كذا فليكن سعى الملوك إلى المجد

كذا فليكن سعى الملوك إلى المجد

فما ساد من لم يكسب الجد بالجد

فما ساد من لم يكسب الجد بالجد

Thus let kings strive toward glory;

Thus should kings strive toward glory.

for none has attained mastery who did not win distinction through earnest striving.

For none rose to eminence without winning fortune through earnest effort.

وهل حركات مثلها تجبر الورى

وهل حركات مثلها تجبر الورى

لما في محياك الكريم من السعد

لما في محياك الكريم من السعد

Can deeds such as these restore all mankind,

And do deeds like these bring solace to mankind

except through the felicity shining in your noble countenance?

through the good fortune in your noble countenance?

نهضت وقد طال انتظار وسوفت

نهضت وقد طال انتظار وسوفت

فتوح بأسعاف وماطلن في الوعد

فتوح بأسعاف وماطلن في الوعد

You arose after the waiting—and the promises of “soon”—had dragged on;

You rose when the wait had grown long and victories had deferred

conquests came with aid, though they had dallied over their promise.

their aid, and kept delaying the fulfillment of their promise.

فجردت عزما كالقضاء إذا مضى

فجردت عزما كالقضاء إذا مضى

وقلت كذا ميلوا عن الأسد الورد

وقلت كذا ميلوا عن الأسد الورد

Then you unsheathed a resolve like destiny when it is ordained,

Then you unsheathed a resolve like fate when it takes its course,

and said, “Now clear the way before the tawny lions!”

and said, “Thus—make way for the tawny lion!”

فلو وكلت حاجاتها الأسد في الشرى

فلو وكلت حاجاتها الأسد في الشرى

إلى غيرها ما غمضت همم الأسد

إلى غيرها ما غمضت همم الأسد

Had the lions in the thicket entrusted their needs

For if the lions in the thickets entrusted their needs

to others, the lions’ lofty ambitions would never have slept.

to others, the lions’ ambitions would not be obscure.

ولما اعتلقت الرمح احجم مقدم

ولما اعتلقت الرمح احجم مقدم

وأيقن أن الأمر آل إلى الجد

وأيقن أن الأمر آل إلى الجد

When you firmly grasped the spear, the bold champion recoiled,

And when you grasped the spear, an advancing warrior drew back,

certain that the matter had turned to deadly earnest.

and knew for certain that the affair had turned serious.

وإن مواضيك الرقاق طوالع

وإن مواضيك الرقاق طوالع

عليه إلى مثواه للأجل المردى

عليه إلى مثواه للأجل المردى

Your slender, keen-edged swords are stars rising

And indeed your keen, slender blades were advancing

against him, toward his resting place, at the death-dealing appointed hour.

against him, toward his dwelling, bearing fatal doom.

وما جهلوا قدما سطاك وأخذها

وما جهلوا قدما سطاك وأخذها

وإنك للخشيتي في القرب والبعد

وإنك للخشيتي في القرب والبعد

Long had they known your assault and its crushing grip,

They had long known your might and its grip,

and that you are indeed feared both near and far.

and you are surely feared, near and far.

ولكن ذباب السيف أعظم هيبة

ولكن ذباب السيف أعظم هيبة

إذا كان مسلولا من السيف في الغمد

إذا كان مسلولا من السيف في الغمد

Yet the sword’s point inspires far greater terror

Yet a sword’s edge inspires greater awe

when drawn than does the sword within its sheath.

when drawn than does a sword inside its sheath.

خرجت أما الجيش والنصر مقبل

خرجت أما الجيش والنصر مقبل

وحولك أسد يطعم الموت كالشهد

وحولك أسد يطعم الموت كالشهد

You rode forth at the army’s head, with victory advancing,

You marched at the army’s head, with victory approaching,

while lions around you tasted death as though it were honey—

and around you were lions who tasted death like honey.

جبال حديد لو صدمت بصدرها

جبال حديد لو صدمت بصدرها

جبال شرور الشم أصبحن كالوهد

جبال شرور الشم أصبحن كالوهد

mountains of iron which, were they to charge breast-first against

Mountains of iron—if with their breasts you struck

the lofty mountains of Sharūr, would turn them into lowlands.

Sharūr’s lofty mountains, they would become like lowlands.

وقد خفقت راياتك اليض فوقها

وقد خفقت راياتك اليض فوقها

خفوق قلوب هن منها على وعد

خفوق قلوب هن منها على وعد

Above them your white banners were already streaming,

And your white banners fluttered above them,

fluttering like hearts expectant of what they had been promised.

like hearts beating as they awaited the banners’ promise.

وكادت تميد الأرض منها بفيلق

وكادت تميد الأرض منها بفيلق

يشد على الريح الطريق إلى القصد

يشد على الريح الطريق إلى القصد

The earth nearly reeled beneath them—beneath a vast battle-host

And the earth nearly swayed beneath their great host,

that barred even the wind’s road to its destination.

which barred the wind’s path toward its goal.

فما شك مذ يممت مثواه أنه

فما شك مذ يممت مثواه أنه

فريسة أطراف المثقفة الملد

فريسة أطراف المثقفة الملد

From the moment you turned toward his dwelling, he never doubted

So from the moment you made for his dwelling, he never doubted he was

that he was prey to the tips of straight, supple spears.

prey to the points of the straightened, supple spears.

وضاقت عليه الأرض ذرعا بوسعها

وضاقت عليه الأرض ذرعا بوسعها

وحامت عليه بالردى قصب الهند

وحامت عليه بالردى قصب الهند

For all its breadth, the earth closed unbearably around him,

And the earth, for all its breadth, left him no room,

as Indian blades bearing death encircled him.

and India’s reeds circled over him, bearing death.

ومكن من قطر وشم شوامخ

ومكن من قطر وشم شوامخ

تطاها كما يطا الفتى شمل البرد

تطاها كما يطا الفتى شمل البرد

Though he was entrenched in a land marked by towering peaks,

And mastery was granted over a region and lofty, towering peaks,

you trod it as a young man treads the folds of a mantle.

which you tread as a young man treads a threadbare cloak.

فأوسعته فضلا وعفوا ومنة

فأوسعته فضلا وعفوا ومنة

وإنك أهل الفضل والمن والحمد

وإنك أهل الفضل والمن والحمد

Then you lavished upon him grace, pardon, and favor;

Then you lavished on him bounty, pardon, and favor,

for you are the lord of grace, beneficence, and praise.

and you are indeed a man of generosity, beneficence, and praise.

إذا ملك الحر امرءا كان مذنبا

إذا ملك الحر امرءا كان مذنبا

فقدرته تنسى وتذهب بالحقد

فقدرته تنسى وتذهب بالحقد

When a noble man gains mastery over one who has sinned,

When a noble man gains power over a man who has offended,

his power makes him forget and carries rancor away.

his power makes him forget and dispels rancor.

فقد كنت بالإِعراض عنهم عززتهم

فقد كنت بالإِعراض عنهم عززتهم

وما ينبغي رفع العصا عن قفا العبد

وما ينبغي رفع العصا عن قفا العبد

By turning away from them, you had emboldened them;

For by turning away from them you had strengthened them,

the rod should never be lifted from a slave’s nape.

and the rod should not be lifted from a slave’s nape.

بنفسي أبا العباس أفدى ولم اجد

بنفسي أبا العباس أفدى ولم اجد

بنفسي إلا وهي أكرم ما عندي

بنفسي إلا وهي أكرم ما عندي

With my own soul, Abu al-Abbas, I ransom you—and I have found nothing

With my life I ransom Abū al-ʿAbbās, and I did not give

in that soul but the dearest thing I possess.

my life save as the dearest thing I possess.

وأحمد هذا للورى مثل أحمد

وأحمد هذا للورى مثل أحمد

صوارمه تهدى الغواة إلى الرشد

صوارمه تهدى الغواة إلى الرشد

This Ahmad among mankind is like Ahmad, the Prophet;

And this Aḥmad is to mankind like Aḥmad:

his swords guide the wayward to the path of right guidance.

his sharp swords guide the erring to right conduct.

هو الناصر الدين الحنيف بسيفه

هو الناصر الدين الحنيف بسيفه

ومحيى نداً قد كان في ظلم اللحد

ومحيى نداً قد كان في ظلم اللحد

He is the champion of the true faith with his sword,

He champions the upright faith with his sword,

and the reviver of generosity that had lain in the darkness of the grave.

and revives generosity that had lain in the darkness of the grave.

له الحسد الزاكي له الملك والعلا

له الحسد الزاكي له الملك والعلا

خليفة رب العرش في الحل والعقد

خليفة رب العرش في الحل والعقد

His is pure nobility; his are kingship and exalted glory—

His is flourishing envy; his are kingship and eminence,

the vicegerent of the Lord of the Throne in loosing and binding.

vicegerent of the Lord of the Throne in loosening and binding.

تهن سيوفا ما تجف من الدما

تهن سيوفا ما تجف من الدما

وتزجر خيلا ما تعرى عن اللبد

وتزجر خيلا ما تعرى عن اللبد

May you long prosper with swords that never dry of blood,

May you enjoy swords that never dry of blood,

and urge on steeds never stripped of their saddlecloths.

and spur on horses never stripped of their saddle-felts.

يجور على اعدائه حكم سيفه

يجور على اعدائه حكم سيفه

وما جار حكماً في البرايا عن القصد

وما جار حكماً في البرايا عن القصد

The judgment of his sword bears harshly upon his enemies,

His sword’s judgment wrongs his enemies,

yet in judging creation he never swerves from justice.

yet he has never strayed from fairness in judging mankind.

له كل يوم مفخر يستجده

له كل يوم مفخر يستجده

ولا يبتغى الا مجاوزة الحد

ولا يبتغى الا مجاوزة الحد

Each day brings him a fresh glory to renew,

Each day he wins a fresh cause for pride,

and he seeks nothing but to pass beyond every bound.

and seeks nothing but to surpass the limit.

إذا هو أبدا اليوم فضلا فثق بأن

إذا هو أبدا اليوم فضلا فثق بأن

يعيد غدا منه باضعاف ما يبدى

يعيد غدا منه باضعاف ما يبدى

Whenever today he displays some excellence, be certain

If today he displays generosity, be certain that

that tomorrow he will repeat it many times over.

tomorrow he will give it again, many times what he gives today.