أَلا هكَذا فَلْيُحْرِزِ الْحَمْدَ وَالأَجْرا

أَلا هكَذا فَلْيُحْرِزِ الْحَمْدَ وَالأَجْرا

وَيَحْوِ جَميلَ الذِّكْرِ مَنْ طَلَبَ الذِّكْرا

وَيَحْوِ جَميلَ الذِّكْرِ مَنْ طَلَبَ الذِّكْرا

Behold, thus let one win praise and reward,

Indeed, thusly should praise and reward be gained,

and let whoever seeks renown gain fair remembrance.

And the beauty of mention embraced by those who seek mention.

لَقَدْ كَرَّمَ اللهُ ابْنَ دَهْرٍ تَسُودُهُ

لَقَدْ كَرَّمَ اللهُ ابْنَ دَهْرٍ تَسُودُهُ

وَشَرَّفَ يا تاجَ الْمُلُوكِ بِكَ الدَّهْرا

وَشَرَّفَ يا تاجَ الْمُلُوكِ بِكَ الدَّهْرا

God has indeed honored a son of an age you rule,

Indeed, God has honored the son of time darkened by night,

and through you, O Crown of Kings, ennobled the age.

And ennobled, O crown of kings, through you the age.

وَمَنَّ عَلَى هذا الزَّمانِ وَأَهْلِهِ

وَمَنَّ عَلَى هذا الزَّمانِ وَأَهْلِهِ

بِأَرْوَعَ لا يَعْصِي الزَّمانُ لَهُ أَمْرا

بِأَرْوَعَ لا يَعْصِي الزَّمانُ لَهُ أَمْرا

And He bestowed His favor upon this age and its people

And He has favoured this time and its people,

in an awe-inspiring man whose commands time never disobeys.

With the most wondrous - time cannot disobey any command of his.

حُسامُ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَنْ تَكنْ

حُسامُ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَنْ تَكنْ

حُساماً لَهُ فَلْيَقْتُلِ الْخَوْفَ وَالْفَقْرا

حُساماً لَهُ فَلْيَقْتُلِ الْخَوْفَ وَالْفَقْرا

The Commander of the Faithful's sword—and whoever you serve

Sword of the Commander of the Faithful, and for anyone who has

as a sword, let him slay fear and poverty.

A sword for him, let it kill fear and poverty.

هَزَزْناكَ لَدْناً وانْتَضَيْناكَ صارِماً

هَزَزْناكَ لَدْناً وانْتَضَيْناكَ صارِماً

فَطُلْتَ الْقَنا صُمَّاً وَغُلْتَ الظُّبى بُتْرا

فَطُلْتَ الْقَنا صُمَّاً وَغُلْتَ الظُّبى بُتْرا

We brandished you, supple, and drew you keen-edged;

We have shaken you gently and drawn you sharply -

and you surpassed the solid spears and vanquished the cleaving blades.

So you severed heads and penetrated coats of mail.

حُساماً نَرى ِي صَفْحِهِ الصَّفْحَ وَالنَّدى

حُساماً نَرى ِي صَفْحِهِ الصَّفْحَ وَالنَّدى

وَفِي حَدِّهِ الْجَدَّ الْمُظَفَّرَ والنَّصْرا

وَفِي حَدِّهِ الْجَدَّ الْمُظَفَّرَ والنَّصْرا

A sword on whose flat we see pardon and generosity,

A sword whose blade we see clemency and blessing,

and on whose edge, triumphant fortune and victory.

And in its edge, triumph and victory.

وَفِي قُرْبِهِ الزُّلْفى وَفِي نَيْلِهِ الْعُلى

وَفِي قُرْبِهِ الزُّلْفى وَفِي نَيْلِهِ الْعُلى

وَفِي حُكْمِهِ الْبُقْيا وَفِي ظِلِّهِ الْيُسْرا

وَفِي حُكْمِهِ الْبُقْيا وَفِي ظِلِّهِ الْيُسْرا

And in his nearness lies favor, and in his gifts, eminence;

And in its proximity, nearness; and in its attainment, loftiness;

and in his judgment, clemency, and in his shade, ease.

And in its dominion, eternity; and in its shade, ease.

فَتىً لا يَرى إِلاّ الْمَحامِدَ مَغْنَماً

فَتىً لا يَرى إِلاّ الْمَحامِدَ مَغْنَماً

وَلا يَقْتَنِي إِلاّ الثَّناءَ لَهُ ذُخْرا

وَلا يَقْتَنِي إِلاّ الثَّناءَ لَهُ ذُخْرا

A young man who counts only praiseworthy deeds as spoils,

A young man who sees nothing but praise as booty,

and stores up only praise as his treasure,

And earns nothing but eulogy as provision for him.

وَمُقْرَبَةً جُرْداً وَزُغْفاً سَوابِغاً

وَمُقْرَبَةً جُرْداً وَزُغْفاً سَوابِغاً

وَهِنْدِيَّةً بِيضاً وَخَطِّيَّةً سُمْرا

وَهِنْدِيَّةً بِيضاً وَخَطِّيَّةً سُمْرا

and sleek, prized steeds and full-length, fine-meshed mail,

And a bridle-cloth of finely woven linen, a headstall, straps,

and white Indian swords and brown Khattian spears.

A silk saddlecloth, white, and a crimson housing.

إِذا صالَ بَأْساً قَطَّعَ الْبِيضَ وَالْقَنا

إِذا صالَ بَأْساً قَطَّعَ الْبِيضَ وَالْقَنا

وَإِنْ فاضَ جُوداً بخَّلَ الدَّيَمَ الْغُزْرا

وَإِنْ فاضَ جُوداً بخَّلَ الدَّيَمَ الْغُزْرا

When he charges in might, he shatters swords and spears;

When he fought fiercely he severed white and brown,

and when his generosity overflows, he makes the copious rains seem miserly.

And when he was generous with benevolence, he stinted flowing blood.

لَعَمْرِ لَئِنْ أَعْدَتْ أَنامِلُكَ الْحَيا

لَعَمْرِ لَئِنْ أَعْدَتْ أَنامِلُكَ الْحَيا

سَماحاً لَقَدْ أَعْدَتْ شَمائِلُكَ الْخَمْرا

سَماحاً لَقَدْ أَعْدَتْ شَمائِلُكَ الْخَمْرا

By my life, if your fingertips have infected the rain

By your life, if your fingers extend in generosity,

with generosity, your virtues have indeed infected wine.

Indeed your features have extended the wine.

وَكائِنْ مَنَحْتَ الرّاحَ مِنْ خُلْقِكَ الصَّفا

وَكائِنْ مَنَحْتَ الرّاحَ مِنْ خُلْقِكَ الصَّفا

وَأَكْسَبْتَها مِنْ نَشْرِكَ الطَّيِّبِ النَّشْرا

وَأَكْسَبْتَها مِنْ نَشْرِكَ الطَّيِّبِ النَّشْرا

And how often you have given wine your character's purity,

However much you have granted respite from your noble character

and given it fragrance from your own sweet scent,

And gained it thereby your sweet scattering of scent.

وَأَوْدَعْتَها مِنْ حَدِّ بَأْسِكَ سَورَةً

وَأَوْدَعْتَها مِنْ حَدِّ بَأْسِكَ سَورَةً

وَعَلَّمْتَها مِنْ أَرْيَحِيَّتِكَ السُّكْرا

وَعَلَّمْتَها مِنْ أَرْيَحِيَّتِكَ السُّكْرا

and instilled in it a surge of force from your might's sharp edge,

And imbued it thereby from the edge of your might an enclosure,

and taught it intoxication from your joyous generosity.

And taught it thereby from your redolence intoxication.

كَأَنَّ الثُّرَيّا تَلْثِمُ الْبَدْرَ كُلَّما

كَأَنَّ الثُّرَيّا تَلْثِمُ الْبَدْرَ كُلَّما

تَمَطَّقْتَها فِي الْكَأْسِ عانِسَةً بِكْرا

تَمَطَّقْتَها فِي الْكَأْسِ عانِسَةً بِكْرا

It is as though the Pleiades kiss the full moon whenever

As though planets swallow the moon whenever

you savor it in the cup, mature yet virgin.

You clink it in the goblet, virginal though aged.

أَبا الأَْنجُمِ الزُّهْر الأُولى لَوْ تَحَلَّتِ السَّ

أَبا الأَْنجُمِ الزُّهْر الأُولى لَوْ تَحَلَّتِ السَّ

ماءُ بِهِمْ لَمْ تَحْفِلِ الأَنْجُمَ الزُّهْرا

ماءُ بِهِمْ لَمْ تَحْفِلِ الأَنْجُمَ الزُّهْرا

O father of those radiant stars—were the sky

O father of stars, the first flowers - if the sky

adorned with them, it would disregard the radiant stars.

Were adorned with them, it would not heed the stars' blossoms.

إِذا واحدٌ مِنْهُمْ جَلَتْهُ مَخِيلَةٌ

إِذا واحدٌ مِنْهُمْ جَلَتْهُ مَخِيلَةٌ

تَبَيَّنْتَ فِي أَعْطافِهِ الْعَسْكَرَ الْمَجْرا

تَبَيَّنْتَ فِي أَعْطافِهِ الْعَسْكَرَ الْمَجْرا

When a sign of promise reveals one of them,

Whenever one of them is revealed by an imagination,

you discern in his frame a vast army.

You see in its clusters the starry host shooting.

وَكَمْ لَيْثِ غابٍ كانَ شِبلاً مُرَيَّناً

وَكَمْ لَيْثِ غابٍ كانَ شِبلاً مُرَيَّناً

وَعادِيِّ نَبْعِ قَدْ غَدا غُصُناً نَضْرا

وَعادِيِّ نَبْعِ قَدْ غَدا غُصُناً نَضْرا

And how many a forest lion was once a tender little cub,

And how many absent lions were once young cubs,

and many an age-old nabʿ tree was once a fresh green branch.

And enemies of springs have now become fresh branches!

رَجَوْتُكَ بَحْراً يُخْجِلُ الْبَحْرَ نائِلاً

رَجَوْتُكَ بَحْراً يُخْجِلُ الْبَحْرَ نائِلاً

وَزُرْتُكَ بَدْراً جَلَّ أَنْ يُشْبِهَ الْبَدْرا

وَزُرْتُكَ بَدْراً جَلَّ أَنْ يُشْبِهَ الْبَدْرا

I placed my hopes in you, a sea whose bounty shames the sea,

I hoped for you an ocean, outstripping the ocean in attainment,

and visited you, a full moon too exalted to resemble the full moon.

And visited you, a moon, too majestic to resemble the moon.

وَقَدْ خَطَبَ الأَمْلاكُ مَدْحِي فَصُنْتُهُ

وَقَدْ خَطَبَ الأَمْلاكُ مَدْحِي فَصُنْتُهُ

لأكْرَمِهِمْ نَجْراً وَأَشْرَفهِمْ قَدْرا

لأكْرَمِهِمْ نَجْراً وَأَشْرَفهِمْ قَدْرا

And the kings have wooed my praise, so I reserved it

The angels sought my praise, but I protected it

for the noblest-born among them, the loftiest in rank.

For the most generous of them in reward, and noblest in worth.

وَما كانَ لِي أَنْ لا أَزُفَّ عَرائِسِي

وَما كانَ لِي أَنْ لا أَزُفَّ عَرائِسِي

إِلَيْكَ وَقَدْ أَغْلَيْتَها دُونَهُمْ مَهْرا

إِلَيْكَ وَقَدْ أَغْلَيْتَها دُونَهُمْ مَهْرا

How could I fail to lead my brides in procession

It was not for me to refuse to deliver my brides to you

to you, when you alone have raised their dowry so high?

When you have made their bride-price beyond the others.

جَعَلْتُ لَها مِنْ مَدْحِكَ الْفاخِرِ الْحُلى

جَعَلْتُ لَها مِنْ مَدْحِكَ الْفاخِرِ الْحُلى

وَمِنْ جُودِكَ النُّعْمى وَمِنْ ظِلِّكَ الْخِدْرا

وَمِنْ جُودِكَ النُّعْمى وَمِنْ ظِلِّكَ الْخِدْرا

I fashioned their ornaments from magnificent praise of you,

I have made for them from your splendid eulogy adornments;

their bliss from your bounty, and their bridal chamber from your shade.

From your bounty, bliss; and from your shade, cover.

وَإِنْ طالَ عُمْرٌ لَمْ تُقَصِّرْ غَرائِبٌ

وَإِنْ طالَ عُمْرٌ لَمْ تُقَصِّرْ غَرائِبٌ

يَعُزُّ اللَّيالِي أَنْ تُطاوِلَها عُمْرا

يَعُزُّ اللَّيالِي أَنْ تُطاوِلَها عُمْرا

And should my life be long, wondrous verses will not be lacking,

And if a life is long, wonders will not diminish

whose lifespan the nights can scarcely rival.

That time finds hard to make its nights outlast in life.

بَدائِعُ إِنْ بَغْدادُ هامَتْ بِحُبِّها

بَدائِعُ إِنْ بَغْدادُ هامَتْ بِحُبِّها

فَفَدْ تَيَّمَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِها وَشَجَتْ مِصْرا

فَفَدْ تَيَّمَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِها وَشَجَتْ مِصْرا

Marvels—if Baghdad has gone mad with love of them,

The marvels - when Baghdad became enamoured of it,

they had already enslaved and wounded Egypt before her.

Egypt swooned for it before and Syria languished.

وَوَاللهِ لا أَغْبَبْتُ شُكْراً وَسَمْتُهُ

وَوَاللهِ لا أَغْبَبْتُ شُكْراً وَسَمْتُهُ

بِمَدْحِكَ ذا ما اسْتَوجَبَ الْمُحْسِنُ الشُّكْرا

بِمَدْحِكَ ذا ما اسْتَوجَبَ الْمُحْسِنُ الشُّكْرا

And by God, I shall never let lapse the thanks I have stamped

By God, I do not neglect gratitude and deem it

with this praise of you, as long as a benefactor deserves thanks,

Due to your praise, O worthy of gratitude.

لِيَلْبَسَ جِيدُ الْمَجْدَ مِنْ حَلْيِ مَنْطِقِي

لِيَلْبَسَ جِيدُ الْمَجْدَ مِنْ حَلْيِ مَنْطِقِي

قَلائِدَ دُرٍّ تَزْدَرِي عِنْدَهُ الدُّرّا

قَلائِدَ دُرٍّ تَزْدَرِي عِنْدَهُ الدُّرّا

so that Glory's neck may wear, from the ornaments of my speech,

So the neck of glory dons thereby

necklaces of pearls beside which you scorn pearls.

Necklaces of pearl disdaining thereby pearls.

إِذا قُلْتُ فِي تاجِ الْمُلُكِ قَصِيدَةً

إِذا قُلْتُ فِي تاجِ الْمُلُكِ قَصِيدَةً

مِنَ الشِّعْرِ قالُوا قَدْ مَدَحْتَ بِهِ الشِّعْرا

مِنَ الشِّعْرِ قالُوا قَدْ مَدَحْتَ بِهِ الشِّعْرا

When I compose a poem about the Crown of Sovereignty,

Whenever I say in the crown of kingship a poem,

they say, 'With that verse, you have praised poetry itself.'

Of poetry, they say you have eulogized poetry thereby.