ما أنْصَفَتْ بغدادُ ناشئها الذي

ما أنْصَفَتْ بغدادُ ناشئها الذي

كَثُرَ الثَّناءُ به على بغْدادِ

كَثُرَ الثَّناءُ به على بغْدادِ

Baghdad has not done justice to her native son, who

Baghdad did not do justice to its youth

has brought Baghdad abundant praise.

Whose praises on Baghdad were plenty

سَلْ بي إذا مَدَّ الجِدالُ رواقَهُ

سَلْ بي إذا مَدَّ الجِدالُ رواقَهُ

بصَوارمٍ غيرِ السُّيوفِ حِدادِ

بصَوارمٍ غيرِ السُّيوفِ حِدادِ

Ask about me when debate spreads its canopy

Ask me when the arena of debate extends its aisles

with sharp blades other than swords.

With swords other than made by blacksmiths

وجرتْ بأنواعِ العُلومِ مَقالَتي

وجرتْ بأنواعِ العُلومِ مَقالَتي

كالسَّيْلِ مَدَّ إلى قَرارِ الوادي

كالسَّيْلِ مَدَّ إلى قَرارِ الوادي

And my discourse flowed with diverse branches of learning,

And my discourse flowed in all kinds of knowledge

like a torrent running down to the valley floor.

Like a torrent stretching to the basin of a valley

وذعرْتُ ألْبابَ الخصوم بخاطرٍ

وذعرْتُ ألْبابَ الخصوم بخاطرٍ

يقْظانَ في الإصْدارِ والإيرادِ

يقْظانَ في الإصْدارِ والإيرادِ

And I struck terror into my opponents' minds with an intellect

And I startled the minds of opponents with thoughts

alert in the give-and-take of argument.

Awake in wit and eloquence

فتصدَّعوا مُتَفرِّقينَ كأنَّهُمْ

فتصدَّعوا مُتَفرِّقينَ كأنَّهُمْ

مالٌ تُفَرِّقُهُ يَدُ ابن طِرادِ

مالٌ تُفَرِّقُهُ يَدُ ابن طِرادِ

So they broke apart and scattered, as though they were

So they crumbled dispersing as though they were

wealth distributed by the hand of Ibn Tirad.

Wealth scattered by the hand of Ibn Tirad