ناديكَ من مطرِ الإحسانِ ممطورُ

ناديكَ من مطرِ الإحسانِ ممطورُ

ومُرتَجيكَ بغَمْرِ الجُودِ مَغمورُ

ومُرتَجيكَ بغَمْرِ الجُودِ مَغمورُ

Your court is drenched by the rain of beneficence,

I call you from the rain of benevolence abundantly showered,

And whoever hopes in you is submerged in generosity's flood.

And my hopes in you are immersed in the flood of generosity.

والبِيضُ ظِلٌّ عليك الدهرَ منتشرٌ

والبِيضُ ظِلٌّ عليك الدهرَ منتشرٌ

والنَّقعُ جَيبٌ عليكَ الدهرَ مَزرورُ

والنَّقعُ جَيبٌ عليكَ الدهرَ مَزرورُ

And gleaming swords are a shade forever spread over you,

The full moon is a shade spread over you forever,

And battle-dust is a shirtfront forever buttoned over you.

And the stars are pockets on you forever filled.

والشِّرْكُ قد هُتِكَتْ أستارُ بَيضَتِه

والشِّرْكُ قد هُتِكَتْ أستارُ بَيضَتِه

بحدِّ سيفِكَ والإسلامُ مَنشورُ

بحدِّ سيفِكَ والإسلامُ مَنشورُ

And polytheism's stronghold has had its veils torn

Polytheism - its curtains have been torn

By your sword's edge, while Islam is spread abroad.

By the edge of your sword as Islam is spread.

كم وقعةٍ لك شَبَّتْ في ديارِهِمْ

كم وقعةٍ لك شَبَّتْ في ديارِهِمْ

ناراً وأشرقَ منها في الهُدى نُورُ

ناراً وأشرقَ منها في الهُدى نُورُ

How many a battle of yours has kindled in their lands

How many battles for you blazed in their lands?

A fire, from which a light of guidance shone!

Fires from which the light of guidance shone.

بنهضةٍ خَرَّ فُسطاطُ الكَفورِ لها

بنهضةٍ خَرَّ فُسطاطُ الكَفورِ لها

خوفاً وأذعنَ بالفُسطاطِ كافورُ

خوفاً وأذعنَ بالفُسطاطِ كافورُ

At an advance before which the unbeliever's pavilion fell

In fear the palace of the infidels collapsed from an awakening,

In fear, and Kafur submitted in Fustat.

While clove surrendered in the palace ambergris.

إن تَشْتَكِ الحَدَثُ الحَسناءُ حادثةً

إن تَشْتَكِ الحَدَثُ الحَسناءُ حادثةً

سَعى بها حائنٌ منهم ومَغرورُ

سَعى بها حائنٌ منهم ومَغرورُ

If fair al-Hadath complains of a calamity

If the beautiful youth complains of an event,

Brought about by a doomed man among them and a deluded one,

A traitor among them rushed it and was deluded.

فإنَّها نَشوةٌ وَلَّتْ عُذوبتُها

فإنَّها نَشوةٌ وَلَّتْ عُذوبتُها

وخَرَّ ذو التَّاجِ عنها وهو مخمورُ

وخَرَّ ذو التَّاجِ عنها وهو مخمورُ

Then it is an intoxication whose sweetness has passed,

It was a drunken joy whose sweetness faded,

And the crowned one fell from it while drunk.

The crowned one left it drunk.

يستنقِصُ الوِتْرَ من أعدائِه مَلِكٌ

يستنقِصُ الوِتْرَ من أعدائِه مَلِكٌ

عدوُّهُ حيثُ كانَ الدهرَ موتورُ

عدوُّهُ حيثُ كانَ الدهرَ موتورُ

A king diminishes the blood-debt owed him by his enemies;

A king diminishes the bowstring of his enemies

His enemy, wherever he may be, is forever bereaved.

Wherever the fate was tense.

مجاورٌ وَزَراً منه وهل وَزَرٌ

مجاورٌ وَزَراً منه وهل وَزَرٌ

والسَّيفُ في يد سيفِ الله مشهورُ

والسَّيفُ في يد سيفِ الله مشهورُ

Taking refuge from him—but is there any refuge,

A neighbor sought from it while is there any load?

While the sword is drawn in the hand of God's Sword?

And the sword is in the hand of the Sword of God prominent.

يا مَنْ يَمُنُّ على الأسرى فيأسِرُهم

يا مَنْ يَمُنُّ على الأسرى فيأسِرُهم

عِلْمَاً بأنَّ طليقَ المَنِّ مأسورُ

عِلْمَاً بأنَّ طليقَ المَنِّ مأسورُ

O you who show captives grace and thus take them captive,

O you who gives grace to captives, capturing them,

Knowing that one freed by grace remains a captive.

Knowing the freed from favors is imprisoned.

ومَنْ لَدَيْهِ رياضُ الحَمدِ مُونِقَةً

ومَنْ لَدَيْهِ رياضُ الحَمدِ مُونِقَةً

فزَهرُها فيه منظومٌ ومنثورُ

فزَهرُها فيه منظومٌ ومنثورُ

And you whose gardens of praise are delightful,

For you the meadows of praise blossoming,

So their blossoms about you are strung in verse and scattered in prose.

Its flowers in it prose and verse.

إنْ تَعمُرِ السُّورَ أو تُهمِلْ عَمارَتَه

إنْ تَعمُرِ السُّورَ أو تُهمِلْ عَمارَتَه

فإنَّه بك ما عُمِّرْتَ مَعمورُ

فإنَّه بك ما عُمِّرْتَ مَعمورُ

If you build the wall or neglect its upkeep,

Whether you rebuild the wall or neglect its construction,

It remains well-kept through you as long as you live.

Through you it is inhabited if inhabited.

مَحلُّكَ الغابُ يحمي اللَّيثَ حَوزَتُه

مَحلُّكَ الغابُ يحمي اللَّيثَ حَوزَتُه

فإن خَلا منه يوماً فهو مَجذُورُ

فإن خَلا منه يوماً فهو مَجذُورُ

Your dwelling is the forest; its bounds shelter the lion,

Your place keeps the lion his possession,

And if one day it is empty of him, it is uprooted.

If he vacates it a day it is uprooted.

للهِ سُورٌ على الأيامِ يكلَؤُهُ

للهِ سُورٌ على الأيامِ يكلَؤُهُ

وأنتَ لا شكَّ فيه ذلك السُّورُ

وأنتَ لا شكَّ فيه ذلك السُّورُ

God has a wall that guards it through the ages,

God has walls against days wearing it away,

And you, beyond all doubt, are that wall.

You without doubt are that wall.

حَمَيْتَهُ برماحِ الخَطِّ مُشرَعَةً

حَمَيْتَهُ برماحِ الخَطِّ مُشرَعَةً

وكلُّ حُصْنٍ سوى أطرافِها زُورُ

وكلُّ حُصْنٍ سوى أطرافِها زُورُ

You protected it with al-Khatt's leveled spears,

You protected it with extended spears,

And every fortress other than their points is a sham.

Every fortress but its edges deception.

أنتَ الهُمامُ الذي مَنْ هَمُّهُ أبداً

أنتَ الهُمامُ الذي مَنْ هَمُّهُ أبداً

جَرُّ الحديدِ وذيلُ النَّقعِ مَجرورُ

جَرُّ الحديدِ وذيلُ النَّقعِ مَجرورُ

You are the valiant one, whose constant concern is

You are the aspirant whom the pulling of iron matters,

Dragging iron armor, with dust's train dragged behind.

And the train of the train dragged.

من أُسرةٍ قهَروا كِسرى وأسرتَه

من أُسرةٍ قهَروا كِسرى وأسرتَه

والنَّاسُ مهتَضَمٌ منهم ومقهورُ

والنَّاسُ مهتَضَمٌ منهم ومقهورُ

From a family who subdued Kisra and his family,

From a family who subjugated Chosroes and his dynasty,

While the people were wronged and subjugated by them.

And the people are oppressed by them and coerced.

لهم من البَرِّ مُصطافٌ ومُرتَبَعٌ

لهم من البَرِّ مُصطافٌ ومُرتَبَعٌ

ومَحْضَرٌ في ظِلالِ الحَضْرِ مَحْظورُ

ومَحْضَرٌ في ظِلالِ الحَضْرِ مَحْظورُ

They have summer and spring encampments in the open country,

For them are well-bred and a seat outstretched,

And an inviolate abode in the shade of al-Hadr.

And a settlement in the shades of settlement forbidden.

ولا معاقلَ إلا كلُّ سابغَةٍ

ولا معاقلَ إلا كلُّ سابغَةٍ

يطوي الفِجاجَ سَناها وهو منشورُ

يطوي الفِجاجَ سَناها وهو منشورُ

And no strongholds except each full-length coat of mail,

No strongholds but each seasoned

Whose gleam traverses the mountain passes as it spreads,

Folds the crevices, its supremacy erected.

وكوكبٌ في ذُرى سمراءَ مُغرِبَةٍ

وكوكبٌ في ذُرى سمراءَ مُغرِبَةٍ

إذا تمادَى القنا نَحرٌ وتَامورُ

إذا تمادَى القنا نَحرٌ وتَامورُ

And a star atop a brown, far-reaching spear,

A planet in the dusk of darkening,

When the spears stretch forth: slaughter and lifeblood.

When the bow is drawn taut cheeks and perfect.

تَمَلَّ فارسَكَ المذكورَ في شِيَمٍ

تَمَلَّ فارسَكَ المذكورَ في شِيَمٍ

بمثلِها الذَّكَرُ الصَّمصامُ مذكورُ

بمثلِها الذَّكَرُ الصَّمصامُ مذكورُ

May you long enjoy your horseman, renowned for qualities

Your famed horseman of famed traits is pleased

Like those for which the hard-tempered, keen-cutting sword is famed.

By it the mention, rumors mentioned.

وافى ومَولِدُهُ المُوفي يخبِّرُنا

وافى ومَولِدُهُ المُوفي يخبِّرُنا

بأنَّه ناصرٌ للمجدِ منصورُ

بأنَّه ناصرٌ للمجدِ منصورُ

He has arrived, and his birth, bringing fulfillment, tells us

His birth, the fulfiller, informs us

That he champions glory and is granted victory.

That he is victorious, success granted.

جَرى فِرنْدُ أبيه في مَضاربِهِ

جَرى فِرنْدُ أبيه في مَضاربِهِ

فجاءَ وهو حديدُ الحَدِّ مأثورُ

فجاءَ وهو حديدُ الحَدِّ مأثورُ

His father's watered steel-pattern ran through his cutting edges,

The torrent of his father in his dwellings flowed,

So he came keen-edged, bearing a watered pattern.

So he came hardened iron well-tested.

فعاشَ ما نَشَرَ الديَّجورُ حُلَّتَه

فعاشَ ما نَشَرَ الديَّجورُ حُلَّتَه

وما انطوَى بضياءِ الفَجْرِ دَيجورُ

وما انطوَى بضياءِ الفَجْرِ دَيجورُ

So may he live as long as darkness spreads its robe,

He lived as long as the stars their garments unfold

And as long as darkness folds away before dawn's light,

And withdraw in the light of dawn recluse.

حتى نراه وحَدُّ السَّيفِ في يدِهِ

حتى نراه وحَدُّ السَّيفِ في يدِهِ

مُثَلَّمٌ وسِنانُ الرُّمحِ مَأْطُورُ

مُثَلَّمٌ وسِنانُ الرُّمحِ مَأْطُورُ

Until we see him, the edge of the sword in his hand

Until we see him alone with sword in hand

Chipped, and the spear's point bent.

Jagged and the spearheads bridled.

إنَّ السَّماحَةَ أخلاقٌ عُرِفْتَ بها

إنَّ السَّماحَةَ أخلاقٌ عُرِفْتَ بها

والمَكرُماتُ حَديثٌ عنكَ مَسطورُ

والمَكرُماتُ حَديثٌ عنكَ مَسطورُ

Indeed, generosity is the character for which you are known,

Generosity is manners known of you

And noble deeds are a written account of you.

And favors are discourse of you transcribed.

والدَّهرُ يا ابْنَ أبي الهيجاءِ يفعلُ ما

والدَّهرُ يا ابْنَ أبي الهيجاءِ يفعلُ ما

أمرْتَه فهو مَنْهِيٌّ ومأمورُ

أمرْتَه فهو مَنْهِيٌّ ومأمورُ

And time, O son of Abu al-Hayja, does whatever

O son of Abi Alhayja, time does as

You command it; it is subject to prohibition and command.

You command so it is prohibitive and permitted.

لو هَمَّ بَأسُكَ بالطَّودِ الذي شَمَخَتْ

لو هَمَّ بَأسُكَ بالطَّودِ الذي شَمَخَتْ

هِضابُهُ لَهَوَى من بأسِكَ الطَّورُ

هِضابُهُ لَهَوَى من بأسِكَ الطَّورُ

If your might turned against the mountain whose

If your might considered the mountain that rose

Heights tower, al-Tur would fall before your might.

Its plateaus, the mount from your might would tumble.