مِن كلّ رَقْراق الفِرَنْد كأنَّه

مِن كلّ رَقْراق الفِرَنْد كأنَّه

نِهْيٌ إذا ما الغمدُ عنهُ جُرِّدا

نِهْيٌ إذا ما الغمدُ عنهُ جُرِّدا

Of every blade with a rippling sheen, as though it were

From every clinking of the blades as if it were

a pool when its sheath is stripped from it.

A prohibition when unsheathed and bared

وَمُثَقَّفٍ ذَلِقِ السِّنانِ تَخَالُه

وَمُثَقَّفٍ ذَلِقِ السِّنانِ تَخَالُه

في السّرْدِ يَخْرُقُ جَانِبيهِ مُسرِّدا

في السّرْدِ يَخْرُقُ جَانِبيهِ مُسرِّدا

And a straightened, keen-pointed spear, which you imagine

And a cultivated one, smooth of edge, its imagination

in the mail, piercing both its sides like a stitcher.

Rips through both flanks when unrolled

قَسَمَ الجَبَابِرَةَ الذينَ تَمَرّدوا

قَسَمَ الجَبَابِرَةَ الذينَ تَمَرّدوا

وتَسنَّمُوا صَرْحَ الشقاق مُمَرَّدا

وتَسنَّمُوا صَرْحَ الشقاق مُمَرَّدا

He split asunder the tyrants who rebelled

It divided the tyrants who rebelled

and scaled the smoothly finished palace of discord.

And assumed control of the citadel of strife in rebellion

أين ابْنُ غَانِيَةٍ وأيْنَ غَنَاؤُه

أين ابْنُ غَانِيَةٍ وأيْنَ غَنَاؤُه

لا مُلحِدٌ إلا وأصْبَحَ مُلْحَدا

لا مُلحِدٌ إلا وأصْبَحَ مُلْحَدا

Where is Ibn Ghāniya, and where is his prowess?

Where is the son of Ghania and where is his singing

No heretic but has ended up entombed.

There is no atheist left except made atheistic

وحَكت أَجَادِلُ زُغبة زُغْبَ القَطا

وحَكت أَجَادِلُ زُغبة زُغْبَ القَطا

وَغَدَتْ رياحُ بني رياحٍ رُكَّدا

وَغَدَتْ رياحُ بني رياحٍ رُكَّدا

And Zughba's falcons resembled downy sandgrouse chicks,

And the dialogues of Zughba of Zughb narrated

and the winds of Banū Riyāḥ fell still.

And the winds of the sons of winds grew still

زُهْرٌ مَناقِبُهُ أبَتْ عَلْيَاهُ أن

زُهْرٌ مَناقِبُهُ أبَتْ عَلْيَاهُ أن

تَلْقَاه إلا واعداً أوْ مُوعِدا

تَلْقَاه إلا واعداً أوْ مُوعِدا

Radiant are his merits; his loftiness will not allow

A blossom whose virtues refused to meet him

you to meet him except when he promises or threatens.

Except promising or promised

لَمْ أرْضَ إلا بالنجومِ مَنَازِلاً

لَمْ أرْضَ إلا بالنجومِ مَنَازِلاً

لَمّا حَدا بِيَ للسّعَادَة مَا حَدا

لَمّا حَدا بِيَ للسّعَادَة مَا حَدا

I was content with no dwellings but the stars,

I was not pleased except with the stars as dwellings

when what spurred me spurred me toward good fortune.

When the happiness that reached me reached

إني رَحَلْتُ إليهِ في طَلَبِ العُلى

إني رَحَلْتُ إليهِ في طَلَبِ العُلى

لأكونَ عَبْداً في ذرَاه سَيِّدا

لأكونَ عَبْداً في ذرَاه سَيِّدا

Indeed, I journeyed to him in pursuit of high honor,

I traveled to Him seeking the most high

to be a slave under his protection, yet a lord.

That I may be in His sight a slave, a lord

وَرَوَيْتُ كُلّ غريبَةٍ بسنادِهِ

وَرَوَيْتُ كُلّ غريبَةٍ بسنادِهِ

فَاسْمَعْ أحدّثْك الصحِيحَ المُسْندا

فَاسْمَعْ أحدّثْك الصحِيحَ المُسْندا

And I related every rare tale with his support;

And I transmitted every strange narrative with its links

so listen: I shall tell you the authentic, fully attested account.

So listen as I relate to you the sound and supported

مِلْءَ المُرْادِ نَضارةً وعُذوبةً

مِلْءَ المُرْادِ نَضارةً وعُذوبةً

يَجِدُ المُرادَ عُفاتُهُ والمَوْرِدا

يَجِدُ المُرادَ عُفاتُهُ والمَوْرِدا

To the full measure of desire, in freshness and sweetness,

The fullness of purpose, vitality and sweetness

his seekers of bounty find their wish and a watering place.

The seekers of purpose find its chastity and watering place

بُشْرَايَ لِلإحْضارِ بالدّارِ التي

بُشْرَايَ لِلإحْضارِ بالدّارِ التي

دارَتْ بعِزة أمْرِها حتّى الرّدى

دارَتْ بعِزة أمْرِها حتّى الرّدى

What joy for me to be summoned to the house that

My good tidings for hosting in the abode which

has encircled even death through the might of its command.

Spun with the glory of its command to eternity

هيَ غايَةُ الشّرف التي ما بَعْدَها

هيَ غايَةُ الشّرف التي ما بَعْدَها

أمَدٌ فَيَصْمِدُهُ الرّجاءُ ولا مَدى

أمَدٌ فَيَصْمِدُهُ الرّجاءُ ولا مَدى

It is honor's utmost height, beyond which there is

It is the epitome beyond which there is no

no goal for hope to seek, nor any farther reach.

Period so that hope can brace itself without end

يا واحِداً إِحْسانُهُ مُتَعَدِّدٌ

يا واحِداً إِحْسانُهُ مُتَعَدِّدٌ

دُمْ للرّعايا في المُلوكِ الأوْحَدا

دُمْ للرّعايا في المُلوكِ الأوْحَدا

O peerless one, whose kindness is manifold,

O One whose benevolence is manifold

remain, for your subjects, the peerless one among kings.

Stay for the subjects, unique among kings

وَصل المآدِبَ والمَواهِبَ راشِداً

وَصل المآدِبَ والمَواهِبَ راشِداً

فيما تعُمُّ بِه لُهاك ومُرْشِدا

فيما تعُمُّ بِه لُهاك ومُرْشِدا

And continue the banquets and gifts, rightly guided

And connect the glories and gifts rightly guided

in all that your bounties encompass, and guiding others.

In what you encompass, misguided and guided

واعْهدْ إلى أبنائِك الصِّيد الألَى

واعْهدْ إلى أبنائِك الصِّيد الألَى

طالوا سَناء حينَ طابوا مَوْلِدا

طالوا سَناء حينَ طابوا مَوْلِدا

And entrust authority to your proud sons, who

And entrust to your noble sons the sublime hunt

rose high in splendor as they were noble in birth.

They lengthened glory when their birth was auspicious

هذِي بِجايَةُ قَد سَدَدت ثُغورَها

هذِي بِجايَةُ قَد سَدَدت ثُغورَها

بِمُبَارَكٍ يُمْضي الأمور مُسِدّدا

بِمُبَارَكٍ يُمْضي الأمور مُسِدّدا

Here is Bijāya: you have secured its frontiers

This Algiers has secured its borders

with a blessed one who carries affairs through aright.

With Mubarak, executing matters effectively

كالغَيْثِ كَفّاً إن حَبا كالليثِ قَلْ

كالغَيْثِ كَفّاً إن حَبا كالليثِ قَلْ

باً إِن حَمَى كالبدْرِ وَجْهاً إن بَدا

باً إِن حَمَى كالبدْرِ وَجْهاً إن بَدا

Like rain in hand when he gives, like a lion in

Like rain a palm if it rains, like a lion a heart if it protects

heart when he defends, like the full moon in face when he appears.

Like the full moon a face if it appears

فَابْلُغْ بإخْوَتِه المَبَالِغَ مُنْجِباً

فَابْلُغْ بإخْوَتِه المَبَالِغَ مُنْجِباً

بِهِمُ وللمُلكِ المواطنَ مُنْجِدا

بِهِمُ وللمُلكِ المواطنَ مُنْجِدا

So bring his brothers to the highest ranks, blessed with worthy sons

So convey to his brothers the hyperboles

in them, and bringing aid to the kingdom's lands.

Through them, and for the kingdom the pillars

وَاخصص مُحمّداً الأميرَ بِإِمْرَةٍ

وَاخصص مُحمّداً الأميرَ بِإِمْرَةٍ

يَرْقى بها فوْقَ الكَواكبِ مُصْعِدا

يَرْقى بها فوْقَ الكَواكبِ مُصْعِدا

And single out Prince Muḥammad for a command

And specify Muhammad the Prince with a princedom

by which he rises, ascending above the stars.

Through which he ascends above the stars an elevator

هُو زانَ إِخوَتَه وَهم زانوا الهُدى

هُو زانَ إِخوَتَه وَهم زانوا الهُدى

فكأنه بَيْتُ القَصيدِ مُجَوَّدا

فكأنه بَيْتُ القَصيدِ مُجَوَّدا

He adorned his brothers, and they adorned right guidance;

He adorned his brothers and they adorned guidance

so he is like the choicest verse of an ode, finely wrought.

As if he were the refrain of the ode, refined

وُسْطى قِلادَتِهمْ وزهرةُ رَوْضِهم

وُسْطى قِلادَتِهمْ وزهرةُ رَوْضِهم

وأحَقُّ منْ حُبِي الجَسيم وقُلِّدا

وأحَقُّ منْ حُبِي الجَسيم وقُلِّدا

The central jewel of their necklace, and the flower of their garden,

The center of their necklace, and flower of their meadow

and the worthiest of those granted great honor and invested with it.

And most deserving of my immense love and adornment

واعْقدْ لِمَولايَ الأميرِ مُحَمّد

واعْقدْ لِمَولايَ الأميرِ مُحَمّد

عَهْداً به تُرضِي النّبِيَّ مُحَمّدا

عَهْداً به تُرضِي النّبِيَّ مُحَمّدا

And seal for my lord, Prince Muḥammad,

And appoint for my Prince Muhammad

a covenant by which you please the Prophet Muḥammad.

A pact through which the Prophet Muhammad is pleased

واخْلُد فَمَسؤُولُ الزّمانِ وأهلِهِ

واخْلُد فَمَسؤُولُ الزّمانِ وأهلِهِ

سِرّاً وجَهْراً أن تَدُوم وتَخْلُدا

سِرّاً وجَهْراً أن تَدُوم وتَخْلُدا

And live forever, for the plea of Time and its people,

And immortalize the one responsible for the times and its people

in secret and openly, is that you endure and live forever.

Secretly and openly, to last and immortalize