أعزّmightiest ملوكناour kings عبدAbd (servant of) العزيزal-Aziz (the Almighty)
أعزّ ملوكنا عبد العزيز
أذلhumbled عداهhis enemies بالأسلwith spears العزيزmighty
أذل عداه بالأسل العزيز
The mightiest of our kings is Abd al-Aziz;
Our most glorious king Abdel Aziz
He humbled his foes with mighty spears.
Humiliated his enemies with mighty chains
أياO ملكاking تجاوزsurpassed كلevery ملكking
أيا ملكا تجاوز كل ملك
فمنfor among ملكa king يجيزgrants rewards ومستجيزand one seeking rewards
فمن ملك يجيز ومستجيز
O king who has surpassed every king,
O king who surpassed all kings
Whether a king who grants rewards or one who seeks them.
So who is the king who authorizes and is authorized
إذاwhen جمعتgather أكفهمُtheir palms كنوزاtreasures
إذا جمعت أكفهمُ كنوزا
فمنthen from كفيهhis two palms تفريقthe scattering of الكنوزthe treasures
فمن كفيه تفريق الكنوز
When their hands gather treasures,
If their palms were filled with treasures
Then from his two hands comes the scattering of treasures.
Then whose palms scatter the treasures
دعوتI prayed لهfor him بعينunder the eye of اللَهGod يبقىhe remain safe
دعوت له بعين اللَه يبقى
منfrom العينthe evil eye المصيبةharm-inflicting بالحروزthrough protective charms
من العين المصيبة بالحروز
I prayed that, under God's eye, he remain safe
I prayed for him to remain by God's eye
From the harmful eye through protective charms.
From the eye safeguarded with fortresses
قصرتُI reserved علىfor علاهhis eminence وجيزbrief شعرverse
قصرتُ على علاه وجيز شعر
وحسنand the beauty of الشعرpoetry بالكلمin words الوجيزconcise
وحسن الشعر بالكلم الوجيز
I reserved my brief verse for his lofty eminence;
I briefly eulogized his supreme glory
And poetry's beauty lies in concise words.
And poetry is improved by concise words
أصرحI speak plainly بالمديحin praise لهof him وأثنيand I extol
أصرح بالمديح له وأثني
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle النكسthe ignoble man الغزspeaks in riddles بالرموزthrough symbols
إذا ما النكس الغز بالرموز
I speak plainly in his praise and extol him,
I openly praise him and applaud
While the ignoble man speaks in riddles through symbols.
When the intricate hints with symbols
فياso, O بحرsea العروضof prosody جرىflowed طويلاat length
فيا بحر العروض جرى طويلا
بظهرover the back of البرthe land يرشحseeps بالنزيزwith trickling water
بظهر البر يرشح بالنزيز
So, O sea of prosody, which has long flowed
So oh sea of prosody it flowed long
Over the land's back, seeping in trickles,
With the mainland sprinkling with dripping
ابنmake clear ليto me فيin القريضpoetry ضروبkinds طرزٍof styles
ابن لي في القريض ضروب طرزٍ
فإنكfor indeed you فيهin it أعرفmost knowledgeable بالطروزabout the styles
فإنك فيه أعرف بالطروز
Explain to me the various styles in poetry,
Compose for me in amorous verse wonderful textures
For you know its styles best.
For you are most knowledgeable of embroidery
فكمfor how many لكyou possess بالبديعin rhetorical art خفيhidden معنىًa meaning
فكم لك بالبديع خفي معنىً
غنيٌّhaving no need فيكin you عنfor جهةthe aspect of البروزoutward display
غنيٌّ فيك عن جهة البروز
For how many a hidden meaning is yours in rhetorical art,
So how much hidden meaning is there for you in rhetorical devices
Needing, within you, no outward display!
Wealthy within you without needing to appear
وياand O نجداًvaliant one بهthrough whom نجدNajd استقامتstood upright
ويا نجداً به نجد استقامت
مشرعةraising high العمادthe pillars علىupon النشوزthe heights
مشرعة العماد على النشوز
And O valiant one, through whom Najd stood upright,
And oh Najd through him correct guidance is achieved
Its pillars raised upon the heights,
With pillars erected on defiance
رساstood firm جبلاas a mountain علىupon الجبلthe mountain المساميtowering
رسا جبلا على الجبل المسامي
ثبيراThabir لاnot يزلزلshaken بالهزيزby tremors
ثبيرا لا يزلزل بالهزيز
Standing firm as a mountain upon the towering mountain—
Settling a mountain upon the lofty mountain
A Thabir, unshaken by tremors.
Steady without shaking or tremoring
أبىrefused السيفthe sword الصنيعwell-wrought سوىanything but قراعٍclashing
أبى السيف الصنيع سوى قراعٍ
بكفكin your palm والقناةand the lance سوىanything but الغموزthrusts
بكفك والقناة سوى الغموز
The well-wrought sword refused anything but clashing
The sword refused any scabbard but your grip and the scabbard any sheath but your grasp
In your hand, and the lance anything but thrusts.
The sword screams at the skulls foolishly
يصيحcries out السيفthe sword بالهاماتat heads هبراwith cleaving blows
يصيح السيف بالهامات هبرا
وسيفand the sword سواكof someone other than you لجلجstammers بالحزوزwith shallow cuts
وسيف سواك لجلج بالحزوز
The sword cries out among heads, cleaving them,
And no sword but yours clashes with ringing
And another's sword stammers with mere nicks.
The lances nearly fell upon the horsemen before the assault
تكادnearly القضبthe blades قبلbefore السلbeing drawn ترديslay الthe
تكاد القضب قبل السل تردي ال
فوارسhorsemen والقناand the spears قبلbefore الركوزbeing planted
فوارس والقنا قبل الركوز
Before being drawn, the blades nearly slay the
And the spears upon the charging warriors
horsemen—and the spears do so before being planted.
And no smooth swords but the clash of swords
وماand no السوىother than الصوارمthe keen swords منany صليلٍringing
وما السوى الصوارم من صليلٍ
ولاand no لسوىfor anything but الأسنةthe spearheads منany رزيزrattling
ولا لسوى الأسنة من رزيز
And no ringing comes from anything but the keen swords,
Nor for smooth tongues but murmuring
Nor any rattle from anything but spearheads.
I yearn for you not for the recreation of Najd
أحنُّI yearn إليكfor you لاnot لتلاعfor the ravines of نجدٍNajd
أحنُّ إليك لا لتلاع نجدٍ
حنينwith the yearning of العودthe old camel للوطنfor the homeland المحيزsheltering
حنين العود للوطن المحيز
I yearn for you, not for the ravines of Najd,
But a yearning of nostalgia for the precious homeland
As an old camel yearns for its sheltering homeland.
After you it was difficult for me in the resting places
لعزindeed was hard عليَّon me بعدكyour absence فيin محانيthe winding folds of
لعز عليَّ بعدك في محاني
ربىthe hills of نجدٍNajd وبعدكand your absence بالعزيزis grievous
ربى نجدٍ وبعدك بالعزيز
Indeed, your absence has been hard on me amid the winding folds
Of Najd's dwellings and after you at the precious place
Of Najd's hills; separation from you is grievous.
Partial English translation: 33 of 34 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1