ودائعُ أسرارٍ طوَتها السرائرُ

ودائعُ أسرارٍ طوَتها السرائرُ

وباحَت بمكتُوماتِهنَ النواظِرُ

وباحَت بمكتُوماتِهنَ النواظِرُ

Deposits of secrets, folded away by inmost hearts,

Secrets deposited, veiled by mysteries,

and eyes divulged their hidden secrets.

Uncovered by gazes that peered beneath the veil.

ملكتَ بها طي الضميرِ وتحتَه

ملكتَ بها طي الضميرِ وتحتَه

شَبَا لوعةٍ غضَبُ الغِرارينِ باتِرُ

شَبَا لوعةٍ غضَبُ الغِرارينِ باتِرُ

You possessed through them the heart's hidden folds; beneath it

You held sway over the heart's cover, and beneath it

lay anguish's keen blade, double-edged and severing.

There boiled a rage that stirred up hot coals.

فأعجَم عنها ناطقٌ وهو معرِبٌ

فأعجَم عنها ناطقٌ وهو معرِبٌ

وأعربت العجم الجفونُ العَواطرُ

وأعربت العجم الجفونُ العَواطرُ

So a speaker fell mute about them, though eloquent,

So one who speaks it is rendered speechless,

and mute, fragrant eyelids spoke plainly.

And one who translates it, his eyes are tearful.

ألم تغذني السَراءُ في ريقِ الهوى

ألم تغذني السَراءُ في ريقِ الهوى

غريراً بما تجني عليَ الدوائرَ

غريراً بما تجني عليَ الدوائرَ

Did not good fortune nurture me in love's first bloom,

Did success not feed me the saliva of love's intoxication

unsuspecting of what fate's reversals would inflict upon me?

Deceitfully, with what events make transpire?

تُسالمني الأيامُ في عُنفوانهِ

تُسالمني الأيامُ في عُنفوانهِ

ويكلؤني طرفٌ من الدهرِ ناظرُ

ويكلؤني طرفٌ من الدهرِ ناظرُ

The days make peace with me in its prime,

The days bid me goodbye in my prime

and a watchful eye of time guards me.

While a glance of fate watches me fade.

إلى الحَسَنِ الباني العُلا يَمَّمت بنا

إلى الحَسَنِ الباني العُلا يَمَّمت بنا

عَوالي المُنى حيثُ الحَيَا المتظاهرُ

عَوالي المُنى حيثُ الحَيَا المتظاهرُ

Toward al-Hasan, builder of lofty glory, we were guided

I set out to build high hopes

by lofty hopes, where rain falls thick and fast.

Where wishes culminate and hopes still cling.

إلى الأملِ المبسُوطِ والأجَلِ الذي

إلى الأملِ المبسُوطِ والأجَلِ الذي

بأعدائه تكبُو الجدُودُ العواثِرُ

بأعدائه تكبُو الجدُودُ العواثِرُ

Toward hope spread wide, and the doom whose

To far-reaching hopes and a lifetime

enemies are brought low by stumbling fortunes.

That stumbles enemies and trips up foes.

ومَن أنبعت عينَ المكارمِ كفُّه

ومَن أنبعت عينَ المكارمِ كفُّه

يقومُ مَقامَ القَطرِ والروضُ داثِرُ

يقومُ مَقامَ القَطرِ والروضُ داثِرُ

And him whose hand made the fountain of noble deeds flow,

One whose eye of generosity overflows, his palm

who takes the place of rain when the garden lies waste.

Takes the place of rain in a barren land.

تَعَصَّبَ تاجَ الملكِ في عُنفُوانهِ

تَعَصَّبَ تاجَ الملكِ في عُنفُوانهِ

وأطت به عَصرَ الشبابِ المنابرُ

وأطت به عَصرَ الشبابِ المنابرُ

He bound the crown of kingship upon his head in his prime,

Zeal for your crown of kingship in its prime

and pulpits creaked beneath him in the days of youth.

Has been bound by the wraps of youth.

تُعَظِمُه الأوهامُ قبلَ عِيانهِ

تُعَظِمُه الأوهامُ قبلَ عِيانهِ

ويَصدُر عنه الطَرفُ والطرفُ حاسِرُ

ويَصدُر عنه الطَرفُ والطرفُ حاسِرُ

Imaginings exalt him before he is seen,

Thoughts esteem you before the eyes can behold you

and the eye withdraws from him, the eye exhausted.

And when you come into view, eyes are dazzled.

به تُجتَدَى النُعمى وتُستَدرَكُ المُنى

به تُجتَدَى النُعمى وتُستَدرَكُ المُنى

وتُستكمَلُ الحُسنى وتُرعى الأَواصِرُ

وتُستكمَلُ الحُسنى وتُرعى الأَواصِرُ

Through him bounty is sought and hopes are attained,

By you, hopes are kindled and wishes fulfilled,

and goodness is perfected and bonds are cherished.

Blessings made complete and ties kept strong.

أَصاتَ بنا داعي نَوالكَ مُؤذناً

أَصاتَ بنا داعي نَوالكَ مُؤذناً

بجودكَ إلا أنه لا يُحَاوِرُ

بجودكَ إلا أنه لا يُحَاوِرُ

The herald of your bounty called aloud to us, announcing

A caller to your generosity proclaimed to us,

your generosity, though he gives no reply.

Though he engages not in conversation.

قَسَمَت صُروفَ الدهرِ بأسَاً ونائلاً

قَسَمَت صُروفَ الدهرِ بأسَاً ونائلاً

فمالُكَ مُوتُورٌ وسيفكَ واتِرُ

فمالُكَ مُوتُورٌ وسيفكَ واتِرُ

You divided time's vicissitudes between valor and bounty:

The turns of fate have apportioned woe and joy -

so your wealth suffers loss, and your sword inflicts it.

So your sword is sheathed and steed slowed.

ولما رأى اللهُ الحلافة قد وَهَت

ولما رأى اللهُ الحلافة قد وَهَت

دعائمُها واللهُ بالأمر خابِرُ

دعائمُها واللهُ بالأمر خابِرُ

And when God saw that the caliphate had grown weak

When God saw the caliphate fallen into disarray

in its pillars—and God knows the matter well—

And its pillars in ruin, God all-aware,

بَنَى بكَ أركاناً عليكَ محيطةً

بَنَى بكَ أركاناً عليكَ محيطةً

فأنتَ لها دونَ الحوادِثِ ساتِرُ

فأنتَ لها دونَ الحوادِثِ ساتِرُ

He built through you pillars encircling you,

He established you as pillars surrounding it

so you are its shield against calamities.

So you shielded it from misfortunes and harm.

وأرعنَ فيهِ للسوابغ جُنَّةٌ

وأرعنَ فيهِ للسوابغ جُنَّةٌ

وسَقفَ سَماءٍ أنشأتهُ الحَوافرُ

وسَقفَ سَماءٍ أنشأتهُ الحَوافرُ

And a towering host has shelter for full coats of mail,

He pitched for it a canopy of sublime heavens

and a roof of sky that the hooves have raised.

Raised up by the pacing of steeds.

لها فَلَكٌ فيه الاسِنَةُ أنجمٌ

لها فَلَكٌ فيه الاسِنَةُ أنجمٌ

ونقعُ المنايا مستيطرٌ وثائرُ

ونقعُ المنايا مستيطرٌ وثائرُ

It has a heavenly sphere where spearheads are stars,

Within it spheres, as stars,

and death's dust spreads everywhere and rises.

And the fall of foes exerting control and defiant.

أجزتَ قَضاءَ الموتِ في مُهجِ العِدا

أجزتَ قَضاءَ الموتِ في مُهجِ العِدا

ضُحىً فاستباحَتها المَنايا الغَوادرُ

ضُحىً فاستباحَتها المَنايا الغَوادرُ

You sanctioned death's decree upon the lifeblood of the foes

You fulfilled the decree of death in the heart of the foe

at midmorning, so treacherous deaths ravaged them.

At daybreak, so the rash deaths had free reign.

لك اللحظاتُ الكالِئاتُ قَواصِداً

لك اللحظاتُ الكالِئاتُ قَواصِداً

بِنُعمى وبالبأسَاء وهو شَوازِرُ

بِنُعمى وبالبأسَاء وهو شَوازِرُ

Yours are guarding glances, looking straight

For you are moments of eternity, lying in wait

with bounty, and with hardship when cast askance.

With blessings or trials, and awaiting orders.

ولو لم تَكُن إلا بنفسِكَ فاخِراً

ولو لم تَكُن إلا بنفسِكَ فاخِراً

لما انتَسَبَت إلا اليك المَفاخِرُ

لما انتَسَبَت إلا اليك المَفاخِرُ

And even if you took pride in yourself alone,

Had you but prided yourself,

glories would trace their lineage to you alone.

None would claim glory except you.