عَبِقت بطيبِ ثَنائِك الأَقْطارُ

عَبِقت بطيبِ ثَنائِك الأَقْطارُ

وتَجمَّلتْ بَمديحِك الأَشْعارُ

وتَجمَّلتْ بَمديحِك الأَشْعارُ

The lands are fragrant with the sweetness of praise of you;

The lands are fragrant with the incense of your praise,

And poetry is adorned with praise of you.

And the poems are adorned with your eulogy.

وعَظُمتَ وصْفا في السَّماعِ فمُذْ بَدا

وعَظُمتَ وصْفا في السَّماعِ فمُذْ بَدا

للعينِ خُبْرُك هانتِ الأخبار

للعينِ خُبْرُك هانتِ الأخبار

You were great as described to the ear; but once

You are greatly lauded in speech, so since

your true nature met the eye, the reports seemed small.

News of you appeared to the eye, other news is insignificant.

فات المدائحَ بعضُ وصفِك كلّها

فات المدائحَ بعضُ وصفِك كلّها

عَجْزا عن التقصيرِ وهْي قِصار

عَجْزا عن التقصيرِ وهْي قِصار

Some of your qualities surpass all eulogies,

Some eulogies have fallen short of describing you completely,

unable even to give an inadequate account, inadequate though they are.

Incapacitated due to being too brief, though they try.

وسقى البلادَ سَخاءُ جودِك فارتوتْ

وسقى البلادَ سَخاءُ جودِك فارتوتْ

وتَأرَّجتْ بثنائِك الأزهار

وتَأرَّجتْ بثنائِك الأزهار

The generosity of your bounty watered the lands, and they drank their fill;

The generosity of your benevolence has watered the lands, so they became sated,

And flowers grew fragrant with praise of you.

And the flowers have become aromatic with your praise.

فكأنما الدنيا عروس تُجْتَلى

فكأنما الدنيا عروس تُجْتَلى

ولها مَواهبُك الغِزار نِثار

ولها مَواهبُك الغِزار نِثار

It is as though the world were a bride being unveiled,

It is as if the world is a bride being adorned,

And your abundant gifts are the largesse scattered before her.

And your abundant gifts are scattered about her.

فرِضاك عَدْلٌ واصْطِناعك رحمةٌ

فرِضاك عَدْلٌ واصْطِناعك رحمةٌ

وسُطاك مَهْلكةٌ وعزمُك نار

وسُطاك مَهْلكةٌ وعزمُك نار

Your favor is justice, and your patronage mercy;

Your approval is justice and your deed is mercy,

Your onslaught is destruction, and your resolve fire.

Your way is destructive and your resolve is fire.

والأرضُ مُلْكٌ والزمانُ وأهلُه

والأرضُ مُلْكٌ والزمانُ وأهلُه

خَدَمٌ وبعضُ جيوشِك الأَقْدار

خَدَمٌ وبعضُ جيوشِك الأَقْدار

The earth is your dominion; time and its people

The earth is a kingdom, time and its people

are servants, and fate's decrees are among your armies.

Are servants, and some of your armies are fate.

ما قيل شاهِنشاهُ إلا كان ل

ما قيل شاهِنشاهُ إلا كان ل

لأكِ من معنى الكلام فَخار

لأكِ من معنى الكلام فَخار

Whenever “Shahanshah” was uttered, there was

None is called King of Kings except that he

glory in the words' meaning for [unclear recipient].

Surpasses the meaning of the word in splendor.

يا مالكَ الدنيا الذي من عَدْلِه

يا مالكَ الدنيا الذي من عَدْلِه

في كل أرض عسكرٌ جَرّار

في كل أرض عسكرٌ جَرّار

O master of the world, whose justice has

O possessor of the world whose justice

a vast army in every land;

In every land has a great victorious army.

ومُقسِّمَ النِّعَم التي لِنوالِها

ومُقسِّمَ النِّعَم التي لِنوالِها

في كل موضعِ شعرةٍ بَتّار

في كل موضعِ شعرةٍ بَتّار

And distributor of blessings, to obtain which

O giver of the blessings, for whose attainment

a cleaving sword stands at every hair's root;

In every place there is a yearning soul.

ومُبخِّلَ الكرماءِ أَيْسَرُ جودِه

ومُبخِّلَ الكرماءِ أَيْسَرُ جودِه

فكأنما حَسناتُهم أوزار

فكأنما حَسناتُهم أوزار

And you, whose least bounty makes the generous seem miserly,

O withholder from the generous, your benevolence

so that their good deeds seem burdens of sin.

Is easier, as if their good deeds are burdens.

جُحِد الكمالُ من الوجود فمُذْ بَدا

جُحِد الكمالُ من الوجود فمُذْ بَدا

للناسِ فضُلك أُنْكِر الإنكار

للناسِ فضُلك أُنْكِر الإنكار

Perfection was denied any existence; but once

Perfection denied existence, so when

your excellence appeared to people, denial itself was denied.

Your merit appeared to people, denial was rejected.

إن كان هذا الخَلْقُ أصلُ وجودِه

إن كان هذا الخَلْقُ أصلُ وجودِه

طينٌ فأَصُلك جَوْهرٌ ونُضار

طينٌ فأَصُلك جَوْهرٌ ونُضار

If the original substance of this creation

If this creation's origin of existence

is clay, your origin is a jewel and pure gold.

Is clay, then your origin is essence and freshness.

لا شكَّ لما طابَ أصُلك في العُلا

لا شكَّ لما طابَ أصُلك في العُلا

والمجدِ طابتْ هذه الأثمار

والمجدِ طابتْ هذه الأثمار

No doubt, since your root was noble in eminence

No doubt, when your origin was good in the heights

and glory, these fruits have grown sweet.

And glory, these fruits became good.

ثَمَرٌ جيوشيُّ المَغارِسِ أَفْضَل

ثَمَرٌ جيوشيُّ المَغارِسِ أَفْضَل

ىُّ الفرع للفَضْلَيْن فيه شِعار

ىُّ الفرع للفَضْلَيْن فيه شِعار

A fruit with Juyushi roots, Afdali—

An offspring with roots nurtured by your armies is superior,

in its branch, bearing the mark of both excellences.

For in him are the symbols of the two excellences.

كالمرتضى شمس المعالي مَنْ حَبا

كالمرتضى شمس المعالي مَنْ حَبا

كَ اللهُ منه بكلِّ ما تختار

كَ اللهُ منه بكلِّ ما تختار

Like al-Murtada, sun of lofty honors, through whom

Like Al-Murtada, the sun of glory, the one

God has bestowed on you all that you would choose.

God has granted all he wishes.

فكسوتَ وجه الأرضِ منه محاسنا

فكسوتَ وجه الأرضِ منه محاسنا

فلِعزِّك الدنيا به أنوار

فلِعزِّك الدنيا به أنوار

So you clothed the earth's face with beauties from him;

You have adorned the face of the earth with beauties through him,

So, for your glory, through him the world is filled with light.

Through your might, it gained lights from him.

فأَتى بما اقتضتِ الفِراسة فِعْلَه

فأَتى بما اقتضتِ الفِراسة فِعْلَه

فتَنافستْ في فضِله الأفكار

فتَنافستْ في فضِله الأفكار

He accomplished what discerning insight required him to do;

He came with what discernment necessitated his action,

So thoughts vied over his excellence.

So opinions competed in his merit.

جاورْتَه داراً لدارٍ فاغتدَتْ

جاورْتَه داراً لدارٍ فاغتدَتْ

لجلالِه في كلِّ قلب دار

لجلالِه في كلِّ قلب دار

You dwelt beside him, house next to house; and there arose

You made him a neighbor in an abode to abode, so they became

a home for his majesty in every heart.

Majestic through his magnificence in every heart and home.

وجَلونَ منه على الأَنامِ فَضائلا

وجَلونَ منه على الأَنامِ فَضائلا

فعُقول أهلِ الأرضِ فيه تَحار

فعُقول أهلِ الأرضِ فيه تَحار

And they revealed his excellences before humankind;

You made merits of him manifest to the people,

So the minds of earth's people are bewildered by him.

So the minds of the people of earth are baffled by him.

أظهرتَه للناس عند كَمالِه

أظهرتَه للناس عند كَمالِه

فَضْلا فأنجَبَ ذلك المضمار

فَضْلا فأنجَبَ ذلك المضمار

You revealed him to the people when he attained perfection

You showed him to the people at his peak of perfection,

in excellence; and so that racecourse bred nobility.

A merit which produced that contest.

فتَلا مَحاسنَك الشريفة للعُلى

فتَلا مَحاسنَك الشريفة للعُلى

بالجِدِّ فهْو السابق السَّيّار

بالجِدِّ فهْو السابق السَّيّار

He followed your noble virtues toward the heights

He recited your noble qualities to the Most High

with earnest effort; he is the swift-moving frontrunner.

With dedication, so he is the leading guide.

وقَرنْتَه بالشمسِ فِعْلَ مُجرِّب

وقَرنْتَه بالشمسِ فِعْلَ مُجرِّب

إنّ الشموس بُعولُها الأقمار

إنّ الشموس بُعولُها الأقمار

And you paired him with the sun, as a man of experience would;

You paired him with the sun - the act of the wise -

Indeed, the suns have moons for husbands.

Indeed, suns take moons as husbands.

فالخَلْق في عرسٍ يدوم سرورُه

فالخَلْق في عرسٍ يدوم سرورُه

أَبدا كأنّ الليل فيه نهار

أَبدا كأنّ الليل فيه نهار

So humankind is at a wedding whose joy endures

Mankind is at a wedding whose joy

forever, as though the night in it were day.

Endures forever, as if night in it is day.

لم تَنفرِدْ مصرٌ به عن غيرِها

لم تَنفرِدْ مصرٌ به عن غيرِها

سِيّانِ مصرٌ فيه والأَمْصار

سِيّانِ مصرٌ فيه والأَمْصار

Egypt was not alone in it, to the exclusion of others;

No land was exclusive of him over another,

Egypt and the other cities share it alike.

Egypt and the lands are equal through him.

كاد المُقطّمُ أنْ يَميدَ مَسرَّةً

كاد المُقطّمُ أنْ يَميدَ مَسرَّةً

لو لم يُصِبْه من لَدُنْك وَقار

لو لم يُصِبْه من لَدُنْك وَقار

Muqattam would almost have swayed with joy,

Al-Muqattam almost tilted in elation

had not solemn gravity from you settled upon it.

Had he not been given dignity from you.

غَمرتْ مَكارُمك البريةَ قبلَه

غَمرتْ مَكارُمك البريةَ قبلَه

وانْضاف هذا العرس فهْي بِحار

وانْضاف هذا العرس فهْي بِحار

Your benefactions had flooded creation before it;

Your generosity flooded the land before him,

And this wedding was added: now they are seas.

And this wedding is an additional sea.

بَذلتْ هِباتُك فيه كلَّ نفيسةٍ

بَذلتْ هِباتُك فيه كلَّ نفيسةٍ

حتى تأكد للنُّضار بَوار

حتى تأكد للنُّضار بَوار

Your gifts lavished every precious thing at it,

Your gifts in it spent every precious thing

until pure gold itself was certain to go unsold.

Until it was certain for the fresh that there are heavy clouds.

اللهُ يبِقى في بقائك عُمْرَه

اللهُ يبِقى في بقائك عُمْرَه

ما دام للفَلك الأَثير مَدار

ما دام للفَلك الأَثير مَدار

May God preserve his life together with yours,

May God perpetuate his life through your continuance

as long as the noble sphere has an orbit;

As long as there is orbit for the eternal celestial sphere,

حتى يشدَّ بَنوك ملكَك مثله

حتى يشدَّ بَنوك ملكَك مثله

ويشدَّه أبناؤه الأبرار

ويشدَّه أبناؤه الأبرار

so that your sons may strengthen your kingdom as he does,

Until your children extend your kingdom like him

and his righteous sons may strengthen it.

And the righteous sons extend it.

واللهُ يجعلنا فداءَك إنّه

واللهُ يجعلنا فداءَك إنّه

لولاك ما طابت لنا الأعمار

لولاك ما طابت لنا الأعمار

And may God make us a ransom for you; for truly,

God, make us your ransom, for were it not for you

without you, our lives would have no sweetness.

Our lives would not be pleasant.