إِن أَدعَ مسكيناً فاني ابن معشر

إِن أَدعَ مسكيناً فاني ابن معشر

من الناس أَحمي عنهم وأَذودُ

من الناس أَحمي عنهم وأَذودُ

If I am called Miskin, then I am a son of a people

If I call a poor man, I protect him

among men whom I protect and defend.

From people, shielding him from harm

إِليكَ أَمير المؤمنين رحلتها

إِليكَ أَمير المؤمنين رحلتها

تثير القطا ليلا وهن هجودُ

تثير القطا ليلا وهن هجودُ

To you, Commander of the Faithful, I saddled her;

To you, O Commander of the Faithful, her journey

she rouses the sandgrouse at night while they sleep,

Stirs the sand grouse at night while they are settled

لَدى كل قرموص كأَنَّ فراخه

لَدى كل قرموص كأَنَّ فراخه

كُلى غير أَن كانَت لهن جلودُ

كُلى غير أَن كانَت لهن جلودُ

at every nest-hollow, as though its chicks were

Near every partridge, as if their chicks

kidneys, except that they had skins.

Were all voiceless, though they had feathers

وَهاجرة ظلت كأَنَّ ظباءَها

وَهاجرة ظلت كأَنَّ ظباءَها

إِذا ما اتقتها بالقرون سجودُ

إِذا ما اتقتها بالقرون سجودُ

And a lingering, scorching noonday, its gazelles seeming

The migrant ostrich seemed as if her chicks

prostrate as they shielded themselves from it with their horns.

When they sensed danger, bowed down in worship

تَلوذ لشؤبوب من الشمس فوقها

تَلوذ لشؤبوب من الشمس فوقها

كَما لاذ من حر السنان طَريدُ

كَما لاذ من حر السنان طَريدُ

They seek refuge from a torrent of sunlight above them,

Taking refuge in an acacia from the sun above

as one pursued sought refuge from a spearhead's heat.

As one in peril takes refuge in a helper

أَلا لَيتَ شعري ما يَقول ابنُ عامر

أَلا لَيتَ شعري ما يَقول ابنُ عامر

وَمروان أَم ماذا يَقول سَعيدُ

وَمروان أَم ماذا يَقول سَعيدُ

Ah, would that I knew what Ibn ʿAmir says,

Oh, would that I knew what Ibn Aamer says

and Marwan—or what Saʿid says.

And what, I wonder, Sa'eed has to tell

بَني خلفاء اللَه مهلا فانما

بَني خلفاء اللَه مهلا فانما

يبوءها الرحمن حيث يريدُ

يبوءها الرحمن حيث يريدُ

O sons of God's caliphs, be patient, for only

O House of Allah's Caliphs, gently, gently,

the Most Merciful places it wherever He wills.

The Merciful will make it be where He wills

إِذا المنبر الغَربي خلاه ربه

إِذا المنبر الغَربي خلاه ربه

فان امير المؤمنين يزيدُ

فان امير المؤمنين يزيدُ

When the western pulpit's master leaves it vacant,

When its Lord left the western pulpit empty

then the Commander of the Faithful is Yazid,

The Commander of the Faithful Yazeed appears

على الطائر الميمون والجد صاعد

على الطائر الميمون والجد صاعد

لكل أُناس طائر وجدودُ

لكل أُناس طائر وجدودُ

upon the auspicious omen-bird, with fortune rising;

Upon the auspicious bird, by ancestry exalted

every people has its omen-bird and its fortunes.

For every people a bird and sires of note

فَلا زلت اعلى الناس كعباً ولا تزل

فَلا زلت اعلى الناس كعباً ولا تزل

وفود تساميها إِليك وفودُ

وفود تساميها إِليك وفودُ

So may you ever stand highest among men, and may there always be

So you remain highest of men in glory, and throngs

delegations vying with other delegations to reach you.

Still come to you, delegations in a flood

ولا زالَ بيت الملك فوقك عالياً

ولا زالَ بيت الملك فوقك عالياً

تشيد أَطناب له وعمودُ

تشيد أَطناب له وعمودُ

And may the tent of kingship ever stand high above you,

The royal house still towers high above you

with guy ropes and a pole raised for it.

Buttresses erected for it, columns hewed

قدور ابن حربٍ كالجوابي وتحتها

قدور ابن حربٍ كالجوابي وتحتها

أَثافٍ كأَمثال الرئال ركودُ

أَثافٍ كأَمثال الرئال ركودُ

The cauldrons of Ibn Harb are like reservoirs; beneath them

Cooking pots of Harb's son like rain tanks

pot-supporting stones lie motionless, like ostrich chicks.

And under them embers like hillsides subdued