وأحْلاف مجدٍ موجفينَ إِلى العُلى

وأحْلاف مجدٍ موجفينَ إِلى العُلى

لهم من قُصيٍّ انتسبوا رهطُ

لهم من قُصيٍّ انتسبوا رهطُ

And allies of glory, hastening toward the heights,

With oaths of glorious might ascending on high,

Their clan is of Qusayy, from whom they trace their descent.

A folk who trace back their line to honored Qussay.

تُقِلُّمُ الجُرْدُ الجيادُ كأنها

تُقِلُّمُ الجُرْدُ الجيادُ كأنها

سراحينُ ثَلاَّتٍ بمَوماتها مُعْطُ

سراحينُ ثَلاَّتٍ بمَوماتها مُعْطُ

The sleek, noble steeds carry them, as though they were

The horses champ the bits as though they were

Wolves haunting flocks, bare-coated in their desert wastes.

Mares with their young, kept apart from the herd.

يَرودونَ رأياً من لَبيبٍ مُعايرٍ

يَرودونَ رأياً من لَبيبٍ مُعايرٍ

لكل عِقالٍ منْ رَويَّتهِ نَشْطُ

لكل عِقالٍ منْ رَويَّتهِ نَشْطُ

They seek counsel from a discerning man who weighs matters;

With reason sound they form their plan of battle

For every hobble, his deliberation brings release.

For every keen mind that unfolds its thought.

منحتهم أسطارَ طِرْسٍ ومعْركٍ

منحتهم أسطارَ طِرْسٍ ومعْركٍ

بليغينِ مما أنْبت الخطُّ والخَطُّ

بليغينِ مما أنْبت الخطُّ والخَطُّ

I bestowed on them the lines of a parchment and a battlefield,

I gave them, adorned in mail and armed for war,

Both eloquent with what writing and al-Khatt bring forth.

Eloquence drawn from script and nature's law.

فعادتْ لهم صيدُ الملوكِ أذِلَّةً

فعادتْ لهم صيدُ الملوكِ أذِلَّةً

لكل طليقٍ من كُماتهمُ رَبْطُ

لكل طليقٍ من كُماتهمُ رَبْطُ

So the proud kings became humbled before them;

So to them the kings' prey has become submissive,

For every unfettered man, their armored warriors have a fetter.

To each stalwart whose bonds grip it in hold.

ومنْ كالوزيرِ الزَّينبيِّ مُقَرِّباً

ومنْ كالوزيرِ الزَّينبيِّ مُقَرِّباً

بعيد العُلى اذا حال من دونه الشَّحط

بعيد العُلى اذا حال من دونه الشَّحط

And who is like the vizier al-Zaynabi, bringing near

One whose favor brings near, like Zainab's vizier,

Far-off heights when remoteness bars the way to them?

Though aloof, as when barriers rise between.

فتىً لا يُدانيهِ رِضاهُ لِلينَةٍ

فتىً لا يُدانيهِ رِضاهُ لِلينَةٍ

تُذِلُّ ولا يثْنيه عن كرمٍ سخط

تُذِلُّ ولا يثْنيه عن كرمٍ سخط

A man whose contentment does not draw him toward softness

A youth whom compliance delights not through mildness

That abases him, nor does anger turn him from generosity.

Nor anger deters him from bounty, for all his wrath.