حَسَمَ الصُلحُ ما اِشتَهَتهُ الأَعادي

وَأَذاعَتهُ أَلسُنُ الحُسّادِ

Reconciliation has settled what the enemies desired,

Reconciliation has severed what the enemies desired,

And the tongues of envious spoke of it,

And silenced what the tongues of the envious broadcast.

وَأَرادَتهُ أَنفُسٌ حالَ تَدبيـ

ـرُكَ ما بَينَها وَبَينَ المُرادِ

And souls intended while you set right

The souls of foes sought a goal, until your foresight

What was between them and what they sought.

Intervened between them and what they hoped to gain.

صارَ ما أَوضَعَ المُخِبّونَ فيهِ

مِن عِتابٍ زِيادَةً في الوِدادِ

What plotters whispered became

The discord which the deceivers rushed to sow with blame

More affection among dear friends.

Has transformed into an increase of affection.

وَكَلامُ الوُشاةِ لَيسَ عَلى الأَحـ

ـبابِ سُلطانُهُ عَلى الأَضدادِ

And the talk of slanderers has no authority

For the words of slanderers hold no authority

Over loved ones or opponents.

Over loved ones, but only over adversaries.

إِنَّما تُنجِحُ المَقالَةُ في المَر

ءِ إِذا صادَفَت هَوىً في الفُؤادِ

A saying succeeds with a person when

A spoken word only triumphs within a man

It encounters a passion in the heart.

If it encounters a matching desire within his heart.

وَلَعَمري لَقَد هُزِزتَ بِما قيـ

ـلَ فَأُلفيتَ أَوثَقَ الأَطوادِ

By my life, you were shaken by what was said

By my life, you were shaken by what was rumored,

Yet you held fast to the strongest bond.

Yet you were found more steadfast than the towering mountains.

وَأَشارَت بِما أَبَيتَ رِجالٌ

كُنتَ أَهدى مِنها إِلى الإِرشادِ

Men counselled you though you were more guided

Men advised a course that you refused to take,

Towards rectitude than they to proper guidance.

For you were a better guide to the truth than they.

قَد يُصيبُ الفَتى المُشيرُ وَلَم يَجـ

ـهَد وَيُشوي الصَوابَ بَعدَ اِجتِهادِ

One giving advice may hit the mark though he did not strive

An advisor may hit the mark without great effort,

And miss what's right despite his diligence.

Or miss the target completely after striving hard.

نِلتَ ما لا يُنالُ بِالبيضِ وَالسُمـ

ـرِ وَصُنتَ الأَرواحَ في الأَجسادِ

You attained what is not won by force of arms

You achieved what swords and brown lances could not attain,

And you protected lives within bodies.

And preserved the souls safely within their bodies,

وَقَنا الخَطِّ في مَراكِزِها حَو

لَكَ وَالمُرهَفاتُ في الأَغمادِ

Spears in their standings turned about you

While the Khatti spears rested in their racks around you,

And the unsheathed remained in their scabbards.

And the sharpened blades remained within their sheaths.

ما دَرَوا إِذ رَأَوا فُؤادَكَ فيهِم

ساكِناً أَنَّ رَأيَهُ في الطِرادِ

They did not know, when they saw your heart dwelling

They did not know, seeing your heart calm among them,

Among them, that its view tended to run away.

That its intent was fixed keenly upon the chase.

فَفَدى رَأيَكَ الَّذي لَم تُفَدهُ

كُلُّ رَأيٍ مُعَلَّمٍ مُستَفادِ

So your view, which no view

May every opinion learned from others be a ransom

Learnt or derived, redeemed.

For your own opinion, innate and unborrowed.

وَإِذا الحِلمُ لَم يَكُن في طِباعِ

لَم يُحَلِّم تَقادُمُ الميلادِ

If wisdom is not innate temperament

If forbearance is not inherent in one's nature,

The passage of time does not make one forbearing.

The passing of years will not grant it to the soul.

فَبِهَذا وَمِثلِهِ سُدتَ يا كا

فورُ وَاِقتَدتَ كُلَّ صَعبِ القِيادِ

With this and its like, Kafoor, you shut

By this, and virtues like it, you have prevailed, O Kafur,

And set an example for all unruly leaders.

And tamed every beast that is difficult to lead.

وَأَطاعَ الَّذي أَطاعَكَ وَالطا

عَةُ لَيسَت خَلائِقُ الآسادِ

And he who obeyed you is not

And he obeyed who obeyed you, though truly,

Of rebellious nature.

Obedience is not the natural instinct of lions.

إِنَّما أَنتَ والِدٌ وَالأَبُ القا

طِعُ أَحنى مِن واصِلِ الأَولادِ

You're a loving father, a devoted son,

You are but a father to them; and the strict father

More compassionate than one who yearns for his children.

Is more compassionate than the child who stays close.

لا عَدا الشَرُّ مَن بَغى لَكُما الشَر

رَ وَخَصَّ الفَسادُ أَهلَ الفَسادِ

May no harm come your way from those who wish you harm

May evil never miss the one who sought evil for you both,

And may ruin be restricted to the ruined.

And may ruin strike only the people of ruin.

أَنتُما ما اِتَّفَقتُما الجِسمُ وَالرو

حُ فَلا اِحتَجتُما إِلى العُوّادِ

You two are of one body and spirit,

As long as you agree, you are the Body and the Soul,

No need for soothsayers.

So you have no need for those who tend the sick.

وَإِذا كانَ في الأَنابيبِ خُلفٌ

وَقَعَ الطَيشُ في صُدورِ الصِعادِ

When there is delinquency in the system,

But if there is a split within the spear’s shaft,

Disorder falls on the hearts of the unruly.

Then trembling strikes the very heart of the spearhead.

أَشمَتَ الخُلفُ بِالشَراةِ عِداها

وَشَفى رَبَّ فارِسٍ مِن إِيادِ

Delinquency gloats with the deviants, its enemies,

Discord made the enemies rejoice over the Shurat,

And the Lord of the Persians was cured of madness.

And healed the Lord of Persia of his fear of Iyad.

وَتَوَلّى بَني اليَزيدِيِّ بِالبَصـ

ـرَةِ حَتّى تَمَزَّقوا في البِلادِ

He appointed the Yazidi in Basra until they scattered

It swept away the sons of Al-Yazidi in Basra,

Across the country.

Until they were scattered torn across the lands;

وَمُلوكاً كَأَمسِ في القُربِ مِنّا

وَكَطَسمٍ وَأُختِها في البِعادِ

And kings were like yesterday, so near,

And kings who were as close to us as yesterday

And others like a cross and its sister pole, so far.

Are now as distant as ancient Tasm and its kin.

بِكُما بِتُّ عائِذاً فيكُما مِنـ

ـهُ وَمِن كَيدِ كُلِّ باغٍ وَعادِ

We take refuge in you from them,

Through you, I sought refuge for you both from such fate,

From the guile of every rebel and enemy.

And from the plots of every tyrant and aggressor.

وَبِلُبَّيكُما الأَصيلَينِ أَن تَفـ

ـرُقَ صُمُّ الرِماحِ بَينَ الجِيادِ

And we obey your noble order to separate

And by your two noble minds, I prayed against the day

The resolve of spears between steeds.

When deaf spears might part the ranks of horses,

أَو يَكونَ الوَلِيُّ أَشقى عَدُوٍّ

بِالَّذي تَذخُرانِهِ مِن عَتادِ

Or else, would the guardian be more wretched than the foe

Or that the loyal friend should become the most wretched foe,

With the ordnance you possess?

Because of the very arsenal you have prepared.

هَل يَسُرَّنَّ باقِياً بَعدَ ماضٍ

ما تَقولُ العُداةُ في كُلِّ نادِ

Will what the enemies say in every club delight him,

Can the survivor, left after the one who has passed, be pleased

Now that the past is gone?

By what the enemies whisper in every gathering?

مَنَعَ الوُدُّ وَالرِعايَةُ وَالسُؤ

دُدُ أَن تَبلُغا إِلى الأَحقادِ

Love, care and intimacy prevented

Love, guardianship, and noble sovereignty have forbidden

Your hearts from harbouring any grudges.

That you should ever descend into mutual hate.

وَحُقوقٌ تُرَقِّقُ القَلبَ لِلقَلـ

ـبِ وَلَو ضُمِّنَت قُلوبَ الجَمادِ

And there are rights that soften the heart for the heart

There are rights that soften one heart towards another,

Even if embedded in stones.

Even if they were encased within hearts of stone.

فَغَدا المُلكُ باهِراً مَن رَآهُ

شاكِراً ما أَتَيتُما مِن سَدادِ

Thus the kingdom shone gloriously to beholders,

Thus the kingdom has become dazzling to all who behold it,

Thankful for your sound judgement.

Grateful for the right course you both have taken.

فيهِ أَيديكُما عَلى الظَفَرِ الحُلـ

ـوِ وَأَيدي قَومٍ عَلى الأَكبادِ

In it are your hands victorious

Within it, your hands clasp the sweetness of victory,

And people's hands over their hearts.

While the hands of others clutch their livers in grief.

هَذِهِ دَولَةُ المَكارِمِ وَالرَأ

فَةِ وَالمَجدِ وَالنَدى وَالأَيادي

This is the state of nobility, compassion, glory,

This is the dynasty of noble deeds and compassion,

Radiance, generosity and helping hands.

Of glory, of generosity, and of bestowed favors.

كَسَفَت ساعَةً كَما تَكسِفُ الشَمـ

ـسُ وَعادَت وَنورُها في اِزدِيادِ

It darkened a moment as the sun darkens

It was eclipsed for an hour, just as the sun is eclipsed,

Then its light increased.

Then it returned, its light increasing in brilliance.

يَزحَمُ الدَهرُ رُكنُها عَن أَذاها

بِفَتىً مارِدٍ عَلى المُرّادِ

Time jostles its pillar away from harm

Fate defends its foundations from all harm,

With an unruly hero set on his purpose.

Through a youth who rebels against the rebellious—

مُتلِفٍ مُخلِفٍ وَفِيٍّ أَبِيٍّ

عالِمٍ حازِمٍ شُجاعٍ جَوادِ

A unifier, a follower through, faithful and adamant,

One who spends yet replaces, loyal and proud,

Learned, wise, valiant and generous.

Learned, decisive, courageous, and open-handed.

أَجفَلَ الناسُ عَن طَريقِ أَبي المِسـ

ـكِ وَذَلَّت لَهُ رِقابُ العِبادِ

People cleared the path of Abu Misk

People have fled from the path of Abu al-Misk,

And necks of servants bowed to him.

And the necks of men have bowed low before him.

كَيفَ لا يُترَكُ الطَريقُ لِسَيلٍ

ضَيِّقٍ عَن أَتِيِّهِ كُلُّ وادِ

How can the path not be cleared for a torrent,

How could the path not be cleared for a rushing torrent,

Too narrow for its gushing waters?

Whose mighty flow is too vast for any valley?