أَهلاً بِها وَبِما أَتَتنما تَحمِلُ

أَهلاً بِها وَبِما أَتَتنما تَحمِلُ

خَلاً نَرى الاقبالَ ساعةَ تُقبِلُ

خَلاً نَرى الاقبالَ ساعةَ تُقبِلُ

Welcome to her and to what she came to us bearing,

Welcome to her and what she brought

A friend—we see good fortune the moment she approaches.

Whatever she carries

جاءَت تنزَّعُ تَحتَ أَكرم مَن مَشى

جاءَت تنزَّعُ تَحتَ أَكرم مَن مَشى

وَكَأَنَّها تَحتَ السَحابَة شَمأل

وَكَأَنَّها تَحتَ السَحابَة شَمأل

She came straining beneath the noblest man who ever walked,

We see good fortune when it comes

And beneath the cloud she seemed a north wind.

As though beneath auspicious clouds it rained

يَغُذُّ بهم إِمّا أَقبُّ مَطيّهم

يَغُذُّ بهم إِمّا أَقبُّ مَطيّهم

نَهدُ المَراكِل أَو أَغرٌّ مُحَجَّل

نَهدُ المَراكِل أَو أَغرٌّ مُحَجَّل

Either a lean-bellied mount of theirs speeds them onward,

With it they are sustained, either I lead their camels

Stout-flanked, or a blaze-faced, white-stockinged horse.

Swaying with howdahs and litters on their hump

وَكَأَنَّهُ مِن غِلمةٍ من فَوقِهِ

وَكَأَنَّهُ مِن غِلمةٍ من فَوقِهِ

تَزهى فَيشمعُ أَو تَتيهُ فَيصهَل

تَزهى فَيشمعُ أَو تَتيهُ فَيصهَل

And as though stirred by the ardor of the one above it,

As though above them a lad

It exults and frolics, or struts and neighs.

Bedecked and gleaming or wandering astray

طارَت بِهِ فَأَقامَ وَبلُ نَوالِهِ

طارَت بِهِ فَأَقامَ وَبلُ نَوالِهِ

يَجري فَيهمي أَو يَسُحُّ فَيَهطل

يَجري فَيهمي أَو يَسُحُّ فَيَهطل

She flew away with him, while the downpour of his bounty remained,

She flew with it so he stayed, and his drinking-spot

Flowing and pouring, or streaming and raining down.

Flowed, now rising, now spreading, now flooding

بَحرُ النَدى الغَمِرُ الَّذي رَحَلَت بِهِ

بَحرُ النَدى الغَمِرُ الَّذي رَحَلَت بِهِ

عَنّا وَأَنجمُ جُودِهِ ما تَرحَلُ

عَنّا وَأَنجمُ جُودِهِ ما تَرحَلُ

The deep sea of generosity whom she bore away

The sea of dew, the copious downpour with which she came

From us—yet the stars of his munificence do not depart.

From us, and the stars of his munificence do not depart

لَيثٌ إِذا لاقى الأَعادي مُشبِلٌ

لَيثٌ إِذا لاقى الأَعادي مُشبِلٌ

غَيثٌ إِذا لاقاهُ عافٍ مُسبِلُ

غَيثٌ إِذا لاقاهُ عافٍ مُسبِلُ

A lion with cubs when he meets his enemies,

A lion when he meets enemies, facing them

A pouring rain when a seeker of bounty meets him.

A rain when it meets him, good and generous

وَالنَسرُ يَتبعُ جَيشَه وَالأَجدَلُ

وَالنَسرُ يَتبعُ جَيشَه وَالأَجدَلُ

عِلماً بأَنَّ عَدوَّهُ سَيُجَدَّلُ

عِلماً بأَنَّ عَدوَّهُ سَيُجَدَّلُ

The vulture follows his army, and the falcon,

And the eagle follows his army, and the partridges

Knowing that his enemy will be felled.

Knowing their enemy will be overcome

وَلَهُ إِذا ما الغَيثُ خَصَّ بسيبهِ

وَلَهُ إِذا ما الغَيثُ خَصَّ بسيبهِ

فَضلٌ يَعُمُّ بِه البِلادَ وَمُفضِلُ

فَضلٌ يَعُمُّ بِه البِلادَ وَمُفضِلُ

And when rain confines its bounty, he has

And his, when the rain singles out its path

Largesse that embraces all lands, and he is a lavish giver.

Merit that benefits all the lands and their excelling

وَإِذا عَرضتَ لِنَيلِهِ مُستَجدياً

وَإِذا عَرضتَ لِنَيلِهِ مُستَجدياً

لاقاكَ مِنهُ العارِضُ المتهمِّلُ

لاقاكَ مِنهُ العارِضُ المتهمِّلُ

And if you present yourself, begging for his bounty,

And if you come to it seeking aid

From him, a pouring rain cloud meets you.

You will meet with it obliging and ready

إِنَّ الزَمانَ مُحَمَّدٌ بِمُحَمَّدٍ

إِنَّ الزَمانَ مُحَمَّدٌ بِمُحَمَّدٍ

وَبِفعلهِ الحَسَنِ الجَميلِ مُجمَّلُ

وَبِفعلهِ الحَسَنِ الجَميلِ مُجمَّلُ

Truly, the age is praised through Muhammad,

Truly time is commended by Muhammad

And adorned by his good, beautiful conduct.

And by his fair and graceful deeds adorned

طودُ العُلى السامي بِما يَتَحَمَّلُ

طودُ العُلى السامي بِما يَتَحَمَّلُ

بَحرُ النَدى الكافي بِما يَتَكفَّل

بَحرُ النَدى الكافي بِما يَتَكفَّل

A lofty mountain of glory in the burdens he bears,

A towering glory, lofty and sublime, bearing what it bears

A sea of bounty, sufficient for all he pledges.

A sea of dew, enough for all it undertakes

متمنطِقٌ بِالمحمداتِ مُتَوَّجٌ

متمنطِقٌ بِالمحمداتِ مُتَوَّجٌ

مُتآزرٌ بالمكرُمات مُسَربَكُ

مُتآزرٌ بالمكرُمات مُسَربَكُ

Girded with praiseworthy deeds and crowned,

Girded with the 'Muhammads', crowned

Supported by noble deeds, robed [reading uncertain].

Allied with the 'Most Generous', clasped

قَبلٌ أَبوه كانَ أَصلاً ثابِتاً

قَبلٌ أَبوه كانَ أَصلاً ثابِتاً

لِلمُلكِ قِدماً وَهوَ فَرعٌ أَطوَلُ

لِلمُلكِ قِدماً وَهوَ فَرعٌ أَطوَلُ

His father before him was a firmly established root

His father was a firm root

Of kingship from of old, and he is a taller branch.

To the kingdom, a base, and he is a taller branch

فَبَنى عَلى أَساس والدِهِ لَه

فَبَنى عَلى أَساس والدِهِ لَه

بَيتاً دَعائِمُهُ الوشيجُ الذُبَّلُ

بَيتاً دَعائِمُهُ الوشيجُ الذُبَّلُ

So upon his father's foundation he built himself

So he built on his father's foundation

A house whose pillars are slender, seasoned spear-shafts.

A house with decayed palm-trunks as columns

مالٌ يُبادِرُ مَن دَعاهُ مُسارِعاً

مالٌ يُبادِرُ مَن دَعاهُ مُسارِعاً

وَعَلى الَّذي لَم يَدعِه مُتَطَفِّل

وَعَلى الَّذي لَم يَدعِه مُتَطَفِّل

Wealth that swiftly hastens to whoever calls it,

Wealth that hastens to whoever calls it, rushing

And comes uninvited to whoever has not called it.

And to whoever does not call it, volunteering

وَنَدىً يَعُمُّ وَلَم يَخصَّ وَلا نَرى

وَنَدىً يَعُمُّ وَلَم يَخصَّ وَلا نَرى

مَجداً يُنالُ بِلا نَوالٍ يَشمَلُ

مَجداً يُنالُ بِلا نَوالٍ يَشمَلُ

And bounty that embraces all, not some alone; nor do we see

And dew that benefits all, not singling out or excluding

Glory attained without generosity that embraces all.

Glory cannot be attained without all-encompassing rain

إِن يُشرِكوكَ فانَّهم لَم يَبذُلوا

إِن يُشرِكوكَ فانَّهم لَم يَبذُلوا

يَومَ النَدى وَلَدى الوَغى ما تَبذل

يَومَ النَدى وَلَدى الوَغى ما تَبذل

If they make you their peer, they have not given

If they make you partner, they did not spend

On the day of bounty and amid battle what you give.

On the day of dew, and in distress do not spend

بأسٌ يُعانيهِ الشُجاعُ فَيَنثَنى

بأسٌ يُعانيهِ الشُجاعُ فَيَنثَنى

وَنَدىً يُعاينُهُ السَحابُ فَيَخجَلُ

وَنَدىً يُعاينُهُ السَحابُ فَيَخجَلُ

Might that the brave man faces, then recoils,

Might that the valiant man endures and so folds

And bounty the clouds behold, then feel ashamed.

And dew that the clouds witness and are ashamed

وَلَيـــسَ لــــي

وَلَيـــسَ لــــي

بَعدَ الالهِ عَلى سِواكَ مُعَوّلُ

بَعدَ الالهِ عَلى سِواكَ مُعَوّلُ

And I have no one—

And I have none but you

After God—to rely upon but you.

After God, upon whom I rely