إمامَ الهدى سعدٌ وفأل مباركُ

إمامَ الهدى سعدٌ وفأل مباركُ

وإقبالُ عِزّ ليس فيه مشاركُ

وإقبالُ عِزّ ليس فيه مشاركُ

O Imam of guidance—good fortune and a blessed omen,

Leader of guidance, Saad is blessed and auspicious,

And the advent of glory shared by no one else.

And good fortune of honor has no partner,

وفَصْدٌ لماءِ الجود في الناس فاصدٌ

وفَصْدٌ لماءِ الجود في الناس فاصدٌ

وبُرْءٌ لك الأعداءُ فيه تُتاركُ

وبُرْءٌ لك الأعداءُ فيه تُتاركُ

And a bloodletting that lets bounty's waters flow among the people,

And streaming for the water of generosity among people is streaming,

And recovery for you, in which your enemies are left alone.

And innocence for you the enemies in it you abandon,

تَفَجَّرَ من يُمْناك باليُمْن للعُلا

تَفَجَّرَ من يُمْناك باليُمْن للعُلا

دَمٌ لدمِ الأَعداءِ ما عِشْتَ سافكُ

دَمٌ لدمِ الأَعداءِ ما عِشْتَ سافكُ

From your right hand there gushed, auspiciously for glory,

It gushed from your right hand with good fortune for the high,

Blood that sheds your enemies' blood as long as you live.

Blood for the blood of enemies, as long as you live pouring,

دم أَعْقَبَتْهُ صحَّةٌ وسلامةٌ

دم أَعْقَبَتْهُ صحَّةٌ وسلامةٌ

وحفَّتْ به قبل الأنامِ الملائِكُ

وحفَّتْ به قبل الأنامِ الملائِكُ

Blood followed by health and well-being,

Blood that was followed by health and safety,

And angels surrounded it before humankind did.

And the angels before the people surrounded it,

لِنَفْسِ طبيبٍ جَسَّ عِرْفَكَ سُؤْلُها

لِنَفْسِ طبيبٍ جَسَّ عِرْفَكَ سُؤْلُها

فقد جَسّ ما لا يَنْتَهِيه مُماسِك

فقد جَسّ ما لا يَنْتَهِيه مُماسِك

The soul of a physician who felt your bounty has its wish,

For the soul of a physician who examined your honor his question,

For he has touched what no grasp can encompass:

For he examined what your ideals do not end,

يَدا مَلِكٍ ما زال مُذْ كان فيهما

يَدا مَلِكٍ ما زال مُذْ كان فيهما

لبَذْلِ العطايا والمنَايا مَسالِكُ

لبَذْلِ العطايا والمنَايا مَسالِكُ

A king's two hands, which have always, since he came to be, held

The hand of a king that has not stopped since there was in them

Paths for dispensing gifts and dealing death.

For giving gifts and deaths paths,

فَوَجْهُ الهدَى رَيَّانُ أَبْيَضُ ناصِعٌ

فَوَجْهُ الهدَى رَيَّانُ أَبْيَضُ ناصِعٌ

كما بِكَ وَجْهُ الشِّرْكِ أَسْودُ حالكُ

كما بِكَ وَجْهُ الشِّرْكِ أَسْودُ حالكُ

Thus the face of guidance is well-watered, white, and radiant,

So the face of guidance is fresh and white radiant,

Just as, through you, polytheism's face is black and pitch-dark.

As with you the face of polytheism is black gloomy,

بعثت ُ بمدحي قبلَ كلّ هدِيّةٍ

بعثت ُ بمدحي قبلَ كلّ هدِيّةٍ

لأَني له دونَ الهديَّةِ مالكُ

لأَني له دونَ الهديَّةِ مالكُ

I sent my praise before every gift,

I was sent with my praise before any gift,

For I possess it, but not a gift.

Because without the gift I own it,

ولا شيءَ غيرَ المدحِ يَبْقَى لأنه

ولا شيءَ غيرَ المدحِ يَبْقَى لأنه

مقيمٌ جديدٌ والهدايا هوالكُ

مقيمٌ جديدٌ والهدايا هوالكُ

And nothing but praise endures, for it

And nothing but praise remains because it

Is lasting and fresh, while gifts perish.

Is lasting new and gifts transient,

ولو كنتُ أَحْوِي ما على الأرضَ كُلَّه

ولو كنتُ أَحْوِي ما على الأرضَ كُلَّه

بعثتُ به لطْفاً وما أنا آفكُ

بعثتُ به لطْفاً وما أنا آفكُ

And were I to possess all that is on earth,

And if I contained what is on earth all of it

I would send it as a kind offering—and I am no liar.

I would send it out of kindness and I do not refrain,

ولولا خطوبٌ عُفْنَ مالِيَ لم تَرُحْ

ولولا خطوبٌ عُفْنَ مالِيَ لم تَرُحْ

هداياه منّي وهْيَ عنك مَواسِكُ

هداياه منّي وهْيَ عنك مَواسِكُ

And were it not for calamities that ruined my wealth,

And were it not for misfortunes, my money ran out,

Its gifts would not leave me while being withheld from you.

His gifts from me and it from you would not cease,

ولكنّه لِما مَضَى المالُ وانْقَضَى

ولكنّه لِما مَضَى المالُ وانْقَضَى

بعثتُ بودٍّ ماله عنك فارِكُ

بعثتُ بودٍّ ماله عنك فارِكُ

But since the wealth was gone and exhausted,

But because the money is gone and depleted,

I sent affection that knows no aversion to you,

I sent with love which without you I abandon,

ومدحٍ إذا أضحى المديح مشبه

ومدحٍ إذا أضحى المديح مشبه

غدا وهو حسن للعلا وبواتكُ

غدا وهو حسن للعلا وبواتكُ

And praise that, when other praises grow alike,

And praise when praise becomes similar

Becomes glory's adornment and keen-edged swords:

It becomes in the morning beautiful to the high and your temple,

قواف بواكٍ إن عداك بديعها

قواف بواكٍ إن عداك بديعها

وإن يممت علياك فهي ضواحكُ

وإن يممت علياك فهي ضواحكُ

Rhymes that weep if their wondrous artistry passes you by,

Creating faces if without you unique,

And if they turn toward your lofty station, they laugh.

And if you incline to your family they are laughs,