أظنُّ القوافي ساورتها صبابةٌ

أظنُّ القوافي ساورتها صبابةٌ

بمجدك والشوقُ المُبرِّحُ نازعُ

بمجدك والشوقُ المُبرِّحُ نازعُ

I think the rhymes have been seized by ardent longing

I think rhymes have been adorned by a youth

For your glory, and tormenting yearning draws them on.

With your glory and yearning has been an incentive

فلان لي الصعب الشديد وأصحب ال

فلان لي الصعب الشديد وأصحب ال

حَرونُ وواتاني العصيُّ الممجانع

حَرونُ وواتاني العصيُّ الممجانع

So the hard and stubborn softened for me, and tractable grew the—

So-and-so hardship and severity are nothing to me

Balking one; the rebellious resister yielded to me.

And the stiff, stubborn spears do not deter me

فأصبحت اِما قلت فيك فصيحةً

فأصبحت اِما قلت فيك فصيحةً

جلتْها بأفواهِ الرواةِ المجامعُ

جلتْها بأفواهِ الرواةِ المجامعُ

So now, whenever I utter an eloquent verse in your praise,

So my praise of you became eloquent

Assemblies display it through the lips of reciters.

Repeated by the mouths of reciters in gatherings

فوجهك وضاحٌ وكفُّك هاطلٌ

فوجهك وضاحٌ وكفُّك هاطلٌ

وبأسك مرهوبٌ وصدرك واسعُ

وبأسك مرهوبٌ وصدرك واسعُ

Your face is radiant, and your palm rains bounty;

Your face is radiant and your palm is generous

Your might is dreaded, and your breast is broad.

Your might is formidable and your chest is capacious

حويت حلال المجد طراً فلم تدع

حويت حلال المجد طراً فلم تدع

مساعيك اِلا ما اقتْفاه المُتابعُ

مساعيك اِلا ما اقتْفاه المُتابعُ

You gathered all the qualities of glory, leaving

You have encompassed the halal of glory completely

Through your deeds only what a follower could imitate.

Your efforts left nothing unattainable

تهاب سُطاكَ المشرفيَّةُ والقَنا

تهاب سُطاكَ المشرفيَّةُ والقَنا

وتحسدُ كفيَّك الغيوثُ الهوامعُ

وتحسدُ كفيَّك الغيوثُ الهوامعُ

Mashrafi swords and lances fear your onslaught,

The lofty abodes fear your glorious ascent

And the pouring rains envy your two palms.

And the pouring rains envy your saving hands

صدوقُ الحَيا للشائمين ومُغدقٌ

صدوقُ الحَيا للشائمين ومُغدقٌ

إذا كذب الشَّيْم البروقُ اللوامع

إذا كذب الشَّيْم البروقُ اللوامع

Your rain is true to those who watch for it, and abundant,

Truthful when maligned and generous

When gleaming lightning belies the rain-watchers' forecast.

When the flashing lightning of blame is untrue

وكم خلَّةٍ من بائس ذي خصاصةٍ

وكم خلَّةٍ من بائس ذي خصاصةٍ

سددتَ وقد أكْدتْ عليه المطامعُ

سددتَ وقد أكْدتْ عليه المطامعُ

How many a need of a wretched man in poverty

And many a wretch of mean nature

You have filled, when his hopes had proved barren.

You have aided though greed pressed upon him

ولهفانَ مكروب الفؤاد أجَرتْهُ

ولهفانَ مكروب الفؤاد أجَرتْهُ

بنصرٍ وقد سُدَّتْ عليه المطالعُ

بنصرٍ وقد سُدَّتْ عليه المطالعُ

And many a distressed man, anguished at heart, you sheltered

And many a grief-stricken heart you have relieved

With aid, when every avenue was closed to him.

With triumph though paths seemed closed to him

وجرمٍ جليل قد غفرتَ خطيرَهُ

وجرمٍ جليل قد غفرتَ خطيرَهُ

وقد ضاق حلمٌ واستُريبتْ مفازع

وقد ضاق حلمٌ واستُريبتْ مفازع

And many a grave offense whose enormity you pardoned,

And a great crime which you have forgiven

When forbearance grew strained and refuges were distrusted.

When patience was thin and perils were feared

فأنت لطول العمرأهلٌ وللعُلى

فأنت لطول العمرأهلٌ وللعُلى

وللمجد ما حلَّ الأراكَةَ ساجعُ

وللمجد ما حلَّ الأراكَةَ ساجعُ

You are worthy of long life and of high honor,

You are worthy of long life and nobility

And of glory, as long as a cooing bird settles in an arak tree.

And glory since the she-camels knelt down at rest

يجلُّ غياث الدين عن وصف مادحِ

يجلُّ غياث الدين عن وصف مادحِ

فكل مديح دون عَلياهُ واقِعُ

فكل مديح دون عَلياهُ واقِعُ

Ghiyath al-Din transcends a panegyrist's description;

The helper of faith is above the praise of one who praises

Every praise falls short of his lofty rank.

For every praise falls short of his supreme worth

فتى كالحسام العضب أما فِرنْدهُ

فتى كالحسام العضب أما فِرنْدهُ

فصافٍ وأما حدُّه فهو قاطِعُ

فصافٍ وأما حدُّه فهو قاطِعُ

A young man like a keen sword: as for its watered pattern,

A youth like an Indian sword - its blade

It is clear; and as for its edge, it cuts.

Is piercing, and its edge is cutting

سليم نواحي الصدر من صور الأذى

سليم نواحي الصدر من صور الأذى

يرى شرَّ عارٍ ما حوتهُ الخدائعُ

يرى شرَّ عارٍ ما حوتهُ الخدائعُ

Every recess of his breast is free of any form of malice;

Safe from the harm of treacherous intrigues

He deems what deceit contains the worst disgrace.

Seeing the evil that plotting minds conceal

نقيٌّ إذا غشَّ الولاةُ رعيَّةً

نقيٌّ إذا غشَّ الولاةُ رعيَّةً

عطوفٌ اذا يقسو القدير مُطاوعُ

عطوفٌ اذا يقسو القدير مُطاوعُ

Pure when rulers deceive their subjects,

Pure when rulers cheat the commoners

Compassionate when the powerful grow cruel, and accommodating.

Merciful when fate treats harshly the compliant

يجاذبهُ الطفلُ الوليدُ بسلمهِ

يجاذبهُ الطفلُ الوليدُ بسلمهِ

ويفرق منه الجيش وهو مُماصِعُ

ويفرق منه الجيش وهو مُماصِعُ

A newborn child tugs at him when he is at peace,

The newborn comes to him in peace

Yet the army fears him when he crosses swords.

And the army flees from him in surrender

وخيلٍ كسيدانِ الموامي يحثُّها

وخيلٍ كسيدانِ الموامي يحثُّها

إِلى الطعن غُرَّان الوجوه الموانعُ

إِلى الطعن غُرَّان الوجوه الموانعُ

And horses like wolves of the wastes are spurred on

And steeds like lionesses at lairs he rouses

To spear-thrusts by bright-faced defenders.

To thrust with faces set against the obstacle

تغادر نجد الأرض غوراً ويجعل ال

تغادر نجد الأرض غوراً ويجعل ال

هواءَ خَباراً وطْؤها المُتتابعُ

هواءَ خَباراً وطْؤها المُتتابعُ

They leave the earth's high ground low, and turn the—

They leave the land's surface pitted and hollow

Air to loose soil with their unceasing tread.

And their constant treading makes the air dusty

كأن نِهاءَ القاعِ بعد ورودها

كأن نِهاءَ القاعِ بعد ورودها

أخاديدُ كثبانِ الصَّريمِ اللَّوامع

أخاديدُ كثبانِ الصَّريمِ اللَّوامع

As though the pools of the plain, after the horses' arrival,

As if their ending place after arrival

Were furrows in the gleaming dunes of al-Sarim.

Were ripples in the slopes of the flashing sands

اذا احتبست خلت الرياح جرت ضحى

اذا احتبست خلت الرياح جرت ضحى

على قصب الآجامِ وهي زعازعُ

على قصب الآجامِ وهي زعازعُ

When they are held back, you would think winds swept at midmorning

When they are held back, the winds blow at dawn

Across the thickets' reeds in violent gusts.

Over the stalks of reeds making them flutter

عليها الكماة الحُمس صيداً كأنهم

عليها الكماة الحُمس صيداً كأنهم

مصاعبُ نيبٍ تطبَّيها المقارعُ

مصاعبُ نيبٍ تطبَّيها المقارعُ

Upon them ride fierce, armored champions, heads proudly raised, as though

On them are warriors, grave and stern like hunters

They were unruly old camels coaxed by goads.

Beating down prey with their pelting blows

اذا بسموا للحرب من طربٍ بها

اذا بسموا للحرب من طربٍ بها

أعادوا رماحَ الخطِّ وهي دوامعُ

أعادوا رماحَ الخطِّ وهي دوامعُ

When they smile at war in their delight in it,

When they rush into war joyfully

They bring back the spears of al-Khatt streaming tears.

They bend their spears though still quivering

يُجيفون ضغناً لو يمرُّ برهْمةٍ

يُجيفون ضغناً لو يمرُّ برهْمةٍ

لساورها من قيظ سيرافَ سافِعُ

لساورها من قيظ سيرافَ سافِعُ

They harbor rancor: were it to pass through a gentle shower,

They terrify with their yell anything passing by

A searing blast of Siraf's summer heat would assail it.

As if the midday heat's simmer envelops it

تقنَّصها السلطانُ منه بحملةٍ

تقنَّصها السلطانُ منه بحملةٍ

أعادت مجال القوم وهو مَصارعُ

أعادت مجال القوم وهو مَصارعُ

The sultan captured them from him with a charge

The Sultan seizes it from them in an onslaught

That turned the men's maneuvering ground into killing fields.

Which restores the might of the tribe when at strife

تقنَّصها الحامي حقيقة صحْبهِ

تقنَّصها الحامي حقيقة صحْبهِ

اذا صافحت بركَ الرجال البراقِع

اذا صافحت بركَ الرجال البراقِع

He captured them, the guardian of his companions' honor,

The protector seizes it truly for his companions

When face-masks met the chests of men.

When the shining moons of men meet

فأوسع ضرباً وانثنى بعد نصرهِ

فأوسع ضرباً وانثنى بعد نصرهِ

وهوباً لديه رِقَّةٌ وتواضُعُ

وهوباً لديه رِقَّةٌ وتواضُعُ

So he struck unsparingly, then returned after his victory,

Then he spreads destruction and after victory

A lavish giver, endowed with tenderness and humility.

Withdraws gently, humble and modest

فنعمَ ملاذُ الحيِّ والمحْل عارق

فنعمَ ملاذُ الحيِّ والمحْل عارق

ونِعمَ ملاذُ الحيِّ والشرُّ رائعُ

ونِعمَ ملاذُ الحيِّ والشرُّ رائعُ

How fine a refuge for the clan when drought strips it bare,

He is the excellent refuge of the living and the place

And how fine a refuge for the clan when evil strikes terror!

Where glory flows and evil is non-existent

أبا الفتح دُمْ للمجد ما ذرَّ شارق

أبا الفتح دُمْ للمجد ما ذرَّ شارق

وما غرَّدتْ فوق الأراكِ السواجع

وما غرَّدتْ فوق الأراكِ السواجع

O Abu al-Fath, live on for glory as long as the sun rises,

O Father of Conquests, be steadfast in glory

And as long as cooing birds sing above the arak trees.

As long as the moaning dove laments at daybreak

وما اتخذت غُبرَ الأداحيّ بالنَّقا

وما اتخذت غُبرَ الأداحيّ بالنَّقا

نعامُ المّلا فيها طليقٌ وراتِعُ

نعامُ المّلا فيها طليقٌ وراتِعُ

And as long as dusty nesting hollows in the dunes are made

As long as the gravel of marshlands is not plowed

By ostriches of the plains, roaming free and grazing there.

By ostriches roaming freely and settled there

دُعاء وليٍّ خالص الود مخلصٍ

دُعاء وليٍّ خالص الود مخلصٍ

اذا نمَّقَ الودَّ الكذوبُ المخادِع

اذا نمَّقَ الودَّ الكذوبُ المخادِع

A prayer from a loyal friend, pure in affection and sincere,

With the sincere prayer of a loyal supporter

When the lying deceiver embellishes affection.

When false affection is slippery and deceitful