بِالسَعدِwith good fortune قَدalready رَكِبembarked الأَميرthe prince
بِالسَعدِ قَد رَكِب الأَمير
الصادِقُal-Sadiq الباشاthe pasha المُشيرthe marshal
الصادِقُ الباشا المُشير
With good fortune the prince has embarked,
With good fortune the Prince has embarked,
al-Sadiq Pasha, the marshal,
The truthful Pasha, the wise advisor,
فيamong آلهhis family وَوَزيرهand his minister
في آله وَوَزيره
المُصطَفىMustafa الصَدرthe chief minister الكَبيرthe great
المُصطَفى الصَدر الكَبير
with his family and his minister,
With his family and minister,
Mustafa, the grand vizier,
Mustafa the great bosomed one.
وَمُباشِرand the administrator of الأَمرaffairs الَّذيwho
وَمُباشِر الأَمر الَّذي
هوَhe اسمُهُhis name للدينfor the faith خَيرgoodness (Khayr)
هوَ اسمُهُ للدين خَير
and the official directing affairs,
And the executor of the matter, he
whose name is Khayr al-Din,
Whose name is the best for religion,
وَرِجالand the men of دَولَتهhis state وَمَنand those whom
وَرِجال دَولَته وَمَن
سَمّىhe named وَأَكرَمَand honored بالحُضورwith attendance
سَمّى وَأَكرَمَ بالحُضور
and the men of his state, and those
And the men of his state, and whoever
he named and honored by having them present,
He named and honored with attendance,
كَرُّوسَةُthe carriage of البابورthe steam train ماwhat
كَرُّوسَةُ البابور ما
يَدعونَهاthey call it إِشمانchemin ('way') دَفيرde fer ('of iron')
يَدعونَها إِشمان دَفير
aboard the steam train's carriage—what
The steamship they call log-keeper
they call 'chemin de fer.'
Seeks a visit to the famous, revered one,
يَبغيhe seeks زَيارَةa visit to مُحرزMuhriz
يَبغي زَيارَة مُحرز
ذيpossessor of الجاهstanding وَالقَدرand esteem الشَهيرrenowned
ذي الجاه وَالقَدر الشَهير
He seeks to visit Muhriz,
On a day of celebration the likes of
the renowned man of standing and esteem,
Which has never occurred in the past,
فيon يَومa day of حَفلٍcelebration ماno لَهُit has
في يَوم حَفلٍ ما لَهُ
فيماin what مَضىhas passed قَطever نَظيرan equal
فيما مَضى قَط نَظير
on a festive day that had no
And the people were gathered at noon
equal at any time in the past.
As the onlooker sadly turned away.
وَالناسُand the people قَدalready حُشِرَتwere assembled ضُحىat midmorning
وَالناسُ قَد حُشِرَت ضُحى
وَالطَرفُand the gaze قَدalready وَلّىturned away حَسيرexhausted
وَالطَرفُ قَد وَلّى حَسير
And the people had assembled at midmorning,
So I saw a tremendous matter
and the gaze had turned away, exhausted.
As it persisted in the march,
فَرأيتُthen I saw أَمراًa thing هائِلاًawe-inspiring
فَرأيتُ أَمراً هائِلاً
لَمّاwhen اِستَمَرّتit continued فيon المَسيرthe journey
لَمّا اِستَمَرّت في المَسير
Then I saw something awe-inspiring
And I reckoned I was confused
when it continued on its journey.
And to me affairs were indistinct.
وَحَسِبتُand I thought أَنّيthat I was هائِمٌbewildered
وَحَسِبتُ أَنّي هائِمٌ
وَتَشابَهَتand became indistinguishable عِنديto me الأُمورthings
وَتَشابَهَت عِندي الأُمور
And I thought myself bewildered,
The earth met the sky
and things became indistinguishable to me.
With a galaxy in which there are full moons,
الأَرضُthe earth قابَلَتfaced السَماthe sky
الأَرضُ قابَلَت السَما
بِمَجَرَّةٍwith a Milky Way فيهاin it بُدورfull moons
بِمَجَرَّةٍ فيها بُدور
Was the earth facing the sky
Or is this carpet that steady
with a Milky Way of full moons?
Traveling comfort spreads upon it?
أَمor ذاthis البِساطُthe carpet وَذاand this سُلَيSulay- (part of Sulayman)
أَم ذا البِساطُ وَذا سُلَي
مانُ-man (completing Sulayman) الرَخاءُthe gentle breeze بِهِwith him تَسيرmoves along
مانُ الرَخاءُ بِهِ تَسير
Or was this the carpet, and this Sulay-
Or a gift never attained
man, borne along by the gentle breeze?
By the Lord of Khawarnaq and Sadir?
أَمor منحَةٌa gift ماnot نالَهاhe attained it
أَم منحَةٌ ما نالَها
رَبّthe lord of الخَوَرنَقal-Khawarnaq وَالسَديرand al-Sadir
رَبّ الخَوَرنَق وَالسَدير
Or a gift never attained
Nay, not even Alexander
by the lord of al-Khawarnaq and al-Sadir?
In his great lofty kingdom,
كَلّاno indeed وَلاnor إِسكَندَرٌAlexander
كَلّا وَلا إِسكَندَرٌ
فيin مُلكِهِhis kingdom العاليthe lofty الكَبيرthe great
في مُلكِهِ العالي الكَبير
No—nor by Alexander,
If Chosroes' Syria he possessed
in his lofty, great kingdom.
He would become humbled at seeing it,
لَوif أَنَّthat كِسرىKisra شامَهاhe beheld it
لَو أَنَّ كِسرى شامَها
أَضحىhe became لمرآهاat the sight of it كَسيرbroken; humbled
أَضحى لمرآها كَسير
Had Kisra beheld it,
Or Caesar whom there passed by him
he would have been humbled by its sight.
He would say bear witness I am trivial.
أَوor قَيصَرٌCaesar مَرّتit passed بِهِby him
أَو قَيصَرٌ مَرّت بِهِ
قالَhe said اِشهَديbear witness أَنّيthat I am قَصيرshort; inadequate
قالَ اِشهَدي أَنّي قَصير
Or had it passed by Caesar,
A wondrous mystery
he would have said, 'Bear witness that I fall short.'
Like the secret in the palaces' folds,
أُعجُوبَةٌa marvel مَكتومَةٌhidden
أُعجُوبَةٌ مَكتومَةٌ
كالسِرِّlike a secret فيin طَيّthe folds of القُصورpalaces
كالسِرِّ في طَيّ القُصور
A hidden marvel,
She was adorned with it in
like a secret in the folds of palaces,
Days verified by the truthful advisor,
حُبيَتwas graced بِهاwith it الخَضراءُal-Khadra (the Green City) فيin
حُبيَت بِها الخَضراءُ في
أَيّامٍthe days of صادِقَهاher Sadiq المُشيرthe marshal
أَيّامٍ صادِقَها المُشير
al-Khadra, the Green City, was graced with it in
He who constructed her heights and he who
the days of her Sadiq, the marshal,
Caused the fresh water to flow through her,
مَنwho شادَbuilt up عَلياهاher grandeur وَمَنand who
مَن شادَ عَلياها وَمَن
أَجرىmade flow بِهاthrough her العَذبَthe sweet water النَميرwholesome
أَجرى بِها العَذبَ النَمير
who built up her grandeur and who
And justice most perfectly wrought its description
made sweet, wholesome water flow through her.
With the grand ministry and minister.
وَالعَدلُand justice أَحكَمَhe perfected وَصفَهُits character
وَالعَدلُ أَحكَمَ وَصفَهُ
بِعُلىthrough the eminence of الوَزارَةthe ministry وَالوَزيرand the minister
بِعُلى الوَزارَة وَالوَزير
And he perfected the character of justice
So all are in safety and in
through the eminence of the ministry and minister.
A hope firmly rooted in breasts,
فالكُلso everyone فيin أَمنsafety وَفيand in
فالكُل في أَمن وَفي
أَمَلٍhope تَمَكَّنَbecame firmly rooted فيin الصُدورhearts
أَمَلٍ تَمَكَّنَ في الصُدور
So all are in safety, and in
God will make good His support
hope firmly rooted in their hearts.
However dire the news appears,
اللَهُGod يُحسِنُmay make good عَونَهُhis aid
اللَهُ يُحسِنُ عَونَهُ
مَهماwhenever بَداappeared خَطبٌan ordeal عَسيرdifficult
مَهما بَدا خَطبٌ عَسير
May God grant him good aid
And increase him glory to
whenever a difficult ordeal arises,
Glory atop the march of times,
وَيضزيدُهُand may He increase him عزّاhonor إِلىto
وَيضزيدُهُ عزّا إِلى
عِزِّhonor عَلىthrough مَرّشthe passing of الدُهورthe ages
عِزِّ عَلى مَرّش الدُهور
and add to his honor yet
Until we see in his shade
more honor as the ages pass,
That which does not occur to thoughts,
حَتّىuntil نَرىwe see فيin ظِلِّهِhis shade
حَتّى نَرى في ظِلِّهِ
ماwhat لَيسَdoes not يَخطُرُcome to mind مِنof أُمورthings
ما لَيسَ يَخطُرُ مِن أُمور
until we see beneath his shade
The likes of this and its similars
things that never enter the mind,
As pearls stringed on necks.
مِنsuch as هَذِهِthis وَنَظيرَهاand its like
مِن هَذِهِ وَنَظيرَها
كالدّرlike pearls قُلِّدَwas strung فيaround النُحورnecks
كالدّر قُلِّدَ في النُحور
such as this and its like,
Its date he honored with it,
like pearls strung around necks.
With good fortune the Prince embarked.
تاريخُهاits chronogram أَكرَمhow noble بهِit is (exclamatory)
تاريخُها أَكرَم بهِ
بالسَعدِwith good fortune قَدalready رَكِبَembarked الأَميرthe prince
بالسَعدِ قَد رَكِبَ الأَمير
Its chronogram—how noble it is:
'With good fortune the prince has embarked.'
Partial English translation: 50 of 52 Arabic lines translated.