نعِمْتَ صباحاً ما تغَنَّتْ حَمامةٌ

نعِمْتَ صباحاً ما تغَنَّتْ حَمامةٌ

وما نَهضَتْ بالراقدين البواكِرُ

وما نَهضَتْ بالراقدين البواكِرُ

May your mornings be happy as long as a dove sings,

A morning whose doves did not sing their songs

And as long as early risers rouse the sleepers.

And whose dawns did not wake the sleepers;

فأنت الحمى إنْ أسلمَ الجار صاحبٌ

فأنت الحمى إنْ أسلمَ الجار صاحبٌ

وأنتَ الحَيا إِن أخلَف الحيَّ ماطِرُ

وأنتَ الحَيا إِن أخلَف الحيَّ ماطِرُ

For you are the sanctuary if a friend abandons his neighbor,

You are the fever if a neighbor has made peace,

And you are rain if a rain-bearing cloud fails the tribe.

And you are the serpent if rain has failed the living.

وأنت المنيف الطَّود إِن طاش حادث

وأنت المنيف الطَّود إِن طاش حادث

وأنت الجُرازُ العضْب إِن كَلَّ باتر

وأنت الجُرازُ العضْب إِن كَلَّ باتر

And you are the towering mountain if misfortune strikes wildly,

You are the guest house if fate has gone awry,

And you are the cleaving, keen sword if a cutting blade grows dull.

And you are the brave warrior if the coward has stayed at home.

إذا نَزلَ العافونَ بابْنِ مُحمَّدٍ

إذا نَزلَ العافونَ بابْنِ مُحمَّدٍ

فلا الجدْبُ عرَّاقٌ ولا الخطب جائرُ

فلا الجدْبُ عرَّاقٌ ولا الخطب جائرُ

When seekers of bounty alight with Ibn Muhammad,

When al-Afwan descends upon the son of Muhammad,

Then drought does not strip them to the bone, nor does adversity oppress them.

Neither is the land barren nor are affairs contentious.

فيُغْني ضَريكاً أخْلفتهُ بُروقُهُ

فيُغْني ضَريكاً أخْلفتهُ بُروقُهُ

ويحْمي طريداً أسْلمتْهُ العشائر

ويحْمي طريداً أسْلمتْهُ العشائر

So he enriches a pauper whose lightning flashes have failed him,

So his towers will enrich one impoverished by them,

And protects an outcast whom the clans have abandoned.

And his battlements will protect one surrendered by the tribes.

فتىً هو للأنْجاد والنصر مُظْهرٌ

فتىً هو للأنْجاد والنصر مُظْهرٌ

ولكنَّهُ للجودِ والرِّفْدِ ساتِرُ

ولكنَّهُ للجودِ والرِّفْدِ ساتِرُ

A youth who brings the valiant and victory to the fore,

A youth who shows victory and triumph to heroes

Yet conceals his generosity and gifts.

Yet conceals his munificence and bounty.

لكسر بني الحاجاتِ بالجود جابرٌ

لكسر بني الحاجاتِ بالجود جابرٌ

وللجحفل الجرَّار بالكَيْس كاسر

وللجحفل الجرَّار بالكَيْس كاسر

With generosity he mends the brokenness of need's sons,

One who can alleviate poverty through his generosity

And with shrewdness he shatters the vast host.

And confront tyrants through his sagacity.

وعن كلِّ عارٍ يوبقُ المرء زاجرٌ

وعن كلِّ عارٍ يوبقُ المرء زاجرٌ

وناهٍ ولكنْ بالمَناقبِ آمِرُ

وناهٍ ولكنْ بالمَناقبِ آمِرُ

And he deters men from every disgrace that brings a man to ruin,

Who forbids all disgrace that debases a man

And forbids wrongdoing, yet enjoins noble deeds.

While commanding noble deeds and merits.

نَؤومٌ عن الجرم الجليل ومُعرضٌ

نَؤومٌ عن الجرم الجليل ومُعرضٌ

ولكنَّهُ للمجْدِ يَقْظانُ ساهِرُ

ولكنَّهُ للمجْدِ يَقْظانُ ساهِرُ

He slumbers over grave offenses and turns away from them,

Stern towards heinous sins but paying them no heed,

Yet for glory he is wakeful, keeping vigil.

While staying alert and awake for glory and renown.

ومُبْتسمٌ للخطب والخطبُ كالحٌ

ومُبْتسمٌ للخطب والخطبُ كالحٌ

ولكن عن العوراء والشرّ باسِرُ

ولكن عن العوراء والشرّ باسِرُ

And he smiles at adversity, though adversity scowls,

Smiling at misfortunes, which pass like reflections,

But he frowns at foul speech and evil.

Yet lowering his gaze from scandal and evil.

إذا مالكُ العَلْياء عدَّتْ فَخارها

إذا مالكُ العَلْياء عدَّتْ فَخارها

وحازَ المعالي كابِرٌ ثُمَّ كابِرُ

وحازَ المعالي كابِرٌ ثُمَّ كابِرُ

When Malik of lofty glory counts its honors,

When the eminent number their pride and glories

And one great man after another has attained high honors,

And the glorious attain triumphs upon triumphs

شآهُمْ وزيرٌ منهُمُ ذو نَباهةٍ

شآهُمْ وزيرٌ منهُمُ ذو نَباهةٍ

وكمْ أوَّلٍ قد فاقَ مَسْعاهُ آخِر

وكمْ أوَّلٍ قد فاقَ مَسْعاهُ آخِر

A distinguished minister from among them has outstripped them;

Among them you find a minister of sagacity

And how often has a successor surpassed a predecessor's achievement!

And many a predecessor surpassed by his successor

أبو جعفرٍ غرسُ الخِلافة والذي

أبو جعفرٍ غرسُ الخِلافة والذي

يُقِرُّ لهُ بالفضل بادٍ وحاضِرُ

يُقِرُّ لهُ بالفضل بادٍ وحاضِرُ

Abu Ja'far, the caliphate's sapling, the one

Abu Ja'far, pillar of the caliphate, one who

Whose excellence desert-dweller and townsman alike acknowledge.

All present and absent admit has merit.

فما زالَ مَضَّاءَ العَزائمِ نافِذَ

فما زالَ مَضَّاءَ العَزائمِ نافِذَ

الأوامِرِ ما عَزَّ القَنا والبَواتِرُ

الأوامِرِ ما عَزَّ القَنا والبَواتِرُ

So he remains unwavering in resolve, effective

So his strong resolutions continue to prevail

In command, so long as spears and cleaving swords hold sway.

As long as the spears and swords retain their sharp edges.