أَيدmay uphold اللَهGod أَسعَدAs‘ad الوُزَراءِthe viziers
أَيد اللَه أَسعَد الوُزَراءِ
بِدَوامwith the continuance of الإِقبالgood fortune وَالنَعماءِand blessings
بِدَوام الإِقبال وَالنَعماءِ
May God uphold As‘ad of the viziers
May God strengthen the hand of the most fortunate minister
With lasting good fortune and blessings.
With continual prosperity and bounty
لاnot يَعدُّhe counts النَعيمpleasure وَالفَخرand glory شَيئاًanything
لا يَعدُّ النَعيم وَالفَخر شَيئاً
غَيرother than تَنفيسrelieving كُربةdistress الفُقَراءِthe poor
غَير تَنفيس كُربة الفُقَراءِ
He counts pleasure and glory as nothing
He does not consider luxury and pride anything
But the easing of the poor's distress.
Other than relieving the anguish of the destitute
الرَعاياthe subjects وَدائعentrusted charges اللَهGod فيماin what
الرَعايا وَدائع اللَه فيما
جاءَhas come down عِندَamong المُلوكthe kings وَالأُمَراءِand princes
جاءَ عِندَ المُلوك وَالأُمَراءِ
The subjects are God's trusts, according to what
The commoners are God's trusts with
Has come down among kings and princes.
Kings and rulers
وَاِحتِكامand the rule of المُلوكthe kings ماnot زالَceased أَولىpreferable
وَاِحتِكام المُلوك ما زالَ أَولى
مِنthan دَلالthe indulgence of الرَعيةthe populace الحَمقاءِthe foolish
مِن دَلال الرَعية الحَمقاءِ
And the rule of kings has always been preferable
And the rule of kings has always been better
To the indulgence of the foolish populace.
Than the misguidance of ignorant commoners
إِنَّماonly الهَرجtumult الرَعاياthe subjects هَلاكruin
إِنَّما الهَرج الرَعايا هَلاك
وَبَلاءٌand calamity وَالحُكمand governance كَالأَحياءِlike the living
وَبَلاءٌ وَالحُكم كَالأَحياءِ
The subjects' tumult is only ruin
Indeed, the turmoil of commoners brings
And calamity; governance is akin to life.
Ruin, affliction, while rule brings life
شَبهواthey likened لمللكthe realm (unclear spelling) مِنfrom قَديمantiquity بِجسمto a body
شَبهوا لمللك مِن قَديم بِجسم
وَالوَزيرand the vizier الطَبيبthe physician لِلأَدواءِfor ailments
وَالوَزير الطَبيب لِلأَدواءِ
Long ago they likened the realm to a body,
They have long likened the king to a body
And the vizier to the physician for its ailments.
And the minister to a healer of ills
وَكَذاand likewise الجُندthe troops كَالطَبائعlike the temperaments فيهِwithin it
وَكَذا الجُند كَالطَبائع فيهِ
أَبَداًalways وَالكِبارand the grandees كَالأَعضاءِlike organs
أَبَداً وَالكِبار كَالأَعضاءِ
And likewise the troops are like the temperaments within it
And so too the military like natures within him
At all times, and the grandees like organs.
Always, and the elite like limbs
كُلevery صَنفkind مِنof الجُلودthe skins كَخَلطlike a bodily humor
كُل صَنف مِن الجُلود كَخَلط
أَنif (contextual reading) تَعدىit oversteps فحسمهُthen check it بِالدَواءِwith medicine
أَن تَعدى فحسمهُ بِالدَواءِ
Each kind of skin is like a bodily humor;
Each type of rabble like an imbalance
If it oversteps, check it with medicine.
Which, if it exceeds, he cures with remedy
وَتَساويهمand their balance اِعتِدالequilibrium مَزاجtemperament
وَتَساويهم اِعتِدال مَزاج
كَتَكافيlike the balance of الصَفراءِyellow bile وَالسَوداءِand black bile
كَتَكافي الصَفراءِ وَالسَوداءِ
And their balance is an even temperament,
And their equilibrium, balance of temperament
Like the equilibrium of yellow bile and black bile.
Like the equilibrium of yellow and black bile
وَلُزومand the necessity of الحُدودprescribed punishments لِلناسfor people مَعنىthe meaning
وَلُزوم الحُدود لِلناس مَعنى
ماwhat يُقالis said الذِئابthe wolves بَينَamong الشاءِthe sheep
ما يُقال الذِئاب بَينَ الشاءِ
The necessity of prescribed punishments for people is the meaning
And adherence to limits by people means
Of the saying: wolves among the sheep.
What is said of wolves among sheep
كُلevery ذَنبoffense مِنfrom الزَمانTime صَفَحناwe pardoned
كُل ذَنب مِن الزَمان صَفَحنا
عَنهُover it إِلّاexcept تَحكمthe tyranny of الغَوغاءِthe rabble
عَنهُ إِلّا تَحكم الغَوغاءِ
Every offense of Time we have forgiven—
Every sin of the times we forgave
All but the rabble's tyranny.
Except the rule of the foolish mob
أَيدmay uphold اللَهGod نَصرَهُhis victory مِنof وَزيرa vizier
أَيد اللَه نَصرَهُ مِن وَزير
أَسبلhe let fall السترthe veil كاشفa dispeller لِلبَلاءِof affliction
أَسبل الستر كاشف لِلبَلاءِ
May God uphold his victory—what a vizier!
May God aid his victory, from a minister
He let the veil fall, a dispeller of affliction.
Who lets down the curtain, revealing affliction
وَمَحاand erased اِسمthe name of العِصيانrebellion وَالبَغيand oppression لِلشاfor al-Shā-
وَمَحا اِسم العِصيان وَالبَغي لِلشا
م-m (completes al-Shām) مَقرّthe abode of الأَبرارthe righteous وَالأَصفياءِand the pure
م مَقرّ الأَبرار وَالأَصفياءِ
And erased the name of rebellion and oppression from al-Shām,
And erased the name of disobedience and insolence, for the elite
The abode of the righteous and the pure.
The abode of the righteous and the pure
قَدindeed جَلاhe dispelled غَيهبthe darkness of المَكارهhardships عَناfrom us
قَد جَلا غَيهب المَكاره عَنا
بِشُموسwith the suns of التَدبيرplanning وَالآراءِand counsel
بِشُموس التَدبير وَالآراءِ
He has dispelled from us the darkness of hardships
Indeed, the clouds of misfortunes cleared from us
With the suns of planning and counsel.
With the suns of wisdom and opinion
سَلَّhe drew سَيفاًa sword مِنfrom غمدthe sheath of حلمforbearance رَزينsober
سَلَّ سَيفاً مِن غمد حلم رَزين
أَكَلتُهُconsumed it (vocalized: I consumed it) سَفاهةthe folly of السُفَهاءِthe fools
أَكَلتُهُ سَفاهة السُفَهاءِ
He drew a sword from the sheath of sober forbearance,
He unsheathed a sword from the scabbard of dignified forbearance
Consumed by the folly of fools.
Whose bluntness was consumed by the foolishness of fools
وَرَماهُمand he struck them مِنهُfrom it بِعَزمةwith a resolve of صدقsincerity
وَرَماهُم مِنهُ بِعَزمة صدق
دَهمتهمit overwhelmed them بَلَيلةwith a night دَهماءِpitch-dark
دَهمتهم بَلَيلة دَهماءِ
And from it he struck them with sincere resolve
And he threw them from it with the resolve of truth
That engulfed them in a pitch-dark night.
Which overwhelmed them in a pitch-black night
فَمَحاthen erased اللَهُGod آيةthe sign of اللَيلthe night لَكنbut
فَمَحا اللَهُ آية اللَيل لَكن
بِشُعاعwith the radiance of الحسامthe sword لاnot بِذَكاءِby Dhukā’ (the sun)
بِشُعاع الحسام لا بِذَكاءِ
Then God effaced the sign of night, but
So God erased the sign of night, though
By the sword's radiance, not by Dhukā’, the sun.
With the rays of the sword, not the intellect
آذنproclaimed اللَهGod بِالبوارof ruin لِقَومfor a people
آذن اللَه بِالبوار لِقَوم
عاملواthey treated الناسَthe people بِالأَذىwith harm وَالجَفاءِand harshness
عاملوا الناسَ بِالأَذى وَالجَفاءِ
God proclaimed ruin for a people
God gave tidings of destruction to a people
Who treated others with harm and harshness.
Who dealt with others with harm and aloofness
بِغُرورthrough deception مِنfrom بَعضِهمsome of them ماnot تَحامواthey refrained
بِغُرور مِن بَعضِهم ما تَحاموا
هَتكtearing سَترthe veil of الشَريعةthe sacred law الغَرّاءِthe radiant
هَتك سَتر الشَريعة الغَرّاءِ
Deceived by some among them, they did not refrain
In the delusion of some of them, they did not protect
From tearing the veil of the radiant sacred law.
The sanctity of the honorable Law
كَمhow many شَقيّa wretch قَدalready اِستَرَقenslaved تَقياa pious man
كَم شَقيّ قَد اِستَرَق تَقيا
دَولةthe reign of الجَهلignorance غَصةchoking anguish الأَتقياءthe godly
دَولة الجَهل غَصة الأَتقياء
How many a wretch has enslaved a pious man!
How wretched is the pious man who was robbed
The reign of ignorance is a choking grief for the godly.
By the state of ignorance, anguish of the devout
خوفواthey were warned قَبلbefore يَومِهمtheir day فَتَعاشواthen they feigned blindness
خوفوا قَبل يَومِهم فَتَعاشوا
بِخُوفwith the fear of الهَلاكdestruction قَبلbefore العَشاءِsupper
بِخُوف الهَلاك قَبل العَشاءِ
They were warned before their day—yet feigned blindness—
They feared before their day, so they lived
By the threat of destruction before supper,
In fear of destruction before supper
وَبريحand by a wind كادَتit nearly تَزيلswept away الرَواسيthe mountains
وَبريح كادَت تَزيل الرَواسي
وَعظتهمit admonished them بِهَدمِهاby its demolition لِلبِناءof buildings
وَعظتهم بِهَدمِها لِلبِناء
And by a wind that nearly swept away the mountains,
And by a wind that nearly brought down the foundations
Which admonished them by tearing down buildings.
And admonished them by demolishing buildings
ماnot اِنتِفاعthe benefit of السَفيهِthe fool بِالنُصحfrom counsel إِلّاexcept
ما اِنتِفاع السَفيهِ بِالنُصح إِلّا
كَاِنتِفاعlike the benefit of الخَفاشthe bat بِالأَضواءِfrom lights
كَاِنتِفاع الخَفاش بِالأَضواءِ
A fool benefits from counsel no more
No benefit comes to the foolish from advice
Than a bat benefits from lights.
Except the benefit bats get from light
خاطَبتُهُمaddressed them (vocalized: I addressed them) بَلاغةthe eloquence of السَيفthe sword لَماwhen
خاطَبتُهُم بَلاغة السَيف لَما
أَعرَضواthey turned away عَنfrom فَصاحةthe eloquence of الفُصحاءِthe eloquent
أَعرَضوا عَن فَصاحة الفُصحاءِ
The sword's eloquence addressed them when
I addressed them with the eloquence of the sword when
They turned away from the eloquence of the eloquent.
They turned away from the rhetoric of the eloquent
بِغرارby the edge of الحُسامthe sword بادواthey perished جزاءًas recompense
بِغرار الحُسام بادوا جزاءً
عَنfor غُرورdelusion بِالخَيلin horses وَالخَيلاءِand vainglory
عَن غُرور بِالخَيل وَالخَيلاءِ
By the sword's edge they perished, a recompense
With the deceit of the sword they received a reward
For deluded pride in horses and vainglory.
For the conceit with horses and horsemen
أَينَwhere هَذاthis الخَفاءobscurity بَعدafter ظُهورprominence
أَينَ هَذا الخَفاء بَعد ظُهور
أَينَwhere ذاكَthat الظُهورprominence بَعدَafter الخَفاءِobscurity
أَينَ ذاكَ الظُهور بَعدَ الخَفاءِ
Where is this obscurity after prominence?
Where is this hiding after appearing?
Where is that prominence after obscurity?
Where is that appearing after hiding?
وَقعةa battle ذِكرهاits memory عَلىupon الأَرضthe earth يَبقىendures
وَقعة ذِكرها عَلى الأَرض يَبقى
لاعتبارfor taking warning الأَبناءِthe sons بِالآباءِfrom the fathers
لاعتبار الأَبناءِ بِالآباءِ
A battle whose memory will endure on earth,
An event whose mention on earth remains
For sons to take warning from their fathers.
For the children to learn from the fathers
هاكَtake this تاريخَهاits date إِذاif شئتyou wish بَيتاًin a verse
هاكَ تاريخَها إِذا شئت بَيتاً
بَعدَafter عَرضoffering الثَناءِpraise غِبfollowing الدُعاءِprayer
بَعدَ عَرض الثَناءِ غِب الدُعاءِ
Here is its date, if you wish, in a verse,
After presenting praise, the prayer comes
After offering praise, following prayer:
He established limits for justice as guidance
قَدindeed أَقامَhe enforced الحُدودthe prescribed punishments لِلعَدلfor justice هَدياًas guidance
قَد أَقامَ الحُدود لِلعَدل هَدياً
وَنَفىand banished النَحسill fortune أَسعَدAs‘ad الوُزراءِthe viziers
وَنَفى النَحس أَسعَد الوُزراءِ
He enforced the prescribed punishments as guidance toward justice,
And banished misfortune, the most fortunate minister
And As‘ad of the viziers banished ill fortune.
Partial English translation: 57 of 58 Arabic lines translated.