تَوَلّى طاهِرٌ مِن بَعدِ أَن قَد

تَوَلّى طاهِرٌ مِن بَعدِ أَن قَد

أَقامَ فَلا يُسامُ وَلا يَسومُ

أَقامَ فَلا يُسامُ وَلا يَسومُ

Tahir departed after he had

Tahir departed after having stayed,

stayed; he is neither oppressed nor oppresses.

Neither hosting nor being hosted.

وَأَبقى بَعدَهُ فينا ثَلاثاً

وَأَبقى بَعدَهُ فينا ثَلاثاً

عَجائِبَ تُستَخَفُّ لَها الحُلومُ

عَجائِبَ تُستَخَفُّ لَها الحُلومُ

And he left behind among us three

And he left behind amongst us three,

marvels that bewilder sound minds:

Marvels that confound reasonable minds.

ثَلاثَةُ أَعبُدٍ لِأَبٍ وَأُمٍّ

ثَلاثَةُ أَعبُدٍ لِأَبٍ وَأُمٍّ

تَمَيَّزُ عَن ثَلاثَتِهِم أَرومُ

تَمَيَّزُ عَن ثَلاثَتِهِم أَرومُ

Three slaves of one father and mother,

Three worshippers of a father and mother,

yet the three have different ancestral roots.

Distinguished from their ilk, honorable.

فَبَعضُهُمُ يَقولُ قُرَيشُ قَومي

فَبَعضُهُمُ يَقولُ قُرَيشُ قَومي

وَتَدفَعُهُ المَوالي وَالصَميمُ

وَتَدفَعُهُ المَوالي وَالصَميمُ

So one of them says, "Quraysh are my people,"

One claims "Quraysh is my tribe,"

but tribal clients and pure-blooded tribesmen reject him.

Though they disown him in heart and soul.

وَبَعضٌ في خُزاعَةَ مُنتَماهُ

وَبَعضٌ في خُزاعَةَ مُنتَماهُ

وَلاءٌ غَيرُ مَجهولٍ قَديمُ

وَلاءٌ غَيرُ مَجهولٍ قَديمُ

And another's affiliation is with Khuza'a,

Another found refuge with Khuza'ah,

a longstanding, well-known bond of clientage.

An ancient, uncontested kinship.

وَبَعضُهُمُ يَهَشُّ لِآلِ كِسرى

وَبَعضُهُمُ يَهَشُّ لِآلِ كِسرى

وَيَزعُمُ أَنَّهُ عِلجٌ لَئيمُ

وَيَزعُمُ أَنَّهُ عِلجٌ لَئيمُ

And another warms to the house of Khosrow,

And another cowers before the house of Chosroes,

and claims that he is a base non-Arab.

Claiming a despicable foreign lineage.

لَقَد كَثُرَت مَناسِبُهُم عَلَينا

لَقَد كَثُرَت مَناسِبُهُم عَلَينا

فَكُلُّهُمُ عَلى حالٍ زَنيمُ

فَكُلُّهُمُ عَلى حالٍ زَنيمُ

Indeed, their pedigrees have grown too many for us;

Indeed, their allegiances have multiplied against us,

so every one of them, in any case, is a spurious kinsman.

And each one remains in a miserable state.