لَعَمري لَئِن مَروانَ سَهَّلَ حاجَتي

وَفَكَّ وِثاقي عَن طَريدٍ مُشَرَّدِ

By my life, if Marwan fulfills my need

And releases me from the bonds of exile and homelessness

لَنِعمَ فَتى الظَلماءِ وَالرافِدُ القِرى

وَضارِبُ كَبشِ العارِضِ المُتَوَقِّدِ

He will be the generous prince of darkness, and protector of homes

Striker of the unruly camel baring its teeth

أَغَرَّ كَأَنَّ البَدرَ فَوقَ جَبينِهِ

مَتى تَرَهُ البيضُ الدَهاقينُ تَسجُدِ

He looked like the full moon on his forehead

Whenever he is seen by the pale priests they bow down

وَكائِن لَكُم آلَ المُهَلَّبِ مِن يَدٍ

عَلَيَّ وَمَعروفٍ يَروحُ وَيَغتَدي

And whatever is ordained for you, O clan of Al-Muhallab

Against me and Ma'ruf who comes and goes unchecked

وَما مِن غُلامٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ عَلِمتُهُ

وَلا يَمِنِ الأَملاكِ مِن أَرضِ صَيهَدِ

There is no young man from Ma'add I know

Nor from the kings of Yemen in the land of Saihad

هُوَ مِثلُ جَدِّ اِبنِ المُهَلَّبِ وَالَّذي

لَهُ عَدَدُ الحَصباءِ مِن ذي التَمَعدُدِ

He is like the grandfather of Ibn Al-Muhallab

Who has the number of pebbles from the many-pebbled land

وَما حَمَلَت أَيديهِمُ مِن جَنازَةٍ

وَلا أَلبَسَت أَثوابَها مِثلَ مَخلَدِ

And their hands did not carry a corpse

Nor did their clothes wear out like Makhlad's

أَبوكَ الَّذي تُستَهزَمُ الخَيلَ بِاِسمِهِ

وَإِن كانَ مِنها سَيرُ شَهرٍ مُطَرَّدِ

Your father whom the horses are routed by his name

Even if the journey is a month-long trek

وَقَد عَلِموا مُذ شَدَّ حَقوَيهِ أَنَّهُ

هُوَ اللَيثُ لَيثُ الغابِ غَيرُ المُعَرِّدِ

And they knew since he tightened his belt

He is the lion, the lion of the thicket, not distracted