1. هُوَ الرَوض ريح المَجد مِنهُ يَفوح

    لَقَد طابَ جسم من شذاه وَروح

    He is the garden from which the scent of glory wafts.

    Indeed, body and soul grew sweet from its fragrance.

  2. وَغَيث عَلى الزَوراء مدت سيوله

    فراق بِها غُصن وَأَورق شبح

    And life-giving rain whose torrents spread over al-Zawra,

    so a bough grew lovely there, and a form put forth leaves.

  3. وَبَدر أَنار المُشكلات فرأيه

    مضيء وَأَما عقله فَرجيح

    And a full moon that illumined difficulties; so his judgment

    is radiant, while his intellect is sound.

  4. يسايره بحران عزم وَفيلق

    وَيقدمه رعب الكماة وريح

    Two seas keep pace with him: resolve and a host.

    And warriors' dread and the wind go before him.

  5. وَيَصحبه في الدو سَيد وأجدل

    وَيعصمه نَصر لَهُ وَفتوح

    And in the wasteland a wolf and a falcon accompany him.

    And his victory and conquests safeguard him.

  6. عَزيمته لا تَنقَضي عَن مضائها

    وَإِن لَج ذو عَذل وَعَج نَصيح

    His resolve never loses its keen edge,

    even if a reproacher persists and a counselor clamors.

  7. يَرى العز في الإقدام وَالمَجد في القنا

    وَأن التَواني في الحُروب قَبيح

    He sees honor in daring and glory in spears,

    and that hesitation in war is shameful.

  8. حَكَت كَفه المُزن الغَوادي إِذا هَمَت

    لَها الفيض طَبع وَالسَماء شَحيح

    His hand matched the morning rainclouds when they poured;

    overflowing bounty is its nature, while the sky is stingy.

  9. أَتى وَعدو الدين هرت كلابه

    وَلا شَك كَلب المارِقين نبوح

    He came while the dogs of the faith's enemy growled;

    and no doubt the renegades' dog is ever barking.

  10. وَقَد رامَ مِن دار السَلام دُخولها

    وَهَل يفرع البكر الحصان سَطيح

    And he had sought to enter Dar al-Salam,

    and can Satih deflower the chaste virgin?

  11. لَئِن غابَ عَنها كفوها وَحليلها

    فَإن بِها رَحب الذراع صبيح

    Even if her equal and her husband are absent from her,

    for within her is a fair-faced man of ample reach.

  12. أَخو الحَرب مقدام الجُيوش محشها

    سُليمان للذكر الجَميل طَموح

    A brother of war, the armies' daring champion and their firebrand—

    Sulayman, aspiring to fair renown.

  13. نَتيجة عَبد اللَه خَير مقدم

    إِذا صَح شَكل فَالقِياس صَحيح

    The outcome of Abd Allah, the finest leader:

    if the figure is valid, the syllogism is valid.

  14. بِه حمير عزت وَطالَ مَنارها

    فَطائرها يَوم الفخار صدوح

    Through him Himyar grew mighty, and her beacon rose high;

    so her bird sings loudly on the day of boasting.

  15. وَمِن دُونِه شوس المَنايا غَطارف

    عَلَيهم دُروع للوَغى وَمسوح

    And before him stand death's grim-eyed men, noble warriors;

    upon them are coats of mail for battle and haircloth robes.

  16. وَلا عَيب فيهم غَير أَن سُيوفهم

    بِهن دِماء الناكِثين تَلوح

    And they have no fault, save that their swords

    bear the gleaming blood of oath-breakers.

  17. إِذا زَمجَرَت تِلكَ البَنادق مِنهُم

    يُجاوبها طوب هُناكَ ضبوح

    When those guns of theirs roar,

    snorting cannon answer them there.

  18. سَقاهُم حَميماً فَالغبوق بَنادق

    تَعج وَطوب الفَتح مِنهُ صبوح

    He gave them scalding water to drink: their evening draught is guns

    that roar, and his cannon of conquest are their morning draught.

  19. وَلَما أَنارَت مِنكَ للقَوم جذوة

    بِها الطَير مِن جَو السَماء طَريح

    And when a firebrand from you shone upon the host,

    birds were struck down from the midst of the sky by it.

  20. غَدوا حمراً فرت مِن القسور الَّذي

    بِكُل غَوي مِن قناه جروح

    They became asses fleeing from the lion who

    leaves wounds from his spears in every wayward man.

  21. وَرَدوا عَلى الأَعقاب هزمي لأَنَّهُم

    كلاء إِذا اشتد الهَجير يَصوح

    And they were driven back on their heels, routed, for they are

    grass that withers when the noonday heat grows fierce.

  22. شَياطين وافاهم مِن اللَه ثاقب

    سَتَغدو عَلَيهم ناره وَتَروح

    Devils whom a piercing meteor from God has overtaken;

    its fire will come upon them morning and evening.

  23. تَجَمعَت الأَضداد فيهِ فَطبعه

    سَموح وَأَما سَيفه فَسَبوح

    Opposites have gathered in him: his nature

    is generous, while his sword swims swiftly.

  24. جَواد لَهُ عَفو وَصفح مُؤمل

    وَلَكنهُ يَوم النزال شَحيح

    A generous man, whose pardon and forgiveness are hoped for,

    yet on the day of battle he is stingy.

  25. إِلَيهِ سَرى عرف الوزارة مِن أَب

    وجد وَمسك الطيبين يَفوح

    To him the fragrance of the vizierate passed from a father

    and a grandfather; the musk of those two worthy men wafts.

  26. لَهُم نسب عِندَ الوزارة ناصع

    لَهُ سَند في الخافِقين صَحيح

    They have a spotless lineage in the vizierate;

    it has sound attestation in East and West.

  27. فَيا مَرحَباً أَهلاً وَسَهلاً بِسيد

    تَنم بِعلياء الصبا وَتَبوح

    So welcome—a warm, gracious welcome—to a lord;

    the east wind whispers of lofty glory and proclaims it.

  28. فَلا تبق دِياراً كَفوراً وَمارِداً

    فَأَنتَ سُليمان وَجدك نوح

    So spare no unbelieving dweller and no rebel,

    for you are Sulayman, and your grandfather is Noah.

  29. رَكبت مِن العَلياء أَشرَف مَركب

    لَهُ كُل قَلب بِالغَرام جنوح

    You rode the noblest mount of exalted glory;

    toward it every heart inclines with ardent love.

  30. وَزدت عَلى الأَقران قَدراً وَسُؤدداً

    فَغَيرك مَرجوح وَأَنتَ رَجيح

    And you surpassed your peers in worth and eminence;

    so others weigh less, while you weigh more.

  31. درت حكمة الخنكار وَاللَهُ شاهد

    بِأَنك مَأمون الجَناب نَصيح

    The sovereign's wisdom knew—and God is witness—

    that you are trustworthy in character and sincere in counsel.

  32. أَتى أَمره العالي إِليك مُحافظاً

    لِبَغداد نَص في علاك صَريح

    His exalted decree came to you, appointing you guardian

    of Baghdad—a clear declaration of your eminence.

  33. فَبادرت لا كلاً وَلا مُتَوانياً

    وَأَنتَ بِما ضَمت يَداك سَموح

    So you hastened, neither weary nor slack,

    and you are generous with all that your hands hold.

  34. وَسرت مَسير النيرين بِجحفل

    تَنوء لَهُ شم الذرى وَتَموح

    And you marched like the two luminaries, with a mighty host

    beneath which lofty summits strain and sway.

  35. إِذا ما انبَرَت مِنكُم ليوث قشاعم

    تمزق دَجال وَذابَ مَهيح

    When mighty old lions from among you spring forth,

    a Dajjal is torn apart, and [unclear word] melts away.

  36. لَكُم يا بَني عَبد الجَليل سَوابق

    عَلَينا تَلاها أعجم وَفَصيح

    You, sons of Abd al-Jalil, have favors of old

    toward us, recounted by the inarticulate and the eloquent alike.

  37. رَسمتُم بِها صحف الوُجود لأَنَّكُم

    متون عَلى لَوح العُلى وَشُروح

    You inscribed with them the pages of existence, for you are

    primary texts and commentaries on the tablet of glory.

  38. فَخُذها وَزير العَدل أَما مذاقها

    فَحلو وَأَما سوقها فَرَبيح

    So take it, vizier of justice: as for its taste,

    it is sweet; as for its market, it is profitable.

  39. لَها نَسب في العرب عال فَطبعها

    رَقيق وَأَما لَفظها فَصَحيح

    It has a lofty lineage among the Arabs, so its nature

    is delicate, while its wording is sound.

  40. فَعش أَبَداً عالي المَنار مُؤيداً

    وَضدك مَقروح الفُؤاد ذَبيح

    So live forever, upheld, with your beacon high,

    while your foe lies slaughtered, his heart wounded.