أقمْتَ عِماد الدين حتى رفَعْتهُ

أقمْتَ عِماد الدين حتى رفَعْتهُ

ولو لاكَ أضْحى بالتَّجاذبِ واهيا

ولو لاكَ أضْحى بالتَّجاذبِ واهيا

You upheld the pillar of the faith until you raised it high,

You upheld the pillars of the faith until you raised them high,

And but for you, opposing pulls would have left it weak.

Without you, it would have succumbed to discord and grown weak.

وحاميتُ عن مجدِ الاِمام بنجدةٍ

وحاميتُ عن مجدِ الاِمام بنجدةٍ

ورأي يفوقانِ الظُّبي والعَواليا

ورأي يفوقانِ الظُّبي والعَواليا

And I defended the imam’s glory with valor

I defended the glory of the Imam in Nejd with succor

And judgment, both surpassing sword edges and long spears.

And a view that surpasses highlands and lofty peaks.

فأصبحت محيي الدين من بعده مجده

فأصبحت محيي الدين من بعده مجده

وما زلْتَ من وصفيهما الدهرَ حاليا

وما زلْتَ من وصفيهما الدهرَ حاليا

So you became Muhyi al-Din, the faith’s reviver, and, after him, its glory;

Thus you became, after him, the restorer of the faith’s glory,

And through all time you have remained adorned with both their qualities.

And you have not ceased depicting them both through the ages.

وما الليثُ اِلا دون بأسكَ بأسُهُ

وما الليثُ اِلا دون بأسكَ بأسُهُ

وانْ راحَ مشبوحَ الذراعين عاديا

وانْ راحَ مشبوحَ الذراعين عاديا

The lion’s might is but inferior to yours,

The lion, despite his might, is naught before your might—

Even when it charges with its forelegs spread wide.

Though he may bare his arms and stride about haughtily.

وهَبْهُ غدا في بأسه لكَ مُشْبهاُ

وهَبْهُ غدا في بأسه لكَ مُشْبهاُ

فاينَ له رأيٌ يَفُلُّ المَواضيا

فاينَ له رأيٌ يَفُلُّ المَواضيا

And suppose it came to resemble you in might—

Grant him tomorrow your own might and he shall resemble you,

Where, then, is its judgment that blunts keen swords?

Where then is the wisdom to calm the meadows’ unease?

وما زلتَ تقري الضيف والمحلُ عارقٌ

وما زلتَ تقري الضيف والمحلُ عارقٌ

وعند الرزايا مانِعَ الجارِ حاميا

وعند الرزايا مانِعَ الجارِ حاميا

You have always fed the guest while drought strips all bare,

Still you host the guest while homes lie parched,

And amid calamities, shielded and protected your neighbor.

As a neighbor denying the needy your protection and care.

يلوذ بك العافونَ في كل أزْمةٍ

يلوذ بك العافونَ في كل أزْمةٍ

فتغدو لهمْ نُعْمي يديكَ غَواديا

فتغدو لهمْ نُعْمي يديكَ غَواديا

Seekers of bounty take refuge in you in every crisis,

The dispossessed seek refuge in you in every turmoil,

So the bounty of your hands becomes morning showers for them.

Your generous hands become for them a fertile valley.

اذا ما حَدابير السنين تتَابعتْ

اذا ما حَدابير السنين تتَابعتْ

تُعطِّلُ نيرانَ القِرى والطَّواهيا

تُعطِّلُ نيرانَ القِرى والطَّواهيا

When the years’ gaunt camels follow one another,

When the years’ misfortunes come one after another,

Leaving hospitality’s fires cold and its cooks idle,

That idle the fires of village and encampment alike,

يعودُ بها المُثْري ضَريكاً وينْثني

يعودُ بها المُثْري ضَريكاً وينْثني

لها المُترفُ المجدودُ خصمانَ عافيا

لها المُترفُ المجدودُ خصمانَ عافيا

Through them the wealthy man becomes destitute, and back comes

The destitute return to you for relief and succor,

Because of them, the pampered, fortunate man, famished and seeking alms.

The prosperous and secure become, in their safety, your adversaries.

ويُمْسي عميد الحيِّ بعد نَعيمهِ

ويُمْسي عميد الحيِّ بعد نَعيمهِ

إِلى الشُّخب عيمانَ الحشاشة صاديا

إِلى الشُّخب عيمانَ الحشاشة صاديا

And the clan’s chief, after his life of ease, comes to evening

After his bounty, the chief of the clan ends up

Craving streams of milk, his life-force parched with thirst.

Returning to meager brushwood the evening call of quails.

قَريْتَ وشيكاً غير طالب عُذرةٍ

قَريْتَ وشيكاً غير طالب عُذرةٍ

فحُييَّتَ مِطْعاماً وحُييِّتَ قاربا

فحُييَّتَ مِطْعاماً وحُييِّتَ قاربا

You gave hospitality promptly, seeking no excuse,

You hosted, and no excuse was sought from the visitor;

So you were hailed as a generous feeder, and hailed as one who draws near.

You were greeted with food, and greeted with drink.

رآكَ اِمامُ سَيْفاً مُهَنَّداً

رآكَ اِمامُ سَيْفاً مُهَنَّداً

اذا كما انتضاهُ كان في الضرب ماضيا

اذا كما انتضاهُ كان في الضرب ماضيا

An imam saw you as a sword of Indian steel,

The Imam saw you as an Indian sword,

Whenever he unsheathed it, it cut keenly in the stroke.

Relentless in combat when unsheathed and striking.

فأدْناكَ منهُ والنَّصيرُ مُقَرَّبٌ

فأدْناكَ منهُ والنَّصيرُ مُقَرَّبٌ

اذا كان بالجُلَّي نَهوضاً وكافيا

اذا كان بالجُلَّي نَهوضاً وكافيا

So he brought you close to him—a champion is held near

So he brought you near, favoring his ally,

When he rises to the gravest tasks and proves equal to them.

If he at dawn rose to the challenge, an adequate peer.

وقد كان عِزُّ الدين لي خير موئلٍ

وقد كان عِزُّ الدين لي خير موئلٍ

أنازلُ أيامي به والأعاديا

أنازلُ أيامي به والأعاديا

And indeed, Izz al-Din was my finest refuge;

Truly, my glory was in 'Izz al-Din—the best refuge,

With his aid I battled my days and my enemies.

Where I spent my days, though foes abound.

وأوْرثني منكَ الكريمَ سَجيَّةً

وأوْرثني منكَ الكريمَ سَجيَّةً

فكُنْ لعهودي عندهُ لي وافيا

فكُنْ لعهودي عندهُ لي وافيا

And in you he bequeathed me a man noble in character;

And he bequeathed to me from you a noble disposition,

So honor, for my sake, the pledges I had with him.

So fulfill, with him, the pacts binding you and I.