قالوا امدح السبع قلت السبع ممتدحٌ

قالوا امدح السبع قلت السبع ممتدحٌ

ساوى الأعاجم في تمداحه العربا

ساوى الأعاجم في تمداحه العربا

They said, “Praise the lion.” I said, “The lion is already praised.”

They said praise the lion, I said the lion is praiseworthy

Non-Arabs have matched the Arabs in praising him.

It equaled the non-Arabs in praising it to the Arabs

أعطاه خالقه حظ اسمه فحمى

أعطاه خالقه حظ اسمه فحمى

به حمى عرضه واستهلك النشبا

به حمى عرضه واستهلك النشبا

His Creator gave him a share of his name's qualities, so he guarded

Its Creator gave it a share of its name, so it protected

With it his honor's sanctuary, and exhausted his wealth.

With it, it protected its honor and exhausted the young lions

وقام للَه في تجديد بيعته

وقام للَه في تجديد بيعته

قيام من لم يخف فقراً ولا نصبا

قيام من لم يخف فقراً ولا نصبا

And for God's sake he rose to renew his pledge of allegiance,

And it stood for God in renewing its pledge

As one who feared neither poverty nor weariness.

The standing of one who did not fear poverty or fatigue

فقل بمدحته ما قاله رجلٌ

فقل بمدحته ما قاله رجلٌ

نادى غنيّاً شحيحاً للندى فأبى

نادى غنيّاً شحيحاً للندى فأبى

So say in his praise what a man said,

So say in praising it what a man said

Who appealed to a wealthy miser for bounty, but he refused:

Who called out to a stingy rich man for help but he refused

السبع سبعٌ ولو كلت براثنه

السبع سبعٌ ولو كلت براثنه

والكلب كلبٌ ولو طوقته الذهبا

والكلب كلبٌ ولو طوقته الذهبا

The lion is a lion, even if its claws grow blunt,

The lion is a lion even if you adorn its fangs with gold

And the dog is a dog, even if you collar it with gold.

And the dog is a dog even if you adorn it with gold