يا هل تعود سوالفُ الأزمانِ

يا هل تعود سوالفُ الأزمانِ

أم لا فمنصرفٌ إلى السلوانِ

أم لا فمنصرفٌ إلى السلوانِ

Ah, will the bygone ages return?

Ah, will bygone times return,

Or not? Then my course must be toward oblivion.

Or not? Then I turn toward consolation.

ولئن عدلتُ عن الغِواية همتي

ولئن عدلتُ عن الغِواية همتي

وغدوت معترفاً لمن يلحاني

وغدوت معترفاً لمن يلحاني

Though my resolve has turned away from folly,

And though I have turned my resolve away from folly,

and I have begun confessing as much to whoever reproaches me,

And come to acknowledge my reproacher's right,

لبما أروح وللشبيبة حَبْرةٌ

لبما أروح وللشبيبة حَبْرةٌ

أَرْنَى العيونِ بفاحم فتَّان

أَرْنَى العيونِ بفاحم فتَّان

many a time I ventured forth while youth was sheer delight,

Often I would go forth, with youth in its splendor,

turning my eyes toward bewitching, raven-black hair,

Drawing eyes with bewitching, jet-black hair,

وبمُشْرِقٍ صافي الأديم كأنما

وبمُشْرِقٍ صافي الأديم كأنما

فيه ائتلاقٌ من صفيح يمان

فيه ائتلاقٌ من صفيح يمان

and toward a radiant beauty of clear complexion, as though

And with a radiant, clear-skinned face, as though

a Yemeni blade flashed within him.

Within it flashed the gleam of a Yemeni blade.

وبما أَمُدُّ يدي إلى ثمر الصِّبى

وبما أَمُدُّ يدي إلى ثمر الصِّبى

فأنوشُ منها فَوْتَ كف الجاني

فأنوشُ منها فَوْتَ كف الجاني

Many a time I stretched my hand toward the fruit of youth

And often I would stretch my hand toward the fruit of youth,

and seized from it, with a gatherer’s hand, what might escape me.

And pluck from it what lay beyond the gatherer's hand.

بعضَ الأسى إن الأسى لك جمّةٌ

بعضَ الأسى إن الأسى لك جمّةٌ

كلٌّ سيدرك جريَه العصران

كلٌّ سيدرك جريَه العصران

Enough of sorrow—for sorrow has indeed been abundant for you;

Temper your sorrow: you have sorrow in abundance;

every man’s course will be overtaken by day and night.

Day and night will overtake everyone's race.

أضحى محمدٌ المحمَّدُ كاسمه

أضحى محمدٌ المحمَّدُ كاسمه

في الصالحاتِ مُشَارَ كُلِّ بنانِ

في الصالحاتِ مُشَارَ كُلِّ بنانِ

Muhammad has become the Praised One, just as his name declares,

Muhammad is now much-praised, as his name implies,

pointed out by every finger among righteous deeds.

In righteous deeds, the one to whom every finger points.

في أيِّها جَارَى تقدَّم شأوُه

في أيِّها جَارَى تقدَّم شأوُه

فحَوى الرهانَ أمام كُلِّ عِنان

فحَوى الرهانَ أمام كُلِّ عِنان

In whatever field one vies with him, his stride goes first,

In whichever he competes, his pace takes the lead,

and he wins the wager ahead of every rein.

And he wins the prize ahead of every rein.

عَلَمُ السراة حَيا العُفاةِ نَدى الثرى

عَلَمُ السراة حَيا العُفاةِ نَدى الثرى

وثُقَى العُرا في نائبِ الحدَثَان

وثُقَى العُرا في نائبِ الحدَثَان

Standard of the noble, rain for petitioners, dew of the earth,

The nobles' beacon, the suppliants' rain, the earth's dew,

whose bonds hold firm amid the assaults of fate.

The firmest of bonds amid time's calamities.

تعشو الرجال إلى نواجم رأيه

تعشو الرجال إلى نواجم رأيه

والخطب أعجمُ داثرُ البرهان

والخطب أعجمُ داثرُ البرهان

Men grope toward the rising stars of his judgment for guidance

Men grope toward the rising stars of his judgment,

when crisis is mute and every proof effaced.

While the crisis is mute, its evidence effaced.

وتؤمُّ مقحمةُ السنين فناءه

وتؤمُّ مقحمةُ السنين فناءه

فتُنيخ منه بواسعِ الأعطانِ

فتُنيخ منه بواسعِ الأعطانِ

The man whom the years have thrust into hardship sets his hope upon his courtyard,

Those driven out by lean years seek his courtyard,

then makes his camels kneel within its spacious grounds.

And make their camels kneel at his ample watering grounds.

يغلو بأعلاق المحامد سومُها

يغلو بأعلاق المحامد سومُها

ويرى الرغائبَ أوكَسَ الأثمان

ويرى الرغائبَ أوكَسَ الأثمان

He bids high for the precious treasures of praiseworthy deeds,

For the treasures of praiseworthy deeds, the bidding runs high,

and reckons coveted things the cheapest of wares.

And he deems lavish gifts the paltriest of prices.

لم يخل يوماً من نجِيِّ تقيّةٍ

لم يخل يوماً من نجِيِّ تقيّةٍ

تدعو إلى المعروف والإحسان

تدعو إلى المعروف والإحسان

Not a day of his passes without piety’s private counsel

Not a day was he without piety's whispered counsel,

calling him to kindness and beneficence.

Calling him to goodness and beneficence.

لا تُفْرطُ الجدوى أنامل كفّهِ

لا تُفْرطُ الجدوى أنامل كفّهِ

حتى يهشَّ إلى فَعَالٍ ثاني

حتى يهشَّ إلى فَعَالٍ ثاني

The fingers of his hand never neglect generosity

No bounty leaves the fingertips of his hand

before he eagerly turns to a second noble deed.

Before he eagerly turns to a second noble deed.

يبْغي بذلك قربةً أو صيتَةً

يبْغي بذلك قربةً أو صيتَةً

وأَثيرُ همَّتِه رضا الرحمن

وأَثيرُ همَّتِه رضا الرحمن

By this he seeks nearness to God or honorable renown,

He seeks thereby nearness to God or renown,

yet the chosen aim of his resolve is the Merciful One’s approval.

And his ambition's dearest aim is the All-Merciful's approval.

وإذا بدا ملأ العيون جلالةً

وإذا بدا ملأ العيون جلالةً

فتَظلُّ وهي كليلةُ اللحظان

فتَظلُّ وهي كليلةُ اللحظان

When he appears, he fills all eyes with majesty,

And when he appears, he fills the eyes with majesty,

leaving them dazzled and weary from gazing.

So they remain, their gaze dulled.

وإذا هفا أهل الحلوم رسا به

وإذا هفا أهل الحلوم رسا به

حلمٌ يشولُ بَيَذْبُلٍ وأبان

حلمٌ يشولُ بَيَذْبُلٍ وأبان

When people of sound judgment stumble, he is anchored by

And when men of sound judgment falter, he is held firm by

a forbearance that towers above Yadhbul and Aban.

A forbearance that outweighs Yadhbul and Aban.

عَذُبَت مَمَادحُه بأفواهِ الورى

عَذُبَت مَمَادحُه بأفواهِ الورى

فثناؤه يُثْنى بكُلِّ مكان

فثناؤه يُثْنى بكُلِّ مكان

His encomia have grown sweet upon the mouths of mankind,

His praises have grown sweet upon the lips of mankind,

so praise of him is repeated in every place.

So his praise is repeated in every place.

ولَهُ من العباس مَجْدُ ولاية

ولَهُ من العباس مَجْدُ ولاية

عن كُلِّ أَزْهَرَ من بنيه هَجانِ

عن كُلِّ أَزْهَرَ من بنيه هَجانِ

From al-ʿAbbas he possesses the glory of lineage,

And from al-Abbas he has the glory of patronage,

through every radiant, purebred son of his.

Through each radiant, pure-born son of his.

يا وارث الصبَّاح ربوةَ مجدِه

يا وارث الصبَّاح ربوةَ مجدِه

أصبحت نعم مؤثِّل البنيان

أصبحت نعم مؤثِّل البنيان

O heir of al-Ṣabbāḥ, summit of his glory,

O heir to the hill of al-Sabbah's glory,

you have become an excellent, deep-founded edifice.

You now nobly set that edifice on firm foundations.

كم فَعلة لك في الأنام سَنيَّةٍ

كم فَعلة لك في الأنام سَنيَّةٍ

ولدى الإله ثقيلةُ الميزان

ولدى الإله ثقيلةُ الميزان

How many splendid deeds of yours there are among mankind,

How many a noble deed is yours among mankind,

and how weighty they are in God’s scales!

And weighty in the balance before God!

إني لشاكرك الذي أوليتَني

إني لشاكرك الذي أوليتَني

ساع لذلك غيرَ سعي الواني

ساع لذلك غيرَ سعي الواني

I am indeed grateful to you for what you bestowed upon me,

I am indeed grateful to you for what you have bestowed on me,

having striven for it with no sluggard’s effort.

Striving in thanks, not with a laggard's effort.

عجزت يداي عن الجزاء فألقتا

عجزت يداي عن الجزاء فألقتا

عبء الشكور على ثناء لساني

عبء الشكور على ثناء لساني

My hands were powerless to repay you, so they laid

My two hands were powerless to repay you, so they cast

the burden of gratitude upon my tongue’s praise.

The burden of gratitude upon the praise of my tongue.

ولأسْمُكنّ خلال كُلِّ قبيلة

ولأسْمُكنّ خلال كُلِّ قبيلة

نشراً لذكرك طيّب النَّسَمانِ

نشراً لذكرك طيّب النَّسَمانِ

I shall surely name you among every tribe,

And throughout every tribe I shall surely raise

spreading your remembrance—the fragrance of the breezes—

A sweet-wafting fragrance of your remembrance,

كجليب رَيَّا الروضِ بات يُشيعه

كجليب رَيَّا الروضِ بات يُشيعه

نفح الصِّبا في ليلة مِدْجان

نفح الصِّبا في ليلة مِدْجان

like one drawing forth the garden’s scent, escorted all night

Like wafted garden-fragrance, spread all night long

by the east wind’s breath on a rain-darkened night,

By the east wind's breath on a dark, clouded night.

بمنَخَّلاتٍ من عقائل منطقي

بمنَخَّلاتٍ من عقائل منطقي

سَلِسٍ مساربهُنَّ في الآذانِ

سَلِسٍ مساربهُنَّ في الآذانِ

in sifted verses, choice jewels of my speech,

With sifted verses from the treasures of my speech,

whose channels flow smoothly into the ears.

Whose pathways into the ears are smooth.

لازال جَدّك يا محمد صاعداً

لازال جَدّك يا محمد صاعداً

وهوتْ جدودُ عِداك للأذقان

وهوتْ جدودُ عِداك للأذقان

May your fortune, Muhammad, never cease ascending,

May your fortune, O Muhammad, never cease to rise,

while your enemies’ fortunes plunge headlong upon their chins.

And may your enemies' fortunes fall chin-first.