لكfor you اللَهGod منwhat a ندبgallant man إذاwhen همhe set his mind صمماhe stood firm
لك اللَه من ندب إذا هم صمما
وطلاعand a tireless climber of أنجادheights إذاwhen أمhe aimed يمماhe made for it
وطلاع أنجاد إذا أم يمما
God be with you—what a gallant man, steadfast once he sets his mind!
To you belongs praise from God when resolves are firm,
And a scaler of heights: when he sets his aim, he makes for it.
And rising stars when a mother weans her child.
وذيand one possessing مرةstrength لاnot ينكتpicks apart الروعterror شزرهاits tight twist
وذي مرة لا ينكت الروع شزرها
إذاwhen الخطبcalamity أبدىbared ناجذيهits two molars تبسماhe smiled
إذا الخطب أبدى ناجذيه تبسما
And a man of strength whose tight twist terror cannot pick apart;
And a time of hardship whose severity does not kill the spirit
When calamity bares its two molars, he smiles.
When troubles show their fangs, it only smiles.
نقابa keen discerner بأعقابof the consequences of الأمورaffairs محدثinspired
نقاب بأعقاب الأمور محدث
كأنas though لهfor him منهاfrom them عليهاabout them مترجماan interpreter
كأن له منها عليها مترجما
An inspired discerner of the consequences of affairs,
Events cloak themselves until their time comes,
As though, from within them, he had an interpreter to explain them.
As though each has a translator for the others.
إذاwhen عرضتappeared فيin جانبthe sphere of الملكthe realm زيغةa deviation
إذا عرضت في جانب الملك زيغة
رآهاhe saw it قذىgrit beneath الأجفانthe eyelids أوuntil تتقوماit is set right
رآها قذى الأجفان أو تتقوما
Whenever a deviation appears in the affairs of the realm,
If deviation appears in a kingdom's side,
He sees it as grit beneath the eyelids until it is set right.
He sees it as a sleep in the eyelids or about to happen.
وقامand he shouldered بأعباءthe burdens of الوزارةthe ministry ناصحاًas a sincere adviser
وقام بأعباء الوزارة ناصحاً
ووطأand he laid the groundwork فاستقصىthen did it thoroughly وشادand he built فأحكماthen made it firm
ووطأ فاستقصى وشاد فأحكما
And he shouldered the burdens of the ministry as a sincere adviser,
He took on the burdens of leadership sincerely,
He laid the groundwork thoroughly, and built it firmly.
And trod carefully, investigating and wisely judging.
منone of النفرthe band الغرthe illustrious الأولىwho تركتleft لهمfor them
من النفر الغر الأولى تركت لهم
عزايمهمtheir resolves فيupon غرةthe brow of الدهرtime ميسماa brand
عزايمهم في غرة الدهر ميسما
One of the illustrious band for whom
Of the elite people of early times, he left them
Their resolves have left a brand upon the brow of time.
Their resolves at the start of time as a tradition.
إذاwhen ظمئتthirsted بيضwhite الظباsword-blades فيin أكفهمtheir palms
إذا ظمئت بيض الظبا في أكفهم
تحاشواthey avoided لهاfor them ورداa watering-place سوىexcept مصدرthe source of الظماthirst
تحاشوا لها وردا سوى مصدر الظما
When the white blades thirst in their palms,
When wild animals thirst in their grasp,
They avoid every watering-place for them except the source of thirst.
They avoid roses for them, save the source of thirst.
لقدindeed قرنواthey joined بالنجدةwith valor العلمknowledge والتقىand piety
لقد قرنوا بالنجدة العلم والتقى
وقدand indeed نظمواthey strung together طعمينtwo flavors شهداًhoney وعلقماand bitter colocynth
وقد نظموا طعمين شهداً وعلقما
Indeed, they have joined knowledge and piety with valor,
They combined aid, knowledge and piety,
And strung together two flavors: honey and bitter colocynth.
And composed two harmonious, sweet flavors.
فمنبحثso from a pursuit of علمlearning ينثرscatters الدرpearls مشرقاًradiant
فمنبحث علم ينثر الدر مشرقاً
إلىto بحثstirring up نقعbattle-dust ينثرscatters الهامheads ادهماdark
إلى بحث نقع ينثر الهام ادهما
From a radiant pursuit of learning that scatters pearls,
Whoever seeks knowledge scattering pearls brightly,
To a dark stirring of battle-dust that scatters heads.
To seeking the deep that scatters dark priceless gems.
ففيso in الجدبdrought يستسقيone seeks watering بفضلهمthrough their virtue الحياrain
ففي الجدب يستسقي بفضلهم الحيا
وفيand in الروعterror تستسقيyou seek a draught بعضهمsome of them الدماblood
وفي الروع تستسقي بعضهم الدما
So in drought, one seeks rain through their virtue,
In dry times, the living drink from their virtue,
And amid terror, you ask some of them for a draught of blood.
And in frightful times, some drink blood from them.
فياso, O أسدlion of اللَهGod الذيwho فيدunclear as written فمmouth الthe (continued next line)
فيا أسد اللَه الذي فيد فم ال
فريةslander إلاexcept منfrom فمthe mouth of الأسدthe lion مطعماfood
فرية إلا من فم الأسد مطعما
O Lion of God, who [word unclear] the mouth of
O Lion of God, whose abundance the mouths of others boast of,
Slander—food only from the lion's mouth.
Except the mouth of lions has no food.
ليهنكmay it gladden you فتحa victory بشرتكbrought you glad tidings سعودهits auspicious signs
ليهنك فتح بشرتك سعوده
بأقبالof the coming of عزglory يملأfills الأرضthe earth والسماand heaven
بأقبال عز يملأ الأرض والسما
May you rejoice in a victory whose good omens brought you glad tidings
May your conquests give joy to your youthful face,
Of the coming of glory that fills earth and heaven.
With the fortunes of glory that fill the earth and sky.
رأيتI saw بهthrough it الإسلامIslam فالتامand was healed شعبهits rift
رأيت به الإسلام فالتام شعبه
وقدand already كربتwere close أركانهits pillars أنto تهدماcollapsing
وقد كربت أركانه أن تهدما
Through it I saw Islam's rift healed,
I saw through it Islam fulfilled in its people,
When its pillars had been on the verge of collapse.
And its pillars strengthened lest they be ruined.
فعلتyou did بجيشto the army of الكفرunbelief ماwhat أنتyou فاعلdo
فعلت بجيش الكفر ما أنت فاعل
وجرعتهand you made it swallow كأساًa cup منof الذلhumiliation علقماbitter as colocynth
وجرعته كأساً من الذل علقما
You did to the army of unbelief what you are wont to do,
You did to the army of unbelief what you do,
And made it swallow a cup of humiliation, bitter as colocynth.
And made it drink a cup of humiliation and aloes.
فأخرتso you drove back حتىuntil لمnot تجدyou found متأخراroom to retreat
فأخرت حتى لم تجد متأخرا
وأقدمتand you advanced حتىuntil لمnot تجدyou found متقدماroom to advance
وأقدمت حتى لم تجد متقدما
So you drove it back until no further retreat remained,
You held back until you found none left behind,
And advanced until no further advance remained.
And advanced until you found none ahead.
وماand not اختارit chose هولthe terror of البحرthe sea إلاexcept لأنهbecause it
وما اختار هول البحر إلا لأنه
رأيit saw موجهits waves منthan موجthe waves of سيفكyour sword أسلماsafer
رأي موجه من موج سيفك أسلما
It chose the sea's terror only because
The sea chose only dread out of fear,
It found its waves safer than the waves of your sword.
It saw its wave from the wave of your sword turn Muslim.
فطوقتهاso you encircled her طوقthe collar of الحمامةthe dove نعمةa blessing
فطوقتها طوق الحمامة نعمة
واناand indeed we لنرجوsurely hope فوقهاbeyond it لكfor you أنعماblessings
وانا لنرجو فوقها لك أنعما
So you encircled her with a blessing, like a dove's collar,
You besieged it with the siege of grace,
And we surely hope for blessings beyond it for you,
And I hope for you above it even more grace.
إلىuntil أنthat تعودbecomes الأرضthe earth بالأمنin safety كعبةa Kaaba
إلى أن تعود الأرض بالأمن كعبة
حراماinviolable وكلand all الدهرtime شهراًa month محرماsacred
حراما وكل الدهر شهراً محرما
Until the earth, in safety, becomes a Kaaba—
Until the land returns as a safe sanctuary,
Inviolable, and all time a sacred month.
Forbidden, and all time a holy month.
Sol 6.1