لوif حفظتْshe had kept يومَon the day of النّوىَparting عهودَهاher pledges
لو حفظتْ يومَ النّوىَ عهودَها
ماnot مَطَلَتْdelayed fulfillment بوصلكمof union with you وعودهاher promises
ما مَطَلَتْ بوصلكم وعودها
If she had kept her pledges on the day of parting,
her promises of union with you would not have tarried.
ماذاwhat جنتْcommitted قلوبناour hearts حتىthat غداbecame
ماذا جنتْ قلوبنا حتى غدا
فيin النارthe fire منfrom شوقكمlonging for you خلودهاtheir eternal dwelling
في النار من شوقكم خلودها
What crime have our hearts committed, that
they should dwell forever in the fire of longing for you?
لمnot أَنسهاI forgot her إذwhen نثرتscattered دموعهاher tears
لم أَنسها إذ نثرت دموعها
فيupon خدِّهاher cheek ماwhat نظمتhad strung عقودهاher necklaces
في خدِّها ما نظمت عقودها
I have not forgotten her, when her tears scattered
upon her cheek what her necklaces had strung.
إذاwhen قربتنيshe drew me close للوداعِfor farewell نحوَهاtoward her
إذا قربتني للوداعِ نحوَها
فبانthen became plain فيin وصالهاher closeness صدودُهاher turning away
فبان في وصالها صدودُها
When she drew me toward her for farewell,
her turning away became plain in her closeness.
كأسهمlike arrows الرَّاميthe archer's متىwhenever قرَّبهاhe draws them near
كأسهم الرَّامي متى قرَّبها
يكونُbecomes تقريبهاbringing them near تبعيدهاsending them far away
يكونُ تقريبها تبعيدها
Like an archer's arrows: whenever he draws them close,
drawing them close means sending them far away.
محمدMuhammad يحمدُpraises عيشَlife بلدةٍa town
محمد يحمدُ عيشَ بلدةٍ
مالكُهاits ruler بعدلهِfor his justice محمودُهاits praised one (Mahmud)
مالكُها بعدلهِ محمودُها
Muhammad praises life in a town
whose ruler, Mahmud, is praised for his justice.
مؤيدsupporting أُمورَهhis affairs بعزمةٍwith firm resolve
مؤيد أُمورَه بعزمةٍ
منfrom السمواتِthe heavens العُلىon high تأييدهاits support
من السمواتِ العُلى تأييدها
He sustains his undertakings with a resolve
whose support comes from the heavens on high.
آثارُهُhis deeds حميدةpraiseworthy وإنّماand only
آثارُهُ حميدة وإنّما
للمرءِto a person منof آثارهِhis deeds حميدهاtheir praiseworthy ones
للمرءِ من آثارهِ حميدها
His deeds are praiseworthy; and only
the praiseworthy among a man's deeds are his.
إنَّindeed الورىhumankind بحبّهby love for him وبغضهand by hatred of him
إنَّ الورى بحبّه وبغضه
يعرفُis distinguished منِfrom شقيهاits wretched one سعيدهاits fortunate one
يعرفُ منِ شقيها سعيدها
Indeed, among mankind, through love for him and hatred of him,
the fortunate are distinguished from the wretched.
قدindeed جاءَكمhas come to you نورمنa light from اللّهِGod فمنso whoever
قد جاءَكم نورمن اللّهِ فمن
بهby it اهتدىfound guidance فإنّهthen indeed he رشيدهاits rightly guided one
به اهتدى فإنّه رشيدها
A light has come to you from God; whoever
is guided by it is rightly guided among mankind.
جلاdispelled ظلامَthe darkness of الظُّلمoppression نورُlight الدِّينِof the faith عنfrom
جلا ظلامَ الظُّلم نورُ الدِّينِ عن
أَرضِthe land of الشآمal-Sham فلهso to him belongs تحميدُهاits praise
أَرضِ الشآم فله تحميدُها
Nur al-Din dispelled the darkness of oppression from
the land of al-Sham; its praise belongs to him.
إنَّindeed الرَّعاياthe subjects منهfrom him فيin رعايةٍcare
إنَّ الرَّعايا منه في رعايةٍ
ونعمةٍand bounty مستوجبdeserved مزيدهاits increase
ونعمةٍ مستوجب مزيدها
The subjects are indeed under his care
and enjoy bounty whose increase is deserved.
لنومهاfor their sleep يسهرُhe keeps vigil بلnay لأمنهاfor their safety
لنومها يسهرُ بل لأمنها
يخافُhe fears بلnay يخصبهاhe makes them flourish بجودهاby lavishing bounty on them
يخافُ بل يخصبها بجودها
He keeps vigil so they may sleep; nay, for their safety
he fears; nay, he makes them flourish by lavishing bounty on them.
بالدِّينfor the faith والملكِand kingship لهto him belongs قيامهُhis upholding
بالدِّين والملكِ له قيامهُ
وللملوكِand for the kings عنهاfrom it قعودُهاtheir holding back
وللملوكِ عنها قعودُها
He upholds faith and kingship,
while other kings hang back from that duty.
ودأبهand his practice ثلمُbreaching ثغورِthe frontiers of الكُفرِunbelief لاnot
ودأبه ثلمُ ثغورِ الكُفرِ لا
لثمkissing ثغورٍmouths ناقعthirst-quenching بَرُودُهاtheir cool saliva
لثم ثغورٍ ناقع بَرُودُها
His practice is to breach the frontiers of unbelief, not
to kiss mouths whose cool saliva quenches thirst.
قدindeed أَسبغَlavished اللّهُGod لناfor us بعدلهthrough his justice
قد أَسبغَ اللّهُ لنا بعدله
ظلالَshades of أَمنٍsafety وارفluxuriant مديدهاtheir long reach
ظلالَ أَمنٍ وارف مديدها
Through his justice, God has spread over us
broad, far-reaching shades of safety.
غداbecame ملوكُthe kings الرُّومof Rum فيunder دولتهِhis rule
غدا ملوكُ الرُّوم في دولتهِ
وهمand they علىdespite رغمهمtheir unwillingness عبيدُهاits slaves
وهم على رغمهم عبيدُها
Under his rule, the kings of Rum have become
its slaves, unwilling though they are.
لماwhen أَبتrefused هاماتهمtheir heads سجودَهاtheir prostration
لما أَبت هاماتهم سجودَها
للّهِto God أَضحىbecame للظُّبىbefore sword-edges سجودهاtheir prostration
للّهِ أَضحى للظُّبى سجودها
When their heads refused to bow
to God, their bowing was instead before sword-edges.
إنif فارقتleave سيوفُهhis swords غمودَهاtheir sheaths
إن فارقت سيوفُه غمودَها
فإنَّthen indeed هاماتهمُtheir heads غمودهاtheir sheaths
فإنَّ هاماتهمُ غمودها
If his swords leave their sheaths,
then their heads become the swords' sheaths.
كمhow many مغلقاتlocked ones منamong حصونِfortresses عزمهِhis resolve
كم مغلقات من حصونِ عزمهِ
مفتاحهاtheir key وسيفهand his sword إقليدهاtheir key
مفتاحها وسيفه إقليدها
How many locked fortresses—his resolve
unlocks them, and his sword is their key!
قدindeed ودَّتhave wished الفرنجthe Franks لوif only فرَّتthey fled نَجَتْthey escaped
قد ودَّت الفرنج لو فرَّت نَجَتْ
منكَfrom you ولكنbut روعهاtheir terror يبيدهاdestroys them
منكَ ولكن روعها يبيدها
The Franks have wished they could flee and escape
from you, but their terror destroys them.
قهرتَهاyou subdued them حتىuntil لودَّwould surely wish حبُّهاtheir beloved
قهرتَها حتى لودَّ حبُّها
منout of ذلةٍhumiliation لوif only أنّهthat he فقيدُهاone lost to them
من ذلةٍ لو أنّه فقيدُها
You subdued them until even their beloved would wish,
out of humiliation, that he were lost to them.
أَماتهاkilled them رعبُكَdread of you فيwithin حصونِهاtheir fortresses
أَماتها رعبُكَ في حصونِها
كأنّماas though حصونُهاtheir fortresses لحودُهاtheir graves
كأنّما حصونُها لحودُها
Dread of you has slain them within their fortresses,
as though their fortresses were their graves.
وإنand indeed مصراًEgypt لكَto you تعنوsubmits بعدماafter
وإن مصراً لكَ تعنو بعدما
لسيفكِto your sword العضبِkeen-edged عنyielded (text uncertain) صعيدهاits soil
لسيفكِ العضبِ عن صعيدها
And Egypt submits to you, after
its soil [has yielded] to your keen-edged sword.
والملةand the faith الغراءradiant خالٍuntroubled بالهاits mind
والملة الغراء خالٍ بالها
عالlofty سناهاits radiance بكَthrough you حالٍadorned جيدُهاits neck
عال سناها بكَ حالٍ جيدُها
And the radiant faith is free of care,
its radiance lofty, its neck adorned through you.
مفترةٌsmiling ثغورُهاits mouths ممنوعةٌprotected
مفترةٌ ثغورُها ممنوعةٌ
ثغورُهاits frontiers محفوظةٌguarded حدودُهاits boundaries
ثغورُها محفوظةٌ حدودُها
Its mouths smile; protected
are its frontiers, its boundaries guarded.
وإنand if بغيtransgresses جالوتُهاits Goliath ضلالةًin error
وإن بغي جالوتُها ضلالةً
فأَنتَthen you فيin إهلاكهdestroying him داودُهاits David
فأَنتَ في إهلاكه داودُها
And if its Goliath transgresses in error,
you are its David in destroying him.
ياO ابنَson of قيمthe guardian of الدَّولةthe state الملكthe king الذيwho
يا ابنَ قيم الدَّولة الملك الذي
خرَّتfell لهbefore him منamong الملوكthe kings صيدهاtheir haughty ones
خرَّت له من الملوك صيدها
O son of the state's guardian, O king before whom
the haughty among kings have fallen!
دعleave العداthe enemies بغيظهاto their rage فإنّماfor only
دع العدا بغيظها فإنّما
يذيبmelts أكبادthe livers العداof the enemies حقودهاtheir grudges
يذيب أكباد العدا حقودها
Leave the enemies to their rage; it is only
their grudges that melt the enemies' livers.
ياO دولةrealm نوريةًof Nur al-Din أمنthe safety الورىof humankind
يا دولة نوريةً أمن الورى
وخصبهاand their abundance وجودهاand their bounty وجودهاits existence
وخصبها وجودها وجودها
O Nurid realm, mankind's safety,
their abundance and bounty are your very existence.
ماnot مَثَلُthe likeness of الدُّنياthe world لمنfor one who يجمعُهاhoards it
ما مَثَلُ الدُّنيا لمن يجمعُها
بالحرصِwith greed إلاَّexcept قَزَّةٌa silk cocoon ودودُهاand its worms
بالحرصِ إلاَّ قَزَّةٌ ودودُها
The world's only likeness, for one who hoards it
in greed, is a silk cocoon and its worms.
أَنتَyou الذيthe one who يرفضُهاrejects it عنas beneath قدرهhis worth
أَنتَ الذي يرفضُها عن قدره
فلاso not يثوبrecompenses زهدَهhis renunciation زهيدُهاits trifles
فلا يثوب زهدَه زهيدُها
You are the one who rejects it as beneath his worth;
its trifles cannot recompense his renunciation.
فابقَso remain لناfor us ياO ملكاًking بقاؤهhis continued life
فابقَ لنا يا ملكاً بقاؤه
فيin كلِّevery عامٍyear للرَّعاياfor the subjects عيدُهاtheir festival
في كلِّ عامٍ للرَّعايا عيدُها
So live on for us, O king, whose continued life
is each year a festival for the subjects,
فيin نعمةٍbounty جديدةٍrenewed سعودُهاits good fortunes
في نعمةٍ جديدةٍ سعودُها
ودولةٍand a reign سعيدةٍhappy جدودُهاits fortunes
ودولةٍ سعيدةٍ جدودُها
amid bounty whose good fortunes are renewed,
and a reign whose fortunes are happy.
Sol 6.1