تَسَلَّيتُ إِذ بانَ الشَبابُ وَوَدَّعا

وَأَصبَح فَودي بِالمَشيبِ مُرَوَّعا

I found solace when youth bid farewell,

I sought consolation when youth departed and bade farewell, and my temples became startled by the onset of gray hair.

And my cheek was stricken with age's dread.

I have refrained from my amusement and shunned my vanity; the passing of years is a sufficient preacher for those who heed.

وَأَقصَرتُ عَن لَهوي وَجانَبتُ باطِلي

كَفى واعِظاً مَرُّ السِنينَ لِمَن وَعى

I shunned my wantonness and falsehood,

How could I not, when the raven of age has alighted upon my locks, urging his offspring to gather, and they have answered in unison?

Time's march is mentor enough for the wise.

What have I to do with weaving verse, were it not for the virtues of a magnificent soul who voluntarily drove beneficence my way?

وَكَيفَ وَقد طارَ اِبنُ دَأيَةِ لِمَّتي

وَحَثَّ بَنيهِ فَاِستَجبنَ لهُ مَعا

For Dhu Dawa's son took wing before me,

I have taken shelter in the lush shade of his protection, and through him, my barren lands have become fertile and green.

And rallied his sons, and they obeyed his lead.

I shall offer him gratitude that, when its seal is broken, perfumes the mouths of speakers and enchants the listener's ear.

وَمالي وَنَظمَ الشِعرِ لَولا فَضائِلٌ

لِأَروعَ ساقَ العُرفَ لي مُتَبَرِّعا

Why would I versify, were it not for virtues

Saud, the most fortunate of the world's sons, offspring of its sun, who upheld the pillars of faith when they began to tremble.

To heighten the finest manners shown me.

The Imam of Guidance, Abdulaziz bin Faisal, protector of both faith and world, a true guardian to his flock.

تَفَيَّأتُ ظِلّاً وارِفاً في جَنابِهِ

فَأَصبَحتُ منهُ مُخصِبَ الرَبع مُمرِعا

I sought shade, abundant, by his side,

And in his blessed son are the unmistakable traits of the father, that shall carry him to the highest summits of glory.

And by it my land was abundantly sown and watered.

Saud is the meteor of war when its cauldron boils over; he establishes for it a bustling marketplace of death.

سَأَشكُرُهُ شُكراً إِذا فُضَّ خَتمُهُ

يُؤَرِّجُ أَفواهاً وَيُطرِبُ مِسمَعا

I will thank him with gratitude whenever his seal is undone,

He stokes its blaze or extinguishes its inferno with polished blades dating back to the eras of Chosroes and Tubba.

Opening mouths, delighting ears.

He is the burning star at the pinnacle of greatness; when terrifying calamities turn dark, he illuminates the gloom.

سُعودُ بَني الدُنيا سُلالَةُ شَمسِها

مُقيمٌ سَواءَ الدينِ حينَ تَزَعزَعا

Saud, scion of glory, shoot of its sun,

He is the sea: when calm, it yields a harvest of pearls, but when it surges, you possess no defense against its tide.

Upholder of faith whenever it shakes.

By God, how much glory has he built? How many enemies destroyed? And how much wealth has he bestowed in charity?

إِمامُ الهُدى عَبدُ العَزيزِ بنُ فَيصَلٍ

حِمى الدينِ وَالدُنيا وَراعٍ لِمَن رَعى

Imam of guidance, Abd al-Aziz ibn Faysal,

A youth who grew up in the lap of leadership, suckling the milk of greatness while yet in his cradle.

Protector of faith and world who tends the flock.

A youth who confronts heavy burdens in person, even when the bold and gallant recoil in fear.

وَفي نَجلهِ المَيمونِ مِنهُ مخايلٌ

سَتُبلِغُهُ أَقصى مَدى مَن تَرَفَّعا

In his fortunate son, reflections of him

Others raced alongside him, seeking to match his stride, but they became lost, wandering bewildered and lame in the wastelands.

Will carry him to the furthest goal of the lofty.

Hold your pace! For Glory itself has aspired to him, and in him, Glory finds satisfaction enough to ignore you all.

سُعودٌ شِهابُ الحَربِ إِن جاشَ غَلَيها

أَقامَ لَها سوقاً مِن المَوتِ مَهيعا

Saud, flame of battle - if it rages,

He possesses a hand that, when generous, enriches those who ask, and another that forces the adversary to taste concentrated poison.

He steadies for it a market of death.

In him, generosity, valor, and wisdom are perfectly blended; toward such a goal let those who seek glory strive!

يَحُشُّ لظاها أَو يَبوخُ سَعيرُها

بِمَصقولَةٍ من عَهدِ كِسرى وتُبَّعا

He drives off its fury or douses its blaze

A benefactor and a lavish spender—the nature of one devoted to seeking high honors by instinct, not by pretense.

With an Indian steel blade or old Yemeni.

Is his father not the one whose deeds you have witnessed, shining like rising stars in the firmament of glory?

هوَ الكَوكَب الوَقّادُ في قُنَّةِ العُلا

إِذا ما دَجا الخطبُ المَهيلُ تُشَعشَها

He is the guiding star in the perfect woman,

It is no wonder that Saud follows in his footsteps, ascending ambitiously to the very heights he reached.

If events should darken confused and obscured.

Thus are the cubs of lions: fierce predators, feared and dreaded for their assault and their looming threat.

هُوَ البَحرُ إِن يَسكُن فَدرٌّ جَناؤُهُ

وَإِن جاشَ لَم تَملِك لهُ عَنكَ مَدفَعا

He is the sea - if its expanse lies still

To you, O Saud, son of the Imam, I have driven my mount, traversing valleys, soft sands, and rugged terrain.

It cannot be contained; if it rages, none can drive it back.

Even if I had burdened it with months of travel, and shod its hooves with stone after treading soft earth,

فَلِلَّهِ كَم مَجدٍ أَشادَ وَكَم عِدىً

أَبادَ وَكم مالٍ أَفادَ تَبَرُّعا

O how much glory he built! How much injustice destroyed!

To meet you, my journey would still bring fulfillment, and through it, I would mend the fractures of my fortune.

How much wealth he amassed - all generously given!

So take this poem, which boasts of your praise among mankind, adorned by your eminence in a decorated mantle.

فَتىً شَبَّ في حِجر الخِلافَةِ راضِعاً

ثُدِيَّ العُلا إِ كانَ في المَهدِ مُرضِعا

A boy raised in the caliphate’s lap, suckling

It springs from genuine affection, not from weariness, nor is it the speech of one who feigns his words.

The teat of glory, even when cradled.

He views your praise as a binding duty upon himself, even if the praise offered by others is but a voluntary act.

فَتىً يَتَلَقّى المُعضِلاتِ بِنَفسِهِ

إِذا ما الجَريءُ الشَهمُ عنها تَكَعكَعا

A boy who tackles problems himself,

And send blessings, my Lord, upon the Chosen One, his kin, his companions, and all who supported his cause.

While the bold and valiant hold back in fear.

جَرى مَعَهُ قَومٌ يَرومونَ شَأوَهُ

فَضَلّوا حَيارى في المَهامِهِ ضُلَّعا

Some men plotted against him,

But they wandered lost in his feats of valor.

عَلى رِسلِكُم إِنَّ العُلا طَمَحَت لهُ

وَإِنَّ بهِ عَنكُم لها اليَومَ مَقنَعا

Your messengers - glory itself coveted him,

And through him today finds you amenable.

لهُ نَفحَةٌ إِن جادَ تُغني عُفاتَهُ

وَأُخرى تُذيقُ الضِدَّ سُمّا مُنَقَّعا

He has one breath that enriches generosity,

Another that deals harsh poison when opposed.

تَشابَهَ فيهِ الجودُ وَالبأسُ وَالحِجى

إِلى هكَذا فَليَسعَ لِلمَجدِ مَن سَعى

Munificence, valor and dignity are as one in him -

Thus should one strive for glory!

مُفيدٌ وَمِتلافٌ سَجيَّةُ مولَعٍ

بِطَرقِ المَعالي صِبغَةً لا تَصَنُّعا

Useful, destructive - innate disposition

To lofty ways, guileless, unsought.

أَلَيسَ أَبوهُ مَن رَأَيتُم فِعالَهُ

تَضيءُ نُجوماً في سَما المَجدِ طُلَّعا

Is not his father one whose deeds you saw

Shine as stars in glory's heaven?

وَلا غَروَ اَن يَحذو سُعودٌ خِصالَهُ

وَيَرقى إِلى حَيثُ اِرتَقى مُتَطَلِّعا

No wonder Saud emulates his traits

And climbs to the height where he aspired!

كَذلكَ أَشبالُ الأُسودِ ضَوارِياً

تُهابُ وَتُخشى صَولَةً وَتَوَقُّعا

Thus the cubs of lions, predatory,

Are feared and held in awe, attacking with speed.

إِلَيكَ سُعودُ بنُ الإِمام زِجَرتُها

تُقَطِّعُ غيطاناً وَميثاً وَأَجرُعا

To you, O Saud son of the Imam, they yielded,

Severing pacts and covenants, humbled.

وَلَو أَنَّني كَلَّفتُها السَيرَ أَشهُراً

وَأَنعَلتُها بعدَ المَدامِثِ جُرشُعا

Had I tasked them with months of travel

And shod them after roaming the valleys,

لِأَلقاكَ كانَت سَفرَتي تَجلُبُ المُنى

وَأَشعَبُ مِن دَهري بِها ما تَصَدَّعا

My journey would have brought me fortune,

And my fate split with joy at their gift.

وَدونَكَها تَزهو بِمَدحِكَ في الوَرى

تُلَبَّسُ مِن عَلياكَ بُرداً مُوَشَّعا

Except through you they grow vain, praising you in earth,

Donning your supreme bestowals like gowns.

بَدَت مِن أَكيدِ الوُدِّ لا مُتَبَرِّماً

وَلا قائِلاً قَولاً به مُتَصَنِّعا

Uncomplainingly, desiring your affection,

Not dissembling, or speaking with affectation,

يَرى مَدحَكُم فَرضاً عَلَيهِ مُحَتَّماً

إذا كان مَدحُ المادحينَ تَطَوُّعا

Seeing your praise an incumbent duty

If praise of praisers is voluntary.

وَصلِّ على المُختار رَبّي وَآلهِ

وَأَصحابِه وَالناصرينَ له معا

Pray upon the Chosen One, my Lord, and his family,

Companions and supporters together!