إِنَّما التَهنِئاتُ لِلأَكفاءِ

إِنَّما التَهنِئاتُ لِلأَكفاءِ

وَلِمَن يَدَّني مِنَ البُعَداءِ

وَلِمَن يَدَّني مِنَ البُعَداءِ

Congratulations are only for equals,

Formal congratulations are meant for peers,

and for those far away who draw near.

And for strangers seeking to draw near.

وَأَنا مِنكَ لا يُهَنِّئُ عُضوٌ

وَأَنا مِنكَ لا يُهَنِّئُ عُضوٌ

بِالمَسَرّاتِ سائِرَ الأَعضاءِ

بِالمَسَرّاتِ سائِرَ الأَعضاءِ

And I am part of you: no limb congratulates

But I am part of you; does one limb offer praise

the other limbs on happy occasions.

To the rest of the body for its delights?

مُستَقِلٌّ لَكَ الدِيارَ وَلَو كا

مُستَقِلٌّ لَكَ الدِيارَ وَلَو كا

نَ نُجوماً آجُرُّ هَذا البِناءِ

نَ نُجوماً آجُرُّ هَذا البِناءِ

I deem dwellings too little for you, even if

I deem these dwellings too small for you,

the bricks of this building were stars,

Even were the stars the very bricks of this construction,

وَلَوَ أَنَّ الَّذي يَخِرُّ مِنَ الأَم

وَلَوَ أَنَّ الَّذي يَخِرُّ مِنَ الأَم

واهِ فيها مِن فِضَّةٍ بَيضاءِ

واهِ فيها مِن فِضَّةٍ بَيضاءِ

and even if the water cascading

And even if the waters that cascade within

within them were of white silver.

Flowed not as liquid, but as molten silver white.

أَنتَ أَعلى مَحَلَّةً أَن تُهَنّى

أَنتَ أَعلى مَحَلَّةً أَن تُهَنّى

بِمَكانٍ في الأَرضِ أَو في السَماءِ

بِمَكانٍ في الأَرضِ أَو في السَماءِ

You are too lofty in station to be congratulated

Your station is far too high to receive acclaim

on a place on earth or in the sky.

For any place on earth or in the sky.

وَلَكَ الناسُ وَالبِلادُ وَما يَسـ

وَلَكَ الناسُ وَالبِلادُ وَما يَسـ

ـرَحُ بَينَ الغَبراءِ وَالخَضراءِ

ـرَحُ بَينَ الغَبراءِ وَالخَضراءِ

Yours are the people, the lands, and whatever roams

Yours are the people, the lands, and all that roams

between the dust-gray earth and the green sky.

Between the dusty earth and the verdant heavens.

وَبَساتينُكَ الجِيادُ وَما تَحـ

وَبَساتينُكَ الجِيادُ وَما تَحـ

ـمِلُ مِن سَمهَرِيَّةٍ سَمراءِ

ـمِلُ مِن سَمهَرِيَّةٍ سَمراءِ

Your gardens are noble steeds and what they carry

Your true gardens are your steeds and what they bear

of hard-shafted, tawny spears.

Of tawny lances, sharp and straight.

إِنَّما يَفخَرُ الكَريمُ أَبو المِسـ

إِنَّما يَفخَرُ الكَريمُ أَبو المِسـ

ـكِ بِما يَبتَني مِنَ العَلياءِ

ـكِ بِما يَبتَني مِنَ العَلياءِ

The noble Abu al-Misk takes pride only

The noble Abu al-Misk takes pride only

in the lofty glory he builds,

In the edifices of glory he constructs,

وَبِأَيّامِهِ الَّتي اِنسَلَخَت عَنـ

وَبِأَيّامِهِ الَّتي اِنسَلَخَت عَنـ

ـهُ وَما دارُهُ سِوى الهَيجاءِ

ـهُ وَما دارُهُ سِوى الهَيجاءِ

and in his days that have slipped away from him,

And in the days that have passed him by,

when his home was nothing but battle,

Knowing no home but the heart of battle,

وَبِما أَثَّرَت صَوارِمُهُ البيـ

وَبِما أَثَّرَت صَوارِمُهُ البيـ

ـضُ لَهُ في جَماجِمِ الأَعداءِ

ـضُ لَهُ في جَماجِمِ الأَعداءِ

and in the marks his white swords left

And in the marks his sharp white blades have left

for him in his enemies' skulls,

Upon the shattered skulls of his enemies,

وَبِمِسكٍ يُكنى بِهِ لَيسَ بِالمِسـ

وَبِمِسكٍ يُكنى بِهِ لَيسَ بِالمِسـ

ـكِ وَلَكِنَّهُ أَريجُ الثَناءِ

ـكِ وَلَكِنَّهُ أَريجُ الثَناءِ

and in the musk of his byname: it is not musk,

And by that 'Musk' of his name—not the scent itself,

but the fragrance of praise,

But rather the fragrant aroma of high praise.

لا بِما يَبتَني الحَواضِرُ في الريـ

لا بِما يَبتَني الحَواضِرُ في الريـ

ـفِ وَما يَطَّبي قُلوبَ النِساءِ

ـفِ وَما يَطَّبي قُلوبَ النِساءِ

not in what townsfolk build in the countryside,

Not by what settlers build upon the fertile land,

nor in what captivates women's hearts.

Nor by trinkets that ensnare the hearts of women.

نَزَلَت إِذ نَزَلتَها الدارُ في أَحـ

نَزَلَت إِذ نَزَلتَها الدارُ في أَحـ

ـسَنَ مِنها مِنَ السَنا وَالسَناءِ

ـسَنَ مِنها مِنَ السَنا وَالسَناءِ

The house, when you dwelt in it, came to dwell in something

The house, when you entered, settled into a state

fairer than itself in radiance and eminence.

Surpassing its own radiance and grandeur.

حَلَّ في مَنبِتِ الرَياحينِ مِنها

حَلَّ في مَنبِتِ الرَياحينِ مِنها

مَنبِتُ المَكرُماتِ وَالآلاءِ

مَنبِتُ المَكرُماتِ وَالآلاءِ

In its bed of fragrant flowers there settled

There descended into its beds of sweet basil

the bed where noble deeds and favors grow.

The very root of all nobilities and blessings.

تَفضَحُ الشَمسَ كُلَّما ذَرَّتِ الشَمـ

تَفضَحُ الشَمسَ كُلَّما ذَرَّتِ الشَمـ

ـسُ بِشَمسٍ مُنيرَةٍ سَوداءِ

ـسُ بِشَمسٍ مُنيرَةٍ سَوداءِ

It shames the sun whenever the sun rises,

You shame the sun whenever it rises,

with a radiant black sun.

With a sun of your own that shines luminous and black.

إِنَّ في ثَوبِكَ الَّذي المَجدُ فيهِ

إِنَّ في ثَوبِكَ الَّذي المَجدُ فيهِ

لَضِياءً يُزري بِكُلِّ ضِياءِ

لَضِياءً يُزري بِكُلِّ ضِياءِ

Indeed, in your robe, where glory dwells,

Truly, within your robe where glory resides,

there is a light that puts all light to shame.

Is a brilliance that outshines all other light.

إِنَّما الجِلدُ مَلبَسٌ وَاِبيِضاضُ الـ

إِنَّما الجِلدُ مَلبَسٌ وَاِبيِضاضُ الـ

ـنَفسِ خَيرٌ مِنَ اِبيِضاضِ القَباءِ

ـنَفسِ خَيرٌ مِنَ اِبيِضاضِ القَباءِ

Skin is only a garment, and the whiteness of

Skin is but a garment; the whiteness of the soul

the soul is better than the whiteness of a robe.

Is far better than the whiteness of the robe.

كَرَمٌ في شَجاعَةٍ وَذَكاءٌ

كَرَمٌ في شَجاعَةٍ وَذَكاءٌ

في بَهاءٍ وَقُدرَةٌ في وَفاءِ

في بَهاءٍ وَقُدرَةٌ في وَفاءِ

Generosity with courage, and intelligence

Generosity merged with courage, and wit

with splendor, and power with fidelity.

In splendor, and power bound by loyalty.

مَن لِبيضِ المُلوكِ أَن تُبدِلَ اللَو

مَن لِبيضِ المُلوكِ أَن تُبدِلَ اللَو

نَ بِلَونِ الأُستاذِ وَالسَحناءِ

نَ بِلَونِ الأُستاذِ وَالسَحناءِ

Who could grant the white kings a change of color

Who will tell the white kings to exchange their hue

to the Master's color and complexion,

For the complexion and color of the Master?

فَتَراها بَنو الحُروبِ بِأَعيا

فَتَراها بَنو الحُروبِ بِأَعيا

نٍ تَراهُ بِها غَداةَ اللِقاءِ

نٍ تَراهُ بِها غَداةَ اللِقاءِ

so the sons of war might see them with the eyes

That the sons of war might view them with the awe

with which they see him on the morning of battle?

With which they view him on the morning of battle.

يا رَجاءَ العُيونِ في كُلِّ أَرضٍ

يا رَجاءَ العُيونِ في كُلِّ أَرضٍ

لَم يَكُن غَيرَ أَن أَراكَ رَجائي

لَم يَكُن غَيرَ أَن أَراكَ رَجائي

O hope of eyes in every land,

O hope of all eyes in every land,

my only hope was to see you.

My only hope was simply to behold you.

وَلَقَد أَفنَتِ المَفاوِزُ خَيلي

وَلَقَد أَفنَتِ المَفاوِزُ خَيلي

قَبلَ أَن نَلتَقي وَزادي وَمائي

قَبلَ أَن نَلتَقي وَزادي وَمائي

And indeed, the deserts had consumed my horses,

The barren deserts have worn out my steed,

and my provisions and my water, before we met.

My stores and water, before we ever met.

فَاِرمِ بي ما أَرَدتَ مِنّي فَإِنّي

فَاِرمِ بي ما أَرَدتَ مِنّي فَإِنّي

أَسَدُ القَلبِ آدَمِيُّ الرُواءِ

أَسَدُ القَلبِ آدَمِيُّ الرُواءِ

So hurl me into whatever you wish me to do, for I am

So cast me where you will, for I remain

a lion at heart, human in appearance.

A lion in heart, though human in form.

وَفُؤادي مِنَ المُلوكِ وَإِن كا

وَفُؤادي مِنَ المُلوكِ وَإِن كا

نَ لِساني يُرى مِنَ الشُعَراءِ

نَ لِساني يُرى مِنَ الشُعَراءِ

And my heart ranks among kings, though

My heart belongs to the rank of kings,

my tongue is reckoned among poets.

Even if my tongue is counted among the poets.