مُستمسكاً منهم بِأَكرَم ذمة

مُستمسكاً منهم بِأَكرَم ذمة

شرفت وَجل وَفاؤُها أن يحقرا

شرفت وَجل وَفاؤُها أن يحقرا

Holding fast to their noblest pledge of protection,

Upholding the most noble covenant with them

Honored, its faithful keeping too exalted to be scorned.

Its nobility and loyalty are too lofty to be scorned

وَلَقَد وَصَلت إِلى محل دُونَه

وَلَقَد وَصَلت إِلى محل دُونَه

تَكبو الكَواكب وَالمَواكب في السَرى

تَكبو الكَواكب وَالمَواكب في السَرى

And indeed I reached a station beneath which

And it has reached a status below which

The stars and cavalcades stumble in their night journeys.

The stars and constellations bow down in worship

وَرَفعت في تِلكَ الأَماني خَوافِقاً

وَرَفعت في تِلكَ الأَماني خَوافِقاً

يَمشي الزَمان بِظلها مُتبخترا

يَمشي الزَمان بِظلها مُتبخترا

And amid those hopes I raised fluttering banners;

And in those aspirations I have raised banners

Time walks beneath their shade, swaggering.

Time walks in their shadow, boastful

فَأَخذت في طَلب العُلوم وَلم أَخف

فَأَخذت في طَلب العُلوم وَلم أَخف

شَر العَدوّ وَلَم أَهب أُسدَ الشَرى

شَر العَدوّ وَلَم أَهب أُسدَ الشَرى

So I began seeking the sciences, and did not fear

So I sought knowledge without concealing

The enemy's malice, nor did I dread the lions of al-Shara.

The evil of enemies or the lion of bravery

متلافياً درج المَفاخر راكِباً

متلافياً درج المَفاخر راكِباً

لبني المَعالي وَالعَوالي قسوَرا

لبني المَعالي وَالعَوالي قسوَرا

Recovering the steps of glory, riding

Avoiding the steps to arrogance, riding

A lion for the sons of high honor and lofty lances;

The mounts of glory and might unbridled

لِبني الَّذي أَفنى الأُلوف بِكَفه

لِبني الَّذي أَفنى الأُلوف بِكَفه

حَزماً وَعَزماً مُنجدا أَو مُغوِرا

حَزماً وَعَزماً مُنجدا أَو مُغوِرا

For the sons of him who annihilated thousands with his hand,

For the son who destroyed thousands with his palm

With prudence and resolve, in highlands or lowlands;

With resolve and purpose, aiding or destructive

لِبَني الَّذي قادَ الجُيوش إِلى العِدا

لِبَني الَّذي قادَ الجُيوش إِلى العِدا

بِالعادِيات عَليهمُ مُستَظهِرا

بِالعادِيات عَليهمُ مُستَظهِرا

For the sons of him who led armies against the foes,

For the son who led armies to enemies

Prevailing over them with charging steeds;

With his steeds, overpowering them

أَسباط مَن بِعَطائه وَسطائه

أَسباط مَن بِعَطائه وَسطائه

بِالعَدل قَد أَحيا النُفوس وَدمَّرا

بِالعَدل قَد أَحيا النُفوس وَدمَّرا

Grandsons of him who, through his bounty and his might,

The tribes whose gifts and intermediaries

With justice, gave life to souls and wrought destruction;

With justice gave life and destroyed souls

البالغ الغايات بِالهمم الَّتي

البالغ الغايات بِالهمم الَّتي

بَعثت مَآثرُ بَعضِها الاسكندرا

بَعثت مَآثرُ بَعضِها الاسكندرا

Who reached the furthest goals through lofty ambitions,

Who attained the utmost with ambitions

The feats of some of which brought Alexander back to life.

That brought about feats of which Alexander dreamed

وَبُنودُه وَجُنوده بعلوّها

وَبُنودُه وَجُنوده بعلوّها

وَنمّوها فَوق الثريّا وَالثَرى

وَنمّوها فَوق الثريّا وَالثَرى

And his banners and armies, in their loftiness

Whose buildings and soldiers in their loftiness

And growth, stand above the Pleiades and the earth.

And growth surpassed gravel and earth

أَمته أَملاك البِلاد فَأَبصرت

أَمته أَملاك البِلاد فَأَبصرت

ملكاً لحدّ حسامه مستوزرا

ملكاً لحدّ حسامه مستوزرا

The kings of the lands came to him and beheld

His nation saw kingdoms as possessions

A king who made his sword's edge his vizier.

A king whose sword's edge has a minister