بقيتَ مُطاعاً ما تغَنَّتْ حَمامَةٌ

بقيتَ مُطاعاً ما تغَنَّتْ حَمامَةٌ

وما رقَصَ الآلُ الخفوقُ براكبِ

وما رقَصَ الآلُ الخفوقُ براكبِ

May you remain obeyed as long as a dove sings,

You remained obeyed as long as a dove cooed,

and as long as the shimmering mirage dances about a rider,

And as long as the roaring stallion danced with its rider,

وما اعْترفَ الحُرُّ الفصيح لمحْسنٍ

وما اعْترفَ الحُرُّ الفصيح لمحْسنٍ

فجازاهُ حمداً خالداً في العَواقِب

فجازاهُ حمداً خالداً في العَواقِب

and as long as an eloquent noble man acknowledges a benefactor,

And as long as the eloquent free man acknowledged the beauty,

repaying him with praise that endures in times to come.

So he rewarded him with eternal praise in the aftermath.

فأنت مُشار الدهر في البأس والندى

فأنت مُشار الدهر في البأس والندى

وهازِمُ جيْشَيْ أزْمَةٍ ونَوائب

وهازِمُ جيْشَيْ أزْمَةٍ ونَوائب

For you rival time in valor and bounty,

You are the pointer of fate in might and generosity,

and conquer the two armies of hardship and calamities.

And the defeater of the armies of distress and tribulations,

ومُبْتسمٌ والبيض تبكي غُروبُها

ومُبْتسمٌ والبيض تبكي غُروبُها

بأحْمَرَ من ماءِ المَفارقِ ساكِب

بأحْمَرَ من ماءِ المَفارقِ ساكِب

And you smile while the bright swords’ edges weep

Smiling while the whites (swords) cry over their sunset,

with crimson water pouring from the partings of heads.

With what flows from the red water of separation.

وباعثُ جيش الرأي في كلِّ مُجْلبٍ

وباعثُ جيش الرأي في كلِّ مُجْلبٍ

يُحطِّمُ أطْرافَ القَنا والقواضب

يُحطِّمُ أطْرافَ القَنا والقواضب

And you dispatch the army of counsel against every clamorous assailant,

You are the mobilizer of the army of opinion in every turmoil,

shattering spearpoints and sharp-edged swords.

It shatters the edges of the spear and the bows.

إذا ما بنى في الطِّرْس صفَّ بلاغةٍ

إذا ما بنى في الطِّرْس صفَّ بلاغةٍ

غَدا هادِماً منها صُفوفَ المَواكب

غَدا هادِماً منها صُفوفَ المَواكب

Whenever he builds a rank of eloquence upon the page,

When it builds a row of eloquence in armor,

he becomes, through it, a destroyer of the ranks of marching hosts.

It starts demolishing from it the rows of processions.

ففي كلِّ سطرٍ من وجيزٍ ومُسهبٍ

ففي كلِّ سطرٍ من وجيزٍ ومُسهبٍ

كتائبُ يمْطو بأسُها بالكَتائب

كتائبُ يمْطو بأسُها بالكَتائب

For in every line, whether concise or expansive,

So in every line, concise or prolix,

are battalions whose might sweeps other battalions away.

Are battalions whose might defeats battalions.

مَزابرُه سُمْرُ القَنا وصَريرها

مَزابرُه سُمْرُ القَنا وصَريرها

الغَماغم والقرطاس مُجرى السَّلاهِب

الغَماغم والقرطاس مُجرى السَّلاهِب

His pens are tawny spears, and their scratching

Their tombs are the red soil of spears and their hissing,

is the murmur of battle; the paper is a course for long-limbed steeds.

The skulls and the parchment, the course of the pouring rains.

وزيرٌ حَوى العَلْياءَ بين مناسبٍ

وزيرٌ حَوى العَلْياءَ بين مناسبٍ

مكرَّمَةٍ مشْهورةٍ ومكاسِبِ

مكرَّمَةٍ مشْهورةٍ ومكاسِبِ

A vizier who attained eminence through lineages

A minister who comprised glory between apt occasions,

honored and renowned, and through earned distinctions.

Honored and famous acquisitions and gains.

فلم تُعْطِهِ أيَّامُهُ غيرَ حَقِّهِ

فلم تُعْطِهِ أيَّامُهُ غيرَ حَقِّهِ

ولا رفَعتْ منهُ ضِخامُ المَراتِب

ولا رفَعتْ منهُ ضِخامُ المَراتِب

Thus his days have granted him no more than his due,

So his days did not give him but his right,

nor have lofty offices increased his stature.

Nor did the loftiness of positions raise him.

رزينٌ يُطيل الصَّمت لا عن تكبُّرٍ

رزينٌ يُطيل الصَّمت لا عن تكبُّرٍ

يشينُ ولا إِهْوانِ قدْرٍ بصاحِب

يشينُ ولا إِهْوانِ قدْرٍ بصاحِب

Composed, he keeps long silences, not from arrogance

Serious, he prolongs silence not out of arrogance,

that disgraces, nor from belittling a companion’s worth,

That would discredit, nor out of weakness towards a companion.

ولا حَصَرٍ إذ لم يزل خيرَ قائلٍ

ولا حَصَرٍ إذ لم يزل خيرَ قائلٍ

وأفْصحَ مِنْطيقٍ وأبلغَ كاتِبِ

وأفْصحَ مِنْطيقٍ وأبلغَ كاتِبِ

nor from tongue-tiedness, for he has always been the finest speaker,

And not out of limitation, for he has not ceased being the best speaker,

and the most lucid orator and the most eloquent writer.

And the most eloquent orator and the most eloquent writer.

ولكن حياءٌ لم يزلْ ملءَ طَرْفِه

ولكن حياءٌ لم يزلْ ملءَ طَرْفِه

من الناس في آمالهِمْ والمَطالِبِ

من الناس في آمالهِمْ والمَطالِبِ

Rather, it is modesty that has always filled his gaze

Rather, it is a shyness that has always filled his eye

before people with their hopes and requests.

From people in their hopes and demands.

فيستصغرُ الرِّفْدَ الجزيل وقدرهُ

فيستصغرُ الرِّفْدَ الجزيل وقدرهُ

كبيرٌ ويخشى العَتب من غير عاتب

كبيرٌ ويخشى العَتب من غير عاتب

So he deems lavish bounty small, though its worth

So he underestimates abundant generosity and deems it small,

is great, and fears reproach from one who offers none.

While he is great, and fears reproach from one who does not reproach.

ويكْبُر عن إِضْمارِ غِشٍّ لخائنٍ

ويكْبُر عن إِضْمارِ غِشٍّ لخائنٍ

فأعداؤه نهبُ الرَّدى والمَعاطِبِ

فأعداؤه نهبُ الرَّدى والمَعاطِبِ

And he is too noble to harbor deceit even toward a traitor;

And he disdains concealing deceit for a traitor,

thus his enemies are prey to death and deadly perils.

So his enemies are the prey of villainy and slanderers.

أغرُّ يحُلُّ الجارُ منْ عَرصاتِه

أغرُّ يحُلُّ الجارُ منْ عَرصاتِه

بأرْوع قَتَّالِ العِدى والمَساغِب

بأرْوع قَتَّالِ العِدى والمَساغِب

Illustrious; in his courtyards a neighbor lodges

The most clement, the neighbor settles on his yards

with a gallant slayer of foes and famines.

With the most terrifying killer of enemies and violent people.

جَمالُ الوى مُولي النَّدى فارع العُلى

جَمالُ الوى مُولي النَّدى فارع العُلى

وشيكُ الحمى والنصر جمُّ الرغائب

وشيكُ الحمى والنصر جمُّ الرغائب

The adornment of humankind, bestower of bounty, towering in honor,

The beauty of the beloved, the giver of generosity, the towering sublime,

swift in protection and aid, abounding in coveted gifts.

And the impending protector and victory, the fulfiller of hopes.

وجيفُ جياد الخيل في الخير دائبٌ

وجيفُ جياد الخيل في الخير دائبٌ

وفي الشَّرِّ رَسْفُ العاصيات المصاعب

وفي الشَّرِّ رَسْفُ العاصيات المصاعب

The galloping of fine steeds toward good is unceasing,

And the corpses of the steeds of generosity are constantly laboring,

but toward evil, the fettered trudge of stubborn, untamed steeds.

And in evil, the firmness of the defiant calamities.

فهُنِّيَ شهر الصوم والدهر كلُّهُ

فهُنِّيَ شهر الصوم والدهر كلُّهُ

بدولتهِ ما ساغَ ماءٌ لشارِبِ

بدولتهِ ما ساغَ ماءٌ لشارِبِ

So may the month of fasting, and all time, be congratulated

So the month of fasting and the whole world

on his rule, as long as water goes easily down for a drinker.

Were congratulated for its state, as long as water flows for a drinker.