يُرَجَّىis hoped for نَداهhis bounty فيin القطوبfrowning وجُودُهand his generosity
يُرَجَّى نَداه في القطوب وجُودُه
وتُخشىand are feared عواديthe onslaughts of بأسهhis might فيin التَّبسُّمِsmiling
وتُخشى عوادي بأسه في التَّبسُّمِ
His bounty and generosity are hoped for even when he frowns,
His generous call is hoped for in bare mountains,
And the onslaughts of his might are feared even when he smiles.
And the onslaught of his might is feared in smiles.
فماfor no تحبسُwithholds الإِحسانkindness منهfrom him حفيظةٌanger
فما تحبسُ الإِحسان منه حفيظةٌ
ولاnor البِشْرَcheerfulness روعاتُthe terrors of الخميسthe army العرمرمvast
ولا البِشْرَ روعاتُ الخميس العرمرم
For no anger holds back his kindness,
No restraint holds back his benevolence,
Nor do the terrors of the vast host hold back his cheer.
Nor do the terrors of fateful Thursdays alarm his cheer.
كذيlike one with هيْدَبٍtrailing rain-fringes جَوْنٍdark تُخافُare feared بُروقُهُits lightning flashes
كذي هيْدَبٍ جَوْنٍ تُخافُ بُروقُهُ
ويُرجىand is hoped for نداهُits rain ساجياًwhen calm غيرnot مُرْزِمthundering
ويُرجى نداهُ ساجياً غير مُرْزِم
Like a dark, rain-fringed cloud whose lightning is feared,
Like a bright, rainy cloud, his light is feared
And whose rain is hoped for when calm and without thunder.
Yet his gentle rain is hoped for, constant and sure.
يُفاخرhe rivals أضْواءَthe lights of الضُّحىforenoon بطَلاقَةٍin cheerfulness
يُفاخر أضْواءَ الضُّحى بطَلاقَةٍ
وصوْبَand the downpour of الحَياrain بالنَّائِلwith bounty المُترذِّمِever-flowing
وصوْبَ الحَيا بالنَّائِل المُترذِّمِ
He rivals the lights of forenoon in cheerfulness,
His brilliance outshines the morning’s splendor
And the downpour of rain in ever-flowing bounty.
And his uprightness surpasses the inclined stars.
يُزَرُّare buttoned قميصاهُhis two tunics بسلمٍin peace ومَعْرَكٍand in battle
يُزَرُّ قميصاهُ بسلمٍ ومَعْرَكٍ
علىover خِضْرِمٍan ocean جمِّabundant in العُبابsurging waves وضيْغَمand a lion
على خِضْرِمٍ جمِّ العُباب وضيْغَم
His two tunics are buttoned, in peace and battle,
His shirts are rent with peace and warfare
Over an ocean of swelling waves and a lion.
Upon a verdant pasture, abundant and fertile.
فللسَّلْمso for peace ماwhat حاكتhas woven يدٌa hand عبْقَريَّةٌwondrously skilled
فللسَّلْم ما حاكت يدٌ عبْقَريَّةٌ
وللحربِand for war ماwhat أضحىhas come to be لداودto David ينْتميtraced back
وللحربِ ما أضحى لداود ينْتمي
For peace, what a wondrous hand has woven;
For peace, what an able hand has woven,
And for war, what is traced back to David.
And for war, what was made for David's people.
وزيرٌa vizier رأىregarded كِبْرthe arrogance of الرجالmen وإِنeven if علواthey rise high
وزيرٌ رأى كِبْر الرجال وإِن علوا
سَفاهَةَfolly of رأيٍjudgment أوor فسادَunsoundness of تَوَهُّمِimagining
سَفاهَةَ رأيٍ أو فسادَ تَوَهُّمِ
A vizier who deems men's arrogance, however high they rise,
A minister who saw the greatness of men, though they rose high
Folly of judgment or unsound imagining.
Considered it the folly of an idea or corruption of illusion.
وأيْقَنَand knew for certain أنَّthat البَأوَpride كُفْرٌunbelief لأنهُbecause it
وأيْقَنَ أنَّ البَأوَ كُفْرٌ لأنهُ
مُباراةُrivalry with جَبَّارِthe Almighty of السَّماءِheaven المُعظَّمِthe revered
مُباراةُ جَبَّارِ السَّماءِ المُعظَّمِ
And knows for certain that pride is unbelief, because it is
And knew that defiance is blasphemy, for it
Rivalry with the revered Almighty of heaven.
Is challenging the Majestic Lord of the Heavens.
فأضْحىso he became كماءِlike the water of المُزنrainclouds رَقَّgrew gentle نسيمهits breeze
فأضْحى كماءِ المُزن رَقَّ نسيمه
تَحَدُّرهُits descent منْfrom فارِعٍa lofty height مُتَسَنِّمِtowering
تَحَدُّرهُ منْ فارِعٍ مُتَسَنِّمِ
So he became like raincloud water, its breeze grown gentle,
So he became like cool rain whose breeze
Descending from a lofty, towering height.
Flows gently down from a towering summit.
إذاwhen ماever اشمخرَّتْrises loftily رتبةٌrank بمسَوَّدٍwith one made a leader
إذا ما اشمخرَّتْ رتبةٌ بمسَوَّدٍ
غَداhe becomes مُخْبِتاًhumble فيin فِعْلِهِhis conduct والتّكلُّمِand speech
غَدا مُخْبِتاً في فِعْلِهِ والتّكلُّمِ
Whenever rank raises him to lordship,
When a rank swells with arrogance
He grows humble in his actions and speech.
It becomes humbled in deed and speech.
فتُضحيso become أباةthose who refuse الذُّلabasement والفقرwhile poverty عارقٌgnaws
فتُضحي أباة الذُّل والفقر عارقٌ
غِنيِّينَfree of need منهthrough him عنfor شَرابٍdrink ومطْعَمِand food
غِنيِّينَ منه عن شَرابٍ ومطْعَمِ
So those who scorn abasement, though poverty gnaws at them,
So the disgrace of humiliation and poverty becomes
Become, through him, free of want for drink and food.
A relief, making them needless of drink and food.
يُؤانسhe puts at ease منamong وحشيِّهمويُبيحهُمْtheir shy ones and grants them
يُؤانس من وحشيِّهمويُبيحهُمْ
نَداهhis bounty ويُصغيand listens للعَييِّto the tongue-tied المُجمْجِمstammerer
نَداه ويُصغي للعَييِّ المُجمْجِم
He puts their shy ones at ease and grants them
His call comforts their loneliness and makes them intimate,
His bounty, and listens to the tongue-tied stammerer.
And he listens to the silent poor.
كأنهُمُas though they were إخوانُهُhis brothers لاnot لِعلَّةٍthrough some cause
كأنهُمُ إخوانُهُ لا لِعلَّةٍ
وضُرٍّand hardship ولكنbut rather بينbetween تالٍa later-born brother وتَوْأمِand a twin
وضُرٍّ ولكن بين تالٍ وتَوْأمِ
As though they were his brothers, not through circumstance
As if they were his brethren, not for
Or hardship, but as younger brothers or twins.
Affliction or harm, but for rhyme and rhythm.
فبوركَso blessed be he منas one غمْرabundant in السَّجاياnatural virtues كأنهُas though he were
فبوركَ من غمْر السَّجايا كأنهُ
سنىthe radiance of قَمرٍa moon فيin حالِكpitch-black الجُنحnight's gloom مُظلِمdark
سنى قَمرٍ في حالِك الجُنح مُظلِم
So blessed be he, overflowing with virtues, as though he were
Blessed is he who is immersed in glory, as if
A moon's radiance in the pitch-black darkness of night.
He were the full moon in its waning darkness.
تَخِفُّweigh lightly عليهupon him الفادِحاتُheavy calamities كأنماas though
تَخِفُّ عليه الفادِحاتُ كأنما
تَحُلُّsettle بعادِيِّupon one with age-old القَعائدِfoundations أيْهَمِan inaccessible mountain
تَحُلُّ بعادِيِّ القَعائدِ أيْهَمِ
Crushing calamities weigh lightly on him, as though
Calamities are hidden from him as if they
They settled on an inaccessible mountain with age-old foundations.
Befell the furthest tent-dwelling nomads.
صفوحٌever-forgiving يموتdies الغيظُanger عندwhen اقتدارهhe has power
صفوحٌ يموت الغيظُ عند اقتداره
ويطْردُand dispels حَرَّthe heat of البأسِferocity بردُthe coolness of التّكرُّمِmagnanimity
ويطْردُ حَرَّ البأسِ بردُ التّكرُّمِ
Ever-forgiving: anger dies when he holds power,
A reconciler who dies in rage when able
And magnanimity's coolness dispels the heat of ferocity.
And repels the heat of might with the coolness of generosity.
ويحْلمُand he is forbearing حتىuntil يُصبحbecomes الجُرمُthe offense شافعاًan intercessor
ويحْلمُ حتى يُصبح الجُرمُ شافعاً
إلىtoward عفْوهِhis pardon فيon behalf of كلevery جانٍoffender ومُجرمِand criminal
إلى عفْوهِ في كل جانٍ ومُجرمِ
And he is forbearing until the offense itself becomes an intercessor
And is forbearing until crime itself becomes
For his pardon, on behalf of every offender and criminal.
An intercessor for his pardon, in every side and criminal.
فلاso may ... never برِحتْcease to be غرسthe planting of الخلافةthe caliphate عِزَّةٌmight
فلا برِحتْ غرس الخلافة عِزَّةٌ
يوَدُّdesires شَباهاits sharpness كلُّevery أبيضَgleaming sword مِخْذَمkeen-cutting
يوَدُّ شَباها كلُّ أبيضَ مِخْذَم
May the caliphate's planting ever remain a power
The glory of the caliphate did not cease to be
Whose sharpness every gleaming, keen-cutting sword covets.
A wish for every bright-faced youth.
أباO Abu جعفرٍJa'far حاويpossessor of المَعاليglories قَديمهاtheir ancient ones
أبا جعفرٍ حاوي المَعالي قَديمها
وحادِثِهاand their new ones ماwhat lies بينbetween بأسٍvalor وأنْعُمِand favors
وحادِثِها ما بين بأسٍ وأنْعُمِ
O Abu Ja'far, possessor of glories, both ancient
O Abu Ja'far, possessor of its ancient nobility
And new, spanning valor and favors.
And its present, between might and favors!
فثَمَّfor there الحِمىthe sanctuary الحاميthat protects لكلfor every مُشرَّدٍexile
فثَمَّ الحِمى الحامي لكل مُشرَّدٍ
وثمَّand there النَّدىbounty الهاميraining down علىupon كلِّevery مُعْدمِpauper
وثمَّ النَّدى الهامي على كلِّ مُعْدمِ
For there is the sanctuary shielding every exile,
There lies the protector, sheltering every outcast,
And there is bounty raining down on every pauper.
There lies the rain, clouding over every dispossessed.
Sol 6.1