جنابُكَ للعُلا حِصْنٌ حصينُ

جنابُكَ للعُلا حِصْنٌ حصينُ

وذكرُكَ للمنى دنياً ودين

وذكرُكَ للمنى دنياً ودين

Your court is an impregnable fortress for greatness,

Your side is an impregnable fortress for the exalted,

And your name is, to hope, both this world and faith.

And your mention is a worldly and religious bliss.

وأدْنى غايَتَيْكَ لها أَمانٌ

وأدْنى غايَتَيْكَ لها أَمانٌ

وكلتا راحَتَيْكَ بها يمين

وكلتا راحَتَيْكَ بها يمين

The nearer of your two goals is their security,

The least of your goals is safe,

And both your palms are right hands in their service.

And both your comforts are blessed by it.

أهابَ بكَ الزمانُ إمامَ عدلٍ

أهابَ بكَ الزمانُ إمامَ عدلٍ

فَلَبَّتْهُ بكَ الحربُ الزبون

فَلَبَّتْهُ بكَ الحربُ الزبون

Time summoned you as a leader of justice,

Time stood in awe of you as the leader of justice,

And fierce war answered its call through you:

So wars clung to you, yielding.

حُساماً ما انتضاهُ الدّهْرُ إلا

حُساماً ما انتضاهُ الدّهْرُ إلا

ليعلمَ مَنْ يَفِي مِمَّنْ يخون

ليعلمَ مَنْ يَفِي مِمَّنْ يخون

A keen sword that Time never unsheathed except

A sword that fate drew only

To distinguish those who keep faith from those who betray.

To know who would be loyal and who would betray.

صقيلَ المتنِ رَوْنَقُهُ الأماني

صقيلَ المتنِ رَوْنَقُهُ الأماني

وماضي الحدِّ جَوْهرُه المنون

وماضي الحدِّ جَوْهرُه المنون

Polished along its blade, its sheen is hope,

The elegance of the blade is fanciful hopes,

And keen of edge, its substance is death.

And the firmness of its edge is inevitable death.

وَمَضْرِبُهُ جُهَيْنةُ كُلِّ مَجْدٍ

وَمَضْرِبُهُ جُهَيْنةُ كُلِّ مَجْدٍ

وسَلْهُ فعندهُ الخبرُ اليقين

وسَلْهُ فعندهُ الخبرُ اليقين

Its striking edge is the Juhaynah of all glory;

Its path is the pinnacle of all glory,

Ask it: with it lies the certain news.

And its question is certain knowledge.

إذا حَدّثْتَ في الهيجاءِ عنه

إذا حَدّثْتَ في الهيجاءِ عنه

فإنَّ حديثَهُ فيها شُجون

فإنَّ حديثَهُ فيها شُجون

When you speak of him amid battle,

If you speak of it during turmoil,

The story of him there has many strands.

Indeed, its talk amidst that is melancholy.

إذا اعتمدَ النَّدى غَصّتْ جِفانٌ

إذا اعتمدَ النَّدى غَصّتْ جِفانٌ

وإنْ شَهِدَ الوغى صَفِرَتْ جفون

وإنْ شَهِدَ الوغى صَفِرَتْ جفون

When he undertakes generosity, serving bowls brim;

When dew relied on it, blades became unsheathed,

And when he joins the fray, scabbards lie empty.

And if tumult witnessed it, eyelids turned yellow.

إلى مَلِكِ الملوكِ هفا بلبّي

إلى مَلِكِ الملوكِ هفا بلبّي

وقد سئمتْ نواظرَها العيون

وقد سئمتْ نواظرَها العيون

Toward the king of kings, my heart was swept away,

Yearning for the king of kings, my heart fluttered,

Though eyes had wearied of their own pupils,

As sights grew weary of it.

هوىً لو غيرُ ذِكْراه حَبَتْهُ

هوىً لو غيرُ ذِكْراه حَبَتْهُ

لكنتُ أقولُ سُكْرٌ أوْ جنون

لكنتُ أقولُ سُكْرٌ أوْ جنون

By a love that, had anything but his remembrance bestowed it,

Had love of him mentioned anything else,

I would have called intoxication or madness.

I would say it was intoxication or madness.

إلى مَلِكٍ تَعوَّدَ بَسْطَ كَفٍّ

إلى مَلِكٍ تَعوَّدَ بَسْطَ كَفٍّ

بخالقها تُعين وتَسْتَعين

بخالقها تُعين وتَسْتَعين

Toward a king accustomed to extending a hand

Yearning for a king accustomed to extending a palm

That, through its Creator, gives aid and seeks aid.

That assists its Creator and seeks help from Him.

شديدُ البأسِ في صَوْنِ المعالي

شديدُ البأسِ في صَوْنِ المعالي

تكادُ تُذيله ممَّا يلين

تكادُ تُذيله ممَّا يلين

Mighty in valor when guarding lofty honors,

Firm in defending the sublime,

They nearly humble him, so gentle is he.

Almost trailing what relents.

أَبيٌّ حينَ يغشاها جسورٌ

أَبيٌّ حينَ يغشاها جسورٌ

قويٌّ حينَ يَرْعاها أمين

قويٌّ حينَ يَرْعاها أمين

Unbowed and daring when he approaches them,

Unyielding when the bold approach,

Strong and trustworthy when he tends them.

Strong when the safe herd it.

سطا أسداً وأشرقَ بدرَ تمٍّ

سطا أسداً وأشرقَ بدرَ تمٍّ

ودارتْ بالحتوفِ رحىً طحون

ودارتْ بالحتوفِ رحىً طحون

He charged like a lion and shone like a full moon,

It flattened a lion and shone like a full moon,

And a grinding mill whirled with deaths.

As grinding stones spun around blades.

وأَحْدَقَتِ الرِّماحُ به فَأَعيْا

وأَحْدَقَتِ الرِّماحُ به فَأَعيْا

عليَّ أُهالةٌ حِيَ أمْ عرين

عليَّ أُهالةٌ حِيَ أمْ عرين

Spears encircled him, making it hard

Spears stared at it until they weakened;

For me to tell: was it a halo or a lion's den?

Is my family alive or lying still?

أطلَّ على سريرةِ كلِّ غيبٍ

أطلَّ على سريرةِ كلِّ غيبٍ

بفكرٍ لا تُخَالِجُهُ الظنون

بفكرٍ لا تُخَالِجُهُ الظنون

He surveyed the inner secret of every unseen thing,

It looked into the privacy of everything

With a mind untouched by conjectures.

With a mind not disturbed by suspicions.

فما للماءِ في أرضٍ ركودٌ

فما للماءِ في أرضٍ ركودٌ

ولا للنارِ في حَجَرٍ كمون

ولا للنارِ في حَجَرٍ كمون

So water cannot lie still in the earth,

So water has no stillness on land,

Nor can fire lie hidden in a stone.

Nor fire concealment in stone.

تَشَوَّفَتِ الملوكُ هوىً وَذُعْراً

تَشَوَّفَتِ الملوكُ هوىً وَذُعْراً

إلى مَلِكٍ يُدان ولا يَدين

إلى مَلِكٍ يُدان ولا يَدين

Kings looked eagerly, in love and dread,

Kings craved it - fervently and fearfully -

Toward a king who is obeyed and obeys none;

For a king who is obeyed and does not obey.

إلى مُتَهَلّلِ القَسِمَاتِ طَلْقٍ

إلى مُتَهَلّلِ القَسِمَاتِ طَلْقٍ

كأنَّ سَنَا الصبَّاحِ له جبين

كأنَّ سَنَا الصبَّاحِ له جبين

Toward one of beaming features, open-faced,

For one with beaming fortunes openly displayed,

As though dawn's splendor were his brow.

As if its brilliant dawn is a forehead.

جوادٌ بالديارِ وما حَوَتْهُ

جوادٌ بالديارِ وما حَوَتْهُ

ولو أنَّ الزمانَ بها ضنين

ولو أنَّ الزمانَ بها ضنين

Lavish with lands and all they contain,

Generous in homelands and what they contained,

Even though Time is stingy with them.

Even if time was stingy with them.

تَعِزُّ به الركائبُ والقوافي

تَعِزُّ به الركائبُ والقوافي

إذا كانتْ بأقوامٍ تهون

إذا كانتْ بأقوامٍ تهون

Through him, riding camels and rhymes gain honor,

With it, mounts and rhymes become dear

When among other folk they are held cheap.

When they are insignificant to some people.

أبا حَسضنٍ ومولى كلِّ حُسْنٍ

أبا حَسضنٍ ومولى كلِّ حُسْنٍ

دعاءً لا يَميلُ ولا يَمين

دعاءً لا يَميلُ ولا يَمين

O Abu Hasḍan, master of all beauty,

Father of goodness and master of all beauty,

A call that neither strays nor lies.

A prayer that does not waver or lean.

قد اهتزَّتْ بأنْعُمِكَ الليالي

قد اهتزَّتْ بأنْعُمِكَ الليالي

كما تهتزُّ بالثَّمَرِ الغصون

كما تهتزُّ بالثَّمَرِ الغصون

The nights have stirred with your bounties,

The nights shook with your bounties,

As boughs sway with fruit.

As branches shake with fruit.

أدَرْتَ على البسيطةِ كأسَ طيبٍ

أدَرْتَ على البسيطةِ كأسَ طيبٍ

تَعَاطَتْهُ السُّهولةُ والحزون

تَعَاطَتْهُ السُّهولةُ والحزون

You passed across the earth a cup of fragrance;

You brought around the simple cup of joy,

Both smooth and rugged lands have partaken of it.

Taken by the easygoing and the gloomy.

فكلُّ قرارةٍ مِسْكٌ فتيقُ

فكلُّ قرارةٍ مِسْكٌ فتيقُ

وكلُّ مُنيفةٍ عِلْقٌ ثَمين

وكلُّ مُنيفةٍ عِلْقٌ ثَمين

So every hollow is musk unsealed,

So every toast is precious musk,

And every height a precious treasure.

And every melody is excellent ambergris.

طليعةُ جيشك الظَّفَرُ المواتي

طليعةُ جيشك الظَّفَرُ المواتي

وظلُّ لوائكَ الفتحُ المبين

وظلُّ لوائكَ الفتحُ المبين

Your army's vanguard is victory that favors you,

The vanguard of your army is obvious victory,

And your banner's shade is manifest conquest.

And the shade of your banner is clear triumph.

عُقابٌ كلَّما أمْسَتْ بأَرضٍ

عُقابٌ كلَّما أمْسَتْ بأَرضٍ

فليسَ سوى الصدورِ لها وكون

فليسَ سوى الصدورِ لها وكون

An eagle: whenever it spends the evening in a land,

A hawk that whenever it alights on land,

It has no roosts except in breasts.

Nothing remains except the chests as abode.

رفعتَ على التُّخومِ مَنَارَ عَدْلٍ

رفعتَ على التُّخومِ مَنَارَ عَدْلٍ

أنارَ وهذه الأيامُ جون

أنارَ وهذه الأيامُ جون

You raised along the borders a beacon of justice,

You raised over the borders a minaret of justice

Which shone while these days were dark.

That illuminated while these days are unjust.

إذا وَعَدَ الزمانُ سرورَ شيءٍ

إذا وَعَدَ الزمانُ سرورَ شيءٍ

فمنكَ عليه نَذْرٌ أو يمين

فمنكَ عليه نَذْرٌ أو يمين

If Time promises joy in anything,

If time promises the joy of something,

It is under a vow or an oath imposed by you.

It is your vow or oath over it.

أَحِنُّ إليكَ واسألْ بي وسلني

أَحِنُّ إليكَ واسألْ بي وسلني

وغايةُ كلِّ مَنْ نَزَعَ الحنين

وغايةُ كلِّ مَنْ نَزَعَ الحنين

I yearn for you—ask about me, and ask me—

I yearn for you - ask about me and inquire of me,

And longing is the furthest reach of everyone who yearns.

For yearning’s peak is what the heartsick endure.

ودونكَ كلُّ مَوْمَاةٍ فَيَاحٍ

ودونكَ كلُّ مَوْمَاةٍ فَيَاحٍ

كأنَّ نهارها قَلْبٌ حزين

كأنَّ نهارها قَلْبٌ حزين

Between us lies many a spacious waste,

Without you, every slight downpour is devastating,

Whose daylight is like a sorrowful heart.

As if its daylight is a saddened heart.

وَنَتْ فيها الرِّياحُ الهوجُ حتَّى

وَنَتْ فيها الرِّياحُ الهوجُ حتَّى

كأنَّ ظهورَها العُليا بُطُون

كأنَّ ظهورَها العُليا بُطُون

The headlong winds grow weary there, until

The violent winds blew in it until

Their lofty backs seem like bellies.

Its summits seemed like exposed bellies.

إذا سرَّحْتَ طَرفَكَ قلتَ بحرٌ

إذا سرَّحْتَ طَرفَكَ قلتَ بحرٌ

يذلُّ الطَّرفُ فيه ويستكين

يذلُّ الطَّرفُ فيه ويستكين

When you let your gaze roam, you say: 'A sea!'

When you unleashed your gaze you said: A sea,

In which the gaze is humbled and subdued.

Where sight is humiliated and surrenders.

وقد لمعَ السرابُ فقلتَ ماءٌ

وقد لمعَ السرابُ فقلتَ ماءٌ

وجالَ الضبُّ فيه فقلتَ نون

وجالَ الضبُّ فيه فقلتَ نون

The mirage flashes, so you say: 'Water!'

A mirage gleamed, so you said: Water,

And a lizard scurries through it, so you say: 'A fish!'

With floating creatures swirling in it.

كأنَّ هِضَابِها والآلُ يَنْزُو

كأنَّ هِضَابِها والآلُ يَنْزُو

بها مَوْجٌ تَرَاقصَ أوْسَفِين

بها مَوْجٌ تَرَاقصَ أوْسَفِين

As though its hills, with the heat-haze leaping

As if its slopes and dunes appear

Around them, were dancing waves or ships.

In it a wave dances with two vessels.

وأُخْرَى مِثْلُها إلا غَوَاشٍ

وأُخْرَى مِثْلُها إلا غَوَاشٍ

كأنَّ قعيدَها مَيْتٌ دفين

كأنَّ قعيدَها مَيْتٌ دفين

And another like it, save for shrouding veils,

While another like it except for ponds

As though one sitting in it were a buried corpse.

As if its stillness is a buried corpse.

كأنَّ عمادَها كُثْبَانُ رَمْلٍ

كأنَّ عمادَها كُثْبَانُ رَمْلٍ

إليكَ وقد تكونُ لها شئون

إليكَ وقد تكونُ لها شئون

As though its pillars were dunes of sand,

As if its pillars are sand dunes

Toward you, though it may have its troubles.

Subservient to you, though it may have meteors.

وليَّ العهدِ لي بهواكَ عَهْدٌ

وليَّ العهدِ لي بهواكَ عَهْدٌ

كأنَّ مدائحي منه يمين

كأنَّ مدائحي منه يمين

O heir to the throne, I have a covenant in loving you,

My heir, your love is a pact with me,

As though my praises were an oath born of it.

As if my praises of it are an oath.

سددتَ مَفَاقري وَأشَدْتَ باسْمي

سددتَ مَفَاقري وَأشَدْتَ باسْمي

فذلَّ الصَّعْبُ وَانقادَ الحرون

فذلَّ الصَّعْبُ وَانقادَ الحرون

You met my needs and made my name renowned,

You aimed my words and fortified my name,

So the untamed grew docile, and the balking steed obeyed.

So the mighty submitted and the wolves obeyed.

وَخُيّلَ لِيْ الغِنَى فنطقتُ عَنْهُ

وَخُيّلَ لِيْ الغِنَى فنطقتُ عَنْهُ

لِعِلْمي أنَّهُ مما يكون

لِعِلْمي أنَّهُ مما يكون

Wealth was pictured to me, so I spoke of it,

Wealth was imagined for me, so I spoke of it,

For I know it is among the things to come.

Knowing it is among what may exist.