1. Indeed, thusly should praise and reward be gained,
And the beauty of mention embraced by those who seek mention.

2. Indeed, God has honored the son of time darkened by night,
And ennobled, O crown of kings, through you the age.

3. And He has favoured this time and its people,
With the most wondrous - time cannot disobey any command of his.

4. Sword of the Commander of the Faithful, and for anyone who has
A sword for him, let it kill fear and poverty.

5. We have shaken you gently and drawn you sharply -
So you severed heads and penetrated coats of mail.

6. A sword whose blade we see clemency and blessing,
And in its edge, triumph and victory.

7. And in its proximity, nearness; and in its attainment, loftiness;
And in its dominion, eternity; and in its shade, ease.

8. A young man who sees nothing but praise as booty,
And earns nothing but eulogy as provision for him.

9. And a bridle-cloth of finely woven linen, a headstall, straps,
A silk saddlecloth, white, and a crimson housing.

10. When he fought fiercely he severed white and brown,
And when he was generous with benevolence, he stinted flowing blood.

11. By your life, if your fingers extend in generosity,
Indeed your features have extended the wine.

12. However much you have granted respite from your noble character
And gained it thereby your sweet scattering of scent.

13. And imbued it thereby from the edge of your might an enclosure,
And taught it thereby from your redolence intoxication.

14. As though planets swallow the moon whenever
You clink it in the goblet, virginal though aged.

15. O father of stars, the first flowers - if the sky
Were adorned with them, it would not heed the stars' blossoms.

16. Whenever one of them is revealed by an imagination,
You see in its clusters the starry host shooting.

17. And how many absent lions were once young cubs,
And enemies of springs have now become fresh branches!

18. I hoped for you an ocean, outstripping the ocean in attainment,
And visited you, a moon, too majestic to resemble the moon.

19. The angels sought my praise, but I protected it
For the most generous of them in reward, and noblest in worth.

20. It was not for me to refuse to deliver my brides to you
When you have made their bride-price beyond the others.

21. I have made for them from your splendid eulogy adornments;
From your bounty, bliss; and from your shade, cover.

22. And if a life is long, wonders will not diminish
That time finds hard to make its nights outlast in life.

23. The marvels - when Baghdad became enamoured of it,
Egypt swooned for it before and Syria languished.

24. By God, I do not neglect gratitude and deem it
Due to your praise, O worthy of gratitude.

25. So the neck of glory dons thereby
Necklaces of pearl disdaining thereby pearls.

26. Whenever I say in the crown of kingship a poem,
Of poetry, they say you have eulogized poetry thereby.