فَلَو أَلقَيتَهُ ما بَينَ ماءٍ

فَلَو أَلقَيتَهُ ما بَينَ ماءٍ

وَنارٍ كانَ بَينَهُما اِلتِئامُ

وَنارٍ كانَ بَينَهُما اِلتِئامُ

Were you to cast him between water

For were you to cast him between water

and fire, harmony would arise between them.

And fire, there would be harmony between them.

هَل أَنتَ إِلّا البَدرُ تَمَّ تَمامُهُ

هَل أَنتَ إِلّا البَدرُ تَمَّ تَمامُهُ

وَالغَيثُ باكِرٌ وَبلُهُ وَسِجامُهُ

وَالغَيثُ باكِرٌ وَبلُهُ وَسِجامُهُ

Are you anything but the full moon, whose fullness is complete,

Are you not the full moon, perfected in its fullness,

and the rain cloud, early-coming its downpour and steady rain;

And life-giving rain, its downpour and steady flow coming early,

وَالسَيفُ أَرهَفُ لِلمَضاءِ غَرارَهُ

وَالسَيفُ أَرهَفُ لِلمَضاءِ غَرارَهُ

وَالرُمحُ قُوِّمَ لِلِقاءِ قَوامُهُ

وَالرُمحُ قُوِّمَ لِلِقاءِ قَوامُهُ

and the sword, its edge honed keener for striking,

And the sword, its edge honed for cutting,

and the spear, its shaft straightened for encounter?

And the spear, its shaft straightened for combat?

أَنتَ الرَبيعُ الغَضُّ رَقَّ نَسيمُهُ

أَنتَ الرَبيعُ الغَضُّ رَقَّ نَسيمُهُ

وَاِخضَرَّ رَوضَتُهُ وَصابَ غَمامُهُ

وَاِخضَرَّ رَوضَتُهُ وَصابَ غَمامُهُ

You are the tender spring, whose breeze has grown gentle,

You are the fresh spring, its breeze grown gentle;

whose meadow has greened and whose cloud has poured rain—

Its meadow has greened, and its clouds have poured down rain.

خَلقَ كَنَشرِ الرَوضِ طَلَّ نَباتُهُ

خَلقَ كَنَشرِ الرَوضِ طَلَّ نَباتُهُ

أَو مِثلَ صَرفِ الراحِ فَضَّ خِتامُهُ

أَو مِثلَ صَرفِ الراحِ فَضَّ خِتامُهُ

with a nature like a meadow's fragrance when its plants are dewy,

Your character is like a meadow's fragrance, its plants bedewed,

or like pure wine when its seal is broken.

Or like unmixed wine, its seal broken.

لِلأَولِياءِ رَخاؤُهُ وَرُخاؤُهُ

لِلأَولِياءِ رَخاؤُهُ وَرُخاؤُهُ

وَعَلى العِداةِ سَمومُهُ وَسِمامُهُ

وَعَلى العِداةِ سَمومُهُ وَسِمامُهُ

For his friends are his prosperity and ease;

For his allies, his abundance and gentle breeze;

against his enemies, his scorching wind and poison.

And upon his foes, his scorching wind and poisons.

يا مَن أَدَلَّ عَلى الزَمانِ زَمانُهُ

يا مَن أَدَلَّ عَلى الزَمانِ زَمانُهُ

وَزَرى عَلى أَيّامِهِ أَيّامُهُ

وَزَرى عَلى أَيّامِهِ أَيّامُهُ

O you whose age has gained mastery over Time,

O you whose era has lorded it over Time,

whose days put all former days to shame!

And whose days have put Time's days to shame.

يَدنو فَيَغمُرُ كُلَّ شَيءٍ فَضلُهُ

يَدنو فَيَغمُرُ كُلَّ شَيءٍ فَضلُهُ

كَالخَصبِ يَنعُشُ كُلَّ خَلقٍ عامُهُ

كَالخَصبِ يَنعُشُ كُلَّ خَلقٍ عامُهُ

He draws near, and his bounty engulfs all things,

He draws near, and his bounty floods all things,

like a fertile year that revives every creature.

Like plenty, whose year revives every creature.

ما إِن يَزالُ مِنَ المَآثِرِ وَالعُلا

ما إِن يَزالُ مِنَ المَآثِرِ وَالعُلا

في مَوكِبٍ مَنشورَةٍ أَعلامُهُ

في مَوكِبٍ مَنشورَةٍ أَعلامُهُ

Never does he cease to advance, amid glorious deeds and exalted rank,

He is forever, amid glorious deeds and lofty honors,

in a procession with its banners unfurled—

In a procession whose banners are unfurled.

عالٍ تَسَوَّرَ فَوقَ قُمَّةِ سُؤدُدٍ

عالٍ تَسَوَّرَ فَوقَ قُمَّةِ سُؤدُدٍ

أَوفى عَلى قُمَمِ النُجومِ سَنامُهُ

أَوفى عَلى قُمَمِ النُجومِ سَنامُهُ

lofty, having climbed above the summit of lordship,

Exalted, he has climbed above a pinnacle of nobility,

his crest rising above the peaks of the stars.

Whose crest overtops the summits of the stars.

يَبدو فَيُبدي الصُبحُ غُرَّةَ وَجهِهِ

يَبدو فَيُبدي الصُبحُ غُرَّةَ وَجهِهِ

وَاللَيلُ قَد قَبَضَ العُيونَ ظَلامُهُ

وَاللَيلُ قَد قَبَضَ العُيونَ ظَلامُهُ

He appears, and dawn reveals the bright blaze of his face,

He appears, and dawn reveals the radiance of his face,

while night's darkness has closed all eyes.

While night's darkness has already gripped the eyes.

سَبَقَ الجِيادَ فَما يُشَقُّ غُبارُهُ

سَبَقَ الجِيادَ فَما يُشَقُّ غُبارُهُ

وَعَلا القَرينَ فَما يُرامُ مَرامُهُ

وَعَلا القَرينَ فَما يُرامُ مَرامُهُ

He has outrun the thoroughbreds; none can break through his dust.

He has outstripped the steeds; none can cut through his dust,

He has surpassed his peer; his heights cannot be attained.

And surpassed his rival; none can aspire to his goal.

وَلَئِن أَبَرَّ عَلى الحُسامِ عزيمَةً

وَلَئِن أَبَرَّ عَلى الحُسامِ عزيمَةً

فَكَما أَبَرَّ عَلى القَضاءِ حُسامُهُ

فَكَما أَبَرَّ عَلى القَضاءِ حُسامُهُ

And if his resolve has surpassed the keen sword,

And if he has surpassed the keen sword in resolve,

so too has his sword surpassed fate's decree.

So too has his keen sword surpassed fate.

وَكَأَنَّما أَقلامُهُ أَسيافُهُ

وَكَأَنَّما أَقلامُهُ أَسيافُهُ

وَكَأَنَّما أَسيافُهُ أَقلامُهُ

وَكَأَنَّما أَسيافُهُ أَقلامُهُ

It is as though his pens were his swords,

And it is as though his pens were his swords,

and as though his swords were his pens.

And as though his swords were his pens.

ما المَجدُ إِلّا العِقدَ جودُكَ شَذرُهُ

ما المَجدُ إِلّا العِقدَ جودُكَ شَذرُهُ

وَنَداكَ لُؤلُؤُهُ وَأَنتَ نِظامُهُ

وَنَداكَ لُؤلُؤُهُ وَأَنتَ نِظامُهُ

Glory is nothing but a necklace: your generosity is its gold beads,

Glory is but a necklace: your generosity its golden beads,

your munificence its pearls, and you the cord that strings it.

Your bounty its pearls, and you its string.

وَالجودُ في يَدِكَ اليَمينِ عِنانُهُ

وَالجودُ في يَدِكَ اليَمينِ عِنانُهُ

وَالبَأسُ في يَدِكَ الشِمالُ خُطامُهُ

وَالبَأسُ في يَدِكَ الشِمالُ خُطامُهُ

Generosity is in your right hand—its reins are there;

And generosity's reins are in your right hand,

valor is in your left hand—its halter is there.

And martial might's halter is in your left.

ما زالَ فَوطُكَ في اللِواءِ مُوَلِّياً

ما زالَ فَوطُكَ في اللِواءِ مُوَلِّياً

مَولى المَخافَةَ خَلفَهُ وَأَمامَهُ

مَولى المَخافَةَ خَلفَهُ وَأَمامَهُ

Your scarf upon the standard has never ceased streaming,

Your cloths [uncertain reading], upon the standard, have ever made

putting the dreaded foe to flight behind it and before it.

Fear master behind it and before it.

فَاِعمُر عَلى زَمَنٍ أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلٍ

فَاِعمُر عَلى زَمَنٍ أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلٍ

قَد تَمَّ فيكَ عَلى الوَرى إِنعامُهُ

قَد تَمَّ فيكَ عَلى الوَرى إِنعامُهُ

So live long through a radiant, white-marked age

So live long through an age, white-blazed and white-stockinged,

whose blessing to all creation has been perfected in you.

Whose beneficence to mankind has found perfection in you.