سَقى الطَلَلَينِ بَينَ المَنحَرَينِ

سَقى الطَلَلَينِ بَينَ المَنحَرَينِ

مُرَوِّي الوابِلَينِ المُسبِلَينِ

مُرَوِّي الوابِلَينِ المُسبِلَينِ

May he water the two ruins between al-Manharayn—

He irrigated the two hills between the two sanctuaries,

he who fills the two streaming rainclouds—

Watering the two downpours pouring down,

فَمنقادَ البَليخِ فَحَيثُ حَفَّت

فَمنقادَ البَليخِ فَحَيثُ حَفَّت

جَداوِلُهُ قُصُورَ الرَقَتَينِ

جَداوِلُهُ قُصُورَ الرَقَتَينِ

and the stretch along the Balikh, and the place where

So the torrents flowed wherever it pleased,

its channels encircled the palaces of the two Raqqas.

Its streams to the palaces of softness.

بِلادٌ حَلها ابنُ أَبي عَليٍّ

بِلادٌ حَلها ابنُ أَبي عَليٍّ

فَحَلَّ بِها سَخِيُّ الراحَتينِ

فَحَلَّ بِها سَخِيُّ الراحَتينِ

A land where the son of Abu Ali settled,

A country settled by the son of Abi Ali,

and there settled a man generous with both palms.

So he settled in it, generous with the two comforts.

إِذا خَفَقَت لَهُ أَعلامُ جَيشٍ

إِذا خَفَقَت لَهُ أَعلامُ جَيشٍ

فَقَد خَفَقَت قُلوبُ الخافِقَينِ

فَقَد خَفَقَت قُلوبُ الخافِقَينِ

When the banners of an army flutter for him,

When flags of an army fluttered for him,

then the hearts of East and West flutter.

The hearts of the fluttering ones have fluttered.

كَريمُ الوالِدَينِ وَكُلُّ فِعلٍ

كَريمُ الوالِدَينِ وَكُلُّ فِعلٍ

كَريمٌ لِلكَريمِ الوالِدَينِ

كَريمٌ لِلكَريمِ الوالِدَينِ

Of noble parentage, and every deed

Generous to his parents and every deed

is noble in a man of noble parentage.

Is generous to the generous parents.

تَرى العافي يُطالِبُهُ بِرِفدٍ

تَرى العافي يُطالِبُهُ بِرِفدٍ

فَتَحسَبُهُ يُطالِبُهُ بِدَينِ

فَتَحسَبُهُ يُطالِبُهُ بِدَينِ

You see the petitioner asking him for a gift,

You see bounty asking him for aid,

and think he is demanding repayment of a debt.

And you reckon it is asking him for a debt.

فَتىً زَينُ المَحافِلِ لَيسَ يَأتي

فَتىً زَينُ المَحافِلِ لَيسَ يَأتي

بِحَمدِ اللَهِ فِعلاً غَيرَ زَينِ

بِحَمدِ اللَهِ فِعلاً غَيرَ زَينِ

A youth, the adornment of assemblies, who never does

A young man adorns gatherings, he does not do

—praise be to God—a deed that is not beautiful.

Any praiseworthy deed other than adornment.

عَفِيفُ الذَيلِ مِن دَنَسٍ وَفُحشٍ

عَفِيفُ الذَيلِ مِن دَنَسٍ وَفُحشٍ

بَرِيءُ القَولِ مِن هُجنٍ وَمَينِ

بَرِيءُ القَولِ مِن هُجنٍ وَمَينِ

Chaste of hem, free from stain and indecency,

Chaste of trailing garment from filth and obscenity,

his speech free from baseness and falsehood.

Innocent of speech from vileness and blemish.

يَشُذُ مِنَ البَرِيَّةِ كُلُّ حمدٍ

يَشُذُ مِنَ البَرِيَّةِ كُلُّ حمدٍ

فَيَجمَعُهُ بِتَبدِيدِ اللُجَينِ

فَيَجمَعُهُ بِتَبدِيدِ اللُجَينِ

All praise slips away from humankind,

He collects from the wilderness every praise

so he gathers it by scattering silver.

And gathers it by scattering the two disgraces.

إِذا اِعتَقَلَ الرُدَيني كانَ أَوفى

إِذا اِعتَقَلَ الرُدَيني كانَ أَوفى

تَماماً مِنهُ مُعتَقِلُ الرُدَيني

تَماماً مِنهُ مُعتَقِلُ الرُدَيني

When he couches the Rudayni spear, more perfect

When ar-Rudaini is captured, he is more faithful

in form than it is the wielder of the Rudayni spear.

In his capture than the captor of ar-Rudaini.

يَسُلُّ مُهَنَّداً وَيَسُلُّ عَزماً

يَسُلُّ مُهَنَّداً وَيَسُلُّ عَزماً

فَيَفتِكُ في الوَغى بِمُهَنَّدَينِ

فَيَفتِكُ في الوَغى بِمُهَنَّدَينِ

He unsheathes an Indian-steel sword and unsheathes resolve,

He attacks vigorously and attacks with resolve,

so he slays in battle with two Indian-steel swords.

And wreaks havoc in the fray with the two resolves.

وَيَلقى الجَحفلَ الجَرّارَ فَرداً

وَيَلقى الجَحفلَ الجَرّارَ فَرداً

فَتَعجَبُ مِن تَلاقي الجَحفَلَينِ

فَتَعجَبُ مِن تَلاقي الجَحفَلَينِ

And he meets the great, thronging army alone,

He encounters the massive army alone,

and you marvel at the meeting of the two armies.

And you wonder at the encounter of the two armies.

وَتَنَظُرُ يَومَ تَشتَبِكُ العَوالي

وَتَنَظُرُ يَومَ تَشتَبِكُ العَوالي

عَلِيّاً يَومَ بَدرٍ أَو حُنينِ

عَلِيّاً يَومَ بَدرٍ أَو حُنينِ

And on the day the spearheads interlock, you behold

And you look on the day the calamities clash,

Ali on the day of Badr or Hunayn.

At Ali on the day of Badr or Hunayn.

أَمَولانا الأَمِيرُ نِداءَ عَبدٍ

أَمَولانا الأَمِيرُ نِداءَ عَبدٍ

تَحمَّلَ مِنكَ فَضلاً غَيرَ هَينِ

تَحمَّلَ مِنكَ فَضلاً غَيرَ هَينِ

O our lord the emir, hear the call of a servant

Our Prince, the cry of a servant

who has received from you no small bounty.

Has borne from you grace not slight.

لَقَد أَجمَلتَ فِعلَكَ بي فَتَمِّم

لَقَد أَجمَلتَ فِعلَكَ بي فَتَمِّم

جَميلَكَ بِالجَميلِ إِلى حُسَينِ

جَميلَكَ بِالجَميلِ إِلى حُسَينِ

You have treated me graciously; now complete

You have beautified your deed with me, so complete

your kindness with kindness to Husayn.

Your favor with favor, until Hussein.

فَلَو أَني شَفِعتَ لِأَجنَبِيٍّ

فَلَو أَني شَفِعتَ لِأَجنَبِيٍّ

لَأَصبَحَ في ذَراكَ قَرِيرَ عَينِ

لَأَصبَحَ في ذَراكَ قَرِيرَ عَينِ

For if I interceded for a stranger,

If I interceded for a stranger,

he would be in your shelter, with eyes at peace.

He would wake up in your presence with delighted eyes.

فَكَيفَ لِمَن كَسَوتَ أَباهُ جاهاً

فَكَيفَ لِمَن كَسَوتَ أَباهُ جاهاً

بِجاهِكَ بَينَ أَهلِ المَشرِقَينِ

بِجاهِكَ بَينَ أَهلِ المَشرِقَينِ

Then how much more for one whose father you clothed in prestige,

So what of one whose father you have clothed with glory,

through your prestige among the people of the two Easts?

With your glory between the people of the two easts.

وَقَد شَرَّفتَهُ بِقَديمِ عَهدٍ

وَقَد شَرَّفتَهُ بِقَديمِ عَهدٍ

وَوَعدُكَ غَيرُ مَغلولِ اليَدَينِ

وَوَعدُكَ غَيرُ مَغلولِ اليَدَينِ

And you have honored him with an old pledge,

You have ennobled him with an old pact,

and your promise is not fettered at either hand.

And your promise is not bound in both hands.