سَدَّتْ سيوفُكَ خَلَّةَ الثَّغْرَيْنِ

سَدَّتْ سيوفُكَ خَلَّةَ الثَّغْرَيْنِ

وَفَتَحْتَ من آرائِكَ السُّدَّيْنِ

وَفَتَحْتَ من آرائِكَ السُّدَّيْنِ

Your swords closed the breach in the two frontiers,

Your swords have blocked the pass between the two heights,

and with your counsels you opened the two barriers.

And opened with your opinions two dams.

سَيَّرْتَ من عَبْدَيْكَ في غابِ القَنا

سَيَّرْتَ من عَبْدَيْكَ في غابِ القَنا

أسَدَيْن للأعداءِ مُفتَرِسَيْنِ

أسَدَيْن للأعداءِ مُفتَرِسَيْنِ

You sent your two servants into the forest of spears—

You have sent from your two servants in the forest of spears,

two lions, devouring the enemy;

Two lions to the enemies, tearing.

رُمْحَيْنِ مُطَّرِدَيْنِ بل سَيفَيْنِ من

رُمْحَيْنِ مُطَّرِدَيْنِ بل سَيفَيْنِ من

صَلَتْينِ بل نَجْمَينِ مُنكَدِرَيْنِ

صَلَتْينِ بل نَجْمَينِ مُنكَدِرَيْنِ

two straight spears—rather, two swords,

Two javelins expelling, nay two swords from

unsheathed—rather, two plunging stars.

Two polished blades, nay two blazing stars.

صُعِقَ العِدا بلَظاهُما فكأنَّما

صُعِقَ العِدا بلَظاهُما فكأنَّما

كانَا على الأعداءِ صَاعِقَتَيِنِ

كانَا على الأعداءِ صَاعِقَتَيِنِ

The foes were thunderstruck by their blaze, as though

The enemies were struck down by their sharpness, as though

they were two thunderbolts upon the enemy.

They were two thunderbolts upon the enemies.

سارا فسارَ الرُّعْبُ يَقْدُمُ مِنهُما

سارا فسارَ الرُّعْبُ يَقْدُمُ مِنهُما

جَيْشَيْنِ ما اتَّكَلا على الجَيْشَيْنِ

جَيْشَيْنِ ما اتَّكَلا على الجَيْشَيْنِ

They marched, and the terror they inspired marched ahead of

They marched so terror marched ahead of them,

two armies; they did not rely on those armies.

Two armies not relying on the two armies.

خَرَقا الدُّروبَ بجَحفَلَيْنِ كأنَّما

خَرَقا الدُّروبَ بجَحفَلَيْنِ كأنَّما

طَلَعَتْ نجومُهما على لَيلَيْنِ

طَلَعَتْ نجومُهما على لَيلَيْنِ

They broke through the passes with two mighty hosts, as though

They tore through the roads with two great powers, as though

their stars had risen over two nights.

Their stars rose upon two nights.

إني لآمُلُ أن يُبَشِّرَكَ القَنا

إني لآمُلُ أن يُبَشِّرَكَ القَنا

والبِيضُ من وَجْهَيْنِ مُختَلِفَيْنِ

والبِيضُ من وَجْهَيْنِ مُختَلِفَيْنِ

Indeed, I hope the spears will bring you glad tidings,

I hope the spears will bring you good tidings,

and the bright swords, from two different directions,

And the white swords from two different faces,

فتَظَلَّ فَضفاضَ المَواهبِ سَاحباً

فتَظَلَّ فَضفاضَ المَواهبِ سَاحباً

بُرْدَيْنِ للنَّعماءِ فَضفاضَيْنِ

بُرْدَيْنِ للنَّعماءِ فَضفاضَيْنِ

so that you remain lavish in gifts, trailing

So you remain shaded by the pouring of gifts,

two ample, flowing mantles of bounty.

A refuge for the two bounties, most sweet.

أنتَ الحَيا ولربَّما قَبَضَ الحيَا

أنتَ الحَيا ولربَّما قَبَضَ الحيَا

كَفاً وكفُّكَ نُجعَةُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ

كَفاً وكفُّكَ نُجعَةُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ

You are the life-giving rain, though rain may sometimes close

You are the life, and if the Life-Giver should take

its hand; your hand is the pasture sought by humankind and jinn.

A handful, your handful is the cure for the two afflictions,

وإذا الحُسامُ نَبَتْ مَضارِبُ حَدِّهِ

وإذا الحُسامُ نَبَتْ مَضارِبُ حَدِّهِ

كنتَ الحُسامَ العَضْبَ ذا الحدَّيْنِ

كنتَ الحُسامَ العَضْبَ ذا الحدَّيْنِ

And when the sword's edge glances off in striking,

And if the swords sprout striking blades,

you are the keen sword with two edges—

You are the polished double-edged sword.

عفوٌ ومَكرُمَةٌ تروحُ وتَغتَدي

عفوٌ ومَكرُمَةٌ تروحُ وتَغتَدي

بِجَناهُما مُستَعذَبَ الوِرْدَيْنِ

بِجَناهُما مُستَعذَبَ الوِرْدَيْنِ

pardon and generosity; you go at dusk and at dawn,

Forgiveness and bounty walk about and are nourished

bearing their fruits, sweet at both waterings.

By their two beautiful blossoms, most fragrant.

لو أنَّ عبدَ اللهِ عايَنَ ما بَنَتْ

لو أنَّ عبدَ اللهِ عايَنَ ما بَنَتْ

يُمناكَ راحَ به قَريرَ العَيْنِ

يُمناكَ راحَ به قَريرَ العَيْنِ

Had Abd Allah beheld what

If the servant of God were to see what your

your right hand built, he would have departed, his eyes gladdened by it.

Right hand built, he would be delighted.

اللهُ سَرَّكَ في أخيكَ ولم يَكُنْ

اللهُ سَرَّكَ في أخيكَ ولم يَكُنْ

لِيَمِيْلَ عُرشُ العزِّ ذي الرُّكنَيْنَ

لِيَمِيْلَ عُرشُ العزِّ ذي الرُّكنَيْنَ

God has gladdened you in your brother, and never would

God has caused you joy in your brother, and it was not

the throne of glory, with its two pillars, totter.

For the Throne of Honor with two pillars to incline.

ظَفَرٌ أَذَلَّ لآلِ فارسَ منكمُ

ظَفَرٌ أَذَلَّ لآلِ فارسَ منكمُ

بسيوفِ مَشرَفَ أو رِماحِ رُدَيْنِ

بسيوفِ مَشرَفَ أو رِماحِ رُدَيْنِ

A victory from you humbled the house of Persia

A victory that humiliated the family of Persia more than you

with swords of Mashraf or spears of Rudayn.

With outstanding swords or rejecting spears.

ما حاولوا الحِصْنَ المُنيفَ بِغَدْرِهِم

ما حاولوا الحِصْنَ المُنيفَ بِغَدْرِهِم

حتَّى انثَنَوا جُثَثاً على الحِصنَيْنِ

حتَّى انثَنَوا جُثَثاً على الحِصنَيْنِ

No sooner did they assail the lofty fortress through their treachery

They did not try the lofty fortress in their treachery,

than they fell back as corpses upon the two fortresses.

Until they fell as corpses upon the two fortresses.

ماجَتْ صَوارِمُه عليهم فانثَنَتْ

ماجَتْ صَوارِمُه عليهم فانثَنَتْ

ولُجَيْنُ دِجلةَ مُذْهَبُ المَوْجَينِ

ولُجَيْنُ دِجلةَ مُذْهَبُ المَوْجَينِ

His keen swords surged against them, then withdrew,

Its swords stirred against them and the waves

while the Tigris's silver was gilded in both its waves.

Of the Tigris with two currents were made gold.

فَتْحٌ تَبلَّجَ صُبْحُه فأَراكُما

فَتْحٌ تَبلَّجَ صُبْحُه فأَراكُما

بابَيْنِ للسَّرَّاءِ مُنْفَتِحَيْنِ

بابَيْنِ للسَّرَّاءِ مُنْفَتِحَيْنِ

A victory—its dawn shone bright and showed you both

A victory whose dawn shone so I saw you both

two gates to happiness, standing open.

As two gates for joy opened wide.

قَوْلي إذا فُجعَ الملوكُ بنَكبةٍ

قَوْلي إذا فُجعَ الملوكُ بنَكبةٍ

أو رِيعَ شَمْلُهُمُ بوَشْكِ البَيْنِ

أو رِيعَ شَمْلُهُمُ بوَشْكِ البَيْنِ

My saying, when kings are stricken by calamity,

My saying, when kings are anguished by a setback,

or their gathering is alarmed by imminent separation:

Or their unity is rent by the verge of separation:

حُلاّ مَحَلَّ الفَرْقَدَيْنِ فأنتُما

حُلاّ مَحَلَّ الفَرْقَدَيْنِ فأنتُما

أولى بمَوْضِعِ ذينِكَ النَّجمَيْنِ

أولى بمَوْضِعِ ذينِكَ النَّجمَيْنِ

Occupy the station of the two Farqad stars, for you both

You two have taken the place of the two brilliant ones, so you are

are worthier of the place of those two stars.

More worthy of the position of those two stars.