لا تستَطِل بالذي تأتي به السحبُ

لا تستَطِل بالذي تأتي به السحبُ

فالغيث ما مطرت صُوراً به حلبُ

فالغيث ما مطرت صُوراً به حلبُ

Do not boast of what the clouds bring;

Do not linger over what the clouds may bring,

for rain is what Aleppo showered upon Tyre.

For rain has not poured images on Aleppo.

هبت رياح الندى منها شآميةً

هبت رياح الندى منها شآميةً

وهّابةً أتهبُّ الريح أم تَهبُ

وهّابةً أتهبُّ الريح أم تَهبُ

Winds of generosity blew from it, Syrian,

The winds of dew have blown, some from Damascus,

lavishly giving—is the wind blowing, or bestowing gifts?

Whether the wind blows gently or rages.

لما استقلّ سعيد الدين مرتحلاً

لما استقلّ سعيد الدين مرتحلاً

عنها تيقنتُ أنّ الجودَ مغتربُ

عنها تيقنتُ أنّ الجودَ مغتربُ

When Sa'id al-Din set out, departing

When Sa'eed al-Deen departed,

from it, I knew for certain that generosity had gone abroad.

I knew generosity had gone into exile.

معوّداً أن يفوتَ الناسَ كلهم

معوّداً أن يفوتَ الناسَ كلهم

سَبقاً ويُدرِكه في مالِه الطَّلبُ

سَبقاً ويُدرِكه في مالِه الطَّلبُ

Accustomed to outstrip all people

He was used to outstripping all people,

in the race, yet petitions overtake him in matters of wealth.

Overtaking them in wealth and seeking more.

يُردي ويُسدي فمن بأسٍ له سببٌ

يُردي ويُسدي فمن بأسٍ له سببٌ

يقودُه وعَطاء ما له سَببُ

يقودُه وعَطاء ما له سَببُ

He slays and bestows: his might has a cause

He gives and lends so who can oppose him

that guides him, but his giving has none.

When fate leads him and gifts need no reason?

وهمَّة مُذ عَلت صارَت ثَمانِيةً

وهمَّة مُذ عَلت صارَت ثَمانِيةً

بِها وكانَ يُقالُ السبعةُ الشّهبُ

بِها وكانَ يُقالُ السبعةُ الشّهبُ

And such ambition: since it rose, the stars have become eight

Since his ambition soared it became eightfold,

with it, though they were called the seven luminaries.

Where once they said the seven planets.

ينير في السلم نور المشتري معه

ينير في السلم نور المشتري معه

وفي الحروب مع المريخ يلتهبُ

وفي الحروب مع المريخ يلتهبُ

In peace he shines, Jupiter's light beside him,

He shines in peace like Venus with the moon,

and in wars he blazes alongside Mars.

And rages in war like fiery Mars.

مبارك الدولة الزهراء تسميةً

مبارك الدولة الزهراء تسميةً

نور الهياج على العلياء ينقلبُ

نور الهياج على العلياء ينقلبُ

Mubarak al-Dawla—the radiant state's blessing by name—

Blessed be the golden state named for flowers,

the light of battle, he moves upon the heights of glory.

The light of passions overturned on high.

وربَّما غرّهم طول الجلوسِ به

وربَّما غرّهم طول الجلوسِ به

عنهم وآراؤه في دَستِه تثِبُ

عنهم وآراؤه في دَستِه تثِبُ

And sometimes his long sitting still deceives them,

Perhaps long sitting made them think little of him

far from them, while his plans leap upon his throne.

And his views were grasped tight in his hand.

فالخيل مرتبطاتٌ وهي فاعلةٌ

فالخيل مرتبطاتٌ وهي فاعلةٌ

في الشكلِ ما يفعل التقريبُ والخَببُ

في الشكلِ ما يفعل التقريبُ والخَببُ

For horses are tethered, yet they perform

The tethered horses acted while standing still

in their hobbles what cantering and trotting do.

What urging and whips would otherwise do.

حتى إذا فاضت الجردُ الصواهل والس

حتى إذا فاضت الجردُ الصواهل والس

سُمرُ الذوابل والهِنديةُ القضبُ

سُمرُ الذوابل والهِنديةُ القضبُ

Then, when there pour forth the sleek, neighing horses and the

Until the troop burst out, the slim steeds and the dark,

dark, slender spears and keen Indian swords,

The fleet and the Indian sorrels.

هناك ما همُّه إلا النفوسُ إلى

هناك ما همُّه إلا النفوسُ إلى

أن تنجلي وهمومُ الناسِ ما نهبوا

أن تنجلي وهمومُ الناسِ ما نهبوا

there his only concern is lives, until

There his sole concern was to set free souls

the battle clears; other men's concerns are what they have plundered.

And relieve people's anguish and grief--

أثارهم منه ما استجَدوه أو نزَعوا

أثارهم منه ما استجَدوه أو نزَعوا

قسراً وآثارُه في الرّوع ما سَحبوا

قسراً وآثارُه في الرّوع ما سَحبوا

Their traces from him are what they begged or seized

What they newly gained or seized by force

by force; his traces amid terror are what they dragged away.

And prints left in souls by what they endured.

فهل من العدل أن الجود يسلبُه

فهل من العدل أن الجود يسلبُه

وليس يعرف من أفعاله السلبُ

وليس يعرف من أفعاله السلبُ

Is it just, then, that generosity should rob him,

Is it justice that generosity be robbed from him

when plunder is not known among his deeds?

When plunder itself knows no plundering?

والناسُ في إثره يرجونَ رتبته

والناسُ في إثره يرجونَ رتبته

من العلى فإذا جاؤا فقد ذهبوا

من العلى فإذا جاؤا فقد ذهبوا

And people follow in his wake, aspiring to his rank

People seek his rank in the heights but when

in eminence; yet when they arrive, they have already gone.

They come, they find he has departed.

ألقى على الشعر جزءاً من خلائقِه

ألقى على الشعر جزءاً من خلائقِه

فرقَّ في الطِّرس حتى كادَ ينسكبُ

فرقَّ في الطِّرس حتى كادَ ينسكبُ

He cast upon poetry a portion of his character,

He lent the verse a part of his nature

and it grew tender on the parchment until it nearly flowed.

And it flowed in prose until almost spilling over,

وشدَّه بشُواظٍ من عزائِمه

وشدَّه بشُواظٍ من عزائِمه

فمسّه بامتزاجٍ منهما لهبُ

فمسّه بامتزاجٍ منهما لهبُ

And he strengthened it with a blaze from his resolves,

Then restrained it with resolute maxims,

so a flame touched it through the mingling of the two.

Kindling it with a fusion of both.

تهنَّ بالعيدِ مسعوداً ويتبعهُ

تهنَّ بالعيدِ مسعوداً ويتبعهُ

من بعده نسق بالسعد منسربُ

من بعده نسق بالسعد منسربُ

Enjoy the feast, fortunate; may there follow it

Happy be Saoud's feast day and after him

thereafter a succession flowing with good fortune.

A chain of gladness will ensue.

إني أرى العيد عندي لا هناء به

إني أرى العيد عندي لا هناء به

كيف الهناء لمن أيامه نوبُ

كيف الهناء لمن أيامه نوبُ

I find the feast, for my part, holds no joy.

I see no joy in celebration,

How can there be joy for one whose days are calamities?

How can one rejoice whose days are ending?

أما مديحُك فاعلم أنَّ أحسَنه

أما مديحُك فاعلم أنَّ أحسَنه

مِن حسن فِعلِك يستملَى ويُكتتبُ

مِن حسن فِعلِك يستملَى ويُكتتبُ

As for praise of you, know that its finest

But know the best praise is to emulate

is dictated by your fine deeds and written down.

Your fine deeds, and this is noted and recorded.

وقد حصلت مقيماً في جنابك مح

وقد حصلت مقيماً في جنابك مح

سوباً عليكَ نعم من جل ما حسِبوا

سوباً عليكَ نعم من جل ما حسِبوا

And I have come to dwell in your precinct, counted

I have attained permanent refuge with you, counted

as yours—yes, among the foremost they have counted.

On you, blessings too many to be numbered.

حسبي برأيك لي فيما تنزِّلني

حسبي برأيك لي فيما تنزِّلني

فيه ويا لكَ من حسبٍ له حسَبُ

فيه ويا لكَ من حسبٍ له حسَبُ

Your judgment for me suffices, whatever place you set me

My reliance on your judgment for what you grant me

in—and what a sufficiency you are, endowed with noble worth!

Suffices me, and what a reliance to rely on!