لَكَ ما تَراماه لِحاظُ النَّاظرِ

لَكَ ما تَراماه لِحاظُ النَّاظرِ

وإليك مرجع كلّ مدحٍ سائرِ

وإليك مرجع كلّ مدحٍ سائرِ

Yours is all that the beholder's glances aim at.

You have all that the beholder's eyes desire

And to you returns every far-ranging word of praise.

And to you returns all praise that flows

وَأراكَ أَفضل مَن تَعاور فضلَه

وَأراكَ أَفضل مَن تَعاور فضلَه

إخفاءُ مخفٍ أو إشادةُ ذاكرِ

إخفاءُ مخفٍ أو إشادةُ ذاكرِ

And I deem you the finest whose merit is treated by turns

And I see you as the best of those endowed with merit

With a concealer's suppression or a speaker's acclaim.

Whether concealed by the reticent or lauded by the vocal

هَذي الخِلافةُ مُذْ مَلأت سَريرها

هَذي الخِلافةُ مُذْ مَلأت سَريرها

في بُردة الزَّمن الأنيق النَّاضرِ

في بُردة الزَّمن الأنيق النَّاضرِ

This caliphate, since you occupied its throne,

This caliphate, since sitting on its throne

Is clothed in the mantle of a graceful, radiant age.

In the refined, brilliant raiment of time

سكنتْ إليك وأكثبَتْ لكفيئها

سكنتْ إليك وأكثبَتْ لكفيئها

وهي القصيَّة عن رجاء الخاطرِ

وهي القصيَّة عن رجاء الخاطرِ

It found repose with you and drew near its equal,

Has settled with you, and anchored its protection with you

Though far beyond what the mind could hope for.

Though remote from the aspirations of the heart

غادرتمُ مُستامَها في غيركمْ

غادرتمُ مُستامَها في غيركمْ

نَهْباً حصيدَ أسنّةٍ وبواترِ

نَهْباً حصيدَ أسنّةٍ وبواترِ

You have left whoever seeks it elsewhere than among you

You have abandoned its reins to others

As plunder, mown down by spearheads and cleaving swords.

Prey for the gluttony of the aged and the young

وَإِذا اِنتَمى شَرفٌ إلى أعقابهِ

وَإِذا اِنتَمى شَرفٌ إلى أعقابهِ

أغناك أوّل سُودَدٍ عن آخرِ

أغناك أوّل سُودَدٍ عن آخرِ

And when nobility is traced to its later generations,

And if a nobility traces its origin

Your earliest greatness leaves you no need of the latest.

Your primacy has rendered the latter redundant

ضَمِنتْ همومُك كلَّ خطبٍ موئدٍ

ضَمِنتْ همومُك كلَّ خطبٍ موئدٍ

وأقام عدلُك كلَّ رأيٍ جائرِ

وأقام عدلُك كلَّ رأيٍ جائرِ

Your concerns have undertaken every crushing calamity,

Your concerns have guaranteed every glory, every felicity

And your justice has set straight every unjust judgment.

And your justice has stilled each errant opinion

وَنَأى بِمَجدكَ عَن تقبُّلِ ماجدٍ

وَنَأى بِمَجدكَ عَن تقبُّلِ ماجدٍ

كرمٌ يبرّح بالغمام الماطرِ

كرمٌ يبرّح بالغمام الماطرِ

And your glory was borne beyond any nobleman's grasp

And your glory has distanced itself from acknowledging any glory

By generosity that sorely afflicts the rain-bearing clouds,

A generosity that pours with the rainfall of the clouds

وَمواطنٌ لكَ لا تَقلّ مُزَنِّداً

وَمواطنٌ لكَ لا تَقلّ مُزَنِّداً

صَهَواتِ جُرْدٍ أو ظهور منابرِ

صَهَواتِ جُرْدٍ أو ظهور منابرِ

And by stations of yours where no pretender is borne

You have stands that do not diminish however much one vie

On the backs of sleek steeds or the tops of pulpits.

Valorous steeds or the platforms of pulpits

خَبُثَ الزّمانُ فَمُذ غَمرتَ فِناءَه

خَبُثَ الزّمانُ فَمُذ غَمرتَ فِناءَه

أضحى سلوكَ مناقبٍ ومآثرِ

أضحى سلوكَ مناقبٍ ومآثرِ

Time had turned foul; but since you flooded its courtyard,

When you flooded its expanse, the vileness of time

It has become strings of virtues and glorious deeds.

Became the courser of virtues and good deeds

فَاِفخرْ أَمير المُؤمنين فما أرى

فَاِفخرْ أَمير المُؤمنين فما أرى

بعديل عزّك في الورى من فاخرِ

بعديل عزّك في الورى من فاخرِ

So boast, Commander of the Faithful, for I see

So glory, Commander of the Faithful, for I do not see

No one among mankind boasting of glory to equal yours.

That you have a peer in glory among mankind

وتهنَّ بالشّهر الجديد فقد أتى

وتهنَّ بالشّهر الجديد فقد أتى

في خير آونةٍ بأسعد طائرِ

في خير آونةٍ بأسعد طائرِ

And rejoice in the new month, for it has arrived

And greet the new month, for it has come

At the best of times, with the happiest omen.

In the most auspicious of times, with the luckiest omen

تنتابك الأيّامُ غيرَ مُذمّمٍ

تنتابك الأيّامُ غيرَ مُذمّمٍ

يَلقى اِمتنانَك واردٌ عن صادرِ

يَلقى اِمتنانَك واردٌ عن صادرِ

The days visit you while you remain blameless;

Days come to you unsullied

Each newcomer receives your bounty after another leaves.

Each petition finds your favor to be forthcoming

وَأَنا الّذي يرضيكَ باطنُ غَيبهِ

وَأَنا الّذي يرضيكَ باطنُ غَيبهِ

وكفاك في الأقوامِ حسنُ الظاهرِ

وكفاك في الأقوامِ حسنُ الظاهرِ

And I am he whose hidden inward self pleases you,

It is I whose hidden essence contents you

Though among men, a fair exterior has sufficed you.

And you find my outward demeanor sufficient among the people

أَفضى إلى خَلَدِي وِدادُك مِثلما

أَفضى إلى خَلَدِي وِدادُك مِثلما

أفضى الرّقادُ إلى جفون السّاهرِ

أفضى الرّقادُ إلى جفون السّاهرِ

Love for you has reached my heart, just as

Your affection has poured into my eternity

Sleep reaches the eyelids of one who keeps vigil.

As sleep pours into the eyelids of the wakeful

ما لي يُتيّمني لقاؤك وهْو لِي

ما لي يُتيّمني لقاؤك وهْو لِي

شَطَطٌ وغيري فيه كلُّ القادرِ

شَطَطٌ وغيري فيه كلُّ القادرِ

Why does meeting you enthrall me, when for me it is

Why does a meeting with you elude me when it is for me

Far out of reach, while another is fully able to attain it?

Raving madness while for others entirely possible

وَلَربّما أَلغى حقوقك واصلٌ

وَلَربّما أَلغى حقوقك واصلٌ

وأتاك يشرح في رعاية هاجرِ

وأتاك يشرح في رعاية هاجرِ

And often one who comes to you neglects your rights,

Perhaps a visit has nullified your rights

And comes to you expounding on care for one who stays away.

And it has allowed another to expound in rapture

وَأَحقّ ما أَرجوه منك زيارةٌ

وَأَحقّ ما أَرجوه منك زيارةٌ

أُدعى لها في النّاس أيمنَ زائرِ

أُدعى لها في النّاس أيمنَ زائرِ

And what I most rightly hope for from you is a visit,

The visit I most desire from you

For which, among men, I would be called the most fortunate visitor.

Is one for which, among the people, I would pray for the luckiest visitor

أَرَبٌ متى قضَّيبَه ببلوغه

أَرَبٌ متى قضَّيبَه ببلوغه

كثّرتَ شَجْوَ مُكاثري ومفاخري

كثّرتَ شَجْوَ مُكاثري ومفاخري

A wish—whenever you fulfill it by letting me attain it—

Oh Lord, when my staff completes its extension

You will multiply the sorrow of my rivals in plenty and glory.

My boasts and my glories will proliferate

هَل لي عَلى تلكَ المَمالكِ وقفةٌ

هَل لي عَلى تلكَ المَمالكِ وقفةٌ

في ذلك الشّرف المنيف الباهرِ

في ذلك الشّرف المنيف الباهرِ

Will I have a moment to stand in those dominions,

Will I tarry awhile in those realms

In that lofty, dazzling eminence?

In that sublime, splendid, dazzling eminence

أم هل لساني يوم ذاك مترجمٌ

أم هل لساني يوم ذاك مترجمٌ

عَن بَعضِ ما اِشتَمَلَتْ عليهِ ضَمائري

عَن بَعضِ ما اِشتَمَلَتْ عليهِ ضَمائري

Or will my tongue that day be an interpreter

Or will my tongue one day translate

Of some of what my innermost thoughts contain?

Some of what my conscience has harbored

وَتيقُّني أنْ ليس جِدّي نافعي

وَتيقُّني أنْ ليس جِدّي نافعي

إنْ لم يكن جَدّي هنالك ناصري

إنْ لم يكن جَدّي هنالك ناصري

And I am certain that my striving cannot help me

And I am sure that my endeavor will not benefit me

If my good fortune does not aid me there.

If my endeavor does not have a supporter there

وَإِذا التحيّة لِلخَليفة أعرضتْ

وَإِذا التحيّة لِلخَليفة أعرضتْ

فهناك أُمُّ القول أبخلُ عاقرِ

فهناك أُمُّ القول أبخلُ عاقرِ

And when a greeting to the caliph presents itself,

And if the greeting to the Caliph I present

Then the mother of speech is the stingiest of barren women.

Then speech's mother is the most barren spinster

فَاِمنُنْ بِإذنٍ في الوصول فإنّني

فَاِمنُنْ بِإذنٍ في الوصول فإنّني

أُلفى بفَرْطِ الشّوق أوّلَ حاضرِ

أُلفى بفَرْطِ الشّوق أوّلَ حاضرِ

So favor me with permission to come, for I

So permit me the arrival, for I

Shall be found, through overwhelming longing, the first to arrive.

Will be, with excessive longing, the first present