أَمِن أَجلِ أَن بانَ الخَليط المُلائِمُ

دَعاكَ الهَوى وَاِستَجهَلتكَ المَعالمُ

Is it because the suitable mixture became clear

Is it because the agreeable companions have departed,

That desire called you and the landmarks misguided you

That passion summoned you, and the landmarks provoked your folly?

فَخَفِّض عَليكَ الهَمَّ تَحظَ بِراحَةٍ

فَما نالَ خَفضَ العَيشِ إِلّا المُسالمُ

So lower your worries upon yourself to gain some comfort

So ease your burden of worry, and you shall find comfort,

For none attained the ease of living except the submissive

For none attains a life of ease but the one who seeks peace.

وَدَع عَنكَ تَسويفَ الأَماني فَإِنَّها

خَوادِعُ لا يُصغي إِلَيهِنَّ حازِم

And leave your procrastination of wishes for they are

Cast aside the procrastination of hopes, for they are

Deceivers that no resolute person listens to

Deceits to which no prudent man lends an ear.

وَأَدنِ لِقَطعِ هَوجاءَ ضامِراً

فَما العِزُّ إِلّا أَن تَخُبَّ الرَواسِمُ

And come closer to cutting off raging passion

And bring closer, to cross the wilderness, a lean steed,

For honor is nothing but the banners being brought down

For glory is found only where the camels trot.

إِذا ما أَحسَّت نَبأَةً مِن مُحَدِّثٍ

تَقولُ أَعارَتها الجَناحَ النَعائِم

If a female news bearer senses something from a tale teller

When she senses a whisper from a rider,

She says fancy has lent it the wings of blessings

You would say the ostriches had lent her their wings.

نَزورُ فَتىً أَحيا المَكارِمَ بَعدَما

مَضى زَمَنٌ وَهيَ العِظامُ الرَمائِمُ

We visit a young man who revived virtues after

We visit a youth who revived noble virtues after

A time when they were just withered bones

A time had passed when they were but decaying bones;

سُعودَ بَني الدُنيا سَليلَ إِمامِها

مَليكاً تَرَبَّتهُ المُلوكُ الأَعاظِم

Su’ud son of the masters of the world, raised by kings

Saud of all the world's people, scion of its Imam,

A kind hearted young man who trembles for the dew

A king nurtured by the greatest of kings.

فَتىً أَريحِيَّ النَفسِ يَهتَزُّ لِلنَدّى

وَيَعلَمُ أَنَّ البَخلَ لِلمَجدِ هادِمُ

And knows that stinginess destroys glory

A youth of spirited soul, who trembles with generosity,

A young man who in fright gave the sword its right

And knows that miserliness is the destroyer of glory.

فَتىً كانَ يُعطي السَيفَ في الرَوعِ حَقَّهُ

إِذا لَم يَكُن إِلّا السُيوفَ مَعاصِم

If there was nothing left but swords as protectors

A youth who gave the sword its due in the heat of battle,

A young man who has never spent a night conversing with a flower

When there were no bracelets but the blades themselves.

فَتىً لَم يَبِت لَيلاً يُسامِرُ مِزهَراً

وَلا تَتَصاباهُ الحِسانُ النَواعِم

Nor did beautiful singing women accompany him

A youth who spent no night entertaining a lute,

But he is passionate about glory, coveting

Nor was he captivated by soft, beautiful maidens,

وَلكِنَّهُ بِالمَجدِ صَبٌّ مُوَلَّعٌ

يَرومُ أُموراً دونَهُنَّ مَقاحِمُ

Matters none other than the brave would dare to face

But he is a lover infatuated with glory alone,

A young man whose forefathers bequeathed him glory

Seeking goals guarded by perilous obstacles.

فَتىً أَورَثَتهُ المَجدَ آباؤُهُ الأولى

وَبَذلُ النَدى وَالمُرهَفاتُ الصَوارِمُ

And whose sacrifice and fierce acts are the keys to sublimity

A youth whose ancient forebears bequeathed him glory,

When banners bow to them one day out of dread

Along with the gift of bounty and sharp, slender swords.

فَهُنَّ مَفاتيحُ العُلى وَعِمادُها

إِذا سَجَدَت يَوماً لهُنَّ الجَاجِمُ

Are they not the folk whose mention flew

For these are the keys to eminence and its pillars,

With their generosity, valor and overwhelming might?

When skulls bow down in prostration before them.

أَلَيسَ مِن القَومِ الذي طارَ ذِكرُهُم

بِبَذلِ اللُهى وَالبَأسِ وَالجَوُّ قاتِمُ

If asked a favor, their palms were rain clouds

Is he not of the people whose fame has taken flight,

But rain poured from them was silver coins

Through giving gifts, and valor when the air is dark with war?

إِذا سُئِلوا المَعروفَ كانَت أَكُفُّهُم

سَحائِبَ لكِن وَبلُهُنَّ الدَراهِمُ

And if they raged, then death was some of their punishment

If asked for kindness, their palms become

And the mighty bow to them pleading and begging

Rainclouds, yet their downpour is silver coins.

وَإِن غَضِبوا فَالمَوتُ بَعضُ عِقابِهِم

وَتُستَلُّ مِنهُ بِالخُضوعِ السَخائِمُ

The rule is yours by inheritance from your father and by acquisition

And if they anger, death is but a part of their retribution,

And do lionesses give birth to anyone but baby lions?

And hatreds are drawn out only by submission.

لَكَ المُلكُ إِرثاً مِن أَبيكَ وَمَكسَباً

وَهل تَلِدُ الأشبالَ إِلّا الضَراغِمُ

Is not your father Faisal the ingenious

The kingdom is yours by inheritance from your father and by conquest,

Whose sublimity nurtured him while still toddling?

And do any but lions sire lion cubs?

أَلَيسَ أَبوكَ العَبقَرِيُّ بنُ فَيصلٍ

هُماماً تَرَبَّتهُ العُلى وَهيَ رائِمُ

By him we wore the days’ new clothing while it exuded

Is not your father the genius, the son of Faisal,

Comfort and warmth, its harshness melting away

A hero raised by Eminence while she gazed fondly upon him?

لَبِسنا به الأَيّامَ رَهواً عُبابُها

وَهَبذَت رُخاءً وَهيَ سَخمٌ سَمائِمُ

He has whiffs of resolute determination but also gentleness

Through him we weathered the days, their waves made calm,

By which good fortune comes to the rightful and misery to the opponent

And they blew as a gentle breeze, though they were scorching winds.

لَه نَفَحاتٌ مِن عِقابٍ وَنائِلٍ

بِها يَسعدُ المَولى وَيَشقى المُقاوِم

Lenient if clemency has a place while for the pompous fool

He possesses impulses of both punishment and benevolence,

There is an inseparable, incurable malady

By which the ally is blessed and the resistor is ruined.

حَليمٌ إِذا ما كانَ لِلحِلم مَوضِعٌ

وَلِلجاهِل المَغرورِ داءٌ مُلازِم

Ever forgiving of the sinner when he repents

Forbearing when there is room for forbearance,

No matter how major his crimes seem to him

Yet for the deluded fool, he is an incurable affliction.

عَفُوٌّ عَن الجاني إِذا جاءَ تائِباً

وَإِن عَظُمَت مِنهُ إِلَيهِ الجرائِم

And how often for you one day a themed parade enticed

Pardoning the offender if he comes in repentance,

Both Arabs submitted obediently to you as well as foreigners

Even if his crimes against him were grave.

وَكَم لكُمُ يَوما أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلاً

به العَربُ اِنقادت لكُم وَالأَعاجِمُ

You made the gardens of glory a pilgrimage for people

How many a bright, illustrious day is yours,

So they performed hajj but virtues will never cease to attract pilgrims

In which both Arabs and non-Arabs submitted to your rule.

جَعَلتُم رِياضَ المَجدِ للنّاسِ مَوسِماً

فَحَجّوا وَما زالَت تُحَجُّ المَكارِم

Going back laden with your booty, riches and war captives

You made the gardens of glory a pilgrimage site for the people,

You mastered seizing glory from where it resided

So they flocked there, for noble deeds are ever a shrine.

يَروحونَ تَشكو عيسُهُم ثِقل رِفدِهِم

مَغانِمُ مِنكُم وَهيَ فيهِم مَغارِمُ

Even if the pages had suppressed it in the folds of enormous tomes

They depart, their camels complaining of the heavy gifts they bear,

There are men who sacrifice themselves for the sake of not

Spoils from you, which upon them are binding debts.

وَلِعتُم بِأَخذِ المَجدِ مِن مُستَقَرِّهِ

وَلو كَظَمتهُ في لَهاها الأَراقِمُ

Having to offer the wealth around their necks, sealed treasures, to you

You are impassioned with seizing glory from its source,

Oh guide, good fortune has singled out

Even if the vipers held it fast within their jaws.

فِداكُم رِجالٌ دونَ أَعناقِ مالهِم

مَغاليقُ أَقفالٍ عَلَيها خَواتِمُ

Su’ud and no talismans have been tied to him

May men be your ransom, who guard their wealth,

When the days smiled upon him auspiciously

With bolted locks upon which seals are set.

إِمامَ الهُدى إِنَّ السَعادَةَ لاحَظَت

سُعوداً وَلم تُعقَد عَلَيهِ التَمائِمُ

Preempting and ushering in his fortunes

O Imam of Guidance, good fortune has watched over

So no matter what role you groom him for he

Saud, even before amulets were tied upon him.

تَباشَرَتِ الدُنيا به حينَ بَشَّرَت

قَوابلهُ وَاستَقبَلَتهُ المَغانِمُ

Is ripe for your contentment, fate taking its sure course

The world rejoiced in him when the news was brought

And it suffices that among all the people on God’s vast earth

By his midwives, and spoils of war welcomed his arrival.

فَمَهما تُرَشِّحهُ لِأَمرٍ فَإنَّهُ

مَليءٌ بِما يُرضيكَ وَالسِنُّ باسِمُ

He had no critics

So whatever task you groom him for, he is

He cloaked himself with the essence of glory and its due destiny

Capable of pleasing you, while his youth is still smiling.

وَيَكفيكَ مِنه أَنَّهُ لَم يَكُن له

مِنَ الناسِ في الأَرضِ العَريضَةِ لائِم

Girded him for magnanimous, unwavering ambitions

It suffices you to know that he has never had,

Glories from Banu Nizar and Yarub converged upon him

Among all people in the wide earth, a single critic.

تَوَشَّحَ بِالمَجدِ الصَميمِ وَشَمَّرَت

بهِ لِاِبتِناءِ المَكرُماتِ العَزائِم

Houses whose pillars are the protection of kings

He adorned himself with pure glory, and resolutions

How many helmets under a mail coif have they split with a spear

Prepared with him to build the structures of nobility.

تَلاقَت عَليهِ مِن نِزارٍ ويَعرُبٍ

بُيوتٌ لها هامُ المُلوكِ دَعائِم

And how many chests their sharp swords have pierced where bravery resides

In him converge, from the lines of Nizar and Ya'rub,

And what is glory if not aspiration and inheritance?

Houses whose pillars are the very heads of kings.

فَكَم فَلَقوا مِن هامَةٍ تَحتَ قَونَسٍ

وَكَم طَعَنوا حَيثُ اللها وَالغَلاصِمُ

These two combined perfectly in him though he was still tottering

How many skulls they have split beneath a helmet,

And may the most virtuous prayer and peace be upon him

And how many they have pierced through throat and gullet.

وَما المَجدُ إِلّا هِمَّةٌ وَوِراثَة

وَقد جُمِعا فيه وَذو الضِغنِ راغِمُ

By whom Hashim was ennobled amongst all worlds

For glory is nothing but high ambition and inheritance,

Muhammad is the guide, intercessor, and his family

And both are combined in him, despite the hateful envier.

وَأزكى صلاةٍ مع سَلامٍ على الذي

به شَرُفَت بينَ العَوالم هاشِمُ

And companions no lines of poetry properly eulogized

And the purest prayer and peace be upon him

Through whom the clan of Hashim was honored among all worlds,

محمدٍ الهادي الشَفيعِ وَآلهِ

وَأَصحابه ما جَبَّرَ الشِعرَ ناظِمُ

Muhammad, the Guide, the Intercessor, and his family,

And his companions, as long as a poet weaves his verse.