1. My glad tidings, this is the start of my determination
In pursuit of my goals and in anticipation
١. بُشْرَايَ هَذا مَبْدَأُ الإقْبَالِ
في قَصْدِ غَايَاتي وفِي اسْتِقْبالِ
2. And time, though once unkind, came to me amended
Its traces equivalent to summation
٢. وَافَانِيَ الزَّمَنُ المُسِيءُ مُحَسِّناً
آثارَهُ بِمَثابَةِ الإِجْمَالِ
3. I had wandered many lands prior to this
So I praised the outcome of roaming and dwelling
٣. وَذَمَمْتُ تَرْحَالاً وَحِلاً قَبْلَها
فَحَمِدْتُ عُقْبَى الحِلِّ والتَّرْحالِ
4. And became mighty after weakness and humiliation
And felt secure after fear and hardship
٤. وَعَزِزْتُ بَعْدَ الهوْنِ والإِذْلالِ
وأَمِنْتُ بَعْدَ الرَّوْعِ والأَوْجالِ
5. And I flourished in humility and comfort despite
The desolation and tremors I had endured
٥. وَثَوَيْتُ في خَفْضٍ وفِي دَعَةٍ بِما
كابَدْتُ مِنْ شَظَفٍ وَمِنْ زِلزالِ
6. And I experienced what I cannot aptly describe
Though I claimed the merit of independence
٦. وَلَقيتُ ما لا أستَقِلُّ بِوَصفِهِ
وَإِنِ ادَّعيت مزِيَّةَ استِقلالِ
7. It is enough that Rome was once my neighbor
From the injustice of my fate and trials
٧. وكَفاكَ أنَّ الرّومَ كانَتْ جِيرَتي
مِنْ جَوْرِ دهْرِي واسْتِحالَةِ حالِي
8. I was free there but never stopped
Feeling fettered by intense regrets
٨. كُنْتُ الطَّلِيقَ هُنَاكَ لَكِنْ لَمْ أزَلْ
مِن شِدَّةِ الحَسَرَاتِ في أَغْلالِ
9. I weep for those I left behind
And spend the nights in prayers and worries
٩. أَبْكِي عَلى اسْتِئْصالِ مَنْ خَلَّفْتُهُ
وأُطِيلُ فِي الأسْحَارِ والآصَالِ
10. Until I left their land which
Had become a second home to me
١٠. حَتَّى إذَا فَارَقْتُ أرْضَهُمُ التِي
كانَتْ عِقالاً ثانِياً لِعِقَالِي
11. And longing, melting my essence, called me
Back home, so I answered despite my dignity
١١. وَدَعَانِيَ الشَّوْقُ المُذِيبُ جَوانِحي
لِمَنازِلي فَأَجَبْتُهُ وَجِلالي
12. But on my return hardship made me stumble upon
A gang that robbed me, hoping to ruin me
١٢. لاقَى بِيَ الجَدُّ العَثورُ عِصَابَةً
ذَهَبَتْ بِمَالِي كَيْ يَسُوءَ مآلِي
13. So my soul resumed, judging its misfortune,
A plunge into new horrors and ordeals
١٣. فاسْتَأنَفَتْ نَفْسِي بِحُكْمِ شَقائِها
خَوْضاً لأَهْوَالٍ عَلَى أهْوَالِ
14. I remain lost in pleasing fantasies
Until I become detached from sorrows
١٤. مازِلْتُ مِنها في خَيَالٍ مُتْلِفٍ
حَتَّى غَدَوْتُ مفارِقاً لِخَبَالِ
15. By my father Hussein, master of the Arabs whose
Excellence is accentuated by the glorious, the debater
١٥. بأَبِي حُسَيْنٍ سيِّدِ العَرَبِ الذِي
أَدْنَى حُلاهُ
16. Or the active speaker, the tribe of Qaylah
Who belongs only to nobility
١٦. بِالمَاجِدِ المِفْضَالِ أوْ بالعَارِضِ
المِهْطَالِ أو بالقَائِلِ الفَعَّالِ
17. An elegy for his dwelling fate rapidly approaches
While hopes contend over his prominence
١٧. بِالقيْلِ مِنْ أبْناءِ قَيْلَةَ والذِي
لا يَنْتَمِي إلا إلَى الأَقْيَالِ
18. One who meets the lightning of his forehead in crisis
Is enriched by the pouring of his copious rains
١٨. نَدْبٌ إِلَى مَثْواه مُسْتبقُ المُنَى
وَعَلى عُلاه تَزَاحُمُ الآمالِ
19. He inherited leadership from his father and grandfather
The pure of word and deed
١٩. مَنْ شَامَ بَرْقَ جَبِينِهِ في أزْمَةٍ
أَثْرَى بِغَيْثِ سَمَاحِهِ الهَطَّالِ
20. And he accomplished what made prosperous the inheritance he gained
So the attainment of perfection did not fatigue him
٢٠. وَرِثَ السِّيَادَةَ عَنْ أبيهِ وَجَدِّهِ
الطَّاهِرِ الأَقْوَالِ والأَعْمَالِ
21. He is unique in this world, and whoever is not content with him
Let him find his equal in this world
٢١. وَأَتَى بِما أَرْبَى عَلى مَا نَالَهُ
إِرْثاً فَمَا أعْيَاهُ نَيْلُ كَمَالِ
22. Alas, none like him exists in the universe
In composure, balance and majesty
٢٢. هُوَ واحِدُ الدُّنيا وَمَن لَمْ يَرْضَهُ
فَلْيَأتِ في الدّنْيَا لَهُ بِمِثالِ
23. Qais, Saad, and Ubadah before him
And Dulaym, the singular in generosity
٢٣. هَيْهَاتَ لَيْسَ عَلَى البَسيطَةِ مِثْلُهُ
في سُؤْدَدٍ وَرَجَاحَةٍ وَجَلالِ
24. They maintained for him a nobility ever flourishing
Transcending eras and circumstances
٢٤. قَيْسٌ وسَعْدٌ قَبْلَهُ وعُبَادَةٌ
ودُلَيِّمُ الأَفْرَاد في الإفْضَالِ
25. Whoever wishes to exceed in praising him, let him do so
Without blame for lavish praise
٢٥. أبْقَوْا لَه شَرَفاً يَزيدُ تَجَدُّداً
يَبْأَى لَدَيْهِ عَلَى مَدى الأَحوالِ
26. When I kissed his hand and saw him
I paid no mind to life or the new moon
٢٦. مَن شاءَ في مَدحٍ غُلُوّاً فَليَكُن
في مَدحِهِ مِن غَيرِ لَومٍ غالِ
27. Say to time, for you have stood at his door
And joined the peers and equivalents
٢٧. لَمَّا لَثَمْتُ يَمِينَه ورَأيْتُه
لَمْ أَلْتَفِتْ لحَياً ولا لِهِلالِ
28. Indeed, the son of Eesa whom you knew for his beaming light
And generosity in calamity and tribulation
٢٨. قُلْ للزَّمَانِ وقَد مَثَلْتَ ببَابِهِ
فَلَحِقْتَ بِالنُّظَرَاءِ والأَمْثَالِ
29. His justice with me suffices for your tyranny
For what you stole from me by extermination
٢٩. إنَّ ابْنَ عِيسَى مَنْ عَلِمْتَ مَضَاءهُ
وَسَخَاءهُ في الرَّوْعِ والإمْحالِ
30. He remains the repeller of every incident and misfortune
And protector of those rendered without protector
٣٠. يَكْفيكَ جَورَكَ عدْلُهُ بِيَ عادِلاً
عَمَّا ذَهَبْتَ لَهُ مِنِ اسْتِئْصَالِ
31. So my poem translated into English while aiming to preserve the meaning and essence of the original Arabic. Let me know if any clarification or adjustments are needed.
٣١. لا زالَ دَافِعَ كُلِّ خَطْبٍ وَاقِعٍ
وَثُمالَ مَنْ أَضْحَى بِغَيْرِ ثُمالِ