أَسِنَّةُ هَذا المَجدِ آلُ المُهَلَّبِ

وَفُرّاطُهُ في كُلِّ شَرقٍ وَمَغرِبِ

The tongues of this glory are the family of al-Muhallab

And its ubiquitous heralds in every east and west

سَلوني عَن مَجدِ المُفَعَّلِ وَاِسأَلوا

أَبي عَن أَبيهِ ذي الجَلالِ المُهَذَّبِ

Ask me about the glory of al-Mufaddel, and ask

My father about his father of sublime and refined majesty

يَقُل إِنَّ ذاكَ اللَيثَ في كُلِّ مَعرَكٍ

وَهَذا الحُسامُ العَضبُ في كُلِّ مَضرِبِ

He says that lion in every battle

And this sharp sword in every strike

وَهَذا الرَبيعُ الطَلقُ رَقَّت فُروعُهُ

نَتيجَةَ ذاكَ العارِضِ المُتَصَبِّبِ

And this gentle, graceful spring - its branches

Were made delicate by that pouring cloud

أَخِلّايَ مِن بَينِ المُلوكِ وَإِخوَتي

وَأَحلى بِقَلبي مِن بَعيدي وَأَقرَبي

My most intimate of all the kings and my brethren

And sweetest to my heart, nearer and further

هُم قَومِيَ الأَدنَونَ مِن بَينِ أُسرَتي

وَإِن كانَ شِعبُ القَومِ مِن غَيرِ مَشعِبي

They are my people, the nearest of my clan

Even if the tribe's lineage is not from my lineage

فَهَذا ثَنائي لا أُريدُ بِهِ الغِنى

أَبى المَجدُ لي أَن أَجعَلَ المَدحَ مَكسَبي

So this is my praise - I do not mean by it gain

Glory refused that I make praise my livelihood

وَلَكِن رَجاءً أَن تَكونَ لِهِمَّتي

طَريقاً تُؤَديني إِلى كُلِّ مَطلَبي

But in hopes that my ambition

Would make for me a way to every desire

فَأَزحَمُ مِنكَ الحادِثاتِ بِمَنكِبٍ

وَأَقطَعُ مِنكَ النائِباتِ بِمِقضَبِ

I will push events aside with a shoulder

And cut through misfortunes with a blade

وَأَرمي إِلى أَمرٍ أَظُنُّكَ بابَهُ

أَلا إِنَّ بَعضَ الظَنِّ غَيرُ مُكَذَّبِ

And set my mind on something I think you are

The gateway - indeed, some guesswork is not wide of the mark