قُل لِمَن سادَ ثُمَّ سادَ أَبوهُ

قُل لِمَن سادَ ثُمَّ سادَ أَبوهُ

قَبلَهُ ثُمَّ قَبلَ ذَلِكَ جَدُّه

قَبلَهُ ثُمَّ قَبلَ ذَلِكَ جَدُّه

Say to him who was preeminent, whose father too was preeminent

Tell the one who ruled, then his father ruled before him

Say to the one who ruled, just as his father ruled

Before him, and before that, his grandfather,

Then before that, his grandfather ruled

Before him, and before that, his grandsire too,

وَأَبو جَدِّهِ فَسادَ إِلى أَن

وَأَبو جَدِّهِ فَسادَ إِلى أَن

يَتَلاقى نِزارُهُ وَمَعَدَّه

يَتَلاقى نِزارُهُ وَمَعَدَّه

And his grandfather's father—so eminence runs back until

And his grandfather's father ruled, going back

And his great-grandfather, holding sway until

His Nizār and his Maʿadd meet;

Until his lineage meets with Ma'add's

His lineage met with Nizar and Ma'add,

ثُمَّ آبائُهُ إِلى المُبتَدى مِن

ثُمَّ آبائُهُ إِلى المُبتَدى مِن

آدَمَ لا أَبٌ وَأُمٌّ تَعُدَّه

آدَمَ لا أَبٌ وَأُمٌّ تَعُدَّه

Then his forefathers, back to their beginning with

Then his forefathers back to the first one, from

Then his forefathers, back to the very start,

Adam—not merely a father and mother for you to count.

Adam - no father or mother counts for him

To Adam—whom no father claims nor mother bore.

يا اِبنَ بُحبوحَةِ البِطاحِ عُبَيدَ ال

يا اِبنَ بُحبوحَةِ البِطاحِ عُبَيدَ ال

لاهِ غَوثاً مِن مُستَغيثٍ يَوَدَّه

لاهِ غَوثاً مِن مُستَغيثٍ يَوَدَّه

O son of the heart of the valley plains, ʿUbayd Allāh,

O son of Buhabbah's pasturelands, slave of no god

O son of the Valley's heart, Ubaid Al-

A cry for help from a suppliant who loves you!

Seeking help from one pleading - he wants it

-lah! Grant succor to a supplicant who loves you.

فَاِهتَبِل عِندِيَ النَصيحَةَ وَاِذخَر

فَاِهتَبِل عِندِيَ النَصيحَةَ وَاِذخَر

ني لِقَولٍ أُجيدُهُ وَأُجِدُّه

ني لِقَولٍ أُجيدُهُ وَأُجِدُّه

So make the most of my counsel, and keep

So take my advice here and treasure

So seize this counsel from me, and keep me in store

Me for verse I compose well and make anew.

Me for words I excel at and take pride in

For poetry I craft with mastery and fresh intent;

وَاِستَزِدني إِلى مَكارِمِكَ الغُر

وَاِستَزِدني إِلى مَكارِمِكَ الغُر

رِ وَمَجدٍ إِلَيكَ خَيَّمَ مَجدُه

رِ وَمَجدٍ إِلَيكَ خَيَّمَ مَجدُه

And ask more of me, to add to your radiant virtues

And ask me for more of your noble virtues

And ask me to extol your virtues, the shi-

And a glory whose splendor has pitched its tent with you:

And glory that raised its glory to you

-ning, and a glory that has pitched its tent with you.

عَبدَرِيٌّ إِذا اِنتَمى أَبطَحِيٌّ

عَبدَرِيٌّ إِذا اِنتَمى أَبطَحِيٌّ

تالِدٌ نَسجُهُ عَتيقٌ فِرِندُه

تالِدٌ نَسجُهُ عَتيقٌ فِرِندُه

ʿAbdarī when it declares its lineage, Abṭaḥī,

An Abdarite, when attributed to Buhabbah

An 'Abdari by descent, of Mecca's sacred ground,

Ancestral is its weave, ancient its brocade.

Ancient lineage, its warp and weft apparent

Ancient his fabric, noble the lustre of his blade.