لا زالَ ظِلِّكَ لِلعُفاةِ ظَليلا

لا زالَ ظِلِّكَ لِلعُفاةِ ظَليلا

وَرَبيعُ مَجدِكَ لِلمُقِلِّ مَقيلا

وَرَبيعُ مَجدِكَ لِلمُقِلِّ مَقيلا

May your shade remain sheltering for seekers of bounty,

Your shadow remains a refuge for the weak,

and the springtime of your glory a midday refuge for the needy.

And the spring of your glory remains a rest for the weary.

يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذي آراؤُهُ

يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ الَّذي آراؤُهُ

سَحَبَت عَلى هامِ السِحابِ ذُيولا

سَحَبَت عَلى هامِ السِحابِ ذُيولا

O king whose counsels

O King whose views

have trailed their hems over the crowns of the clouds.

Have drawn their trains upon the clouds' ridge,

أَنتَ المُؤَيَّدُ مِن إِلَهِكَ بِالَّذي

أَنتَ المُؤَيَّدُ مِن إِلَهِكَ بِالَّذي

طُلتَ الأَنامَ بِهِ وَنِلتَ السولا

طُلتَ الأَنامَ بِهِ وَنِلتَ السولا

You are upheld by your God with that

You are supported by your God with that which

by which you surpassed mankind and attained your desire:

You have used to extend protection over people and gain eminence.

بِسَماحَةٍ تَذَرُ العُفاةَ أَعِزَّةً

بِسَماحَةٍ تَذَرُ العُفاةَ أَعِزَّةً

وَحَماسَةٍ تَذرُ العَزيزَ ذَليلا

وَحَماسَةٍ تَذرُ العَزيزَ ذَليلا

with generosity that leaves seekers of bounty honored,

With magnanimity that leaves the weak esteemed

and valor that leaves the mighty humbled;

And zeal that leaves the mighty abased.

وَشَمائِلٍ لَو صافَحَت عِطفَ الصَبا

وَشَمائِلٍ لَو صافَحَت عِطفَ الصَبا

خِلتَ الشَمالَ مِنَ الصَفاءِ شَمولا

خِلتَ الشَمالَ مِنَ الصَفاءِ شَمولا

and virtues that, if they clasped the east wind's flank,

And qualities that if they clasped the hand of dawn

would make you take the north wind for wine, so pure would it be;

Would leave the left hand empty of purity.

وَصَوارِمٍ حَمَتِ البِلادَ حُدودُها

وَصَوارِمٍ حَمَتِ البِلادَ حُدودُها

وَأَرَتكَ في حَدِّ الزَمانِ فُلولا

وَأَرَتكَ في حَدِّ الزَمانِ فُلولا

and keen swords whose edges guarded the land

And blades that protected the frontiers of the land

and showed you notches in Time's edge.

And showed you at the limit of time as glorious.

فَنَظَمتَها فَوقَ الرِقابِ غَلاغِلاً

فَنَظَمتَها فَوقَ الرِقابِ غَلاغِلاً

وَتَخالُها بَينَ الضُلوعِ غَليلا

وَتَخالُها بَينَ الضُلوعِ غَليلا

So you strung them as fetters upon necks,

You have set them above necks as shackles

and you would take them for a burning thirst between the ribs.

And left them in breasts festering.

طَمَحَت إِلى عَلياكَ أَحداقُ الوَرى

طَمَحَت إِلى عَلياكَ أَحداقُ الوَرى

وَاِرتَدَّ طَرفُ الدَهرِ عَنكَ كَليلا

وَاِرتَدَّ طَرفُ الدَهرِ عَنكَ كَليلا

The eyes of humankind have gazed up toward your heights,

The eyes of the world have aspired to your supremacy

and Time's gaze recoiled from you, weary.

And the glance of fate has turned away from you diminished.

وَهَبَت لَكَ العَلياءُ حَقَّ صَداقِها

وَهَبَت لَكَ العَلياءُ حَقَّ صَداقِها

حَتّى رَضيتَ بِأَن تَراكَ خَليلا

حَتّى رَضيتَ بِأَن تَراكَ خَليلا

High glory waived for you her right to a bridal dower,

The exalted ones have granted you the right of their dowry

until you agreed that she might regard you as her beloved.

Until you were content to have them as lovers.

إِن أَمَّ رَبعَكَ مِن وُفودِكَ قاصِدٌ

إِن أَمَّ رَبعَكَ مِن وُفودِكَ قاصِدٌ

أَمسَت بُيوتُ المالِ مِنكَ طُلولا

أَمسَت بُيوتُ المالِ مِنكَ طُلولا

If a seeker among your visitors makes for your abode,

If the leaders of your tribes are heading toward you

the treasuries become ruins at your hands.

The houses of wealth have become empty of you.

تُعطي وَتَسأَلُ سائِليكَ مَعَ العَطا

تُعطي وَتَسأَلُ سائِليكَ مَعَ العَطا

عُذراً فَكُنتَ السائِلَ المَسؤُولا

عُذراً فَكُنتَ السائِلَ المَسؤُولا

You give, and with your gift you ask your petitioners

You give and ask your petitioners for excuse along with the gift

for pardon; thus you have become both petitioner and petitioned.

Thus you have become the questioned giver.

تَجِدُ اليَسيرَ مِنَ المَدائِحِ مُفرِطاً

تَجِدُ اليَسيرَ مِنَ المَدائِحِ مُفرِطاً

وَتَرى الكَثيرَ مِنَ العَطاءِ قَليلا

وَتَرى الكَثيرَ مِنَ العَطاءِ قَليلا

You judge a little praise excessive,

You find the few praises excessive

and consider abundant giving little.

And see the much giving as too little.

يا مَن إِذا وَعَدَ الجَميلَ لِوَفدِهِ

يا مَن إِذا وَعَدَ الجَميلَ لِوَفدِهِ

أَضحى الزَمانُ بِما يَقولُ كَفيلا

أَضحى الزَمانُ بِما يَقولُ كَفيلا

O you, whenever you promise kindness to your visitors,

O you who when you promise good to your delegation

Time becomes the guarantor of what you say.

Time itself becomes guarantor of what you say.

مَولايَ تَثقيلي عَليكَ كَثيرٌ

مَولايَ تَثقيلي عَليكَ كَثيرٌ

إِذ كانَ ظَنّي في عُلاكَ جَميلا

إِذ كانَ ظَنّي في عُلاكَ جَميلا

My lord, I lay many burdens on you,

My master, much weighs upon you

for I have thought well of your eminence.

When my assumption of your eminence is good.

وَبِريفِ مِصرِكَ لي عَزيزٌ لَم أَجِد

وَبِريفِ مِصرِكَ لي عَزيزٌ لَم أَجِد

بِسِواكَ لِلإِنصافِ مِنهُ سَبيلا

بِسِواكَ لِلإِنصافِ مِنهُ سَبيلا

And in your Egypt's countryside I have a powerful man to deal with; I have not found

And in your countryside I have a dear one whom I have not found

a way to obtain justice from him through anyone but you.

Anyone but you to turn to for justice.

لَمّا عَرَضتُ عَلى عُلاكَ لِذِكرِهِ

لَمّا عَرَضتُ عَلى عُلاكَ لِذِكرِهِ

طَرفاً وَصادَفَ مِن نَداكَ قَبولا

طَرفاً وَصادَفَ مِن نَداكَ قَبولا

When I presented to your eminence, concerning him,

When I presented to your eminence a glance to mention him

a brief account, and it met with your generous acceptance,

And met acceptance from your benevolence,

هَنَّأتُ نَفسي ثُمَّ قُلتُ لَها ابشِري

هَنَّأتُ نَفسي ثُمَّ قُلتُ لَها ابشِري

وَثِقي فَذَلِكَ وَعدُ إِسماعيلا

وَثِقي فَذَلِكَ وَعدُ إِسماعيلا

I congratulated my soul, then said to her, 'Rejoice,

I congratulated myself and then said to it rejoice

and trust, for that is Isma'il's promise.'

And trust for that is the promise of Ismael.

هُوَ صادِقُ الوَعدِ الَّذي لِوَفائِهِ

هُوَ صادِقُ الوَعدِ الَّذي لِوَفائِهِ

نَستَشهِدُ الآياتِ وَالتَنزيلا

نَستَشهِدُ الآياتِ وَالتَنزيلا

He is true to his promise, one for whose fidelity

He is the truthful in promise for whose faithfulness

we call the verses and the Revelation as witnesses.

We seek evidence in texts and revelation.

قَد ظَلَّ يَفتَخِرُ القَريضُ بأَنَّني

قَد ظَلَّ يَفتَخِرُ القَريضُ بأَنَّني

صَيَّرتُهُ طَوراً إِلَيكَ رَسولا

صَيَّرتُهُ طَوراً إِلَيكَ رَسولا

Poetry has kept boasting that I

The Quraysh have continued boasting that I

once made it a messenger to you.

Made him for a time your messenger.

وَالعَبدُ مُشتَهِرٌ بِحُبِّكَ ناطِقٌ

وَالعَبدُ مُشتَهِرٌ بِحُبِّكَ ناطِقٌ

بِجَميلِ ذِكرِكَ بُكرَةً وَأَصيلا

بِجَميلِ ذِكرِكَ بُكرَةً وَأَصيلا

And your servant, famed for his love of you, speaks

And this servant well known for loving you is vocal

with fair praise of you, morning and late afternoon.

In speaking well of you morning and evening.

فَاِجعَل إِجازَةَ شِعرِهِ مِن مالِهِ

فَاِجعَل إِجازَةَ شِعرِهِ مِن مالِهِ

إِذ شَأنُهُ أَن لا يَرى التَثقيلا

إِذ شَأنُهُ أَن لا يَرى التَثقيلا

So let the reward for his verse come from his wealth,

So make the reward for his poetry from his wealth

for it is his way not to consider imposing a burden.

Since his way is not to see any burden.