أسهرَkept awake النّاظرَthe watching eye بعضُsome of اللّياليthe nights
أسهرَ النّاظرَ بعضُ اللّيالي
وأنامand lulled to sleep الأمْنُsecurity كُلَّall الأنامhumankind
وأنام الأمْنُ كُلَّ الأنام
Some nights kept the watching eye awake,
The night vigil keeps some nights awake
And security lulled all humankind to sleep.
While security sleeps through all of time
عاقدٌbinding طَوْقَthe collar of الحَمامِdeath ظُباهُhis sword-edges
عاقدٌ طَوْقَ الحَمامِ ظُباهُ
للعِداfor the foes مَوْضعَat the place of طَوْقِthe collar of الحَمامdoves
للعِدا مَوْضعَ طَوْقِ الحَمام
His sword-edges fasten the collar of death
Wearing the ringdove's collar, its beauty
Upon his foes, where the dove's collar lies.
For the enemy is the ringdove's ring
كُلُّeach مَجْبولٍfashioned علىfor الطّعْنِspear-thrusting طَبْعاًby nature
كُلُّ مَجْبولٍ على الطّعْنِ طَبْعاً
يَرْضَعُsuckles الصَّعْدةَthe straight spear يومَon the day of الفِطامweaning
يَرْضَعُ الصَّعْدةَ يومَ الفِطام
Each, by nature fashioned for spear-thrusting,
Everyone born to stab, their nature
Suckles the straight spear on the day of weaning.
Suckling venom from the day they're weaned
وغريبُand one wondrous in الخَطِّpenmanship يَجْعَلُmakes لاماًa lām (ل)
وغريبُ الخَطِّ يَجْعَلُ لاماً
ألِفَthe alif (ا) of الخَطَيِّthe Khattī spear فيin كُلِّevery لامcoat of mail
ألِفَ الخَطَيِّ في كُلِّ لام
And one of wondrous penmanship makes a lām
The stranger makes every letter a lam
Of the Khattī spear's alif in every coat of mail.
The lam's familiar in each lam he's seen
ياO أمينَtrusted one of اللهِGod دُمتَmay you remain مَلاذاًa refuge
يا أمينَ اللهِ دُمتَ مَلاذاً
للورَىfor humankind غيرَnot ذَميمِblameworthy in الذِّمامpledged protection
للورَى غيرَ ذَميمِ الذِّمام
O God's trusted one, may you remain a refuge
O Allah's trustee may you remain
For humankind, blameless in your pledged protection,
A refuge for all from blame and shame
حالياًadorned منwith كلِّevery جُودٍgenerosity وبَأْسٍand martial might
حالياً من كلِّ جُودٍ وبَأْسٍ
خالياًfree منfrom كُلِّevery ذَمٍّreproach وذامand blemish
خالياً من كُلِّ ذَمٍّ وذام
Adorned with every kind of generosity and martial might,
Now of all merit and courage emptied
Free of every reproach and blemish.
Now of all vice and blame exempted
صارhas become للهِfor God الخليفةُthe caliph فيهاin it
صار للهِ الخليفةُ فيها
قائماًstanding بالحَقِّfor justice أيِّwhat a القِيامstand
قائماً بالحَقِّ أيِّ القِيام
Therein, the caliph has become, for God,
For God the Caliph in it stands
An upholder of justice—how firm his stand!
Upholding right in every task at hand
Sol 6.1