1. يُقِرُّ لِغُلْيَلْمِ المليكِ بن غُلْيَلْمِ

    سليمانُ في مُلْكٍ وداودُ في حُكْمِ

    To William, the king, son of William, defer

    Solomon in sovereignty and David in judgment.

  2. وتخدُمُهُ الأَفلاكُ بالسَّعْدِ في العِدَى

    فيسطو بسيف البرق أَو حَرْبَةِ النَّجْمِ

    And the heavenly spheres serve him with good fortune against his foes,

    so he strikes with lightning's sword or a star's spear.

  3. فَأَيُّ هلالٍ ليس كالقوس راشِقاً

    بِأَيِّ شهابٍ يَنْفُذُ كالسَّهْمِ

    For what crescent does not shoot like a bow,

    with a meteor that pierces like an arrow?

  4. وما النصرُ إلاَّ جُنْدُهُ حيثُ ما مضى

    على جَبَهَاتِ البَرِّ أَو صَفْحَةِ اليَمِّ

    Victory is nothing but his army, wherever he goes,

    across the fronts of the land or the surface of the sea.

  5. له مُقْرَباتٌ يقصُرُ الظَّنُّ دُونَها

    إِلى مُنْشآتٍ تستطيلُ على الوَهْمِ

    He has choice steeds before which imagination falls short,

    alongside tall ships that tower beyond imagining.

  6. كِلاَ عَسْكَرِيْهِ كالسحائِبِ لم تَزَلْ

    حواصِبُ في حَرْبٍ صَوَائِبَ في سَلْمِ

    Both his armies are like clouds, always

    pelting stones in war and pouring rain in peace.

  7. يقود إِلى أَعدائِهِ كُلَّ سابِحٍ

    فمن عُرُبٍ دُهْمٍ ومن سُفُنٍ دُهْمِ

    He leads every swimmer against his enemies:

    some black Arabian steeds, and some black ships.

  8. يسيرُ بأَمثالِ اللُّيوثِ ولم يكُنْ

    بها قَرَمٌ إِلاَّ إِلى مَلِكٍ قَرْمِ

    He marches with the likes of lions, with no

    craving in them save for a mighty king.

  9. تَزَلْزَلُ أَقطارُ الديارِ لِصَوْتِها

    فتسلُبُها حُسْنَ العمارةِ في الهَدْمِ

    The regions of the lands quake at their sound,

    and by demolition they strip them of the beauty of habitation.

  10. وتَهْتَمُّ في أَخْذِ الثغورِ فَيَغْتَدِي

    مُمَنَّعُها مِثْلَ الثغورِ على الْهَتْمِ

    They take pains to capture frontier strongholds, so

    their strongest become like mouths with broken teeth.

  11. وتَعْنُو له الأَملاكُ حتى كأَنَّها

    صغارُ الدَّرارِي قابَلَتْ قَمَرَ التِّمِ

    Kings bow to him, until they seem

    little glittering stars facing the full moon.

  12. وما المُلْكُ إِلاَّ للَّذي قالَتِ الْعِدَى

    هُوَ الغَيْثُ إِذْ يَهْمِي هو الليثُ إِذ يحمي

    Sovereignty belongs only to him of whom his foes said:

    He is rain when he pours, a lion when he protects.

  13. فكم من مريضِ القلبِ صحَّحَ عَزْمَهُ

    ونفسِ مَرُوعٍ قد أَعادَ إِلى الجسمِ

    How many a sick-hearted man's resolve has he restored,

    and how many a terrified man's soul has he returned to the body!

  14. ففازَ بنورِ الرَّبِّ يدعو إِلى الهُدَى

    ويُحْيي لنا المَوْتَى ويُبْرِي من السُّقْمِ

    So he has gained the Lord's light, calling to right guidance,

    and revives the dead for us and cures sickness.

  15. وزادَ على الفِعْلِ المسيحيِّ بالذي

    يُعَلِّمُهُ حَدُّ الحُسامِ من الْحَسْمِ

    And he surpasses Christ's deeds through what

    the sword's edge teaches him of decisiveness.

  16. وقد كانَ دَهراً لا يخُصُّ مصاحِباً

    أَتاهُ بما قد خَصَّهُ الربُّ من عِلْمِ

    For a long time he singled out no companion

    who brought him the knowledge the Lord had bestowed upon him.

  17. فيّا ملِكَ الدنيا وسائِسَ أَهْلِها

    سياسَةَ مَنْ لَمْ يملِكِ المُلْكَ بِالرَّغْمِ

    So, O king of the world and governor of its people,

    ruling as one who did not gain kingship by force—

  18. وهذا يفيدُ السيفَ في الحَرْبِ عَزْمَةً

    ويحرِصُ في تبليغِهِ رُتْبَةَ الفَهْمِ

    and this gives the sword resolve in war,

    and strives to raise it to the rank of understanding—

  19. ولكنْ بآباءٍ يقر لِمُلْكِهِمْ

    وتشهَدُ ساداتُ الملوكِ على عِلمِ

    but through forefathers whose kingship is acknowledged,

    and to which the foremost kings knowingly bear witness.

  20. ويعني لهم في الشرقِ والغربِ هَيْبَةً

    وقد أَمِنُوا جَوْرَ الظَّلامِ أَوِ الظُّلْمِ

    And it signifies their majesty in East and West,

    while they are safe from the tyranny of darkness or injustice.

  21. وبدَّلْتَهُمْ أَمْناً من الخوفِ شاملاً

    وعدلاً من العَدْوَا وغُنْماً مِنَ الغُرْمِ

    You have given them all-embracing security in place of fear,

    and justice in place of aggression, and gain in place of loss.

  22. وجمَّلْتَ تاجَ المُلْكِ منك بِعِزَّةٍ

    يخِرُّ لها تاجُ الزمانِ على الرَّغْمِ

    You have adorned the crown of kingship with your might,

    before which time's crown falls despite itself.

  23. وأَرقصْتَ أَعطافَ السَّرِيرِ مَسَرَّةً

    غداةَ هَفَا تحتَ السِّياسَةِ والحِلمِ

    You have made the throne's sides dance for joy,

    on the morning it swayed beneath statecraft and forbearance.

  24. وقلّدتَ أَجيادَ القصورِ جواهراً

    من الفضلِ والإِفضالِ مُحْكَمَةَ النَّظْمِ

    You have hung jewels around the palaces' necks,

    of excellence and bounty, perfectly strung.

  25. فَمَنْ للدَّراري أَن تعودَ مباسِماً

    تُشَرِّفُها من رَبِّ بَسْطِكَ باللَّثْمِ

    Who could grant the shining stars to become smiling mouths,

    which you honor with kisses from the lord of your bounty?

  26. ويسجدُ إِذ يبدو مُحَيَّاكَ يَقْظَةً

    كما سَجَدَتْ قِدْماً ليوسُفَ في الحُلْمِ

    And they bow awake when your face appears,

    as they bowed long ago to Joseph in a dream.

  27. فتُطْلِعُ منها كوكبَ السَّعْدِ في النَّدَى

    وتُرْسِلُ منها في الوَغَى كَوْكَبَ الرَّجْمِ

    Thus from them you raise the star of good fortune in generosity,

    and send forth from them in battle the stone-hurling star.

  28. وتستخدِمُ الأَقدارَ فيما ترومُه

    فتجري إِلى ما قد رسَمْتَ على الرَّسْمِ

    You employ the decrees of fate in whatever you seek,

    so they proceed toward what you have planned, according to your plan.

  29. أَظُنُّ خُطوبَ الدَّهْرِ وَلَّتْكَ حُكْمَهَا

    وآلَتْ يميناً لا خُروجَ عنِ الحكمِ

    I think time's calamities have entrusted you with their rule,

    and sworn an oath never to depart from your rule.

  30. مُصَرِّفُها بالعَدْلِ تصريفِ ماهرٍ

    بَصيرٍ بأَعقابِ الأُمورِ أَخِي فَهْمِ

    You direct them with justice, as a skilled master,

    versed in the outcomes of affairs, a man of understanding.

  31. إِذا أَشْرَقَتْ آراؤُهُ في مُلِمَّةٍ

    تَبَسَّمَ بَعْدَ البِشْرِ في وَجْهِهَا الجَهْمِ

    When his counsels shine in a calamity,

    he smiles once gladness appears in its grim face.

  32. وتَكْشِفُها خَيْلٌ عِتاقٌ كَأَنَّها

    وقد عَصَمَتْهَا الذَّابلاَتُ مِنَ العُصْمِ

    And thoroughbred steeds dispel it, as if they were

    mountain goats, with slender spears protecting them.

  33. عَدَتْ وَهْيَ أَدْرَى بالقتالِ مِنَ العِدَى

    فَلَمْ تَتَّشِحْ بالحُزْمِ إِلاَّ على الحَزْمِ

    They charge, knowing battle better than their foes,

    so they take on their girths only with firm resolve;

  34. وَدُهْمِ أَسَاطيلٍ تُحَاكِي مُتُونُها

    أَراقِمَ مِمَّا قد نَفَثْنَ مِنَ السُّمِّ

    and dark fleets, whose hulls resemble

    speckled serpents, from the venom they have spat.

  35. إِذا صَبَّحَتْ ثَغْرًا غدا النَّصْرُ مُقْسِماً

    بِأَنَّ لَهُمْ مِنْ نَيْلِهِ أَوْفَرَ القِسْمِ

    When they raid a frontier fort at dawn, victory takes an oath

    that theirs is the greatest share in winning it.

  36. كذا فَلْيَكُنْ عَزْمُ المُلوكِ وَقَلَّمَا

    تَرَى مَلِكاً يَأْتِي بِمَا لَكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ

    Such should be the resolve of kings; seldom

    do you see a king who displays resolve like yours.

  37. مَدَحْتُكَ إيقانًا بأَنَّكَ مُلْبِسِي

    مِنَ الفَخْرِ ما أَنْجُو بِهِ مِنْ يَدِ الذَّمِّ

    I praised you, certain that you would clothe me

    in glory by which I escape the hand of blame.

  38. فأَصْبَحَ صَرْفُ الدَّهْرِ في طَوْعِ خادِمِي

    وقَدْ كانَ يُبْدِي لي مُخَالَفَةَ الخَصْمِ

    Thus time's vicissitudes have come under my servant's command,

    though they once showed me an adversary's opposition.