أبا الحسين وأنت ال

أبا الحسين وأنت ال

مليك يُنصِفُ عبدَهْ

مليك يُنصِفُ عبدَهْ

Abu al-Husayn, you are the

O Abul Hussein, you are not

king who deals justly with his servant,

A king who does justice to his servant

ويسمع المدحَ فيه

ويسمع المدحَ فيه

ولا يُخَسِّسُ رفْدَهْ

ولا يُخَسِّسُ رفْدَهْ

and hears praise concerning himself,

And listens to praise of himself

and does not stint his bounty.

Without devaluing his gift

يا من حبانا به الل

يا من حبانا به الل

ه كَيْ نكثِّرَ حمْدَهْ

ه كَيْ نكثِّرَ حمْدَهْ

O you granted to us by

O you whom Allah has blessed us with

God, so we might multiply our praise of Him,

That we may multiply our thanks to him

وأُلِّفَتْ في ذراه

وأُلِّفَتْ في ذراه

من العلا كل فَرْدَهْ

من العلا كل فَرْدَهْ

and in whose heights was gathered

And whom He created in his offspring

every peerless quality of glory:

Every individual of high status

رأيتُ بالأمسِ ما را

رأيتُ بالأمسِ ما را

قَ من عَدِيدٍ وعُدَّهْ

قَ من عَدِيدٍ وعُدَّهْ

Yesterday I saw what

I saw yesterday what amazed me

was pleasing in troop numbers and equipment,

Of much promise and its fulfillment

ومن سياسةِ مُلْكٍ

ومن سياسةِ مُلْكٍ

أصْبحت تهديه قَصدَهْ

أصْبحت تهديه قَصدَهْ

and in the governance of a kingdom

And the policy of a kingdom

whose course you now guide aright,

That guides it to achieve its purpose

ونعمةٍ قد أُتمَّتْ

ونعمةٍ قد أُتمَّتْ

ونعمةٍ مستجدّهْ

ونعمةٍ مستجدّهْ

and a blessing brought to completion,

And a blessing that is complete

and a blessing newly bestowed,

And a new blessing

ودولةٍ لن يراها

ودولةٍ لن يراها

أعداؤها مستردَّهْ

أعداؤها مستردَّهْ

and a dominion that will never be

And a state that its enemies

seen by its enemies as reclaimed.

Will never see reversed

فجلَّ ذلك حتى

فجلَّ ذلك حتى

مثَّلْتُ قدرَك عندَهْ

مثَّلْتُ قدرَك عندَهْ

All that seemed mighty, until

So all that paused until

I pictured your worth beside it;

I imagined your status before it

فدق كلُّ جليل

فدق كلُّ جليل

لحسن وجهك وَحْدَهْ

لحسن وجهك وَحْدَهْ

then every mighty thing grew small

And every glorious thing bowed

before the beauty of your face alone.

To the beauty of your face alone

فكيف للعلم والحلْ

فكيف للعلم والحلْ

م حين تلبس بُرْدَهْ

م حين تلبس بُرْدَهْ

What, then, of knowledge and

So how can knowledge and wisdom

forbearance, when you wear its mantle?

When wearing its cloak

بل كيف للدَّها والإرْ

بل كيف للدَّها والإرْ

بِ حين تصمِدُ صمْدَه

بِ حين تصمِدُ صمْدَه

Rather, what of shrewdness and

Or how can lowliness and greatness

acumen, when you make straight for it?

When you strengthen its pillar

بل كيف للعفو والجو

بل كيف للعفو والجو

د حين تُنْجِزُ وعدَهُ

د حين تُنْجِزُ وعدَهُ

Rather, what of pardon and

Or how can pardon and generosity

generosity, when you fulfill its promise?

When you fulfill your promise

بل كيف للحزم والعزْ

بل كيف للحزم والعزْ

مِ حين تُحْكِمُ عَقْدَهْ

مِ حين تُحْكِمُ عَقْدَهْ

Rather, what of firmness and

Or how can firmness and honor

resolve, when you make its knot secure?

When you make its knot firm

أنَّى بِنِدِّكَ يا من

أنَّى بِنِدِّكَ يا من

لم يخلق اللَّهُ نِدَّهْ

لم يخلق اللَّهُ نِدَّهْ

Where could your equal be, O you

Where is your equal, O you

whose peer God never created,

Whom Allah did not create an equal

ولم يكن قطُّ ضداً

ولم يكن قطُّ ضداً

إلا لمن كان ضدَّهْ

إلا لمن كان ضدَّهْ

and who were never an adversary

And there was never an opposite

except to one who was your adversary?

Except to one who opposed him

فليعطك الحظُّ ما شا

فليعطك الحظُّ ما شا

ء وليكاثِرْكَ جُهْدَهْ

ء وليكاثِرْكَ جُهْدَهْ

Let fortune give you whatever

So may fortune grant you what it wills

it wishes, and vie with you to its utmost;

And multiply your efforts for you

فقد أبى اللَّهُ إلا اعْ

فقد أبى اللَّهُ إلا اعْ

تِلاء مجدِك مجدَهْ

تِلاء مجدِك مجدَهْ

for God has willed nothing but

For Allah refused except

your glory's rising above its glory.

To link your glory to His glory

يا من تَحلَّى من السيْ

يا من تَحلَّى من السيْ

فِ صفحتيه وقَدَّهْ

فِ صفحتيه وقَدَّهْ

O you who drew adornment from the

O you who adorned himself with the sword

sword—its two broad faces and its form;

Its blade and its sharp edge

ولو نشاء لقلنا

ولو نشاء لقلنا

بل شفرتيه وحَدَّهْ

بل شفرتيه وحَدَّهْ

and if we wished, we could say:

And if we wished we would say

rather, its two cutting edges and its sharpness;

Rather its two edges

ولو نشاء لقلنا

ولو نشاء لقلنا

مَهَزَّهُ وفِرِنْدَهْ

مَهَزَّهُ وفِرِنْدَهْ

and if we wished, we could say:

And if we wished we would say

its quivering and its watered pattern,

Its ornamented hilt and quillon

وحِلمُهُ عند ذي الحل

وحِلمُهُ عند ذي الحل

م حين يلبس غمده

م حين يلبس غمده

and its forbearance with one possessed of

And his forbearance when the forbearing

forbearance, when it wears its sheath.

Dons its sheath

يا من حكى في المعالي

يا من حكى في المعالي

أباه طُرّاً وجَدَّه

أباه طُرّاً وجَدَّه

O you who in noble deeds have mirrored

O you who related in supreme traits

your father wholly, and your grandfather,

His father, excellence and limit

خذها فما زلت تُعْطي

خذها فما زلت تُعْطي

بنَقدةٍ ألفَ نقده

بنَقدةٍ ألفَ نقده

take this, for you have always given

Take them, for you still give

a thousand coins for a single coin.

For a dirham, a thousand dirhams

ومن بغى لك سوءاً

ومن بغى لك سوءاً

فلا تَخَطَّى أشُدَّهْ

فلا تَخَطَّى أشُدَّهْ

And whoever seeks harm for you—

And whoever wishes you ill

may he not outlive his prime!

Will not transgress his utmost

وفي المساعي فكن قَبْ

وفي المساعي فكن قَبْ

لَهُ وفي العمر بعْدَهْ

لَهُ وفي العمر بعْدَهْ

And in noble endeavors, be before

And in your endeavors, accept him

him, and in lifespan, after him.

And in your life, after it

فليس يُطْريك مُطْرٍ

فليس يُطْريك مُطْرٍ

على طريق المودَّهْ

على طريق المودَّهْ

For no eulogist extols you

For no misfortune makes you stumble

merely out of affection,

On the path of affection

لكن على كل حالٍ

لكن على كل حالٍ

إذا تَيَمَّمَ رُشْدَهْ

إذا تَيَمَّمَ رُشْدَهْ

but in every circumstance,

Rather, in any case, when

when he seeks the right course.

Prudence wears its attire