لِيَ الشَرَفُ الأَعلى الَّذي عَزَّ جانِبُه

لِيَ الشَرَفُ الأَعلى الَّذي عَزَّ جانِبُه

فَلا أَحَدٌ إِلّا وَمَجدِيَ غالِبُه

فَلا أَحَدٌ إِلّا وَمَجدِيَ غالِبُه

Mine is the loftiest honor, whose flank is impregnable;

I have the highest honor which defied

for there is no one whom my glory does not surpass.

None can resist my glorious might

وَإِنّي الَّذي لَولا صَنائِعُ جَدِّهِ

وَإِنّي الَّذي لَولا صَنائِعُ جَدِّهِ

لَما رُفِعَت يَوماً لِمُلكٍ مَضارِبُه

لَما رُفِعَت يَوماً لِمُلكٍ مَضارِبُه

And I am he without whose grandfather's benefactions

I am he but for my forefathers' works

no kingdom would ever have had its pavilions raised.

No kingdom's flags would have been raised high

فَتىً يَتَقاضى صُنعَهُ الناسُ دائِماً

فَتىً يَتَقاضى صُنعَهُ الناسُ دائِماً

فَلَم يَخلُ يَوماً مِن غَريمٍ يُطالِبُه

فَلَم يَخلُ يَوماً مِن غَريمٍ يُطالِبُه

A young man whose favors people constantly demand,

A youth whose craftsmanship all men seek

so not a day was he free of a creditor pressing him.

No day goes by without a creditor's claim

لَهُ قَصباتُ السَبقِ في كُل مَوطِنٍ

لَهُ قَصباتُ السَبقِ في كُل مَوطِنٍ

يُطيلُ إِذا أَسدى لِمَن لا يُناسِبُه

يُطيلُ إِذا أَسدى لِمَن لا يُناسِبُه

His are the reeds of victory in every arena;

His steeds are foremost in every land

he gives amply when bestowing favors on those not of his kin.

When he races those unfit to race

وَيَسقي إِذا الأَنواءُ في العامِ أَخلَفَت

وَيَسقي إِذا الأَنواءُ في العامِ أَخلَفَت

فَهَل مِثلُ آبائي تُعَدُّ مَناقِبُه

فَهَل مِثلُ آبائي تُعَدُّ مَناقِبُه

And he gives water when the year's rain-bearing stars fail to bring rain;

In drought he gives water when rains fail

so can the virtues of one like my forefathers be counted?

Can anyone match my fathers' merits?

وَكَم قَد كَسَونا مِن يَتيمٍ وَمَيِّتٍ

وَكَم قَد كَسَونا مِن يَتيمٍ وَمَيِّتٍ

سَتَرنا وَلَولانا لَبانَت مَعايِبُه

سَتَرنا وَلَولانا لَبانَت مَعايِبُه

And how many orphans and dead men we have clothed!

We've clothed many an orphan and the dead

We covered each; without us, his blemishes would have shown.

Shielding, supporting them, hiding their flaws

وَكَم قَد سَعى جَدّي لِمَدِّ صَنيعَةٍ

وَكَم قَد سَعى جَدّي لِمَدِّ صَنيعَةٍ

تُهَزُّ لَها أَعطافُهُ وَمَناكِبُه

تُهَزُّ لَها أَعطافُهُ وَمَناكِبُه

And how often my grandfather strove to extend a favor,

How my grandsire struggled to extend his craft

for which his sides and shoulders were stirred.

Stooping his shoulders and his flanks

وَكَم راضَ صَعباً جامِحاً مُتَمَنِّعاً

وَكَم راضَ صَعباً جامِحاً مُتَمَنِّعاً

يُلايِنُهُ طَوراً وَطَوراً يُصاعِبُه

يُلايِنُهُ طَوراً وَطَوراً يُصاعِبُه

And how many a stubborn, unruly, defiant steed he tamed,

Mastering the rugged and unruly mount

treating it gently at times, and sternly at others.

Subduing it, making it accept the rein

فَأَصحَبَ مِن بَعدِ الجِماحِ وَأَسمَحَت

فَأَصحَبَ مِن بَعدِ الجِماحِ وَأَسمَحَت

قَرونتُهُ حَتّى تَوَلّاهُ راكِبُه

قَرونتُهُ حَتّى تَوَلّاهُ راكِبُه

So it grew docile after its unruliness, and pliant became

Then it calmed after bucking, and gentled

its nature, until its rider took charge of it.

Until its rider could control its way

وَإِنّي لَمِقدامٌ إِذا ما تَأَخَّرَت

وَإِنّي لَمِقدامٌ إِذا ما تَأَخَّرَت

بِغَيرِيَ في يَومِ الطِعانِ مَراكِبُه

بِغَيرِيَ في يَومِ الطِعانِ مَراكِبُه

And I am indeed intrepid when they hang back—

I stand firm if when the lances charge

the mounts carrying others on the day of spear-fighting.

My companions fall back in the fray

وَلَستُ كَمَن وَلّى فِراراً مِنَ الوَغى

وَلَستُ كَمَن وَلّى فِراراً مِنَ الوَغى

يُطيلُ سُؤالاً عَن رَفيقٍ يُصاحِبُه

يُطيلُ سُؤالاً عَن رَفيقٍ يُصاحِبُه

And I am not like one who turned away, fleeing the fray,

Not as one who flees from the campaign

asking at length about a companion who accompanies him.

Asking his friend to accompany his flight