أَمُطَّلِبٌ أَنتَ مُستَعذِبٌ

أَمُطَّلِبٌ أَنتَ مُستَعذِبٌ

حُماتِ الأَفاعي وَمُستَقتِلُ

حُماتِ الأَفاعي وَمُستَقتِلُ

O Muttalib, you relish

You seek to harm while being harmless,

The venom of vipers and court your own death.

Asp of snakes, yet lacking all venom.

فَإِن أَشفِ مِنكَ تَكُن سُبَّةَ

فَإِن أَشفِ مِنكَ تَكُن سُبَّةَ

وَإِن أَعفُ عَنكَ فَما تَعقِلُ

وَإِن أَعفُ عَنكَ فَما تَعقِلُ

So if I take vengeance on you, you become a byword for shame;

If I unleash my wrath you'll be disgraced,

And if I pardon you, you will not see sense.

If I show you mercy, you'll learn nothing.

سَتَأتيكَ إِمّا وَرَدتَ العِراقَ

سَتَأتيكَ إِمّا وَرَدتَ العِراقَ

صَحائِفُ يَأثِرُها دِعبِلُ

صَحائِفُ يَأثِرُها دِعبِلُ

If you arrive in Iraq, there will come to you

When you come to Iraq, messengers will bring,

Pages that Diʿbil passes on,

Scrolls that Di'bil will unroll and sing,

مُنَمَّقَةٌ بَينَ أَثنائِها

مُنَمَّقَةٌ بَينَ أَثنائِها

مَخازٍ تَحُطُّ فَما تَرحَلُ

مَخازٍ تَحُطُّ فَما تَرحَلُ

Finely embellished, bearing within their folds

Full of lines that shame and sting,

Disgraces that settle and never depart.

Burdens you'll carry but never fling.

وَضَعتَ رِجالاً فَما ضَرَّهُم

وَضَعتَ رِجالاً فَما ضَرَّهُم

وَشَرَّفتَ قَوماً فَلَم يَنبُلوا

وَشَرَّفتَ قَوماً فَلَم يَنبُلوا

You brought men low, yet did them no harm,

Men you appointed brought no renown,

And honored some people, yet they did not become noble.

A people you honored achieved no crown.

فَأَيُّهُمُ الزَينُ وَسطَ المَلا

فَأَيُّهُمُ الزَينُ وَسطَ المَلا

عَطِيَّةُ أَم صالِحُ الأَحوَلُ

عَطِيَّةُ أَم صالِحُ الأَحوَلُ

So which of them is the ornament amid the assembly—

Who among them in their time was best?

Atiyya, or Salih the cross-eyed,

Was it Atiyyah or Saalih the Blest?

أَمِ الباذِجانِيُّ أَم عامِرٌ

أَمِ الباذِجانِيُّ أَم عامِرٌ

أَمينُ الحَمامِ الَّتي تُزجَلُ

أَمينُ الحَمامِ الَّتي تُزجَلُ

Or al-Badhijani, or Amir,

Was it Al-Badzani or was it Aamir?

Keeper of the pigeons sent flying?

Or the keeper of doves whom we hear chirr?

تُنَوِّطُ مِصرُ بِكَ المُخزِياتِ

تُنَوِّطُ مِصرُ بِكَ المُخزِياتِ

وَتَبصُقُ في وَجهِكَ المَوصِلُ

وَتَبصُقُ في وَجهِكَ المَوصِلُ

Egypt hangs shameful deeds upon you,

Egypt's disgraces are laid at your feet,

And Mosul spits in your face.

Mosul spits right in your face when you meet.

وَيَومَ الشُراةِ تَحَسَّيتَها

وَيَومَ الشُراةِ تَحَسَّيتَها

يَطيبُ لَدى مِثلِها الحَنظَلُ

يَطيبُ لَدى مِثلِها الحَنظَلُ

And on the day of the Shurat, you drank it down—

The day you marched you were filled with conceit,

Beside its like, colocynth tastes sweet.

To such as you, retreat is sweet.

تَوَلَّيتَ رَكضاً وَفِتيانُنا

تَوَلَّيتَ رَكضاً وَفِتيانُنا

صُدورُ القَنا فيهِم تَعسِلُ

صُدورُ القَنا فيهِم تَعسِلُ

You fled at a run, while our young men

Our boys ran while you beat your retreat,

Had spearpoints quivering in their bodies.

In their chests hearts that know no defeat.

إِذا الحَربُ كُنتَ أَميراً لَها

إِذا الحَربُ كُنتَ أَميراً لَها

فَحَظُّهُمُ مِنكَ أَن يُقتَلوا

فَحَظُّهُمُ مِنكَ أَن يُقتَلوا

Whenever you are commander of a war,

When war comes you pretend to lead,

Then their lot from you is to be killed.

All they can hope from you is to bleed.

فَمِنكَ الرُؤوسُ غَداةَ اللِقاءِ

فَمِنكَ الرُؤوسُ غَداةَ اللِقاءِ

وَمِمَّن يُحارِبُكَ المُنصُلُ

وَمِمَّن يُحارِبُكَ المُنصُلُ

So from you come the heads on the morning of battle,

From you come heads when battle is done,

And from whoever fights you comes the sword.

While from your foes come swords flashing in the sun.

شِعارُكَ في الحَربِ يَومَ الوَغى

شِعارُكَ في الحَربِ يَومَ الوَغى

إِذا اِنهَزَموا عَجِّلوا عَجِّلوا

إِذا اِنهَزَموا عَجِّلوا عَجِّلوا

Your battle cry in war, on the day of combat,

Your war cry as the armies clash,

When they are routed, is: 'Hurry! Hurry!'

"Retreat, retreat!" and then you dash.

هَزائِمُكَ الغُرُّ مَشهورَةٌ

هَزائِمُكَ الغُرُّ مَشهورَةٌ

يُقَرطِسُ فيهِنَّ مَن يَنضُلُ

يُقَرطِسُ فيهِنَّ مَن يَنضُلُ

Your illustrious defeats are well known;

Your routs are known, defeat your brand,

Whoever shoots at them hits the bull's-eye.

You leave your friends strewn over the sand.

فَأَنتَ لِأَوَّلِهِم آخِرُ

فَأَنتَ لِأَوَّلِهِم آخِرُ

وَأَنتَ لِآخِرِهِم أَوَّلُ

وَأَنتَ لِآخِرِهِم أَوَّلُ

So to their first you are last,

You're last to advance and first to yield ground,

And to their last you are first.

Among your warriors death is found.

فَذَلِكَ دَأبُكُما أَن يَموتَ

فَذَلِكَ دَأبُكُما أَن يَموتَ

مِنَ القَومِ بَينَكُما الأَعجَلُ

مِنَ القَومِ بَينَكُما الأَعجَلُ

So this is your custom, you two: the one who dies

That is how you both tend to seek,

Among the men between you two is the hastiest.

The quickest from your ranks death to reap.