مَحَلُّكَ مثلُ الغابِ ليسَ يُرامُ

مَحَلُّكَ مثلُ الغابِ ليسَ يُرامُ

وجارُك مثلُ النجمِ ليسَ يضُامُ

وجارُك مثلُ النجمِ ليسَ يضُامُ

Your abode is like the forest, beyond assault.

Your abode is like an inaccessible forest, with no hostility

And your neighbor is like a star, never wronged.

And your neighbor like a star, with no envy

وغَيمُك ذو بَرقَينِ ينهلُّ عنهُما

وغَيمُك ذو بَرقَينِ ينهلُّ عنهُما

دمٌ ليسَ يَرقَى صوبُه وغَمامُ

دمٌ ليسَ يَرقَى صوبُه وغَمامُ

And your cloud has two lightning-flashes, from which pour

And your cloud has two lightnings that pour forth

blood whose downpour cannot be stanched, and rainclouds.

Blood that does not ascend, and dense clouds

أَقمنا نَرى روضَ المحامدِ يُجتلَى

أَقمنا نَرى روضَ المحامدِ يُجتلَى

عليكَ وآفاقُ السماحِ تُغَامُ

عليكَ وآفاقُ السماحِ تُغَامُ

We stayed, beholding the garden of virtues unveiled

We stand to see the meadow of praise made clear

in you, while generosity's horizons grow clouded.

Upon you, and the horizons of nobility hidden

فنحنُ حَلالٌ في حَريمِك للغِنى

فنحنُ حَلالٌ في حَريمِك للغِنى

ونحنُ على الأَيَّامِ فيه حَرامُ

ونحنُ على الأَيَّامِ فيه حَرامُ

So in your sanctuary we are fair game for riches,

So we are lawful in your sanctuary out of need

yet there we are inviolable to the days.

And we to the days in it are forbidden

بكَ انتظمَ المجدُ الشَّتِيتُ وإنما

بكَ انتظمَ المجدُ الشَّتِيتُ وإنما

مَساعيك للمَجد الشتيتِ نِظامُ

مَساعيك للمَجد الشتيتِ نِظامُ

Through you, scattered glory was strung together; only

Through you scattered glory is systematized

your endeavors are a thread for scattered glory.

And your efforts to scattered glory are regulation

رميتَ فأصمَيتَ العدوَّ ولم يَزَل

رميتَ فأصمَيتَ العدوَّ ولم يَزَل

لبأسِك في حَبّ القلوبِ سِهامُ

لبأسِك في حَبّ القلوبِ سِهامُ

You shot and killed the foe outright; and always

You shot and made the enemy deaf, and ceaseless

your might has had arrows in the cores of hearts.

Is your might in hearts' love, arrows

فأغراضُك اللاتي تُصابُ مَقاتِلٌ

فأغراضُك اللاتي تُصابُ مَقاتِلٌ

وأسهُمُك اللاتي تُصيبُ حِمامُ

وأسهُمُك اللاتي تُصيبُ حِمامُ

So the targets you hit are vital spots,

So your objects which a fighter takes as goals

and your arrows that strike are death.

And your arrows which a dove takes

رأى من أَخِيكَ الشامُ أكرمَ شيمةٍ

رأى من أَخِيكَ الشامُ أكرمَ شيمةٍ

وأصدقَ برقٍ في المُحولِ يُشامُ

وأصدقَ برقٍ في المُحولِ يُشامُ

Syria has seen in your brother the noblest disposition,

Saw the Levant from your brother the most honorable traits

and the truest lightning-flash watched for in drought.

And the truest lightning in the battlefields that darkens

تلاَ قَسَماً في موقِفٍ ظَنَّ انَّه

تلاَ قَسَماً في موقِفٍ ظَنَّ انَّه

تلاقَى عليه يَذبُلٌ وشَمامُ

تلاقَى عليه يَذبُلٌ وشَمامُ

He pursued Qasam in an encounter where he thought that

He made an oath in a stance, thought it

Yadhbul and Shamam had converged upon him.

Encountered upon it withering and smugness

تَحَيَّتْ بريَّا القُربِ منه جَوانحٌ

تَحَيَّتْ بريَّا القُربِ منه جَوانحٌ

وبُلَّ بماءِ الوَصلِ منه أَوامُ

وبُلَّ بماءِ الوَصلِ منه أَوامُ

Bosoms were revived by the fragrance of nearness to him,

The wings drew near, joyful with his nearness

and burning thirst was quenched by the water of union with him.

And the water skins filled with the water of connection from him

هي الدَّولةُ الغَرَّاءُ شَمَّرَ منكما

هي الدَّولةُ الغَرَّاءُ شَمَّرَ منكما

لَضيمِ عِداها ناصرٌ وحُسامُ

لَضيمِ عِداها ناصرٌ وحُسامُ

This is the radiant dynasty; you two have girded yourselves

It is the radiant state, from you two

as champion and keen sword to humble its foes.

For the narrowness of its enemies, a supporter and sword have loosened

أرى الخائنَ المغرورَ نامَ بأرضِكُم

أرى الخائنَ المغرورَ نامَ بأرضِكُم

كأنَّ المنايا الحمرَ عنه نِيامُ

كأنَّ المنايا الحمرَ عنه نِيامُ

I see the deluded traitor sleeping in your land,

I see the traitorous deluded one slept in your land

as though red deaths slept, heedless of him.

As if the red deaths from him are sleeping

تَسنَّمَ أعلامَ الديارِ وأنتمُ

تَسنَّمَ أعلامَ الديارِ وأنتمُ

لِمَن حلَّ فيها غاربٌ وسَنامُ

لِمَن حلَّ فيها غاربٌ وسَنامُ

He climbed the heights of the dwellings, while you

He assumed the banners of the home, while you

are withers and hump for whoever dwells there.

To whoever settled in it are a fading sunset and loftiness

فَشقَّ على الماضِينَ من عُظَمائِكم

فَشقَّ على الماضِينَ من عُظَمائِكم

وهم رِمَمٌ في تُربِها وعِظامُ

وهم رِمَمٌ في تُربِها وعِظامُ

Thus he grieved the departed among your great ones,

So it was hard on the deceased of your great ones

though they are decayed remains and bones in its soil.

And they are corpses in its soil and bones

مَنازِلُ مرفوعٌ لحاضِركم بها

مَنازِلُ مرفوعٌ لحاضِركم بها

قِبابٌ وللبَادي الأغرِّ خِيامُ

قِبابٌ وللبَادي الأغرِّ خِيامُ

Dwellings where, for your settled folk, are raised

Lofty dwellings for your present ones in them

domes, and for the illustrious desert-dweller, tents.

Domes, and for the nomad in the bare land, tents

تَحِنُّ إلى القَومِ الذين ترحَّلُوا

تَحِنُّ إلى القَومِ الذين ترحَّلُوا

وتَرجُفُ بالقَومِ الذين أَقامُوا

وتَرجُفُ بالقَومِ الذين أَقامُوا

They yearn for the people who departed,

You yearn for the people who migrated

and shudder at the people who remained.

And you tremble for the people who stayed

تَهلَّلَ منها الغيثُ وهي عَوابِسٌ

تَهلَّلَ منها الغيثُ وهي عَوابِسٌ

وأسفرَ منها الصبحُ وهي ظلامُ

وأسفرَ منها الصبحُ وهي ظلامُ

Rain smiled forth from them, though they frowned,

Rain flowed from it while it was gloomy

and dawn shone from them, though they were darkness.

And dawn emerged from it while it was darkness

فعُودوا ليَحتلَّ النَّدى في خِلالِها

فعُودوا ليَحتلَّ النَّدى في خِلالِها

ويرحلَ لؤمٌ حلَّها ولِئامُ

ويرحلَ لؤمٌ حلَّها ولِئامُ

So return, that bounty may settle in their midst,

So return for dew to settle in its midst

and the baseness that occupied them may depart, with the base.

And misery that afflicted it to depart

ولا تُمْكِنُوه من ذِمامِ سُيوفِكم

ولا تُمْكِنُوه من ذِمامِ سُيوفِكم

فليسَ له عندَ السيوفِ ذِمامُ

فليسَ له عندَ السيوفِ ذِمامُ

And do not let him claim the protection of your swords,

And do not enable him to hold your swords’ reins

for swords owe him no protection.

For he has no reins with swords

فلا صُلحَ حتى تُستطارَ سِواعِدٌ

فلا صُلحَ حتى تُستطارَ سِواعِدٌ

وتَسقُطَ أيدٍ في اللِّقاءِ وهَامُ

وتَسقُطَ أيدٍ في اللِّقاءِ وهَامُ

So no peace until forearms are sent flying

So no peace until arms are rolled up

and hands and heads fall in battle,

And hands fall in the encounter, defeated

وحتى تَرودَ الشرقَ ذاتُ هَمَائِمٍ

وحتى تَرودَ الشرقَ ذاتُ هَمَائِمٍ

يُصرِّفُها ساري الهُمومِ هُمامُ

يُصرِّفُها ساري الهُمومِ هُمامُ

and until a resolute host ranges through the East,

And until the east with proud pillars

directed by a valiant chief who journeys by night with cares,

Which the carrier of worries sways, returns

وتُذكى على الهِرماسِ نارُ قبيلةٍ

وتُذكى على الهِرماسِ نارُ قبيلةٍ

لحُمرتِها في الخافِقَين ضِرامُ

لحُمرتِها في الخافِقَين ضِرامُ

and a tribe's fire is kindled along the Hirmas,

And a burning tribe’s fire is kindled on the battlefields

its redness blazing across both horizons,

For its redness between the two flapping banners

وتَشرَقَ من شرقيِّ دِجلةَ بالقَنا

وتَشرَقَ من شرقيِّ دِجلةَ بالقَنا

ضَحاضحُ أنتُم سيلُها وإِكامُ

ضَحاضحُ أنتُم سيلُها وإِكامُ

and, east of the Tigris, spears choke

And from my east the Euphrates with spears

shallows—whose flood you are—and hills,

You are its torrent and climax

وَتقرُبَ من آجامِها الأُسدُ عَنوةً

وَتقرُبَ من آجامِها الأُسدُ عَنوةً

فتَقتَحِمَ الآجامَ وهي كِرامُ

فتَقتَحِمَ الآجامَ وهي كِرامُ

and lions draw near their thickets by force,

And the lion forcibly nears its thickets

then storm the thickets, noble as they are,

So it bursts into the thickets and it is generous

وتَلفَحَه ريحُ الأراقمِ إِنَّها

وتَلفَحَه ريحُ الأراقمِ إِنَّها

سَمومٌ على أعدائِها وسِمامُ

سَمومٌ على أعدائِها وسِمامُ

and the wind of the Araqim scorches him; it is

And the wind of the pennants hits it, it is

a scorching blast and poison against its enemies.

Poisons upon its enemies and venom

فَتغبرَّ من تلك الفِجاجِ مَواقِفٌ

فَتغبرَّ من تلك الفِجاجِ مَواقِفٌ

وتحمرَّ من تلك المياهِ جِمامُ

وتحمرَّ من تلك المياهِ جِمامُ

So battlefields in those mountain passes grow dusty,

So from those wide battlefields positions light up

and pools of those waters turn red,

And from those waters tents redden

كأيامِ سيفِ الدولةِ الغرِّ إنّها

كأيامِ سيفِ الدولةِ الغرِّ إنّها

سِماتٌ على وَجه الزمانِ وشَامُ

سِماتٌ على وَجه الزمانِ وشَامُ

like the radiant days of Sayf al-Dawla: truly they are

As the days of Saif al-Dawla al-Garra, they

marks and beauty spots upon the face of time.

Are characteristics on the face of time and a birthmark

فحينئذٍ يَصفُو السَّماعُ لسَامعٍ

فحينئذٍ يَصفُو السَّماعُ لسَامعٍ

وَينساغُ للشَّربِ العِطاشِ مُدامُ

وَينساغُ للشَّربِ العِطاشِ مُدامُ

Then music will be sweet to the listener,

For then hearing is pure for a listener

and wine will go smoothly down for thirsty drinkers.

And wine flows smoothly for a thirsty drinker

وإنْ أُحفِظَت منكم أُسودُ حَفائظٍ

وإنْ أُحفِظَت منكم أُسودُ حَفائظٍ

فردُّوا القنا والبِيضَ وهيَ حُطامُ

فردُّوا القنا والبِيضَ وهيَ حُطامُ

And if the lions of jealous honor among you are enraged,

And if fierce lions are preserved by you

then bring back the spears and bright swords shattered.

Return the spears and the white banners and they are wreckage

فإنّ سِجالَ الدهرِ في الناس قبلَكم

فإنّ سِجالَ الدهرِ في الناس قبلَكم

ولا عَارَ نقصٌ مؤلِمٌ وتمَامُ

ولا عَارَ نقصٌ مؤلِمٌ وتمَامُ

For time's alternating fortunes among people before you

For the contentions of fate among people before you

were painful loss and fullness—there is no disgrace in that.

And no deficiency is shameful harm and perfection

فطوراً لكم في العَيش رَحبُ منازلٍ

فطوراً لكم في العَيش رَحبُ منازلٍ

وطَوراً لكم بينَ السيوفِ زِحامُ

وطَوراً لكم بينَ السيوفِ زِحامُ

So, at times, you have spacious dwellings in life,

So for you in life are ample dwellings

and at times you face the crush amid swords.

And for you among the swords is crowding

وأنتم على أكبادِ قَومٍ حَرارةٌ

وأنتم على أكبادِ قَومٍ حَرارةٌ

وبَردٌ على أكبادِنا وسَلامُ

وبَردٌ على أكبادِنا وسَلامُ

And you are burning heat upon some people's livers,

While you are heat upon the livers of a hot people

and coolness and peace upon our livers.

And coolness upon our livers and peace