عُنوانُ كلِّ مديحٍ راسخِ القَدَمِ

عُنوانُ كلِّ مديحٍ راسخِ القَدَمِ

تَرْكُ التَغَزُّلِ والتمويهِ في الكَلِمِ

تَرْكُ التَغَزُّلِ والتمويهِ في الكَلِمِ

The hallmark of every firmly grounded panegyric

The title of every lasting eulogy

Is to forgo amorous verse and deception in words.

Is to abandon amorousness and pretentiousness in words

فإن مَدَحتَ الأمينَ المُستغَاثَ بهِ

فإن مَدَحتَ الأمينَ المُستغَاثَ بهِ

فالهَجْ بلَيثِ الشَّرَى لا ظَبْيِ ذي سَلَمِ

فالهَجْ بلَيثِ الشَّرَى لا ظَبْيِ ذي سَلَمِ

For if you praise al-Amin, whose aid is sought,

If you praise the trusted one cried out for aid

Then dwell on the lion of al-Shara, not the gazelle of Dhu Salam.

Then satirize the wicked enemy, not the docile friends

قلْ للأمِير جَزاكَ اللهُ مكَرُمةً

قلْ للأمِير جَزاكَ اللهُ مكَرُمةً

فأكرَمُ النَّاسِ عِندَ اللهِ ذو الكَرَمِ

فأكرَمُ النَّاسِ عِندَ اللهِ ذو الكَرَمِ

Say to the prince: May God reward you with a noble gift,

Say to the Prince, may God generously reward you

For the noblest of men in God's sight is the generous man.

For the most generous of people to God are the most generous

والنَّاسُ ضَربانِ ذو سَيفٍ وذو قَلَمٍ

والنَّاسُ ضَربانِ ذو سَيفٍ وذو قَلَمٍ

وأنتَ تجمَعُ بينَ السَّيفِ والقَلَمِ

وأنتَ تجمَعُ بينَ السَّيفِ والقَلَمِ

And men are of two kinds: men of the sword and men of the pen,

And people are of two kinds, one with a sword, one with a pen

And you bring together the sword and the pen.

And you combine both sword and pen

أُثني عليكَ بلَفظٍ لستُ أحسَبُهُ

أُثني عليكَ بلَفظٍ لستُ أحسَبُهُ

مَدحاً لكم بل حديثاً عنكَ في الأُمَمِ

مَدحاً لكم بل حديثاً عنكَ في الأُمَمِ

I extol you in words that I do not consider

I praise you with words I do not count

As praise of you, but as an account of you among the nations.

As eulogy to you but as talk about you among nations

وأحسَنُ المَدحِ ما صَحَّ الحديثُ بهِ

وأحسَنُ المَدحِ ما صَحَّ الحديثُ بهِ

وصَدَّقتْهُ شُهودُ الفِعلِ والشِّيَمِ

وصَدَّقتْهُ شُهودُ الفِعلِ والشِّيَمِ

And the finest praise is that whose words are true,

And the best praise is that whose talk is true

And which the witnesses of deeds and virtues confirm.

And witnessed by the testimony of deeds and manners

وأفضَلُ الحاكِمينَ القائمِينَ فتىً

وأفضَلُ الحاكِمينَ القائمِينَ فتىً

ذو حِكمةٍ فيَزِينُ الحُكْمَ بالحِكَمِ

ذو حِكمةٍ فيَزِينُ الحُكْمَ بالحِكَمِ

And the best among reigning rulers is a young man

And the best rulers standing as a young man

Who possesses wisdom and so adorns his rule with wise maxims.

Are ones with wisdom, adorning rule with governance

قدِ اعترَكتَ صُروفَ الدَّهرِ مُخترطاً

قدِ اعترَكتَ صُروفَ الدَّهرِ مُخترطاً

سيفَ العَزائمِ والآراءِ والهَمَمِ

سيفَ العَزائمِ والآراءِ والهَمَمِ

You have indeed battled time's vicissitudes, having drawn

You have taken on the turns of fate, brandishing

The sword of resolve, judgment, and ambition.

The sword of resolutions, opinions and ambitions

فكُنتَ مَعقِدَ تاجٍ فَوقَ هَامَتِها

فكُنتَ مَعقِدَ تاجٍ فَوقَ هَامَتِها

بَعدَ الجهادِ وكانتْ موطِئَ القَدَمِ

بَعدَ الجهادِ وكانتْ موطِئَ القَدَمِ

So you became the seat of a crown above its head,

Thus you tie a crown above its forehead

After the struggle, though it had been a place trodden underfoot.

After the struggle, though it was a stepping ground

مَدَدتَ راحةَ قَنَّاصٍ يُعاضِدُها

مَدَدتَ راحةَ قَنَّاصٍ يُعاضِدُها

حَظُّ سَعيدٌ يَصيدُ الصَقْرَ بالرَخَمِ

حَظُّ سَعيدٌ يَصيدُ الصَقْرَ بالرَخَمِ

You stretched out a huntsman's palm, aided by

You extend the palm of a sniper supported

Good fortune that catches the falcon with vultures.

By good fortune hunting the falcon with ease

فما هَمَمْتَ بأمرٍ غيرَ مُقتدرٍ

فما هَمَمْتَ بأمرٍ غيرَ مُقتدرٍ

ولا بَدَأتَ بأمرٍ غيرَ مخُتَتِمِ

ولا بَدَأتَ بأمرٍ غيرَ مخُتَتِمِ

So you never set your mind on a task beyond your power,

You never desire what you cannot have

Nor began a task without bringing it to completion.

Nor begin what you do not finish

يا أثبتَ النَّاسِ في قولٍ وفي عَمَلٍ

يا أثبتَ النَّاسِ في قولٍ وفي عَمَلٍ

على التَمادِي وأوفَى الناسِ بالذِمَمِ

على التَمادِي وأوفَى الناسِ بالذِمَمِ

O most steadfast of men in word and in deed,

O most steadfast of people in word and deed

Through the passing years, and most faithful of men to their pledges,

In persistence and most faithful in pacts

بَيني وبينَكَ عهدٌ في عَشائِرِنا

بَيني وبينَكَ عهدٌ في عَشائِرِنا

يَجري على سُنَّةِ المَخدُومِ والخَدَمِ

يَجري على سُنَّةِ المَخدُومِ والخَدَمِ

Between me and you is a covenant among our clans,

Between me and you is a covenant in our tribes

That follows the custom of master and servants.

Flowing by habit of the served and the servants

أنا على عادةِ الأجنادِ من قِدَمِ

أنا على عادةِ الأجنادِ من قِدَمِ

فكُنْ على عادةِ الساداتِ من قِدَمِ

فكُنْ على عادةِ الساداتِ من قِدَمِ

I follow the soldiers' custom of old;

I by habit of soldiers from early times

So follow the lords' custom of old.

So be by habit of masters from early times