لَعَمري لَئِن مَروانَ سَهَّلَ حاجَتي

لَعَمري لَئِن مَروانَ سَهَّلَ حاجَتي

وَفَكَّ وِثاقي عَن طَريدٍ مُشَرَّدِ

وَفَكَّ وِثاقي عَن طَريدٍ مُشَرَّدِ

By my life, if Marwan has eased my need

By my life, if Marwan fulfills my need

and freed me from my bonds, a hunted, banished man,

And releases me from the bonds of exile and homelessness

لَنِعمَ فَتى الظَلماءِ وَالرافِدُ القِرى

لَنِعمَ فَتى الظَلماءِ وَالرافِدُ القِرى

وَضارِبُ كَبشِ العارِضِ المُتَوَقِّدِ

وَضارِبُ كَبشِ العارِضِ المُتَوَقِّدِ

then truly he is a fine youth in the darkness, and a giver of hospitality,

He will be the generous prince of darkness, and protector of homes

and the striker of the ram-like champion of the blazing host.

Striker of the unruly camel baring its teeth

أَغَرَّ كَأَنَّ البَدرَ فَوقَ جَبينِهِ

أَغَرَّ كَأَنَّ البَدرَ فَوقَ جَبينِهِ

مَتى تَرَهُ البيضُ الدَهاقينُ تَسجُدِ

مَتى تَرَهُ البيضُ الدَهاقينُ تَسجُدِ

Radiant, as though the full moon were above his brow;

He looked like the full moon on his forehead

whenever the fair-skinned landed nobles see him, they prostrate themselves.

Whenever he is seen by the pale priests they bow down

وَكائِن لَكُم آلَ المُهَلَّبِ مِن يَدٍ

وَكائِن لَكُم آلَ المُهَلَّبِ مِن يَدٍ

عَلَيَّ وَمَعروفٍ يَروحُ وَيَغتَدي

عَلَيَّ وَمَعروفٍ يَروحُ وَيَغتَدي

And how many favors you have bestowed, O house of al-Muhallab,

And whatever is ordained for you, O clan of Al-Muhallab

upon me, and kindness that comes at evening and morning!

Against me and Ma'ruf who comes and goes unchecked

وَما مِن غُلامٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ عَلِمتُهُ

وَما مِن غُلامٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ عَلِمتُهُ

وَلا يَمِنِ الأَملاكِ مِن أَرضِ صَيهَدِ

وَلا يَمِنِ الأَملاكِ مِن أَرضِ صَيهَدِ

And no youth of Maʿadd whom I have known,

There is no young man from Ma'add I know

nor any [among] the kings from the land of Ṣayhad,

Nor from the kings of Yemen in the land of Saihad

هُوَ مِثلُ جَدِّ اِبنِ المُهَلَّبِ وَالَّذي

هُوَ مِثلُ جَدِّ اِبنِ المُهَلَّبِ وَالَّذي

لَهُ عَدَدُ الحَصباءِ مِن ذي التَمَعدُدِ

لَهُ عَدَدُ الحَصباءِ مِن ذي التَمَعدُدِ

is like Ibn al-Muhallab's grandfather, and the one

He is like the grandfather of Ibn Al-Muhallab

who has hardy Maʿaddites as numerous as pebbles.

Who has the number of pebbles from the many-pebbled land

وَما حَمَلَت أَيديهِمُ مِن جَنازَةٍ

وَما حَمَلَت أَيديهِمُ مِن جَنازَةٍ

وَلا أَلبَسَت أَثوابَها مِثلَ مَخلَدِ

وَلا أَلبَسَت أَثوابَها مِثلَ مَخلَدِ

And never have their hands carried a corpse,

And their hands did not carry a corpse

nor clothed in its shrouds anyone like Makhlad.

Nor did their clothes wear out like Makhlad's

أَبوكَ الَّذي تُستَهزَمُ الخَيلَ بِاِسمِهِ

أَبوكَ الَّذي تُستَهزَمُ الخَيلَ بِاِسمِهِ

وَإِن كانَ مِنها سَيرُ شَهرٍ مُطَرَّدِ

وَإِن كانَ مِنها سَيرُ شَهرٍ مُطَرَّدِ

Your father is he whose name puts the horses to flight,

Your father whom the horses are routed by his name

even if he is a month's unbroken journey away from them.

Even if the journey is a month-long trek

وَقَد عَلِموا مُذ شَدَّ حَقوَيهِ أَنَّهُ

وَقَد عَلِموا مُذ شَدَّ حَقوَيهِ أَنَّهُ

هُوَ اللَيثُ لَيثُ الغابِ غَيرُ المُعَرِّدِ

هُوَ اللَيثُ لَيثُ الغابِ غَيرُ المُعَرِّدِ

And they have known, since he girded his loins, that he

And they knew since he tightened his belt

is the lion, the lion of the thickets, who does not flee.

He is the lion, the lion of the thicket, not distracted