أَلا هَلَكَ المُلوكُ وَعَبدُ عَمرٍو

أَلا هَلَكَ المُلوكُ وَعَبدُ عَمرٍو

وَخُلَّيَت العِراقُ لِمَن بَغاها

وَخُلَّيَت العِراقُ لِمَن بَغاها

Lo, the kings and ʿAbd ʿAmr have perished,

Alas! The kings have perished and the slave of ‘Amr

and Iraq was left to whoever sought it.

And Iraq is left to whoever desires it

فَكَم مِن وَالدٍ لَكَ يا بنَ بِشرٍ

فَكَم مِن وَالدٍ لَكَ يا بنَ بِشرٍ

تَأَزَّرَ بِالمَكارِمِ وَاِرتَداها

تَأَزَّرَ بِالمَكارِمِ وَاِرتَداها

For many a forefather of yours, O son of Bishr,

So how many fathers do you have, o son of Bishr

girded himself with noble virtues and wore them as a cloak.

Who wore virtues and donned them

بَنى لَكَ مَرثَدٌ وَأَبوكَ بِشرٌ

بَنى لَكَ مَرثَدٌ وَأَبوكَ بِشرٌ

عَلى الشُمَّ البَواذِخ مِن ذُراها

عَلى الشُمَّ البَواذِخ مِن ذُراها

Marthad and your father Bishr built for you

Your father Bishr built for you the lofty Marthad

upon the lofty, towering summits of those virtues.

Upon the magnificent peaks of its structures