1. By you, your era can be proud,
Prouder than any past or faded era.

2. Had its days faces,
Your efforts in it would be bluffs.

3. How much did an insistent striver strive
In seeking your heights, but gained no trace!

4. Where is Thamud from the two Meads
Or the two 'Ad tribes from Samar?

5. As if you had set time's course right
And led destiny wherever you wished.

6. By your resolve turning misfortunes
And your vengeance holding back the hostile.

7. Time has obeyed you concerning whom you want:
Whom you wished fared ill, whom well.

8. There your miracles stand alone
And your day - yes, that day is most wondrous.

9. And this Dilly man who never attained
Kingship in ancient times,

10. You raised a dome for him become
Loftier than all lofty and towering things.

11. When it shows gleaming in the dark
Bejeweled with stars all a-flower,

12. You'd think, in the black dark, clouds
Like mantles were upon it.

13. The sun makes way for it at sunrise
Else, had it kept itself back, it wouldn't shine.

14. And if the moon spied it at its fullest
And had the power, it would hide itself.

15. So it became a sign in building
Like its lord's wayfaring in travels.

16. Khosrow's iwan - though it made
The uncouth despair - is trivial by it.

17. Every building the kings erected
New, lofty; aged, crumbling.

18. How few the dwelling places for the owner
Of traits when he championed the true creed!

19. Thanks to him the ropes of truth beneath his shade
Survived, despite the foes, unbreakable.

20. For the state's choice, the Triumphant,
Victorious sword of the humans' imam.

21. Whose feats tells of his origin
As the sword's notching tells of its blow.

22. How much the scowling kings craved it
But their searching the towns and wastes wearied.

23. Had they won it, by my life,
It would have been the crowns on their brows.

24. One of lofty resolve saw their vainglory
To be as the wind-borne spider web's.

25. Their munifience sinks into his bounty
As the slender into ample seas submerged.

26. How can a cloud in the sky compete
With his rain of gifts on people showering?

27. How can lightning bolts vie with his glinting blade
Whose gleam foretells no rain will pour?

28. Your contentment has held back the plea
Till the hoped-for came, as wished.

29. In every land you passed
You left a trace - yes, some trace!

30. With the sword you exalted them
Without you, not one stone had stood.

31. You erased the corruptors' traces
What is unforced cannot be forced.

32. Thus glory is reached by one who wants it
And homelands are settled by one who settles.

33. Though the wicked bore sin therein
You were exempted from that burden.

34. They made lawful forbidden things
Nearly rending the heavens apart.

35. Into war's deep well they drove you -
How many drivers were undriven!

36. Content with escaping, fearing harm
Though had you wished none could escape.

37. So you bewildered them from seeking heritage
How much blood of theirs flowed wasted!

38. They will never pay you those debts
Even were they the Forest's trees.

39. Their Mania beside the Cross
And whom you did not plunder went unplundered.

40. Everyone who tried to help it failed
So how can who conquers it be abased?

41. Too hard for Romans was protecting
Religion's forts - to stab the forts!

42. Concerning what your hounds did
To their king, for them it's a lesson.

43. Some dogs, while others some of those
You smashed with a single blow.

44. They thronged unto Damascus in their pride,
At which mountains bow down.

45. Two hundred thousand invaders in two hundreds.
But they scarcely lasted a blink of the eye.

46. Then they fled routed, fearing evil -
But what fear can protect from fate?

47. On a day when dogs exulted,
Bristling at all noble Murris.

48. But no! You turned them toward Kosayr
And your resolve sent those raiders.

49. Their prowess failed, their iron melted in fear
Of the rending lion there.

50. Better staves' knock than war pounding
And needles' pricks than lances' stabbing.

51. Naught protects folk from destiny
When narrow is the house of spears.

52. Terror tore the war-makers from them
As it tore the zebras from the donkeys.

53. On what day did you see the fray
And not keep pulling victory's train?

54. The seasoned avoided this fight
And news the amateur found dire.

55. Had the riffraff disputed with you out of error
It would have rubbed the experience from the expert.

56. The lion of earth concedes your might
When death gapes its mouth in a grin.

57. Distant people now fight shy of you,
Wastelanders and settled folk.

58. Events made bare their white blades.
First your fathers, then the famed sword.

59. Through it your superiority to all was clear.
By night the moon's superiority.

60. Our days passed under your protection,
Safe, yes, forever from bitterness.

61. You bettered our homelands through justice
Without you, no settled place had been improved.

62. So the Lord on High built what you built
And did not deprive Syria of this oversight.

63. How many a sanctuary, had you neglected it,
Would have been despoiled! How many a frontier,

64. Had you been far, would have been breached!
Without your battles and favors

65. People would have died from fear and woes.
You rewarded equally the repentant and obstinate:

66. Good for good and ill for ill.
We don't recall past troubles -

67. Your spreading justice folded up their wrong.
You are the most generous possessor of might

68. Who pardoned and overlooked when able.
For you excuse has ample scope

69. For acceptance, and sin to be forgiven.
I openly boast of gaining such traits -

70. Yes, of a tenth of their tenth I am proud.
Virtues never gathered in one person

71. So Glory to the One Who gathered them in a mortal!
Had they been created ere Revelation descended

72. Their mention would have been in the surahs.
None of noble lineage should seek to gain them -

73. That path to them is dangerous.
None dares ride the deathly precipice

74. Save the greatly perilous.
None perfects himself until he is

75. Gentle when at peace and harsh in war.
A virtuous woman whom women birth

76. Comes not from wombs but minds.
When singers lift their voices,

77. The chaste rise above singers.
She donned eloquence's intricacies

78. As a twig dons its blossoms.
And she came to praise you for what you attained,

79. While planters reap what they planted.
I did not flag, as you can see,

80. Though I admit my falling short.
Flattery of other than you

81. Seeking favor, however long my life drags on.
My truthfulness forbade sophistry

82. While the wine made me forget all but wine.
My wishes overflowed from your repose

83. Leaving me no need from any creation.
With hands whose bounty overwhelms me

84. As rain overwhelms the land with bounty.
With it time desisted from its tyranny

85. Else had I not kept my pact, I would have snapped.
So for the favor you conferred on me

86. I've a tongue admitting, an eye joyously beholding.
Yes, your action toward me

87. Circulated among people - I've no excuse not to praise.
Then praise spread among the people, and I have no excuse not to join in praise.