1. تَرى يوسُفاً في ثَوبِهِ حُسنَ صورَةٍ

    وَتَسمَعُ داوُداً بِهِ مُتَرَنِّما

    You see Joseph in his robe, so fair of form,

    and hear David in him, singing melodiously.

  2. تَقَلَّدَ مِنهُ عاتِقُ المُلكِ مُرهَفاً

    إِذا ما نَبا العَضبُ المُهَنَّدُ صَمَّما

    In him, kingship has slung a keen blade upon its shoulder,

    which cuts clean through when the sharp Indian sword glances off.

  3. مَضى حَيثُ لَم يَعلَق نَجيعٌ بِنَصلِهِ

    فَيَدمى وَلَم يَكهَم ظُباهُ فَيَكهَما

    It presses on where no gore has clung to its blade

    to bloody it, nor have its edges blunted to make it dull.

  4. فَها هُوَ في السِنِّ السَلامُ تَأَخُّراً

    وَفي المَجدِ عُنوانُ الكِتابِ تَقَدُّما

    Behold him: in years, the closing salutation, placed last,

    but in glory, the book’s heading, placed first.

  5. تَواضَعَ عَن عِزٍّ وَأَشرَفَ هِمَّةً

    فَأَنجَدَ في طُرُقِ المَعالي وَأَتهَما

    He is humble in his high estate, yet lofty in ambition,

    and treads the paths of eminence, up to Najd and down to Tihama.

  6. لَهُ عَزمَةٌ لَو نَهنَهَت صارِماً نَبا

    فَلَم يَمضِ أَو مَرَّت بِطَودٍ تَهَدَّما

    His resolve, if it checked a keen sword, would make it recoil

    and fail to cut; if it passed a mountain, the mountain would crumble.

  7. وَرَأيٌ جَلا بيضَ السُيوفِ طَريرَةً

    وَثَقَّفَ مَيّادَ الرِماحِ وَلَهذَما

    And his judgment has burnished the gleaming swords to keenness,

    and straightened the swaying spears and sharpened them.

  8. وَها أَنا إِن تَمرَض بِأَرضِكَ حاجَةٌ

    فَقَد جِئتُ أَبغي مِنكَ عيسى بنَ مَريَما

    And here I am: if a need falls ill in your land,

    I have come seeking in you Jesus, son of Mary.

  9. وَغَيرُ بَعيدٍ أَن أَنالَ بِكَ السُهى

    سُمُوّاً إِذا كانَ اِعتِناؤُكَ سُلَّما

    Nor is it far-fetched that through you I should reach the star Suha,

    rising high, if your care becomes a ladder.

  10. فَعِش تَخلَعِ الأَمداحُ ثَوباً مُطَرَّزاً

    عَلَيكَ وَحُرُّ الشُكرِ عِقداً مُنَظَّما

    So live on: praises shall bestow an embroidered robe

    upon you, and pure gratitude a finely strung necklace.

  11. فَما السَيفُ يَومَ الرَوعِ نَبَّهتَ حَدَّهُ

    فَأَضرَمتُهُ ناراً وَضَرَّجتُهُ دَما

    For no sword on the day of terror—its edge awakened by you,

    then kindled by me to flame and drenched in blood—

  12. بِأَليَنَ أَعطافاً وَأَخشَنَ مَضرِباً

    وَأَرهَبَ إِقداماً وَأَجدى تَخَذُّما

    is more supple in its curves or harsher in its stroke,

    more fearsome in attack or more effective in cleaving than you.

  13. وَلا الرَوضُ غِبَّ القَطرِ فَضَّضَهُ النَدى

    وَرَجَّعَ فيهِ طائِرٌ فَتَكَلَّما

    Nor is the garden after rain, silvered by dew,

    where a bird trills and then speaks,

  14. بِأَطيَبَ أَفياءً وَأَنضَرَ صَفحَةً

    وَأَعطَرَ أَخلاقاً وَأَحلى تَرَنُّما

    more pleasant in its shade or fresher in its face,

    more fragrant in its nature or sweeter in its song than you.