سعيد بن سلطان بنى العزَّ والعُلا

سعيد بن سلطان بنى العزَّ والعُلا

بَحَدّ حُسامٍ والنفاقَ أزاغهُ

بَحَدّ حُسامٍ والنفاقَ أزاغهُ

Sa'id bin Sultan built might and exaltation

Sa'eed bin Sultan built glory and sublime

With a sword's edge, and turned hypocrisy aside.

With a sharp sword, and turned away hypocrisy

ويَفْضَحُ قُسّاً في المَقالِ ولن ترى

ويَفْضَحُ قُسّاً في المَقالِ ولن ترى

شبيهاً له في النُطق إن هُوَ صَاغَهُ

شبيهاً له في النُطق إن هُوَ صَاغَهُ

And he puts Quss to shame in speech; you will never see

And exposes the stubborn in speech, you will never see

His equal in utterance when he himself fashions it.

Anyone like him in eloquence if he composes it

إذا طالَ باعُ المجدِ فهو ذِراعُه

إذا طالَ باعُ المجدِ فهو ذِراعُه

وإن قام رأس الفخرِ كان دِماغه

وإن قام رأس الفخرِ كان دِماغه

If glory's reach stretches far, he is its arm;

If the age of glory lengthens, it is his arm's length

And if pride's head rises, he is its brain.

And if the head of pride stands, it is his brain

ومن رامَ في أيامِهِ نيلَ مَعْقِلٍ

ومن رامَ في أيامِهِ نيلَ مَعْقِلٍ

سَقاه قَنَاةَ الموتَ كَرْهاً فَسَاغَهُ

سَقاه قَنَاةَ الموتَ كَرْهاً فَسَاغَهُ

And whoever seeks, in his days, to take a stronghold,

Whoever desires to attain a fortress in his days

He makes him drink death's spear unwillingly, and he swallows it.

He waters him the canal of death whether he likes it or not

لِمَجدِ ابن سلطان له الفَتْحُ والعُلا

لِمَجدِ ابن سلطان له الفَتْحُ والعُلا

ومن ينصرنه اللهُ مِنْ مَنْ أزَاغَهُ

ومن ينصرنه اللهُ مِنْ مَنْ أزَاغَهُ

To the glory of Ibn Sultan belong victory and exaltation.

For the glory of Ibn Sultan, for him is the victory and sublime

And whomever God aids—who could turn him aside? [Syntax unclear.]

And whoever God helps him against whoever deviated him

فتى يتمنى الوَكْفُ وكَفْانَ كَفِّهِ

فتى يتمنى الوَكْفُ وكَفْانَ كَفِّهِ

وشمسَ معاليهِ وعَذْبَ مساغِهِ

وشمسَ معاليهِ وعَذْبَ مساغِهِ

A youth: the rain longs for the outpouring of his palm,

A young man who wishes to fold his hands and cease

And the sun of his lofty deeds, and the sweetness of his draught.

And the sun of his glories and the sweetness of his drink

إذا كَرَّ أملى البَرَّ ضمّر خَيْلهِ

إذا كَرَّ أملى البَرَّ ضمّر خَيْلهِ

وإن بَرَّ بحر ليس يقضي فراغَهُ

وإن بَرَّ بحر ليس يقضي فراغَهُ

When he charges, his lean steeds fill the land;

When he defeated his hopes, he rallied his horses

And when he is generous, he is a sea that never runs dry.

And if he reconquered the sea, its expanse does not end

يُلَكّنُ قُسّاً في الخِطابِ وإنه

يُلَكّنُ قُسّاً في الخِطابِ وإنه

لسيفٌ برى مَنْ صَدَّ عَنْهُ صُداغه

لسيفٌ برى مَنْ صَدَّ عَنْهُ صُداغه

He makes Quss falter in discourse, and indeed he is

He gently rebukes in speech, and he

A sword that shears off the temple of whoever turns away from him.

Is a sword that hits whoever blocked his temple

للهِ من زمن خلَّى السرورُ به

للهِ من زمن خلَّى السرورُ به

تزورني عُلْوَةٌ والليلُ مُعْتَكِفُ

تزورني عُلْوَةٌ والليلُ مُعْتَكِفُ

God, what a time, when joy ran free!

Praise be to God for the time that brought me joy

Ulwah visits me while the night lies secluded.

At night solitude visits me while the night is secluded

طوراً يُقَرْطِقُ أذني دُرَّ مَنْطِقِها

طوراً يُقَرْطِقُ أذني دُرَّ مَنْطِقِها

وتارةً تَسْقِني ظَلْماً فأرْتَشِفُ

وتارةً تَسْقِني ظَلْماً فأرْتَشِفُ

At times the pearls of her speech clothe my ear,

Sometimes clinking my ear with the pearl of her talk

And at others she gives me her mouth's moisture to drink, so I sip.

And sometimes making me drink injustice so I quaff

أميلُ مِن حَبَبِ العُنْقُودِ مجْتَنياً

أميلُ مِن حَبَبِ العُنْقُودِ مجْتَنياً

وأنْشَني لرِياضِ الخدِّ أقتْطَفُ

وأنْشَني لرِياضِ الخدِّ أقتْطَفُ

I lean in, plucking berries from the grape-cluster,

I lean, drunk from the vines of the cluster

And [unclear verb] toward the gardens of her cheek, I pluck.

And I pick from the gardens of the cheek

باتتْ على ملبسِ التقوى تُصافحني

باتتْ على ملبسِ التقوى تُصافحني

كما تَصَافَحَ حرفُ اللامِ والألِفُ

كما تَصَافَحَ حرفُ اللامِ والألِفُ

She spent the night clasping my hand, in the garb of piety,

She spent the night in the dress of piety, greeting me

As the letters lam and alif clasp one another.

As the letter lām greets the letter alif

وللحوادثِ غَفْلات ظَفْرنَ بها

وللحوادثِ غَفْلات ظَفْرنَ بها

يَلُفّنا الشوقُ أحياناً فنأتَلِفُ

يَلُفّنا الشوقُ أحياناً فنأتَلِفُ

And calamities have heedless moments that were seized upon;

And negligence has oversights that we were seized by

Longing enfolds us at times, and so we unite.

Passion envelops us at times so we befriend

حتى أتى الصبحُ وابيضَّت مفارِقُه

حتى أتى الصبحُ وابيضَّت مفارِقُه

والنجمُ بالغربِ فوقَ الجبْل مُنْهَدِفُ

والنجمُ بالغربِ فوقَ الجبْل مُنْهَدِفُ

Until dawn came and its hair-partings turned white,

Until dawn came and her separation whitened

And the star sank in the west, above the mountain.

And the star in the west above the mountain, recoiling

قامتْ تُودِعُني والنارُ تَسْعَرُ في

قامتْ تُودِعُني والنارُ تَسْعَرُ في

أكبادنا ودموعُ العينِ تَنْغَرِفُ

أكبادنا ودموعُ العينِ تَنْغَرِفُ

She rose to bid me farewell, while fire blazed within

She got up to bid me farewell while the fire raged

Our livers, and the eye's tears were drawn forth.

In our livers and the tears of the eyes drew

وللنوى طَعَنَاتٌ في ضمائِرِنا

وللنوى طَعَنَاتٌ في ضمائِرِنا

والبينُ بانَ لنا من نَعْقِهِ التَلَفُ

والبينُ بانَ لنا من نَعْقِهِ التَلَفُ

And separation has stabbing thrusts within our inmost selves;

And for resolve there are stabs in our conscience

And from parting's croak, ruin became clear to us.

And separation became clear to us from its neighing

فَوَدّعَتْ ولآلي الدّرِ تَنْشُرُهُا

فَوَدّعَتْ ولآلي الدّرِ تَنْشُرُهُا

كجودِ سيّدِنا السلطانِ يَرْتَدِفُ

كجودِ سيّدِنا السلطانِ يَرْتَدِفُ

So she bade farewell, scattering beads of pearl,

So she bid farewell and the pearls of dew she scattered

Like our lord the Sultan's bounty, coming in succession.

Like the generosity of our master the Sultan that follows

هذر سعيدُ بن سلطان الذي اعتمدتْ

هذر سعيدُ بن سلطان الذي اعتمدتْ

به البِقاعُ ونارُ العِزِّ والشَرَفُ

به البِقاعُ ونارُ العِزِّ والشَرَفُ

Sa'id bin Sultan babbled [context unclear]—he upon whom depended

This is what Sa'eed bin Sultan who relied on him

The lands and the fire of might and honor.

The lands and the fire of honor and nobility

إنْ حامَ يومَ الوغى بالسمر معتقلاً

إنْ حامَ يومَ الوغى بالسمر معتقلاً

شمت العِدا انهزما مِ الطعنِ وانصرفُوا

شمت العِدا انهزما مِ الطعنِ وانصرفُوا

If he wheels about on battle's day, grasping tawny spears,

If he protected himself with the dust of war

You see the foes: both flee from spear-thrusts and withdraw.

The enemies rejoiced then were defeated and withdrew

يَعِفَّ عنهم إذا ذلوا ويأمنهم

يَعِفَّ عنهم إذا ذلوا ويأمنهم

لكنهم دُهِشوا وَلّوا ولا وَقَفُوا

لكنهم دُهِشوا وَلّوا ولا وَقَفُوا

He spares them when they are humbled and feels safe from them;

He forgives them when they are humiliated and gives them security

But they were bewildered; they fled and did not stand.

But they were shocked, turned around, and did not stand

حلّ الفناءُ بهم لمّا طَغَوا وبَغَوا

حلّ الفناءُ بهم لمّا طَغَوا وبَغَوا

وَخَالفوا ما بهِ الأحياءُ والسَّلَفُ

وَخَالفوا ما بهِ الأحياءُ والسَّلَفُ

Ruin befell them when they transgressed and oppressed,

Annihilation befell them when they transgressed and committed aggression

And defied what the living and the forebears uphold.

And opposed what the living practice and the ancestors

إن شِمْتَهُ بغبارِ الحربِ ملتثماً

إن شِمْتَهُ بغبارِ الحربِ ملتثماً

فسيفُه بارقٌ للخَصْم يَخْتَطِفُ

فسيفُه بارقٌ للخَصْم يَخْتَطِفُ

If you see him veiled in the dust of war,

If you smell him masked in the dust of war

Then his sword is a lightning flash, snatching the foe away.

His sword flashes to the enemy that it seizes

ويَشْهَدُ السيفُ والمُرّانُ ما فَعَلتْ

ويَشْهَدُ السيفُ والمُرّانُ ما فَعَلتْ

يَمِيْنه وكذا الأقلامُ والصُحُفُ

يَمِيْنه وكذا الأقلامُ والصُحُفُ

And the sword and ash-wood spears bear witness to the deeds

The sword and the lances testify what his right hand did

Of his right hand, as do the pens and pages.

As do the pens and the scriptures

فجودهُ قد زرى بالسُحب منحدراً

فجودهُ قد زرى بالسُحب منحدراً

والخَلْقُ في دارِه للبَذْلِ تَعْتَكِفُ

والخَلْقُ في دارِه للبَذْلِ تَعْتَكِفُ

So his bounty, pouring down, has put the clouds to shame,

His generosity has flowed with the clouds descending

And people linger in his house for largesse.

And people in his house seclude themselves for generosity

يَفْنى المديحُ وباقي الوصفِ فيه ولو

يَفْنى المديحُ وباقي الوصفِ فيه ولو

كلُّ الخلائقِ ما قالوا وما وَصَفُوا

كلُّ الخلائقِ ما قالوا وما وَصَفُوا

Praise runs out, yet more remains to describe in him, even if

Eulogies end but the description of him remains, even if

All creatures said whatever they said and described whatever they described.

All creation say and describe

واسألُ اللهَ أنْ يُبْقِيه مرتفعاً

واسألُ اللهَ أنْ يُبْقِيه مرتفعاً

تُبنى له في العُلا الأبراجُ والغُرَفُ

تُبنى له في العُلا الأبراجُ والغُرَفُ

And I ask God to keep him exalted,

And I ask Allah to keep him elevated

Towers and chambers are built for him in the heights.

For him towers and lodges are built in the sublime