المَرثَدِيّونَ أَقوامٌ تُعَدُّ لَهُم

مِن وائِلٍ مَأثُراتُ المَجدِ وَالشَرَفُ

The Mardhiyyun are a people whose glories and honors

From Wail are recounted as monumental legends.

تَصَرَّمَ المَجدُ بِالأَقوامِ مِن هِرَمٍ

وَمَجدُهُم حَدَثٌ في العَينِ أَو نَصفُ

Glory has grown old among nations since antiquity,

While their glory is recent, before one's eyes or just half.

وَما عَلِيُّ بنُ عَبدِ اللَهِ إِن وُرِدَت

جَمّاتُهُ بِثِمادِ الضَحلِ مُنتَزَفُ

And Ali the son of Abdullah, if his warriors are visited

Upon the flanks of Duhl, would prove but half their number.

مَتى وَصَفناهُ أَلفَينا مَحاسِنَهُ

مِنَ الوُفورِ عَلى أَضعافِ ما نَصِفُ

When we describe him, though we count his virtues manifold,

Our telling falls short of their full measure many times over.

فَدَتكَ أَنفُسُ مُلتاحينَ أَنفُسُهُم

مُعَلَّقاتٌ بِرِيٍّ مِنكَ يُؤتَنَفُ

May your souls be sacrificed, you who sacrifice yourselves,

Suspended on a thread of hope to gain his favors.

سُقيا الزُجاجِ وَإِن جَلَّت مَصَرَّدَةٌ

فَسُقيُنا ما عَلَيهِ القارُ وَالخَزَفُ

Give us to drink from glass vessels, and if a leather bottle is passed around,

We'd drink what settle on it of clouds and dust.

وَاِنتِف لَنا لَهوَ أَيّامٍ نَعيشُ بِهِ

فَاللَهوُ أَجمَعُ إِن مَيَّزتَهُ نَتَفُ

And procure for us the enjoyment of days in which we might live,

For enjoyment, if you categorize it, is best when unconfined.