أَمُطَّلِبٌ دَع دَعاوى الكُماةِ

أَمُطَّلِبٌ دَع دَعاوى الكُماةِ

فَتِلكَ نَحيزَةُ لا رُتبَه

فَتِلكَ نَحيزَةُ لا رُتبَه

O Muttalib, abandon the boasts of warriors;

Amuttalib, leave off your false claims

for that is an innate quality, not a rank.

For those are the traits of an unworthy man

فَكَيفَ رَأَيتَ سُيوفَ الحَريشِ

فَكَيفَ رَأَيتَ سُيوفَ الحَريشِ

وَوَقعَةَ مَولى بَني ضَبَّه

وَوَقعَةَ مَولى بَني ضَبَّه

So how did you find the swords of al-Harish,

How did you see the swords of Bani Hareth

and the assault of the client of Banu Dabba?

And the battle of the chieftain of Bani Dhabba

أَحَجَّتكَ أَسيافُهُم كارِهاً

أَحَجَّتكَ أَسيافُهُم كارِهاً

وَما لَكَ في الحَجِّ مِن رَغبَه

وَما لَكَ في الحَجِّ مِن رَغبَه

Their swords drove you to pilgrimage against your will,

Your proof is only their swords you hated

and you had no desire for the pilgrimage.

And you have no true devotion to pilgrimage

وَما المالُ جاءَكَ مِن مَغنَمٍ

وَما المالُ جاءَكَ مِن مَغنَمٍ

وَلا مِن ذَكاءٍ وَلا كِسبَه

وَلا مِن ذَكاءٍ وَلا كِسبَه

And wealth did not come to you from spoils of war,

Your wealth did not come from war spoils

nor from cleverness, nor from earnings.

Nor from wisdom or honest work

عَطاياكَ تَغدو عَلى سابِحٍ

عَطاياكَ تَغدو عَلى سابِحٍ

وَطَوراً عَلى بَغلَةٍ نَدبَه

وَطَوراً عَلى بَغلَةٍ نَدبَه

Your grants travel on a swift steed,

Your gifts come from a swimmer one day

and sometimes on a nimble mule.

And a camel-rider another day

وَلَو يُرزَقُ الناسُ مِن حيلَةٍ

وَلَو يُرزَقُ الناسُ مِن حيلَةٍ

لَما نِلتَ كَفّاً مِنَ التُربَه

لَما نِلتَ كَفّاً مِنَ التُربَه

And if people were provided for through resourcefulness,

If people's wealth came from cunning

you would not gain a handful of soil.

You would not get a handful of dust

وَلَو يَشرَبُ الماءَ أَهلُ العَفافِ

وَلَو يَشرَبُ الماءَ أَهلُ العَفافِ

لَما نِلتَ مِن مائِهِم شَربَه

لَما نِلتَ مِن مائِهِم شَربَه

And if only the chaste drank water,

If the virtuous drank water

you would not get a draught of their water.

You would not get a sip from them

وَلَو خَصَّ بِالرِزقِ نَجلُ الكِرامِ

وَلَو خَصَّ بِالرِزقِ نَجلُ الكِرامِ

لَما نِلتَ خَيطاً وَلا هُدبَه

لَما نِلتَ خَيطاً وَلا هُدبَه

And if sustenance were reserved for noble offspring,

If sustenance was for noble men

you would gain neither a thread nor a fringe.

You would not get a thread or rag

وَلَكِنَّهُ رِزقُ مَن رِزقُهُ

وَلَكِنَّهُ رِزقُ مَن رِزقُهُ

يَعُمُّ بِهِ الكَلبَ وَالكَلبَه

يَعُمُّ بِهِ الكَلبَ وَالكَلبَه

But it is the provision of Him whose provision

But it is the sustenance of Him who gives it

He extends to the dog and the bitch alike.

It comes to dogs and bitches alike