أكَفْكِفُ عنْ سَمعِ الأميرِ مَدائحي

أكَفْكِفُ عنْ سَمعِ الأميرِ مَدائحي

مَخافَةَ ظَنٍّ أنَني أبْتَغي رِفْدا

مَخافَةَ ظَنٍّ أنَني أبْتَغي رِفْدا

I keep my praises from the prince's ears,

I refrain from praising the emir,

for fear of being thought to seek a gift.

Fearing he'll think I'm seeking reward.

ولولاهُ منْ خوفٍ لماَ زِلْتُ مُرْسِلاً

ولولاهُ منْ خوفٍ لماَ زِلْتُ مُرْسِلاً

سَوابِقَ أقْوالٍ مُطهَّمةً جُرْدا

سَوابِقَ أقْوالٍ مُطهَّمةً جُرْدا

But for that fear, I would never cease sending forth

But for my fear, unrestrained,

fleet steeds of speech, finely built and sleek,

My eloquent words would have poured

تُباري رُجومَ الشُّهْبِ حُسناً وسُرْعَةً

تُباري رُجومَ الشُّهْبِ حُسناً وسُرْعَةً

وتَفْضُلُ مَرَّ الفُتْخِ إِنْ ذهَبتْ شَدَّا

وتَفْضُلُ مَرَّ الفُتْخِ إِنْ ذهَبتْ شَدَّا

rivaling meteor-bolts in beauty and speed,

Like shooting stars in their beauty so fleet,

and surpassing broad-winged eagles' flight when they fly at full speed.

Excelling arrows however swift sped,

وكيف اصْطباري عنْ ثَناءِ مُمَدَّحٍ

وكيف اصْطباري عنْ ثَناءِ مُمَدَّحٍ

وقدْ مَلأَ الدُّنْيا وأيَّامَها مَجْدا

وقدْ مَلأَ الدُّنْيا وأيَّامَها مَجْدا

And how can I refrain from praising one so highly praised,

How can I not praise one who with glory replete

when he has filled the world and its days with glory?

Filled the world and its days ahead?

بَذَلْتُ لهُ وُدِّي وحَمْدي فأذْعَنا

بَذَلْتُ لهُ وُدِّي وحَمْدي فأذْعَنا

لأصْفاهُما وُدّاً وأوْفاهُما عَهْدا

لأصْفاهُما وُدّاً وأوْفاهُما عَهْدا

I offered him my love and praise, and both bowed

My love and praise to him I concede,

to the purer of the two in love and the more faithful in covenant.

To make them true and faithful indeed.

يَفِرُّ كماةُ الحَرْبِ مِنْ حَرِّ بأسِهِ

يَفِرُّ كماةُ الحَرْبِ مِنْ حَرِّ بأسِهِ

ويَهْزِمُ بالقولِ المُفَوَّهِةَ اللُّدَّا

ويَهْزِمُ بالقولِ المُفَوَّهِةَ اللُّدَّا

War's champions flee from the heat of his might,

Foes flee his might and power,

and with speech he defeats eloquent, obstinate disputants.

His words defeat the stubborn and proud.

مُظفَّرُ دينِ اللّهِ والماجِدُ الذي

مُظفَّرُ دينِ اللّهِ والماجِدُ الذي

إذا سِيلَ لمْ يبْخَلْ وإِنْ لم يُسَلْ أجْدا

إذا سِيلَ لمْ يبْخَلْ وإِنْ لم يُسَلْ أجْدا

The victorious champion of God's faith, the noble one who,

Victorious defender of God's great truth,

when asked, does not withhold, and even unasked gives freely.

Bounteous, open-handed, devout,

أشَدُّ مِن العادِيِّ صَبْراً وشِدَّةً

أشَدُّ مِن العادِيِّ صَبْراً وشِدَّةً

ومن سَوْرَةِ الطامي ولُجَّتِهِ أندى

ومن سَوْرَةِ الطامي ولُجَّتِهِ أندى

Mightier than a man of ʿĀd in endurance and strength,

Stronger than storms, solid as mountains of stone,

and more generous than the swelling sea's surge and depths.

Than Sura's dark crags more firm is his soul.

وما يَزْدَنٌ إِلاَّ غَمامَةُ مُسْنِتٍ

وما يَزْدَنٌ إِلاَّ غَمامَةُ مُسْنِتٍ

هَمَتْ فأعادَتْ كُلَّ صَمّانَةٍ ثَعْدا

هَمَتْ فأعادَتْ كُلَّ صَمّانَةٍ ثَعْدا

And Yazdan is but a raincloud for the drought-stricken,

He is no mere cloud promising rain,

that poured down and made every stony tract soft and moist.

But cloud whose deep thunder echoes its strength yet again.