أَيا مَن لَهُ جَدٌّ حَوى جُملَةَ العُلا

أَيا مَن لَهُ جَدٌّ حَوى جُملَةَ العُلا

فَما دَخَلَت لَولا عَلَيهِ وَلا إِلّا

فَما دَخَلَت لَولا عَلَيهِ وَلا إِلّا

O you whose good fortune has encompassed all eminence,

O you whose glory encompasses all glory

So neither 'but for' nor 'except' has any place in it.

None can enter except through you, and none but you

لَقَد قُمتَ بِالعَلياءِ حامِلَ كَلِّها

لَقَد قُمتَ بِالعَلياءِ حامِلَ كَلِّها

وَكُلٌّ يَراها فَوقَ عاتِقِهِ كَلّا

وَكُلٌّ يَراها فَوقَ عاتِقِهِ كَلّا

You have indeed upheld greatness, bearing its burden,

You have borne the highest virtues, carrying them all

While everyone sees it as a burden upon his shoulder.

Yet each sees them above your shoulder, never behind

سَحابٌ هَمى لَلمُعتَفينَ وَلِلعِدى

سَحابٌ هَمى لَلمُعتَفينَ وَلِلعِدى

فَيَقسِمُ بالعَدلِ الوَبالَ أَو الوَبلا

فَيَقسِمُ بالعَدلِ الوَبالَ أَو الوَبلا

A cloud that pours for seekers of bounty and for foes,

A cloud that rains for the glorious and the wicked alike

And justly apportions ruin or torrential rain.

Meteing out justice or affliction as it must

إِذا ما اِنتَدى في مَجلِسٍ وَعُداتُهُ

إِذا ما اِنتَدى في مَجلِسٍ وَعُداتُهُ

ذَكَرتَ سُلَيمانَ بنَ داوودَ وَالنَملا

ذَكَرتَ سُلَيمانَ بنَ داوودَ وَالنَملا

When he and his foes gather in an assembly,

When seated in counsel, your companions

You recall Solomon, son of David, and the ants.

Recall Solomon son of David and the ant

وَإِن قَلَّدوهُ رُتبَةً بَعدَ رُتبَةٍ

وَإِن قَلَّدوهُ رُتبَةً بَعدَ رُتبَةٍ

فَما هِيَ إِلّا أَيِّمٌ طَلَبَت بَعلا

فَما هِيَ إِلّا أَيِّمٌ طَلَبَت بَعلا

And if they invest him with rank after rank,

And if they appoint you rank after rank

It is only an unwed woman seeking a husband.

They are but a woman seeking her husband

وَإِن عَزَلوهُ عَن وِلايَةِ أَمرِهِم

وَإِن عَزَلوهُ عَن وِلايَةِ أَمرِهِم

فَإِنَّ وُلاةَ المَجدِ ما عَرَفوا عَزلا

فَإِنَّ وُلاةَ المَجدِ ما عَرَفوا عَزلا

And if they dismiss him from governing their affairs,

And if they dismiss you from leadership

For the rulers of glory have never known dismissal.

Leaders of glory never knew dismissal

إِذا ما بَنى عَلَّى وَإِن أَنهَلَ المُنى

إِذا ما بَنى عَلَّى وَإِن أَنهَلَ المُنى

رَأى مِن حُقوقِ المَجدِ أَن يُتبِعَ العَلّا

رَأى مِن حُقوقِ المَجدِ أَن يُتبِعَ العَلّا

When he builds, he builds high; and if he gives hopes their first draught,

When you built high, though joy streamed forth

He deems it a duty owed to glory to follow with a second draught.

You saw in the rights of glory, exaltation must follow

إِلَيكَ شَكَونا عَبدَكَ الدَهرَ إِنَّهُ

إِلَيكَ شَكَونا عَبدَكَ الدَهرَ إِنَّهُ

لَتَقتُلُهُ عِلماً وَيَقتُلُنا جَهلا

لَتَقتُلُهُ عِلماً وَيَقتُلُنا جَهلا

To you we have complained of your servant, Time; indeed,

To you we complained of your servant, Time

You slay him with knowledge, while he slays us in ignorance.

Killing us with ignorance, killing you with knowledge

وَقَد وَتَرَتني حادِثاتٌ أَمَرَّها

وَقَد وَتَرَتني حادِثاتٌ أَمَرَّها

فَلَو كانَ ذا عَقلٍ لَأَلزَمتُهُ عَقلا

فَلَو كانَ ذا عَقلٍ لَأَلزَمتُهُ عَقلا

And calamities he inflicted have bereaved me;

And events have lamed me, so bitter their tide

So, had he reason, I would compel him to pay blood money.

Had they sense, I would oblige them to act sensibly

وَلا يَحسَبَنَّ الدَهرُ يَوماً أَصابَني

وَلا يَحسَبَنَّ الدَهرُ يَوماً أَصابَني

وَلَكِن لِنَحرِ النَبلِ قَد قَرطَسَ النَبلا

وَلَكِن لِنَحرِ النَبلِ قَد قَرطَسَ النَبلا

And let Time never think he has struck me;

Let not Time think it ever harmed me

Rather, he has struck nobility's breast squarely with his arrows.

My arrows exhausted themselves shooting arrows

سَأُبقي عَلى الأَيّامِ فيكَ مَحاسِناً

سَأُبقي عَلى الأَيّامِ فيكَ مَحاسِناً

تُخَلِّدُ مِن آياتِ مَجدِكَ ما يُتلى

تُخَلِّدُ مِن آياتِ مَجدِكَ ما يُتلى

I shall leave through the ages fine praises of you,

I will keep your virtues alive through the days

That immortalize what is recited of the signs of your glory.

Reciting verses that immortalize your glorious signs

وَأُملي غَرامي لِلنَسيمِ رِسالَةً

وَأُملي غَرامي لِلنَسيمِ رِسالَةً

فَهَل قالَ ما أَملَيتُهُ لَكُمُ أَم لا

فَهَل قالَ ما أَملَيتُهُ لَكُمُ أَم لا

And I dictate to the breeze a letter of my longing;

I confide my passion to the breeze in a message

So has it told you what I dictated, or not?

Did it say what I confided, or nothing at all?