أي عقد حوى الرؤوس نظامه

أي عقد حوى الرؤوس نظامه

أي أفق سقى النفوس غمامه

أي أفق سقى النفوس غمامه

What a necklace whose string has gathered these heads!

What covenant embraced the chiefs with its system,

What a necklace whose arrangement has gathered the leaders,

What a horizon whose clouds have watered souls!

What horizon quenched the souls with its clouds,

What a horizon whose rain-clouds have quenched the souls,

أي ركن من الولاء ركين

أي ركن من الولاء ركين

مؤنس حله مجير حرامه

مؤنس حله مجير حرامه

What a steadfast pillar of loyalty,

What pillar of loyalty was steadfast,

What a pillar of loyalty, firm and unshakable,

whose open precinct comforts, whose sacred precinct grants refuge!

Its refuge relieving the forbidden?

Comforting in its lawful bounds, protective in its sanctuary.

أي ظل من الهناء ظليل

أي ظل من الهناء ظليل

لم يكدر بالمزعجات لمامه

لم يكدر بالمزعجات لمامه

What a deep shade of happiness,

What shade of bliss was shady,

What a shadow of felicity, deep and cooling,

whose gathering no vexations have troubled!

Unperturbed by bothersome flaws?

Whose gathering is not troubled by any vexations.

أي روض من جنة الخلد ريا

أي روض من جنة الخلد ريا

هـ وكهف من السماء ذمامه

هـ وكهف من السماء ذمامه

What a meadow whose fragrance comes from the Garden of Eternity,

What garden of Paradise was fresh,

What a lush garden from the Paradise of Eternity,

and a refuge whose protection comes from heaven!

With cave from heaven its coveted shelter?

And a cave of refuge whose covenant is guarded by Heaven.

وحمى بالفصاح بالعرب العر

وحمى بالفصاح بالعرب العر

باء بالصيد بالسراة ازدحامه

باء بالصيد بالسراة ازدحامه

And a sanctuary, with eloquent men, with Arabs of pure

It protected eloquence for the articulate Arabs

A sanctuary teeming with the eloquent, with the pure Arabs,

Arab stock, thronged with proud chieftains and nobles!

Crowded with hunting, travel and assembly.

Crowded with the proud, the noble, and the distinguished.

ومجال يخب فيه رعيل

ومجال يخب فيه رعيل

يتجلى عن البيان قتامه

يتجلى عن البيان قتامه

And an arena in which a troop trots,

An arena wherein the stallion’s neigh

An arena where the vanguard gallops freely,

its dust clearing to reveal eloquence!

Reveals its eloquence from darkness,

And the dust settles to reveal pure eloquence.

كلما جال فارس قلت هذا

كلما جال فارس قلت هذا

حائز السبق فيه هذا إمامه

حائز السبق فيه هذا إمامه

Whenever a rider takes the field, I say, “This one

Whenever a horseman rode I said this one

Whenever a knight takes the field, I say: "This one..."

wins first place here; this is its leader.”

Exceeds in the race, this one leads them.

"...is the victor of the race; this is its leader."

ما أراني شهدت إلا عكاظا

ما أراني شهدت إلا عكاظا

هذه أرضه وتلك خيامه

هذه أرضه وتلك خيامه

I seem to have witnessed nothing but ʿUkāẓ;

I see none but Okaz,

It seems I have witnessed nothing less than Souq Okaz;

this is its ground, and those are its tents.

This is its land and those its tents.

This is its very ground, and those are its tents.

خطب اللسن فاستخف نهى القو

خطب اللسن فاستخف نهى القو

م من القول فيضه وانسجامه

م من القول فيضه وانسجامه

The eloquent speaker spoke, and the people's minds were captivated

Tongues declaimed but he deemed speech's denial slight

The eloquent orators spoke, stirring the minds of the people,

by the flow and harmony of his words.

For its outpouring and composition.

Who were entranced by the overflow and harmony of the words.

بين راو من البلاغة نشوا

بين راو من البلاغة نشوا

ن وساق على النهى طاف جامه

ن وساق على النهى طاف جامه

Between a reciter intoxicated with eloquence

Between a reciter of eloquence vibrant

Between a reciter intoxicated by rhetoric,

and a cupbearer whose goblet circles among the minds.

And leg aligned with prohibition roams his cup.

And a cupbearer passing the goblet of wit among the intellects.

أيها السامرالشهية نجوا

أيها السامرالشهية نجوا

هـ لحضاره البليغ كلامه

هـ لحضاره البليغ كلامه

O evening gathering, whose intimate talk is sweet

O joyous reveler, call out

O night-companion, whose intimate whispers are delightful

to its attendees, whose speech is eloquent,

For his eloquent speech is perfect.

To those attending, and whose speech is eloquent:

مستوى القول فيك والفعل والإد

مستوى القول فيك والفعل والإد

راك سامي العروج عال سنامه

راك سامي العروج عال سنامه

the level of speech, action, and understanding in you

Your words, deeds and perception

In you, the standard of speech, action, and perception

is lofty in ascent, with a towering crest.

Are equally lofty, prominently flagged.

Is lofty in its ascent, towering in its peak.

حارب الذل والخنوع وأنقذ

حارب الذل والخنوع وأنقذ

شعبك المبتلى فأنت (عصامه)

شعبك المبتلى فأنت (عصامه)

Fight humiliation and servility, and rescue

You battled vileness and surrender and saved

Fight against humiliation and submission, and rescue

your afflicted people, for you are their ʿIṣām.

Your afflicted people, for you are their “backbone.”

Your afflicted people, for you are their bond of strength.

واعتصم بالإله من كان عاد

واعتصم بالإله من كان عاد

عز من كان بالإله اعتصامه

عز من كان بالإله اعتصامه

And hold fast to God, whoever the foe may be;

Take refuge in God if you were unjust

And hold fast to God against any who show enmity;

mighty is he whose hold is upon God.

Mighty is he who in God takes refuge.

For mighty is the one whose refuge is in God.

حبب الموت للمجاهد في اللـ

حبب الموت للمجاهد في اللـ

ـه وآياته ولذ اقتحامه

ـه وآياته ولذ اقتحامه

Make death dear to the fighter in the cause of God

Make death pleasing to the holy warrior

Make death beloved to the one struggling for the sake of God

and His signs, and relish plunging into it.

Whose pleasure is to storm for God’s signs,

And His signs; and make his daring charge sweet.

ابن بالرأي والمشورة ما شئت

ابن بالرأي والمشورة ما شئت

بناء فليس يخشى انهدامه

بناء فليس يخشى انهدامه

Build with judgment and consultation whatever you wish—

Consult and deliberate what you desire

Build with wisdom and counsel whatever you desire

a structure whose collapse need not be feared.

For no fear of its collapse in decision.

To build, for its collapse need never be feared.

وإذا شل في الجماعة عضو

وإذا شل في الجماعة عضو

فمن الرأي فصمه لا خصامه

فمن الرأي فصمه لا خصامه

And if a limb within the community is paralyzed,

When a member in the group is paralyzed

And if a limb within the body of the group becomes paralyzed,

sound judgment calls for severing it, not quarreling with it.

Opinion can sever it, no quarrel.

Then wisdom dictates severing it, not merely disputing with it.

أيها الإخوة الكرام ابسطوا العذ

أيها الإخوة الكرام ابسطوا العذ

ر لشعري فقد تعاصى زمامه

ر لشعري فقد تعاصى زمامه

O noble brothers, extend your indulgence

O noble brothers, forgive my poetry

O noble brothers, extend your excuse

to my poetry, for its rein has grown unruly.

For its reins have run wild.

To my poetry, for its reins have proven stubborn to control.

ليس هذا وصية إنما هذا

ليس هذا وصية إنما هذا

رضى معجب بكم وسلامه

رضى معجب بكم وسلامه

This is no admonition; it is only

This is no last will, rather satisfaction

This is not a commandment, but rather

the approval and greeting of one who admires you.

Praising you and conveying greetings,

The contentment of one who admires you, and his greeting.

واعف عني هديت للعفو عني

واعف عني هديت للعفو عني

أيها الصاحب الملح ملامه

أيها الصاحب الملح ملامه

And pardon me—may you be guided to pardon me—

Overlook my gifts, I was guided to pardon

And pardon me—may you be guided to grant me pardon—

O companion whose reproach persists.

O sharp reproacher of blame.

O companion whose blame is so insistent.

فترة الشعر أشبهت فترة الوحي

فترة الشعر أشبهت فترة الوحي

وإن كان للرسول مقامه

وإن كان للرسول مقامه

The pause in poetry resembled the pause in revelation,

Poetry's barren time resembles the barren time of revelation

The cessation of poetry resembled the cessation of Revelation,

though the Messenger has his own station.

Though the Messenger's station remains lofty.

Though the Messenger holds a station far above all.

ته فخارا يا معشر العلم قد دا

ته فخارا يا معشر العلم قد دا

ن لك الشعب شيخه وغلامه

ن لك الشعب شيخه وغلامه

Exult in pride, O company of learning, for

Be honored, O learned ones, the people have surrendered to you

Walk tall in pride, O assembly of knowledge, for there has yielded

the people have yielded to you, their elders and their youths.

Their elder and youth.

To you the entire nation, its elders and its youth.

حفظ الله معشر العلم ما طا

حفظ الله معشر العلم ما طا

ب له بدؤه وطاب ختامه

ب له بدؤه وطاب ختامه

May God preserve the company of learning for as long as

May God preserve the learned as long as

May God preserve the assembly of knowledge, so long as

its beginning is good, and good is its conclusion.

Its beginning was good and its ending good.

Its beginning remains blessed, and blessed its end.