بشراك قد وافى البشير بمجده

بشراك قد وافى البشير بمجده

في ابترٍ ملك الورى بفرنده

في ابترٍ ملك الورى بفرنده

Glad tidings! The herald has arrived, bearing his glory.

Glad tidings to you: al-Bashir, the herald, has arrived in his glory,

In Abtarā—the king of humankind, with Farbandah—

In a keen sword that mastered mankind with its watered-steel pattern.

يحكي فراسة عنتر وجواده

يحكي فراسة عنتر وجواده

ينبيك عن قهر العدو وصده

ينبيك عن قهر العدو وصده

He recalls ʿAntar’s prowess and his steed,

It evokes Antar’s horsemanship and his steed,

telling you how he vanquished and repelled the foe.

It tells you of subduing the enemy and driving him back.

بلواه سعدٌ باهرق وبكفه

بلواه سعدٌ باهرق وبكفه

نهج العلى ونوال غياةٍ قصده

نهج العلى ونوال غياةٍ قصده

With his standard comes dazzling fortune, and in his hand

On his banner shines radiant fortune [uncertain wording], and in his hand lies

are the path to glory and the attainment of his utmost aim.

The path to glory and the attainment of his intended goal.

ما كل من رام العلى نال المنى

ما كل من رام العلى نال المنى

شتان ما بين الحسام وغمده

شتان ما بين الحسام وغمده

Not everyone who aspires to the heights attains his desires;

Not everyone who sought glory attained his desires;

vast is the distance between the sword and its sheath.

How far apart are the sword and its sheath!

كم ساد أساد الورى بمكارم

كم ساد أساد الورى بمكارم

ومحامدٍ تطري بناطق مجده

ومحامدٍ تطري بناطق مجده

How many lions among men have reigned through noble deeds

How often he surpassed the lions of mankind through noble deeds,

and laudations lavishly voiced by the herald of his glory,

And praiseworthy qualities that extol him in the voice of his glory,

ورعايةٍ وبرعةٍ قل عنه قد

ورعايةٍ وبرعةٍ قل عنه قد

فاق الورى شرقاً بطالع سعده

فاق الورى شرقاً بطالع سعده

through watchful care and consummate skill! Say of him: he has

And care and prowess—say of him that he has

surpassed all people in honor beneath his fortune’s rising star.

Surpassed mankind in the East with his rising star of fortune.

خاض الوطيس بصارم لا ينتشي

خاض الوطيس بصارم لا ينتشي

رد الجحافل خيفةً من حده

رد الجحافل خيفةً من حده

He plunged into the heat of battle with a keen sword, never drunk with pride,

He plunged into battle’s furnace with a keen sword that never grows drunk;

and drove back the massed hosts, fearful of its edge.

He drove the armies back through fear of its edge.

منه النجا وعليه تعويل الرجا

منه النجا وعليه تعويل الرجا

وبه لجا من أم ساحل رفده

وبه لجا من أم ساحل رفده

From him comes deliverance, and upon him rests the reliance of hope;

From him comes deliverance, and on him hope relies;

in him finds refuge whoever seeks the shore of his bounty.

And in him found refuge whoever sought the shore of his bounty.

يا سيداً بل يا أميراً عاهلاً

يا سيداً بل يا أميراً عاهلاً

أنقذني من مضض الزمان وكده

أنقذني من مضض الزمان وكده

O master—rather, O sovereign prince—

O master—rather, O sovereign prince,

save me from the anguish and weariness of time.

Rescue me from time’s anguish and its toil.

فلقد أبى دهري النجاح ولم أر

فلقد أبى دهري النجاح ولم أر

إلاك يا من راق منهل ورده

إلاك يا من راق منهل ورده

For my fate has denied me success, and I have seen

For my time has denied me success, and I have seen none

none but you, whose fountain delights all who come to drink.

Except you, O you whose watering place offers a delightful draught.

إن الوشاة هم العداة بمكرهم

إن الوشاة هم العداة بمكرهم

باتوا على عكس المقام وطرده

باتوا على عكس المقام وطرده

Indeed, the slanderers are enemies through their scheming;

Indeed, the slanderers, through their scheming, are the enemies;

they have labored to overturn my standing and cast me out.

They have remained intent on overturning that position and casting it aside.

لا تصغ للواشي ورد خداعه

لا تصغ للواشي ورد خداعه

واعلم حقيقة صادقٍ من ضده

واعلم حقيقة صادقٍ من ضده

Do not heed the informer; rebuff his deceit,

Do not listen to the slanderer; reject his deceit,

and discern who is truly sincere to me from his opposite.

And distinguish the truthful man’s true nature from that of his opposite.

فيلوح دينار اليقين بصخة

فيلوح دينار اليقين بصخة

وافوز حظا من مدارك نقده

وافوز حظا من مدارك نقده

Then certainty’s dinar will gleam beneath the ringing test,

Then the dinar of certainty will gleam when struck,

and I shall gain my share from what its assay reveals.

And I gain a share through insight into its assay.