُّها الْعَضْبُ الَّذِِي لَيْسَ نابِياً

وَلا مُغْمَداً بَلْ مُصْلَتاً فِي الْحَوادِثِ

وَلا مُغْمَداً بَلْ مُصْلَتاً فِي الْحَوادِثِ

O keen sword that never fails to cut,

O sword that is neither blunt nor sheathed but sharpened for events

Nor lies sheathed, but is drawn amid calamities,

I saw you invite me to praise a people

رَأَيْتُكَ تَدْعُونِي إِلى مَدْحِ مَعْشَرٍ

رَأَيْتُكَ تَدْعُونِي إِلى مَدْحِ مَعْشَرٍ

تَفُوقُهُمُ عِنْدَ الخُطُوبِ الْكَوارِثِ

تَفُوقُهُمُ عِنْدَ الخُطُوبِ الْكَوارِثِ

I saw you calling me to praise a company of men

Whose superiority in grave misfortunes is supreme

Whom you surpass in times of devastating crisis.

Yet to praise them and abandon you is like one

وَإِنِّي وَمَدْحِيهِمْ وَتَرْكَكَ كَالَّذِي

وَإِنِّي وَمَدْحِيهِمْ وَتَرْكَكَ كَالَّذِي

رَأَى الْجدَّ أَوْلى أَنْ يُناطَ بِعابِثِ

رَأَى الْجدَّ أَوْلى أَنْ يُناطَ بِعابِثِ

And I, in praising them and forsaking you, am like one

Who sees rightness is better attributed to a trifler

Who thought serious matters better entrusted to a trifler.

When I was steadfast in your making

وَكُنْتُ عَلَى عَهْدِ اصْطِناعِكَ ثابِتاً

وَكُنْتُ عَلَى عَهْدِ اصْطِناعِكَ ثابِتاً

فَلَسْتُ لَهُ ما عِشْتُ يَوْماً بِناكِثِ

فَلَسْتُ لَهُ ما عِشْتُ يَوْماً بِناكِثِ

And I remained steadfast in the covenant of your patronage,

I am not for it, as long as I live, one who violates pacts

So I shall never break it for as long as I live.