هَلَّت بَشائِرُ تالياتِ بشائرِ

هَلَّت بَشائِرُ تالياتِ بشائرِ

وَعَساكِرٌ تأتي بِغُنم عَساكِرِ

وَعَساكِرٌ تأتي بِغُنم عَساكِرِ

Glad tidings appeared, following glad tidings,

The omens of good tidings have appeared,

And armies come bearing the spoils of armies.

And armies are coming with spoils of armies,

في سَوابِغ نِعـــــمٍ

في سَوابِغ نِعـــــمٍ

جَعَلت أَوابِدَها بِغَيرِ أَواخِرِ

جَعَلت أَوابِدَها بِغَيرِ أَواخِرِ

Amid abundant blessings,

With abundant blessings,

You made their marvels endless.

That made its ruins last without ends,

كالدُرِّ يُعجِزُ نَظمُها

كالدُرِّ يُعجِزُ نَظمُها

نَثرَ الخَطيبِ وَحُسنَ نَظمِ الشاعِرِ

نَثرَ الخَطيبِ وَحُسنَ نَظمِ الشاعِرِ

Like pearls, their stringing surpasses

Like pearls whose prose defies rhyme,

The orator's prose and the beauty of the poet's verse.

Scatterings of the orator and beauty of the poet's composition,

عَن الداني قَريبَةٌ

عَن الداني قَريبَةٌ

مدَّت إِلى فَلَك السَماء الداثرِ

مدَّت إِلى فَلَك السَماء الداثرِ

Close to the one who draws near,

About the Nearer a proximity,

Extended to heaven's fading sphere.

That extended to the orbit of the rubble sky,

بُشِّر باللُهــــــى

بُشِّر باللُهــــــى

بِشر البَوارقِ بالسَحابِ الماطرِ

بِشر البَوارقِ بالسَحابِ الماطرِ

Glad tidings were given of gifts,

Give good news for sweetness,

Like lightning's glad tidings of rain-bearing clouds.

Give the good news to the ships of the raining cloud,

ما إِن نظرتَ وَميضَ ثَغرٍ باسِمٍ

ما إِن نظرتَ وَميضَ ثَغرٍ باسِمٍ

إِلّا لِيَستر غلَّ قَلبٍ باسِرِ

إِلّا لِيَستر غلَّ قَلبٍ باسِرِ

Never have you seen the gleam of a smiling mouth

No sooner do you see the smile of a smiling mouth,

Except to conceal a scowling heart's rancor.

Except to cover the fervor of a cheerful heart,

قَلَّ الوَفاءُ فَلَستَ تَبلو باطِناً

قَلَّ الوَفاءُ فَلَستَ تَبلو باطِناً

إِلّا وَتُلفيه خِلافَ الظاهِرِ

إِلّا وَتُلفيه خِلافَ الظاهِرِ

Loyalty has grown scarce; you never test an inner nature

Loyalty has diminished so you do not experience inwardly,

Without finding it contrary to its outward appearance.

Except you find contrary to the outward,

أَم كَيفَ يأَمَلُ نَيلَ غايَةِ أَوَّلٍ

أَم كَيفَ يأَمَلُ نَيلَ غايَةِ أَوَّلٍ

مَن لَيسَ يُدرِكُ هَبوةً لِلعابِر

مَن لَيسَ يُدرِكُ هَبوةً لِلعابِر

Or how can one hope to reach the foremost one's goal,

Or how can one hope to attain the goal of the first,

Who cannot even catch the dust of a passerby?

Who does not catch up with an opportunity for the passerby,

عَضُد الأَنامِ إِذا تُلِمّ مُلِمَّةٌ

عَضُد الأَنامِ إِذا تُلِمّ مُلِمَّةٌ

زَينُ السَلاطين الأَجلِّ الناصرِ

زَينُ السَلاطين الأَجلِّ الناصرِ

Mankind's strong arm when calamity strikes,

The supporter of mankind when a disaster strikes,

The adornment of sultans, the most august al-Nasir.

The ornament of Sultans, the greatest victorious,

بالعادِل الأَفعالِ إِلّا أَنَّه

بالعادِل الأَفعالِ إِلّا أَنَّه

في القَتلِ وَالأَعداءِ أَجور جائِر

في القَتلِ وَالأَعداءِ أَجور جائِر

With the one whose deeds are just—except that he

With the most just actions, except that,

In killing and toward enemies is the most unjust of oppressors.

In killing and enemies, his rewards are unjust,

مِن كُلِّ بادي الذُلِّ مَصفودٍ تَرى

مِن كُلِّ بادي الذُلِّ مَصفودٍ تَرى

في القَتلِ أَكبرَ مِنة للآسرِ

في القَتلِ أَكبرَ مِنة للآسرِ

Among all the openly abased and fettered, you see

From every subjugated desert you see,

In killing the greatest favor to the captor.

In killing, more benevolent to the prisoner,

كانوا الفَراشَ تَهافَتوا في نارِهِ

كانوا الفَراشَ تَهافَتوا في نارِهِ

وَالصعق في اِنقِضاض الكاسِر

وَالصعق في اِنقِضاض الكاسِر

They were moths, rushing into his fire,

They were moths flung into his fire,

And thunderstruck at the raptor's swoop.

And thunder in the breaking of the breaker,

مُذ كانَ ذَلولا حرداً

مُذ كانَ ذَلولا حرداً

فَأَتى عَلى ظَهر الأقبِّ النافِرِ

فَأَتى عَلى ظَهر الأقبِّ النافِرِ

Since he was submissive yet wrathful,

Since he was humbled bushes,

So he came on the back of the lean-bellied, skittish steed.

He came on the back of the fleeing ostrich,

أَوَ ما تَرى كَم خائِنٍ لَكَ فيهُمُ

أَوَ ما تَرى كَم خائِنٍ لَكَ فيهُمُ

وَمُضارِعُ الماضي عِظاتُ الآخرِ

وَمُضارِعُ الماضي عِظاتُ الآخرِ

And do you not see how many traitors to you are among them?

Or do you not see how many traitors among them to you,

And a counterpart of the former offers warnings to the latter.

And the parallel of the past are the lessons of the future,

أَعرَضتَ عَنه حافِزاً مُستَعصِماً

أَعرَضتَ عَنه حافِزاً مُستَعصِماً

حَتّى طَغى فَسَطوتَ سَطوةَ قادِرِ

حَتّى طَغى فَسَطوتَ سَطوةَ قادِرِ

You turned away from him, urging on and holding fast,

You turned away from him, determined and steadfast,

Until he transgressed; then you struck with a mighty one's force.

Until he transgressed and you subjugated with the power of the Able,

وَبَدَت تَوابِعُ جَهلِهِ فَرَميتَهُ

وَبَدَت تَوابِعُ جَهلِهِ فَرَميتَهُ

بِقَنا حُروب جمَّةٍ وَمَناسِر

بِقَنا حُروب جمَّةٍ وَمَناسِر

And the consequences of his folly appeared, so you assailed him

And the consequences of his ignorance appeared and you threw him,

With the spears of many wars and cavalry bands.

With the spearheads of wars, masses and piercers,

وَسمت بِبهرامَ الجُدود فَمُذ نَوى

وَسمت بِبهرامَ الجُدود فَمُذ نَوى

غَدراً عَثرنَ وَلا لَعاً لِلعاثِر

غَدراً عَثرنَ وَلا لَعاً لِلعاثِر

And fortunes rose with Bahram; but once he intended

And you swore by Bahram ancestors so when he intended,

Treachery, they stumbled—and no 'rise again!' for the stumbling.

Treachery, we stumbled but no slipping for the slipper,

وَرَجا الفِرارَ وَأَينَ يَنجو هارِبٌ

وَرَجا الفِرارَ وَأَينَ يَنجو هارِبٌ

مِن كُلِّ لَيث فَوقَ صَهوة طائِرِ

مِن كُلِّ لَيث فَوقَ صَهوة طائِرِ

And he hoped to flee; but where can a fugitive escape

And he hoped to escape but where can a fugitive escape,

From every lion astride a flying steed?

From every lion above the coast of the flying,

قَسٌّ إِذا اللُدُّ الخُصومُ تَشاجَرَت

قَسٌّ إِذا اللُدُّ الخُصومُ تَشاجَرَت

ثَقِفٌ لَدى يَوم القَنا المُتَشاجرِ

ثَقِفٌ لَدى يَوم القَنا المُتَشاجرِ

A Quss when stubborn adversaries quarrel,

Firm if the conflict of adversaries quarrel,

Deft on the day of interlocking spears.

Find at the day of spear the quarrelsome,

الطاعِنينَ بِكُلِّ اَسمَرَ ناظِم

الطاعِنينَ بِكُلِّ اَسمَرَ ناظِم

وَالضارِبينَ بِكُلِّ أَبيضَ باترِ

وَالضارِبينَ بِكُلِّ أَبيضَ باترِ

Those who thrust with every brown, transfixing spear,

The critics with every tanned rhymer,

And those who strike with every white, severing sword.

And the strikers with every white stale,

تَعَبٌ لِغَيرِكَ لَيسَ مُجدٍ طائِلاً

تَعَبٌ لِغَيرِكَ لَيسَ مُجدٍ طائِلاً

الّا العَناءَ تَطاولٌ مِن قاصِرِ

الّا العَناءَ تَطاولٌ مِن قاصِرِ

For anyone but you, it is toil that yields no gain

Hardship for others is no use at all,

Except weariness—the overreaching of one who falls short.

Except exertion, far reaching from the incapable,

هَيهاتَ هَل تَدنو السَماءُ للآمسٍ

هَيهاتَ هَل تَدنو السَماءُ للآمسٍ

هَيهاتَ وَهيَ بَعيدَةٌ من ناظِر

هَيهاتَ وَهيَ بَعيدَةٌ من ناظِر

Far from it! Does heaven draw near to one who would touch it?

Alas, can heaven come near the desperate,

Far from it—it is distant even from a beholder!

Alas and it is distant from the beholder,

إِنّي لأَعجَبُ من جَهالَةِ غادر

إِنّي لأَعجَبُ من جَهالَةِ غادر

ما زالَ يُبصِرُ سوءَ مَصرع غادِرِ

ما زالَ يُبصِرُ سوءَ مَصرع غادِرِ

Indeed, I marvel at the ignorance of a traitor

I am amazed at the ignorance of the traitor,

Who has never ceased to witness a traitor's dreadful end.

He still sees the ugliness of the death of a traitor,

يُدني يَداً لِخفوقِ قَلبٍ طائِرٍ

يُدني يَداً لِخفوقِ قَلبٍ طائِرٍ

وَيَغضُّ جَفناً فَوقَ طَرفٍ حائِرِ

وَيَغضُّ جَفناً فَوقَ طَرفٍ حائِرِ

He brings a hand near a fluttering heart's pounding,

He brings his hand near to the flutter of a flying heart,

And lowers an eyelid over a bewildered eye.

And he closes his eyelids above a wandering eye,

يَخشى عَواديَ قاهِرٍ حَتّى إِذا

يَخشى عَواديَ قاهِرٍ حَتّى إِذا

مَلكَت يَداكَ عَوائِد غافِرِ

مَلكَت يَداكَ عَوائِد غافِرِ

He fears a conqueror's assaults, until, when

He fears the ways of an overwhelming until when

Your hands held a pardoner's favors,

Your hands have controlled the ways of the forgiver,

وُلِدَ الجَلالُ اليَومَ يُؤنِسُ خَيرُهُ

وُلِدَ الجَلالُ اليَومَ يُؤنِسُ خَيرُهُ

ماذا الَّذي يُرجى مِن ابن العاهِر

ماذا الَّذي يُرجى مِن ابن العاهِر

Majesty was born today; its goodness brings comfort.

Glory was born today, its good cheers,

What can be hoped for from the fornicator's son?

What is expected from the son of the immoral,

أَم كَيفَ يُصبِحُ أَمرَ حِفظ صَنيعَةٍ

أَم كَيفَ يُصبِحُ أَمرَ حِفظ صَنيعَةٍ

من ما اِستَهَلَّ وَراءَ ذَيل طاهِر

من ما اِستَهَلَّ وَراءَ ذَيل طاهِر

Or how can preserving a favor become the concern of

Or how can the matter of preserving a profession remain

One who did not cry at birth behind a pure hem?

From what emanated behind the tail of the pure