اللهُGod جارُكَyour protector ظاعِناًdeparting ومُقيماand staying
اللهُ جارُكَ ظاعِناً ومُقيما
وضمينُand the guarantor نَصرِكَof your victory حادثاًrecent وقَديماand ancient
وضمينُ نَصرِكَ حادثاً وقَديما
May God be your protector, departing or staying,
God is your ally in adversity and prosperity
and the guarantor of your victory, now and of old.
And the guarantor of your triumph in old and new struggles
إنْif تَسْرِyou travel by night كانwill be لكfor you النَّجاحُsuccess مُصاحباًa companion
إنْ تَسْرِ كان لك النَّجاحُ مُصاحباً
أوor تَبْقَyou remain كانwill be لكfor you السُّرورُjoy نَديماa boon companion
أو تَبْقَ كان لك السُّرورُ نَديما
If you travel by night, success will be your companion;
If you travel you will be accompanied by success
or if you stay, joy will be your boon companion.
If you stay you will have happiness as your boon companion
تَغشاكَenfolds you بارِقَةُlightning السَّحابِof the clouds إذاwhen سرَتْtravels by night
تَغشاكَ بارِقَةُ السَّحابِ إذا سرَتْ
غيثاًrain وتلقاكَand greets you الرِّياحُthe winds نَسيماa gentle breeze
غيثاً وتلقاكَ الرِّياحُ نَسيما
May the clouds' lightning, as it passes by night, enfold you
The clouds rain down on you when they are filled
in rain, and may the winds greet you as a gentle breeze.
Bringing plentiful rain while the winds blow gently
أنتَyou الربيعُthe spring الطَّلْقُgenial إنif شاءَwishes الثَّرىthe soil
أنتَ الربيعُ الطَّلْقُ إن شاءَ الثَّرى
وتَزَحَّلُand the withdrawal الأنواءِof the rain-stars سَرَّgladdened قُدوماon arrival
وتَزَحَّلُ الأنواءِ سَرَّ قُدوما
You are the genial spring, if the soil so wishes,
You are the radiant spring if the land so desires
and the rain-stars' withdrawal brings joy at its coming.
And the seasons change to your joyous arrival
للهِhow wondrous هِمَّتُكَyour resolve التيwhich رَجَعَتْturned back بهاbecause of it
للهِ هِمَّتُكَ التي رَجَعَتْ بها
هِمَمُambitions الملوكِof kings الصَّاعِداتُsoaring هُموماsorrows
هِمَمُ الملوكِ الصَّاعِداتُ هُموما
How wondrous your resolve, before which
Your ambition to which the ambitions of kings return
the kings' soaring ambitions turned back as sorrows.
Is for their mounting anxieties to become tribulations
ورياحُكَand your winds اللاتيwhich تَهُبُّblow جَنائباًas southerlies
ورياحُكَ اللاتي تَهُبُّ جَنائباً
ولربَّماand often indeed أجريتَهُنَّyou sent them forth سَمُوماas scorching winds
ولربَّما أجريتَهُنَّ سَمُوما
And your winds, which blow as southerlies,
And your winds which blow violently from the south
and often you have sent them forth as scorching blasts;
And at times you make them lethal poison
وخلالُكَand your virtues الزُّهْرُradiant التيwhich أنِفَتْdisdained لهاfor their sake
وخلالُكَ الزُّهْرُ التي أنِفَتْ لها
قِمَمُthe summits المَراتبِof ranks أنto تكونَbe نُجوماstars
قِمَمُ المَراتبِ أن تكونَ نُجوما
and your radiant virtues, for whose sake
And your peaks are blossoms which peaks of ranks disdained
the summits of rank disdained to be stars.
Lest they become stars
كمhow many منof عظيمِgreat القَدْرِin standing قدindeed لقَّيْتَهyou made him face
كم من عظيمِ القَدْرِ قد لقَّيْتَه
خَطْباًa calamity بأطرافِat the points الرِّماحِof the spears عَظيماgreat
خَطْباً بأطرافِ الرِّماحِ عَظيما
How many a man of great standing you have made face
How many men of great worth have you met
a great calamity at the spear-points!
With the tips of spears bringing great calamity
ومُشهَّرٍand a renowned man يُدعىcalled الكَريمَthe generous one تَركتَهyou left him
ومُشهَّرٍ يُدعى الكَريمَ تَركتَه
يُدْعَىbeing called وقدand indeed هَطَلَتْrained يَداكَyour two hands لَئيماmean
يُدْعَى وقد هَطَلَتْ يَداكَ لَئيما
And many a renowned man called generous you left
And a braggart called generous you left
called mean, once your hands had poured like rain.
Called generous though your hands had debased him
أَفنَتْannihilated ظُباكَyour sword-edges الرُّومَthe Byzantines حتّىuntil أنهاthat they
أَفنَتْ ظُباكَ الرُّومَ حتّى أنها
لمdid not تُبْقِleave alive إلاexcept ظَبيةًa female gazelle أوor رِيماa white gazelle
لم تُبْقِ إلا ظَبيةً أو رِيما
Your sword-edges annihilated the Byzantines, until they
Did your lions not finish off the Romans
left alive only a doe or a white gazelle.
Leaving just a foolish or runty one
ومَحَوْتَand you erased آثارَthe traces الصَّليبِof the cross فلمand did not تَدَعْleave
ومَحَوْتَ آثارَ الصَّليبِ فلم تَدَعْ
للعينِfor the eye منهاof them مَعلَماًa sign مَعلوماrecognizable
للعينِ منها مَعلَماً مَعلوما
And you erased the traces of the cross, leaving no
And you erased all trace of the cross
recognizable sign of them for the eye.
Leaving no landmark for the eye that was known
خَيْلٌhorses تُثابُare rewarded علىfor تَتابُعِthe succession كَرِّهاof their charges
خَيْلٌ تُثابُ على تَتابُعِ كَرِّها
نَدْباًscars علىupon لَبَّاتِهاtheir chests وكُلوماand wounds
نَدْباً على لَبَّاتِها وكُلوما
Horses are rewarded for their repeated charges
Horses compensated for attacking in relays
with scars upon their chests and wounds;
With grievous injuries from their hoofs and fetlocks
وظُباًand sword-edges مُحرَّمَةٌforbidden علىto أَغْمادِهاtheir sheaths
وظُباً مُحرَّمَةٌ على أَغْمادِها
حتىuntil تُبيحَlay open منof الضَّلالerror حَريماa sanctuary
حتى تُبيحَ من الضَّلال حَريما
and sword-edges are forbidden their sheaths
And forbidden prey so their sheaths
until they lay open a sanctuary of error.
Allowed them to violate sanctuaries
ومكارمٌand noble deeds أنصَفتَyou did justice فيهِنَّin them العُلىto glory
ومكارمٌ أنصَفتَ فيهِنَّ العُلى
وتركتَand you left مالَكyour wealth بينهاamong them مَظْلوماwronged
وتركتَ مالَك بينها مَظْلوما
And noble deeds in which you did justice to glory,
And you brought justice regarding acts of valor
while leaving your wealth wronged amid them.
While leaving your share among them deprived
مَنَحَتْكَgave you طاعتَهاtheir obedience القبائلُthe tribes رَهبةًout of fear
مَنَحَتْكَ طاعتَها القبائلُ رَهبةً
فمنحتَso you granted جَمرَةَthe ember عِزّهاof their might تَضريماkindling
فمنحتَ جَمرَةَ عِزّها تَضريما
The tribes gave you their obedience out of fear,
The tribes granted you their obedience in awe
so you fanned the ember of their might into flame.
So you granted the embers of their glory more fuel
أعطاكَgave you أَصعَبُهاthe most unruly of them الخِطامَthe halter ولمand not يَكُنْwas
أعطاكَ أَصعَبُها الخِطامَ ولم يَكُنْ
ليقودَto lead غَيرُكَanyone but you صعبَهاtheir unruly one مَخطوماhaltered
ليقودَ غَيرُكَ صعبَها مَخطوما
The most unruly of them gave you the halter; no one
The most difficult of them gave you the bridle
but you could lead their unruly one haltered.
And none but you could steer their most intractable
فغدَتْso they became سَوامُكَyour grazing herd لاnot تُحاوِلُattempt نَبوَةًrebellion
فغدَتْ سَوامُكَ لا تُحاوِلُ نَبوَةً
أبداًever ولاand not تَبْغيseek سِواكَanyone but you مُسيماa herdsman
أبداً ولا تَبْغي سِواكَ مُسيما
So they became your grazing herd, attempting no rebellion
So your vultures do not aspire to prophecy
ever, and seeking no herdsman but you.
Nor seek other than you to select
يَستَمطِروهُthey ask him to rain down مَواهِباًgifts ومَواعِداًand promises
يَستَمطِروهُ مَواهِباً ومَواعِداً
لمdid not تَعْدُgo beyond منكfrom you سَحائباًrain-clouds وغُيوماand clouds
لم تَعْدُ منك سَحائباً وغُيوما
They seek from him showers of gifts and promises,
They entreat you for more talents and promises
which, from you, were nothing but rain-clouds and clouds.
That no longer shower from you as clouds and rain
أَسَمِيَّO namesake مُرهَفَةِof keen-edged السُّيوفِswords فَضَلْتَهاyou surpassed them
أَسَمِيَّ مُرهَفَةِ السُّيوفِ فَضَلْتَها
شِيَماًin character إذاwhen جَدَّgrew earnest القِراعُthe clash of arms وَخيماdire
شِيَماً إذا جَدَّ القِراعُ وَخيما
O namesake of keen-edged swords, you surpassed them
The epitomes of unsheathed swords which you surpassed
in character, when the clash of arms turned earnest and dire.
In courage when carnage was imminent
وأَرىand I see الأراقِمَthe Arāqim قَلَّدَتْكَentrusted you with أمورَهاtheir affairs
وأَرى الأراقِمَ قَلَّدَتْكَ أمورَها
فدَعَتْكَso they called you مُذْsince فَقَدَتْthey lost أباكَyour father زَعيماa leader
فدَعَتْكَ مُذْ فَقَدَتْ أباكَ زَعيما
And I see the Arāqim have entrusted their affairs to you,
And I see the dynasties garlanded you with their affairs
so they have called you leader since they lost your father.
And called you leader after your father passed
أَلبَسْتَنيyou clothed me نِعَماًin favors رَأيتُI saw بهاthrough them الدُّجىnight's darkness
أَلبَسْتَني نِعَماً رَأيتُ بها الدُّجى
صُبْحاًas dawn وكنتُand I used to أرىsee الصَّباحَthe morning بَهيماpitch-dark
صُبْحاً وكنتُ أرى الصَّباحَ بَهيما
You clothed me in favors through which I saw night's darkness
You adorned me with blessings by which I saw the darkness
as dawn, though I had seen the morning as pitch-dark.
As morning, while I used to see morning as bleak
فغَدَوْتُso I became يَحسُدُنيenvies me الصَّديقُthe friend وقبلَهاand before them
فغَدَوْتُ يَحسُدُني الصَّديقُ وقبلَها
قدindeed كانَused to يَلقانيmeet me العَدُوُّthe enemy رَحيماcompassionately
قد كانَ يَلقاني العَدُوُّ رَحيما
So I came to be envied by my friend; before that,
So I came to be envied by a friend though before
my enemy used to meet me with pity.
Even a foe would show me mercy
فملأتُso I filled آفاقَthe horizons البِلادِof the lands بمَنْطِقٍwith speech
فملأتُ آفاقَ البِلادِ بمَنْطِقٍ
لولاbut for الثَّناءُpraise عليكَof you عادَwould have become وُجُوماgloomy silence
لولا الثَّناءُ عليكَ عادَ وُجُوما
So I filled the horizons of the lands with speech
I filled the horizons with words
that, but for praising you, would have become gloomy silence:
Were it not for praising you they would be meaningless
عبقfragrant تنازعهthey vied for it الرواةthe reciters كأنماas though
عبق تنازعه الرواة كأنما
يتنازعونthey vie for بنفسجاviolets مغموماkept covered
يتنازعون بنفسجا مغموما
fragrant speech the reciters vied for, as though
A perfume rivals vie over as if
they were vying for violets kept covered.
They vie over unplucked hyacinth
فسَلِمْتَso may you be safe منfrom نُوَبِcalamities الزَّمانِof time ولاand may not غَدَاbecome
فسَلِمْتَ من نُوَبِ الزَّمانِ ولا غَدَا
شانيكyour hater منfrom معنىthe meaning of السَّليمِthe snake-bitten one سَليماsafe
شانيك من معنى السَّليمِ سَليما
May you be safe from time's calamities, and may
So you were spared by the woes of fate and no longer
your hater never be safe from the plight of the snake-bitten.
Does your distinction suffer any blemish
طلبَsought الملوكُthe kings غُبارَthe dust شأوِكَof your course فانثَنَواthen they turned back
طلبَ الملوكُ غُبارَ شأوِكَ فانثَنَوا
صِفْرَempty اليَدَيْنِof both hands وخائماًand cowed وذَميماand disgraced
صِفْرَ اليَدَيْنِ وخائماً وذَميما
Kings sought the dust of your course, then turned back
Kings sought the dust of your threshold so they withdrew
empty-handed, cowed and disgraced.
Empty-handed, with seal rings and rags
إنْif يَسمَحُواthey give freely فيat الحِينِtimes أوor يَتكَلَّفواaffect
إنْ يَسمَحُوا في الحِينِ أو يَتكَلَّفوا
كَرَمَgenerosity النُّفوسof souls فقدfor indeed خُلِقْتَyou were created كَريماgenerous
كَرَمَ النُّفوس فقد خُلِقْتَ كَريما
If they give freely now and then, or affect
Whether they be gracious for the moment or pretend
generosity of soul, you were born generous.
Generosity of spirit for you were created generous
Sol 6.1