لِبَني التاج رُكنُ مَجدٍ خَطير

لِبَني التاج رُكنُ مَجدٍ خَطير

قَد رَسا في العُلا رُسُو ثَبيرِ

قَد رَسا في العُلا رُسُو ثَبيرِ

The sons of al-Taj have a pillar of mighty glory,

For the sons of the crown, an important pillar of glory

firmly rooted in the heights like Mount Thabir.

Has risen high, an illustrious guide

كُلُّهُم في السُموِّ بَدرُ سَماءٍ

كُلُّهُم في السُموِّ بَدرُ سَماءٍ

يَبهرُ العينَ بِالضياءِ المُنيرِ

يَبهرُ العينَ بِالضياءِ المُنيرِ

Each of them, in loftiness, is a full moon in the sky,

All of them are like a full moon in the sky's loftiness

dazzling the eye with radiant light—

Dazzling the eye with brilliant light

سيَّما الأَروَعُ الخَطيبُ الَّذي فا

سيَّما الأَروَعُ الخَطيبُ الَّذي فا

قَ بِنَثرِ الكَلام نَظمَ جَريرِ

قَ بِنَثرِ الكَلام نَظمَ جَريرِ

especially the splendid orator, who surpassed

Especially the most splendid orator who has surpassed

Jarir's verse with his prose,

The prose of speech with the poetry of Al-Jurayri

مَن رَقا مِنبَرَ العُلا مُشمَخِرّا

مَن رَقا مِنبَرَ العُلا مُشمَخِرّا

دونَ عَليائِهِ مَناط البُدورِ

دونَ عَليائِهِ مَناط البُدورِ

who mounted glory's pulpit, towering high—

Whoever has ascended the lofty pulpit arrogantly

the full moons hang beneath his lofty height.

Without his supremacy, the focus of attention

فَمَقاماتُهُ لِذا قَد تَعالَت

فَمَقاماتُهُ لِذا قَد تَعالَت

عَن شَبيهٍ كَما اِعتَلَت عَن نَظيرِ

عَن شَبيهٍ كَما اِعتَلَت عَن نَظيرِ

His stations have therefore risen high,

Thus his platforms have become so sublime

beyond any likeness, as they have risen beyond any peer.

Beyond any equal as they rose above any peer

هاكَ مِنّي وَشيَينِ وَشيُ حَريرٍ

هاكَ مِنّي وَشيَينِ وَشيُ حَريرٍ

وَقَريضٍ مِثلَ الرِياضِ النَضيرِ

وَقَريضٍ مِثلَ الرِياضِ النَضيرِ

Take from me two brocades: one of silk,

And verses like a pleasant garden

and one of verse, fresh as gardens.

A beautiful sight pleased the eye from both

راقَ في العَينِ مِنهُما حُسن مَرأى

راقَ في العَينِ مِنهُما حُسن مَرأى

أَي مَرأىً يَروقُ طَرفَ البَصيرِ

أَي مَرأىً يَروقُ طَرفَ البَصيرِ

The lovely appearance of both delights the eye—

What sight pleases the eye of the beholder

what a sight to delight the discerning gaze!

Except that the verses in their meaning are nicer to me

غَيرَ أَنّ القَريض أَحسَن عِندي

غَيرَ أَنّ القَريض أَحسَن عِندي

في مَعانيه مِن نَسيج الحَريرِ

في مَعانيه مِن نَسيج الحَريرِ

Yet poetry, to my mind, is more beautiful

Than the weaving of silk

in its meanings than woven silk.

So judge between them as you wish, O King

فَاِحتَكِم فيها كَما شِئتَ مَلكاً

فَاِحتَكِم فيها كَما شِئتَ مَلكاً

كَاِحتِكام الأَميرِ في المَأمورِ

كَاِحتِكام الأَميرِ في المَأمورِ

So rule over it as you wish, like a king,

As the judgment of the prince over his subject

as a prince rules over his subject.

And the wealthy lad stands before him

وَالفَتى ذُو الغِنى يَقوم لَدَيهِ

وَالفَتى ذُو الغِنى يَقوم لَدَيهِ

في مَقام التَقصيرِ عُذر الفَقيرِ

في مَقام التَقصيرِ عُذر الفَقيرِ

And a man of means accepts

In the stance of falling short, the poor man's excuse

the poor man's excuse for falling short.

You have not ceased time between my two delights

لا بَرحتَ الزَمان بَينَ نَعيمي

لا بَرحتَ الزَمان بَينَ نَعيمي

فَرحٍ دائمٍ وَطيبِ سُرورِ

فَرحٍ دائمٍ وَطيبِ سُرورِ

May you remain forever amid the twin delights

Continuous joy and pleasant bliss

of lasting joy and sweet gladness,

No orator has ascended the throne's pulpit

ما رَقى مِنبرَ الأَراكِ خَطيباً

ما رَقى مِنبرَ الأَراكِ خَطيباً

طائِرُ السَعدِ في ظِلالِ الحُبُورِ

طائِرُ السَعدِ في ظِلالِ الحُبُورِ

as long as an orator mounts the arak tree's pulpit—

The bird of good fortune in the shadows of grandeur

the bird of good fortune, in the shades of joy.