ياO حسنَfair of الوجهface والشمائلِand manners والand the
يا حسنَ الوجه والشمائلِ وال
أخلاقِcharacter والرأيand judgment والأفاعيلِand deeds
أخلاقِ والرأي والأفاعيلِ
O you, fair of face and fine in manners and
O you of beautiful face, character, morals, wisdom, deeds and actions
character, judgment, and deeds!
Why do others gain your favor while I gain nothing but rebukes?
ماwhat بالُthe matter with غيريothers besides me يحظىwins favor لديكwith you ولاand not
ما بالُ غيري يحظى لديك ولا
أحظىI gain favor بشيءٍwith anything سوىexcept التعاليلِexcuses
أحظى بشيءٍ سوى التعاليلِ
Why do others win favor with you, while I do not
If you were to abandon your inclination and stop entertaining nonsense
gain anything but excuses?
I would not lose hope or stop wishing you well
ولوand even if تخلّيتI freed myself منfrom علائقِbonds of تأfirst part of 'hoping in you'
ولو تخلّيت من علائقِ تأ
ميلكَlast part of 'hoping in you' قفَّيتَyou followed up بالأباطيلِwith false promises
ميلكَ قفَّيتَ بالأباطيلِ
Even if I freed myself from the bonds of hoping
I do not flatter or praise you falsely
in you, you would pursue me with false promises.
Or build up your status with empty words
لكننيbut I فيكconcerning you غيرُnot ماemphatic particle عُطُلٍdevoid
لكنني فيك غيرُ ما عُطُلٍ
منof حسنِgoodness of ظنٍopinion وبُعدِand far reach of تأميلِhope
من حسنِ ظنٍ وبُعدِ تأميلِ
Yet I am by no means bereft, where you are concerned,
Join me to my livelihood and grant me dues
of good opinion and far-reaching hope.
Sweeter than the flowing of pants
وماand not أُحابيكَI flatter you فيin المديحpraise ولاnor
وما أُحابيكَ في المديح ولا
شِيدتْwere built up معاليكَyour lofty merits بالأقاويلِby words
شِيدتْ معاليكَ بالأقاويلِ
I do not flatter you in my praise, nor
Without procrastination or delay
have your lofty merits been built out of mere words.
Expediting this with all haste
صِلنيgrant me برزقيwith my stipend وفائتيand my arrears صِلةًa gift
صِلني برزقي وفائتي صِلةً
ألذَّmore delightful منthan نَشْطةِuntying of السراويلِthe trousers
ألذَّ من نَشْطةِ السراويلِ
Grant me my stipend and arrears—a gift
And be not like the group who made
sweeter than the loosening of trousers—
Their honor ransom for the immoral
بلاwithout دفاعٍdelay ولاand no مماطلةٍprocrastination
بلا دفاعٍ ولا مماطلةٍ
مُعجلاًhastening ذاكthat كلّevery degree of تعجيلِhaste
مُعجلاً ذاك كلّ تعجيلِ
without delay or procrastination,
By the right of the One who stands in place
hastening it with the utmost haste.
Of crown for the king and wreaths
ولاand do not تكنْbe مثلَlike معشرٍa group of people جعلواthey made
ولا تكنْ مثلَ معشرٍ جعلوا
أعراضَهمtheir honor فديةَa ransom for المناذيلِhandkerchiefs
أعراضَهم فديةَ المناذيلِ
Do not be like those who have made
No, but the place of arms whose polish
their honor a ransom for handkerchiefs.
Is for the heroic youth
بحقّby the right of ذاكthat one الذيwho يقومُstands in مقاfirst part of 'place'
بحقّ ذاك الذي يقومُ مقا
مَlast part of 'place' التاجِthe crown للمَلكِfor the king والأكاليلِand diadems
مَ التاجِ للمَلكِ والأكاليلِ
By the right of him who takes the place
No, the place of defense and victory
of crown and diadems for the king—
Present in the hour of adversities
لاno بلْrather مقامَthe place of السلاحِweapons ذلقهhe sharpened it الthe
لا بلْ مقامَ السلاحِ ذلقه ال
صيقلُsword-polisher للفتيةِfor the young men البهاليلِthe noble-hearted
صيقلُ للفتيةِ البهاليلِ
no, rather, the place of weapons sharpened by the
A supporter, advisor, never deviating
sword-polisher for noble youths—
From truth or misleading
لاno بلrather مقامَthe place of الدفاعِdefense والظفرِand victory الthe
لا بل مقامَ الدفاعِ والظفرِ ال
حاضرِat hand فيin ساعةِthe hour of البلابيلِturmoil
حاضرِ في ساعةِ البلابيلِ
no, rather, the place of defense and victory
Our master, our full moon, our hope
at hand in the hour of turmoil,
The one, in word and deed
يُمناًgood fortune ورأياًand judgment مجنَّباًkept clear of أبداًforever
يُمناً ورأياً مجنَّباً أبداً
كلّevery ضلالٍerror وكلَّand every تضليلِdeception
كلّ ضلالٍ وكلَّ تضليلِ
in good fortune and judgment, forever kept free
Father of Al-Hussein, through whom
of every error and every deception:
The virtues of rule returned after change
سيّدِناour master بدرِناour full moon مؤَمَّلِناthe one we hope in
سيّدِنا بدرِنا مؤَمَّلِنا
واحدِناour peerless one فيin الفَعالdeeds والقيلِand speech
واحدِنا في الفَعال والقيلِ
our master, our full moon, the one we hope in,
May God fill what He granted him
our peerless one in deed and speech,
With no diminishing or altering
أبيAbu (father of) الحسينِal-Husayn الذيwho بهthrough him رجعتْreturned
أبي الحسينِ الذي به رجعتْ
محاسنُsplendors of الملكِkingship بعدafter تبديلِalteration
محاسنُ الملكِ بعد تبديلِ
Abu al-Husayn, through whom returned
Grant me sincerity from you and
the splendors of kingship after they had changed.
Loyalty that rewards without delay
ملَّأَهُmay He fill him اللَّهُGod ماwhat حباهُHe bestowed on him بهwith it
ملَّأَهُ اللَّهُ ما حباهُ به
لاnot بزوالٍwith loss ولاand not بتحويلِwith alteration
لا بزوالٍ ولا بتحويلِ
May God fill him with what He has bestowed on him,
May you succeed with talents that pour
without loss or alteration,
Like the shoreline of the Nile overflows
ممتعاًgranted enjoyment بالصفاءِof sincerity منكfrom you وبالand of the
ممتعاً بالصفاءِ منك وبال
إخلاصِdevotion يجزيكhe rewards you غيرَwithout تأجيلِdelay
إخلاصِ يجزيك غيرَ تأجيلِ
enjoying your sincerity and
May God dress you, O Abu Umar
devotion, as he rewards you without delay,
In a robe of brilliance and crown of reverence
موفقاًguided successfully فيكtoward you للصنائعto acts of kindness يُسfirst part of 'he bestows them'
موفقاً فيك للصنائع يُس
ديهنَّlast part of 'he bestows them' ماas long as فاضoverflowed ساحلُbank of النيلِthe Nile
ديهنَّ ما فاض ساحلُ النيلِ
guided to do you favors, bestowing
O you whom when the critic consults
them as long as the Nile's banks overflow.
He points to wisdom and erudition
ألبسكَmay He clothe you اللَّهGod ياO أباAbu (father of) عُمرٍUmar
ألبسكَ اللَّه يا أبا عُمرٍ
ثوبَa robe of بهاءsplendor وتاجَand a crown of تبجيلِhonor
ثوبَ بهاء وتاجَ تبجيلِ
May God clothe you, O Abu Umar,
Take sufficient dues from your brother
in a robe of splendor and a crown of honor.
To meet again later in detail
ياO منone who إذاwhen ماemphatic particle اجتباهhe chooses him منتقدٌa discerning critic
يا من إذا ما اجتباه منتقدٌ
دلَّpoints علىto حكمةٍwisdom وتحصيلِand sound judgment
دلَّ على حكمةٍ وتحصيلِ
O you, when a discerning critic chooses you,
Balanced in meter, though leaning
his choice displays wisdom and sound judgment.
Away from your balanced weights
خذaccept صِلةًa gift منfrom أخيكyour brother كافيةًsufficient
خذ صِلةً من أخيك كافيةً
يلقاكَwill meet you ماwhat بعدَهاafter it بتفصيلِwith detail
يلقاكَ ما بعدَها بتفصيلِ
Accept from your brother a sufficient gift—
In the words of a free man authorized
what follows it will meet you with fuller detail—
To you in kindness, giving all agency
راجحةheavy الوزنِin weight وهْيyet it is شائلةٌrising in the scales
راجحة الوزنِ وهْي شائلةٌ
عنbeside قَدْرِكyour worth الراجحweighty in المثاقيلِthe weights
عن قَدْرِك الراجح المثاقيلِ
weighty, yet rising in the balance
Who said some of what you granted
beside your worth, whose weights tip the scales,
Not praising you falsely or vaguely
منfrom قولwords of حُرّa free man مُخوّلmade a servant لكto you بالby the
من قول حُرّ مُخوّل لك بال
إحسانkindness تُوليهِyou bestow on him كلَّevery degree of تخويلِgenerous giving
إحسان تُوليهِ كلَّ تخويلِ
from the words of a free man made your servant by
And may you remain in health
the kindness you lavish upon him without stint.
And the shelter of bounty in attire
قالhe spoke ببعضِof some of الذيwhat منحتَyou bestowed ولمand did not
قال ببعضِ الذي منحتَ ولم
يمدحْكَpraise you بالزورwith falsehood والتهاويلِand exaggerations
يمدحْكَ بالزور والتهاويلِ
He has spoken of some of what you bestowed, and has not
praised you with falsehood and exaggerations.
ولاand may not تَزَلْyou cease منof لبوسclothing عافيةٍwell-being
ولا تَزَلْ من لبوس عافيةٍ
وسِترِand the shelter of نعماءَblessings فيin سرابيلِrobes
وسِترِ نعماءَ في سرابيلِ
May you ever be clothed in well-being
and in robes that shelter you with blessings.
Partial English translation: 44 of 48 Arabic lines translated.