يُدرُّ بَلاغاتِ اللِّسانِ مَديحُه

يُدرُّ بَلاغاتِ اللِّسانِ مَديحُه

وتُنْطق عَلْياهُ العَييَّ المُجمجِما

وتُنْطق عَلْياهُ العَييَّ المُجمجِما

Praise of him makes the tongue pour forth eloquence;

Praise of him makes eloquence flow from the tongue.

his lofty virtues make even the tongue-tied mumbler speak.

And his eminence makes the tongue-tied stammerer speak.

وتَبْتَهِجُ الأرواحُ عندَ لِقائهِ

وتَبْتَهِجُ الأرواحُ عندَ لِقائهِ

كما فرَّحَ الوصْلُ العميد المُتيَّما

كما فرَّحَ الوصْلُ العميد المُتيَّما

Spirits rejoice at meeting him,

And souls rejoice at meeting him,

as reunion gladdens the love-stricken, passion-dazed lover.

As union has gladdened the lovesick, love-enslaved lover.

وما ذاكَ إِلاَّ أنَّ لُقْياهُ لم تَزلْ

وما ذاكَ إِلاَّ أنَّ لُقْياهُ لم تَزلْ

تُبيحُ بني الآمالِ بِشْراً وأنْعُما

تُبيحُ بني الآمالِ بِشْراً وأنْعُما

That is only because meeting him has never ceased

And that is only because meeting him has never ceased

to grant the sons of hope gladness and favors.

To grant the children of hope gladness and blessings.

فيُولي المُحولَ العارقاتِ مكارِماً

فيُولي المُحولَ العارقاتِ مكارِماً

ويفْري الخطوب الطارقاتِ تبسُّما

ويفْري الخطوب الطارقاتِ تبسُّما

So he meets the ravaging drought-years with noble gifts,

So he lavishes bounty upon the flesh-wasting droughts,

and cleaves through oncoming calamities with a smile.

And cleaves through oncoming calamities with a smile.

وزيرٌ إذا اسْتنْجدْتَهُ لمُلِمَّةٍ

وزيرٌ إذا اسْتنْجدْتَهُ لمُلِمَّةٍ

هززت حساماً مرهف الحدِّ مِخْذما

هززت حساماً مرهف الحدِّ مِخْذما

A vizier—if you call on him for aid in a crisis,

A minister—if you seek his aid against calamity,

you have brandished a keen-edged, cleaving sword.

You have brandished a keen-edged, cleaving sword.

تُلاقيه هوْجاءَ المَسارحِ زعْزَعاً

تُلاقيه هوْجاءَ المَسارحِ زعْزَعاً

في السَّلْم طوداً شامخ النِّيقِ أيهَما

في السَّلْم طوداً شامخ النِّيقِ أيهَما

On the fields of war you meet him as a raging, violently tossing gale;

You meet him as a tempest raging across open expanses;

in peace, as a mountain with a towering, inaccessible summit.

In peace, an unscalable mountain with a towering summit.

إذا نازلَ الأبطال حرْباً وحُجَّةً

إذا نازلَ الأبطال حرْباً وحُجَّةً

غَدا الجيش فَلاّ والمُفوَّهُ مفْحَما

غَدا الجيش فَلاّ والمُفوَّهُ مفْحَما

When he faces champions in battle or debate,

When he challenges champions in war and argument,

the army is routed, and the eloquent speaker struck dumb.

The army is routed, and the eloquent speaker silenced.

أبو جعفرٍ تاجُ المُلوكِ الذي لهُ

أبو جعفرٍ تاجُ المُلوكِ الذي لهُ

كريمُ بَنانٍ يقطرُ الجودَ والدَّما

كريمُ بَنانٍ يقطرُ الجودَ والدَّما

Abu Ja‘far, crown of kings, is he whose

Abu Jaʿfar, the crown of kings, who has

generous hand drips bounty—and blood.

Noble fingers that drip generosity and blood.

يُنيخُ طريدُ الحَيِّ من حَجَراتِه

يُنيخُ طريدُ الحَيِّ من حَجَراتِه

إلى أريحيٍّ يمنعُ الجارَ والحِمى

إلى أريحيٍّ يمنعُ الجارَ والحِمى

Driven from his clan’s dwellings, the fugitive comes to alight

The tribe’s outcast, expelled from its quarters, makes his camel kneel

with a magnanimous man who protects both neighbor and sanctuary.

Beside a magnanimous man who protects the neighbor and the protected grounds.

فلا برحتْ غرس الخِلافةِ دولةٌ

فلا برحتْ غرس الخِلافةِ دولةٌ

مُؤيَّدةٌ ما زالَ بالموْردِ الظَّما

مُؤيَّدةٌ ما زالَ بالموْردِ الظَّما

May the Caliphate’s planting never cease to be a dynasty

So may power never forsake the caliphate’s sapling,

upheld, so long as thirst remains at the watering-place.

Upheld as long as thirst is quenched at the watering place.