نصرٌ بكل سعادةٍ مقرون

نصرٌ بكل سعادةٍ مقرون

نالت به الدنيا المنى والدين

نالت به الدنيا المنى والدين

A victory joined with every happiness.

A victory accompanied by every joy

Through it, the world and the faith attained their wishes.

The world attained its wishes and faith through it

تقديم من شهد الوجودُ بأنه

تقديم من شهد الوجودُ بأنه

ما زالَ بالتقديم فيه قمين

ما زالَ بالتقديم فيه قمين

The advancement of one of whom existence has testified

A presentation from one whose existence bore witness

That he has always deserved advancement within it.

That he remains steadfast in his giving

علقٌ ثمينٌ زينت الدنيا به

علقٌ ثمينٌ زينت الدنيا به

وافاه علق الملك وهو ثمين

وافاه علق الملك وهو ثمين

A precious treasure with which the world was adorned;

A precious pearl that adorned the world with it

The treasure of kingship came to him, and it is precious.

Bestowed upon a precious royal pearl

تغزو المهابةُ عنه كل معاندٍ

تغزو المهابةُ عنه كل معاندٍ

ولو أنه اشتملت عليه الصين

ولو أنه اشتملت عليه الصين

Awe assails every adversary on his behalf,

Fear of him overwhelms every opponent

Even were China to enfold him.

Even if China were to rise against him

وتشب حيث توجهت عزماته

وتشب حيث توجهت عزماته

حرباً كما وصفت لنا صفين

حرباً كما وصفت لنا صفين

And wherever his resolves turn, it kindles

And flames ignite wherever his resolves turn

A war like Siffin, as it was described to us.

To war, as described for us at Siffin

إن أصبحت وهي البرامك أمةٌ

إن أصبحت وهي البرامك أمةٌ

في ظلمها فحاسمُهُ هارون

في ظلمها فحاسمُهُ هارون

If a nation becomes the Barmakids

If the Berbers at dawn become a nation

In its tyranny, then Harun is the one to end it.

In its injustice, so he subdues it like Harun

من قيسِ عيلانَ الذينَ سيوفُهم

من قيسِ عيلانَ الذينَ سيوفُهم

ابداً تصولُ ظباتها وتصونُ

ابداً تصولُ ظباتها وتصونُ

From Qays Aylan, whose swords

From Qais of Ailan, whose swords

Have edges that forever assail and protect.

Forever rage and protect

دانت فلهم في الفخر كل قبيلةٍ

دانت فلهم في الفخر كل قبيلةٍ

من شأنها ألا تكون تدين

من شأنها ألا تكون تدين

Every tribe has thus bowed to them in glory,

Every tribe submitted to them in pride

Though it is not its nature to submit.

As befitting those who do not profess faith

وكفاهم أن كان منهم مفخراً

وكفاهم أن كان منهم مفخراً

معنى الوجودِ وسرها المكنون

معنى الوجودِ وسرها المكنون

And it is glory enough for them that among them was

And it sufficed them that one of them was proudly

The meaning of existence and its hidden secret:

The essence and secret of existence

ملكٌ إذا اضطربَ الزمانُ مخافةً

ملكٌ إذا اضطربَ الزمانُ مخافةً

لم يعيه التسكين والتأمين

لم يعيه التسكين والتأمين

A king who, when time trembled in fear,

A king - if the times grow turbulent in fear

Had no difficulty bringing calm and security.

Pacification and assurance fail to calm him

ألقى على أهل الضلالةِ كلكلاً

ألقى على أهل الضلالةِ كلكلاً

فلهم عويلٌ تحتهُ وأنين

فلهم عويلٌ تحتهُ وأنين

He bore down upon the people of error with his chest,

He inflicted clamor upon the people of misguidance

So beneath it are their wails and groans.

So they have lament beneath which is groaning

وجرى إلى الأمد الذي لم يجره

وجرى إلى الأمد الذي لم يجره

ملكٌ ولم تصعد إليه ظنونُ

ملكٌ ولم تصعد إليه ظنونُ

And he raced toward a goal that no

And he flowed to a time not traversed

King had reached, nor had imaginings risen to it.

By any king, nor reached by any assumptions

ومن العجائب أن يجود بمثلهِ

ومن العجائب أن يجود بمثلهِ

للخلقِ هذا الدهرُ وهو ضنينُ

للخلقِ هذا الدهرُ وهو ضنينُ

And among the marvels is that one like him should be bestowed

And of wonders is that this stingy era

On humankind by this age, though it is miserly.

Would bestow the likes of him upon creation

حمالُ أثقالِ الورى متهللٌ

حمالُ أثقالِ الورى متهللٌ

في حيث تعترضُ الحتوفُ الجونُ

في حيث تعترضُ الحتوفُ الجونُ

A bearer of humankind's burdens, beaming

Bearing the burdens of all people, gleeful

Where dark deaths bar the way.

Where preferences and desires intersect

في راحتيهِ لمعتفٍ ولمعتدٍ

في راحتيهِ لمعتفٍ ولمعتدٍ

يومي ندى ووغى منى ومنول

يومي ندى ووغى منى ومنول

In his two palms, for a supplicant and an aggressor,

In his rest, to one requesting and transgressing

On the two days of bounty and battle, lie hopes and a bestowed gift.

Daily dew and tumult of wishes and want

عذراً أبا يعقوب إن علاكم

عذراً أبا يعقوب إن علاكم

قد أفنت الأمداح وهي فنون

قد أفنت الأمداح وهي فنون

Pardon me, Abu Yaqub, for your greatness

Excuse me Abu Ya'qub if praising you

Has exhausted praises, though they take many forms.

Has exhausted praise, though it has arts

لا يبلغ المنثور بعض مآثرٍ

لا يبلغ المنثور بعض مآثرٍ

صانت لك العليا ولا الموزون

صانت لك العليا ولا الموزون

Prose cannot do justice to even some of the noble deeds

Prose cannot reach some feats

That preserved your highest station—nor can verse.

That preserved the sublime for you, nor verse

كم مدحةٍ لك بعدها مذخورةٍ

كم مدحةٍ لك بعدها مذخورةٍ

تزن المدائحَ كلها وتزين

تزن المدائحَ كلها وتزين

How many a tribute remains in reserve for you beyond these,

How much praise for you remains concealed

Matching all praises in weight and adorning them.

Weighing all praise and adorning it

لو لم يسد إلا نظيركَ لم يحز

لو لم يسد إلا نظيركَ لم يحز

فيه الأمين مدى ولا المأمونُ

فيه الأمين مدى ولا المأمونُ

Had none but your equal ruled, no headway would have been made

If none were peerless but you, there would not suffice

In it by al-Amin or al-Ma'mun.

For it the Trustworthy nor the Secured

قد كان ما قد قلتُ يرقبُ حينهُ

قد كان ما قد قلتُ يرقبُ حينهُ

حتى أتى ولكلِّ شيءٍ حينُ

حتى أتى ولكلِّ شيءٍ حينُ

What I have said had indeed been awaiting its time,

What I have said was awaiting its time

Until it came—and everything has its time.

Until it came, and for all things there is a time

ما زالَ أمركُمُ الذي هو عصمةٌ

ما زالَ أمركُمُ الذي هو عصمةٌ

والعزُّ لا يعدُوهُ والتمكينُ

والعزُّ لا يعدُوهُ والتمكينُ

Your authority, which is a safeguard, has ever endured,

Your command which is protection

And glory and firm dominion never depart from it.

And glory that does not cease, nor empowerment