لتلق ملوك الأرض طوعاً يد الصلح

لتلق ملوك الأرض طوعاً يد الصلح

حذار حسامٍ صاغه الله للفتحِ

حذار حسامٍ صاغه الله للفتحِ

Let the kings of the earth willingly extend the hand of peace,

Let the kings of the earth willingly extend the hand of peace

In fear of a sword God forged for conquest,

Beware of a sword which God has forged for conquest

وأجرى فرنداً فيه من جوهر العلى

وأجرى فرنداً فيه من جوهر العلى

غدا يخطف الأبصار باللمع واللمح

غدا يخطف الأبصار باللمع واللمح

And made a watered pattern flow within it from the essence of glory;

And instilled in it a sharp edge from the essence of the Most High

It came to dazzle the eyes with gleam and flash.

Tomorrow it will dazzle sights with its glimmer and flash

فكم شقَّ فجراً من دجى ليل حادثٍ

فكم شقَّ فجراً من دجى ليل حادثٍ

وأضحك للأيام من أوجهٍ طلح

وأضحك للأيام من أوجهٍ طلح

How often it has cleaved a dawn from the darkness of calamity's night,

How it has torn many dawns from the gloom of fateful nights

And made many a weary face smile upon the days.

And brought smiles to the days from hopeful faces

لو الدولة الغراءُ يوماً تفاخرتْ

لو الدولة الغراءُ يوماً تفاخرتْ

مع الشمس قالت أين صبحك من صبحي

مع الشمس قالت أين صبحك من صبحي

Were the radiant realm one day to vie in pride

If the sublime state one day boasted

With the sun, it would say, 'What is your dawn beside mine?'

To the sun, it would say "Where is your dawn compared to mine?"

فتىً في صريح المجد ينمى لمعشرٍ

فتىً في صريح المجد ينمى لمعشرٍ

بيوتهم في المجد سامية الصرح

بيوتهم في المجد سامية الصرح

A youth of purest glory, descended from a clan

A young man growing in the shrine of glory for a people

Whose houses' towers rise high in glory.

Whose homes in glory are lofty edifices

فتىً ولدتْ منه النجابة حازماً

فتىً ولدتْ منه النجابة حازماً

بعيدَ مجالٍ يرفد الملكَ بالنصح

بعيدَ مجالٍ يرفد الملكَ بالنصح

A youth: innate nobility has brought forth in him a man of resolve,

A young man from whom nobility was born, steadfast

Far-reaching in endeavor, supporting the king with counsel.

With ample scope supplying counsel to the king

أغرُّ لسيماء العلى في جبينه

أغرُّ لسيماء العلى في جبينه

سنىً في حشا الحساد يذكي جوى البرح

سنىً في حشا الحساد يذكي جوى البرح

Radiant—for the mark of glory upon his brow

I am tempted by the mark of greatness on his forehead

Has a brilliance that kindles fierce anguish in his enviers' hearts.

Years spent in the envy of foes, kindling the embers of turmoil

له طلعةٌ غرّاء دائمة السنا

له طلعةٌ غرّاء دائمة السنا

هي الشمس لو تمسي هي البدر لو يضحي

هي الشمس لو تمسي هي البدر لو يضحي

His is a radiant countenance of unfailing light:

He has a ever-verdant noble bearing

It is the sun, were it to shine at night; the full moon, were it to shine by day.

The sun if it sets, the moon if it rises

هو البحر بل لا يشبه البحرُ جودَه

هو البحر بل لا يشبه البحرُ جودَه

وهل يستوي العذب الفرات مع الملح

وهل يستوي العذب الفرات مع الملح

He is the sea—yet the sea cannot match his generosity.

He is the sea, rather, his generosity resembles no sea

And can sweet, refreshing water compare with brine?

Can the sweet Euphrates equal the bitter salt?

يزوِّج آمال العفاة بجوده

يزوِّج آمال العفاة بجوده

ويقرنه في الحال في مولد النجح

ويقرنه في الحال في مولد النجح

He weds the hopes of those seeking gifts to his generosity,

He marries the hopes of the destitute with his generosity

And joins it, then and there, in giving birth to success.

And couples them instantly at the birth of success

ويبسط كفاً رطبة من سماحةٍ

ويبسط كفاً رطبة من سماحةٍ

إذا قبض اليبسُ الأكفَّ من الشح

إذا قبض اليبسُ الأكفَّ من الشح

And extends a hand moist with generosity,

And extends a moist palm of generosity

When the dryness of stinginess clenches hands.

When the dry-palmed are clenched in greed

أرى المدح في الأشراف أفضل زينةٍ

أرى المدح في الأشراف أفضل زينةٍ

ولكنه في فضله شرف المدح

ولكنه في فضله شرف المدح

I deem praise the finest adornment of noblemen,

I see praise among nobles as the best adornment

Yet he, through his excellence, ennobles praise itself.

But in his merit, praise itself gains merit

هو السيفُ بل لا يفعل السيف فعله

هو السيفُ بل لا يفعل السيف فعله

بقومٍ على الأضغان مطويّة الكشح

بقومٍ على الأضغان مطويّة الكشح

He is the sword—yet no sword does what he does

He is the sword, but no sword can match his feat

Against people who harbor grudges within their folded flanks.

Against a people bent over, hunched in rancor

فقاتلُ أهل الضغن بالبطش لم يكن

فقاتلُ أهل الضغن بالبطش لم يكن

كقاتل أهل الضغن بالبطش والصفح

كقاتل أهل الضغن بالبطش والصفح

For one who slays the spiteful by force was never

He who fought the rancorous with might was not

Like one who slays the spiteful by force and pardon.

Like one who fought them with might and pardon

هو الرمحُ سلْ عنه فؤادَ حسوده

هو الرمحُ سلْ عنه فؤادَ حسوده

بما بات يلقى من شبا ذلك الرمح

بما بات يلقى من شبا ذلك الرمح

He is the spear—ask his envier's heart about him,

He is the lance—ask the heart of his envious foe

About what it endures by night from that spear's sharp point.

About the torment it receives from that lance

تجدْه كليماً وهو أعدل شاهدٍ

تجدْه كليماً وهو أعدل شاهدٍ

فيا شاهداً أضحى يعدِّلُ بالجرح

فيا شاهداً أضحى يعدِّلُ بالجرح

You will find it wounded—and it is the most upright witness.

You'll find him judicious, the most upright witness

O witness, now attesting to worth through a wound!

So witness, made upright by the wound

إليكَ ابن أم المجد عذراء تجتلى

إليكَ ابن أم المجد عذراء تجتلى

كأنَّ محيّا وجهها فلق الصبح

كأنَّ محيّا وجهها فلق الصبح

To you, son of glory's mother, a virgin is unveiled,

To you, son of the virgin mother of glory who appears

As though her radiant face were the break of dawn.

As if the radiance of her face tore the dawn

بها أرجٌ من طيب ذكرك نشره

بها أرجٌ من طيب ذكرك نشره

يعطِّر أنفاس الصبا لك بالنفح

يعطِّر أنفاس الصبا لك بالنفح

In her is a fragrance from your sweet renown, whose diffusion

By her, a fragrance from the perfume of your mention he dispersed

Perfumes the east wind's breaths for you with fragrant wafts.

That scents the breezes with a whiff for you

تودُّ بناتُ النظم أنْ لو حكينَها

تودُّ بناتُ النظم أنْ لو حكينَها

ويا بعدَ ما بين الملاحة والقبح

ويا بعدَ ما بين الملاحة والقبح

The daughters of verse wish they could resemble her,

The daughters of verse wish to eulogize you

And oh, how far apart are loveliness and ugliness!

But after the chasm between skill and clumsiness!

لقد فاز فيها قدحُك اليوم مثلما

لقد فاز فيها قدحُك اليوم مثلما

غدت وهي فيك اليوم فائزة القدح

غدت وهي فيك اليوم فائزة القدح

Indeed, your lot-casting arrow has won her today, just as

Today your goblet has won in it, just as

She, through you today, has become a winner with her arrow.

She in you is the winner of the goblet

فليس لها كفٌّ سواكَ ولم يكن

فليس لها كفٌّ سواكَ ولم يكن

يليق سواها فيك من خرَّد المدح

يليق سواها فيك من خرَّد المدح

She has no match but you; nor would

She has no palm but yours, nor was it fit

Any other of praise's virgin maidens befit you.

That any but her be singled out to praise you