لِمِثلِها يَستَعِدُّ البَأسُ وَالكَرَمُ

لِمِثلِها يَستَعِدُّ البَأسُ وَالكَرَمُ

وَفي نَظائِرِها تُستَنفَذُ النِعَمُ

وَفي نَظائِرِها تُستَنفَذُ النِعَمُ

For such a prize, valor and generosity relish adversity,

For the like of it, valor and generosity make ready;

and on its peers every bounty is spent.

And on its like, riches are spent to the last.

هِيَ الرِئاسَةُ لاتُقنى جَواهِرُها

هِيَ الرِئاسَةُ لاتُقنى جَواهِرُها

حَتّى يُخاضَ إِلَيها المَوتُ وَالعَدَمُ

حَتّى يُخاضَ إِلَيها المَوتُ وَالعَدَمُ

It is sovereignty—its jewels are not won

It is leadership: its jewels are not acquired

until death and annihilation are braved to reach it.

Until one wades through death and destitution to reach it.

تَقاعَسَ الناسُ عَنها فَاِنتَدَبتَ لَها

تَقاعَسَ الناسُ عَنها فَاِنتَدَبتَ لَها

كَالسَيفِ لانَكَلٌ فيهِ وَلا سَأَمُ

كَالسَيفِ لانَكَلٌ فيهِ وَلا سَأَمُ

The people shrank from it, so I rose to undertake it,

People shrank from it, but you rose to its call,

like a sword that knows neither shrinking nor weariness.

Like a sword, without faltering or weariness.

مازالَ يَجحَدُها قَومٌ وَيُنكِرُها

مازالَ يَجحَدُها قَومٌ وَيُنكِرُها

حَتّى أَقَرّوا وَفي آنافِهِم رَغَمُ

حَتّى أَقَرّوا وَفي آنافِهِم رَغَمُ

My people continued to deny and disown it

A people kept denying it and rejecting it,

until, their noses humbled, they acknowledged it.

Until they acknowledged it, with dust in their noses.

شُكراً فَقَد وَفَتِ الأَيّامُ ماوَعَدَت

شُكراً فَقَد وَفَتِ الأَيّامُ ماوَعَدَت

أَقَرَّ مُمتَنِعٍ وَاِنقادَ مُعتَصِمِ

أَقَرَّ مُمتَنِعٍ وَاِنقادَ مُعتَصِمِ

Thanks! The days have fulfilled what they promised:

Thanks! The days have fulfilled what they promised:

the resistant acknowledged it, and the entrenched submitted.

The defiant one acknowledged it, and the one holding out submitted.

وَما الرِئاسَةُ إِلّا ما تُقِرُّ بِهِ

وَما الرِئاسَةُ إِلّا ما تُقِرُّ بِهِ

شَمسُ المُلوكِ وَتَعنو تَحتَهُ الأُمَمُ

شَمسُ المُلوكِ وَتَعنو تَحتَهُ الأُمَمُ

Sovereignty is only that which

And leadership is nothing but that which

the Sun of Kings confirms, and beneath which nations bow.

The sun of kings acknowledges, and beneath which the nations bow.

مَغارِمُ المَجدِ يَعتَدُّ المُلوكُ بِها

مَغارِمُ المَجدِ يَعتَدُّ المُلوكُ بِها

مَغانِماً في العُلا في طَيِّها نِعَمُ

مَغانِماً في العُلا في طَيِّها نِعَمُ

The burdens of glory are what kings reckon

Kings reckon the costs of glory

as gains in high honor; folded within them are blessings.

As gains in eminence, with blessings folded within them.

هَذي شُيوخُ بَني حَمدانَ قاطِبَةً

هَذي شُيوخُ بَني حَمدانَ قاطِبَةً

لاذوا بِدارِكَ عِندَ الخَوفِ وَاِعتَصَموا

لاذوا بِدارِكَ عِندَ الخَوفِ وَاِعتَصَموا

Here, all together, are the elders of Banu Hamdan;

Here are all the elders of the sons of Hamdan:

they sought refuge in your house when fear came, and found protection.

They sought refuge in your house in fear and sheltered themselves.

حَلّوا بِأَكرَمِ مَن حَلَّ العِبادُ بِهِ

حَلّوا بِأَكرَمِ مَن حَلَّ العِبادُ بِهِ

بِحَيثُ حَلَّ النَدى وَاِستَوثَقَ الكَرَمُ

بِحَيثُ حَلَّ النَدى وَاِستَوثَقَ الكَرَمُ

They alighted with the noblest man with whom mortals have ever lodged,

They lodged with the most generous of all with whom men have lodged,

where bounty dwells and generosity stands secure.

Where bounty had settled and generosity stood secure.

فَكُنتُ مِنهُم وَإِن أَصبَحتَ سَيِّدَهُم

فَكُنتُ مِنهُم وَإِن أَصبَحتَ سَيِّدَهُم

تَواضُعُ المُلكِ في أَصحابِهِ عِظَمُ

تَواضُعُ المُلكِ في أَصحابِهِ عِظَمُ

You were one of them, though you have become their lord:

So I was one of them, though you have become their lord;

a king’s humility among his companions is greatness.

Humility is greatness in those who hold royal power.

شَيخوخَةٌ سَبَقَت لافَضلَ يَتبَعُها

شَيخوخَةٌ سَبَقَت لافَضلَ يَتبَعُها

وَلَيسَ يَفضُلُ فينا الفاضِلُ الهَرِمُ

وَلَيسَ يَفضُلُ فينا الفاضِلُ الهَرِمُ

Mere seniority came first, with no merit following it;

Old age has come first, with no merit following it;

among us, an aged man is not thereby preferred.

Nor does the worthy old man take precedence among us.

وَلَم يُفَضِّل عَقيلاً في وِلادَتِهِ

وَلَم يُفَضِّل عَقيلاً في وِلادَتِهِ

عَلى عَلِيٍّ أَخيهِ السِنُّ وَالقِدَمُ

عَلى عَلِيٍّ أَخيهِ السِنُّ وَالقِدَمُ

Nor, in his birth, was Aqil preferred

Nor was Aqil, by virtue of his birth, preferred

over his brother Ali by age or precedence.

Over Ali, his brother, by age and seniority.

وَكَيفَ يَفضُلُ مَن أَزرى بِهِ بَخَلٌ

وَكَيفَ يَفضُلُ مَن أَزرى بِهِ بَخَلٌ

وَقَعدَةُ اليَدِ وَالرُجلَينِ وَالصَمَمُ

وَقَعدَةُ اليَدِ وَالرُجلَينِ وَالصَمَمُ

How can one be preferred whom miserliness has disgraced,

And how can one excel whom miserliness has debased,

whom a palsied hand, both legs, and deafness have disabled?

And paralysis of hand and both legs, and deafness?

لا تُنكِروا يا بَنيهِ ما أَقولُ فَلَن

لا تُنكِروا يا بَنيهِ ما أَقولُ فَلَن

تُنسى التِراتُ وَلا إِن حالَ شَيخُكُمُ

تُنسى التِراتُ وَلا إِن حالَ شَيخُكُمُ

Do not deny, O his sons, what I say, for never

Do not deny what I say, O his sons, for never

will the legacy be forgotten—not even should your elder pass away.

Will old wrongs be forgotten—not even if your elder changes.

كادَت مَخازيهِ تُرديهِ فَأَنقَذَهُ

كادَت مَخازيهِ تُرديهِ فَأَنقَذَهُ

مِنها بِحُسنِ دِفاعٍ عَنهُ عَمُّكُمُ

مِنها بِحُسنِ دِفاعٍ عَنهُ عَمُّكُمُ

His disgraces nearly brought him down, but he was rescued

His shameful deeds nearly ruined him, but he was rescued

from them by your uncle’s fine defense of him.

From them by your uncle's skillful defense of him.

أَستَودِعُ اللَهَ قَوماً لا أُفَسِّرُهُم

أَستَودِعُ اللَهَ قَوماً لا أُفَسِّرُهُم

الظالِمينَ وَلَو شِئنا لَما ظَلَموا

الظالِمينَ وَلَو شِئنا لَما ظَلَموا

I commend to God’s keeping a people whom I will not name—

I commend to God a people whom I do not name:

the wrongdoers, though, had we wished, they could not have wronged us;

Those who wrong us, though, had we wished, they would not have wronged us;

القائِلينَ وَنُغضي عَن جَوابِهِمُ

القائِلينَ وَنُغضي عَن جَوابِهِمُ

وَالجائِرينَ وَنَرضى بِالَّذي حَكَموا

وَالجائِرينَ وَنَرضى بِالَّذي حَكَموا

those who speak while we refrain from answering them,

Those who speak, while we refrain from answering them;

and those who act unjustly while we accept what they decree.

And those who act unjustly, while we accept what they have decreed.

إِنّي عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ لَستُ أَذكُرُهُم

إِنّي عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ لَستُ أَذكُرُهُم

إِلّا وَلِلشَوقِ دَمعي واكِفٌ سَجِمُ

إِلّا وَلِلشَوقِ دَمعي واكِفٌ سَجِمُ

Whatever my state, I never mention them

Indeed, whatever my state, I never recall them

without my tears, for longing, pouring in a torrent.

Without my tears dripping and streaming with longing.

الأَنفُسُ اِجتَمَعَت يَوماً أَوِ اِفتَرَقَت

الأَنفُسُ اِجتَمَعَت يَوماً أَوِ اِفتَرَقَت

إِذا تَأَمَّلتَ نَفسٌ وَالدِماءُ دَمُ

إِذا تَأَمَّلتَ نَفسٌ وَالدِماءُ دَمُ

Souls—whether once united or parted—

Souls, whether they meet one day or part,

are, when contemplated, one soul, and all blood is one blood.

Are, if you reflect, one soul, and blood is one blood.

رَعاهُمُ اللَهُ ماناحَت مُطَوَّقَةٌ

رَعاهُمُ اللَهُ ماناحَت مُطَوَّقَةٌ

وَحاطَهُم أَبَداً ما أَروَقَ السَلَمُ

وَحاطَهُم أَبَداً ما أَروَقَ السَلَمُ

May God watch over them as long as a ring-necked dove laments,

May God tend them as long as a ringdove mourns,

and guard them forever, as long as the salam tree puts forth leaves.

And guard them forever, as long as the salam tree flourishes.