تبلَّجَتِhave brightened الأيامُthe days عنto reveal غُرَّةِthe radiant brow of الدَّهْرِtime
تبلَّجَتِ الأيامُ عن غُرَّةِ الدَّهْرِ
وسُبَّand was cursed بأهلِby the people of البغيِtyranny قاصمةُthe breaker of الظهرِthe back
وسُبَّ بأهلِ البغيِ قاصمةُ الظهرِ
The days have brightened to reveal time's radiant brow,
The days have shone bright, dispelling the darkness of time,
and the back-breaking calamity was cursed by the people of tyranny.
And the oppressors were cursed, their backs broken,
وولَّىand turned بنوthe sons of الإدبارِill fortune أدبارَهُمtheir backs وقَدْand already
وولَّى بنو الإدبارِ أدبارَهُم وقَدْ
تحكَّمَhad imposed his will فيهمupon them صاحبُthe master of الدهرِthe age بالقهرِby force
تحكَّمَ فيهم صاحبُ الدهرِ بالقهرِ
And the sons of ill fortune turned their backs, while already
The evildoers have turned their backs in retreat, overwhelmed
the master of the age had imposed his will upon them by force.
By the power of fate's ruler.
وقدand indeed جاءَhas come نصرُthe aid of اللهِGod والفتحُand conquest مقبلٌis approaching
وقد جاءَ نصرُ اللهِ والفتحُ مقبلٌ
إلىto الملكِthe king المنصورِgranted victory سيِّدِناour lord نصرِNasr
إلى الملكِ المنصورِ سيِّدِنا نصرِ
And God's aid has come, and conquest advances
Victory from Allah has come, and the opening is at hand,
toward the victorious king, our lord Nasr,
To our victorious King, our master - triumph!
غياثِthe succor of الورىhumankind شمسِthe sun of الزمانِthe age وبدرِهِand its full moon
غياثِ الورى شمسِ الزمانِ وبدرِهِ
ومَنand the one who هُوَis بالعلياءِto high rank أولىmost entitled أوليthose possessing الأمرِauthority
ومَن هُوَ بالعلياءِ أولى أولي الأمرِ
the succor of humankind, the sun of the age and its full moon,
Saviour of mankind, sun of the age and its full moon,
and the one most entitled to high rank among those in power.
He of highest station, most worthy to rule.
فياso, oh! لكَfor you منof فتحٍa conquest غداhas become زينةَthe adornment of العُلىglory
فيا لكَ من فتحٍ غدا زينةَ العُلى
وواسِطةَand the central jewel of الدُّنياthe world وفائدةَand the boon of العَصْرِthe age
وواسِطةَ الدُّنيا وفائدةَ العَصْرِ
So what a conquest, now the adornment of glory,
What a glorious opening it is, ornament of the sublime,
and the world's central jewel and the boon of the age!
Link between worldly life and gain of the times.
أبىrefused اللهُGod إلاّexcept نصرَvictory for نصرٍNasr ورفعَهُand his elevation
أبى اللهُ إلاّ نصرَ نصرٍ ورفعَهُ
علىupon قِمَّةِthe summit of العيُّوقِCapella أوor هامةِthe crown of البدرِthe full moon
على قِمَّةِ العيُّوقِ أو هامةِ البدرِ
God willed only victory for Nasr and his elevation
Allah willed only victory upon victory and raised him
upon Capella's summit or the full moon's crown.
To the pinnacle of greatness, or crest of the full moon.
وملَّكَهُand made him master of صدرَthe seat of honor on السريرِthe throne كأنَّهُas though he
وملَّكَهُ صدرَ السريرِ كأنَّهُ
لناfor us فلكٌa celestial sphere بالخيرِwith good fortune أوor ضدِّهِits opposite يجريrevolves
لنا فلكٌ بالخيرِ أو ضدِّهِ يجري
And He gave him the throne's seat of honor, as though he
He installed him in power’s center, as though he
were our celestial sphere, revolving with good fortune or its opposite.
Were a sphere influencing our weal or woe.
وخَوَّلهُand bestowed upon him دونَto the exclusion of الملوكِthe kings محاسناًvirtues
وخَوَّلهُ دونَ الملوكِ محاسناً
تبرُّsurpass علىabove الشمسِthe sun المنيرةِshining والقطرِand the rain
تبرُّ على الشمسِ المنيرةِ والقطرِ
And He endowed him, alone among kings, with virtues
And privileged him, above other kings, with virtues
that surpass the shining sun and the rain.
Outshining the brilliant sun and plentiful rain -
إذاwhen ذُكِرَتْthey are mentioned فاحَbecomes fragrant النديُّthe gathering بذكرِهاwith their mention
إذا ذُكِرَتْ فاحَ النديُّ بذكرِها
كماas فاحَgives off fragrance أذكىthe most fragrant of النِّدِّincense فيin وهجِthe glow of الجمْرِthe embers
كما فاحَ أذكى النِّدِّ في وهجِ الجمْرِ
When they are mentioned, the gathering grows fragrant with their mention,
When mentioned, the aroma spreads like
as the most fragrant incense gives off its scent in the embers' glow.
The most fragrant resin burnt over embers.
فتىyoung in السِّنِّage كهلِmature in الحلمforbearance والرأيand judgment والحِجاand intellect
فتى السِّنِّ كهلِ الحلم والرأي والحِجا
يعمُّembraces all بنيthe sons of الآمالhope بالنائلِwith bounty الغَمْرِoverflowing
يعمُّ بني الآمال بالنائلِ الغَمْرِ
Young in years, mature in forbearance, judgment, and intellect,
A young man mature in wisdom, experience and dignity,
he lavishes overflowing bounty on all the sons of hope.
Who fills the hopeful with abundant bounty.
لهhe has همَّةٌan ambition لماwhen حَسَبْتُI reckoned عُلُوَّهاits height
له همَّةٌ لما حَسَبْتُ عُلُوَّها
حَسِبتُI imagined الثُّريَّاthe Pleiades فيin الثرىthe dust أبداًforever تسريjourneys by night
حَسِبتُ الثُّريَّا في الثرى أبداً تسري
His ambition is such that, when I reckoned its height,
His ambition's height, I reckoned, would keep
I imagined the Pleiades forever journeying by night through the dust.
The stars forever coursing through the heavens.
غداhas become راعياًa shepherd للمسلمينَof the Muslims وناصراًand a champion
غدا راعياً للمسلمينَ وناصراً
لهُfor him اللهُGod راعٍa shepherd قدindeed تكفَّلhas taken responsibility بالنَّصْرِfor victory
لهُ اللهُ راعٍ قد تكفَّل بالنَّصْرِ
He has become a shepherd and champion of the Muslims;
He will shepherd the Muslims and defend them,
God is his shepherd and has pledged to grant him victory.
God, his keeper, has undertaken to grant victory.
ألاbehold! أيُّهاO المَلكُking الذيwho تَرَكَhas left العِدَىthe enemies
ألا أيُّها المَلكُ الذي تَرَكَ العِدَى
عباديدَscattered بينbetween القتلِslaughter والكَسْرِand defeat والأَسْرِand captivity
عباديدَ بين القتلِ والكَسْرِ والأَسْرِ
Behold, O king, who has left the foes
O King who left carnage, ruin and captivity behind!
scattered amid slaughter, defeat, and captivity:
You came at the auspicious hour, your arrival good fortune,
قدمتَyou arrived قدومَlike the arrival of الغيثِrain أيمنَthe most auspicious مَقْدَمٍarrival
قدمتَ قدومَ الغيثِ أيمنَ مَقْدَمٍ
فحلَّيْتَand so you adorned وجهَthe face of الدهرِtime بالحُسْنِwith beauty والبِشْرِand gladness
فحلَّيْتَ وجهَ الدهرِ بالحُسْنِ والبِشْرِ
you arrived as rain arrives, with the most auspicious arrival,
So you made Time’s face beautiful, with joy and cheer.
and so you adorned the face of time with beauty and gladness.
Do you not see the missives of Spring, its messengers proclaim:
ألستَdo you not ترىsee كُتْبَthe letters of الربيعِspring ورُسْلَهُand its messengers
ألستَ ترى كُتْبَ الربيعِ ورُسْلَهُ
يقولونَthey say هاlook! ذاكَthere is الربيعُspring علىon الإثْرِthe heels
يقولونَ ها ذاكَ الربيعُ على الإثْرِ
Do you not see spring's letters and its messengers
“Here is Spring, close behind!”
saying, 'Look, there is spring, close behind!'?
A gentle, soothing breeze, giving life its charm,
نسيمٌa breeze نسيبٌakin للحياةِto life بلطفِهِthrough its gentleness
نسيمٌ نسيبٌ للحياةِ بلطفِهِ
يجرُّtrails فويقَjust above الأرضِthe earth أرديةَthe robes of العِطْرِperfume
يجرُّ فويقَ الأرضِ أرديةَ العِطْرِ
A breeze, kin to life through its gentleness,
Dragging the earth's gown, scented with perfume.
trails robes of perfume just above the earth;
And soil, exuding Spring's breath, ambergris -
وتربٌand soil بأنفاسِby the breaths of الربيعِspring معنبرٌscented with ambergris
وتربٌ بأنفاسِ الربيعِ معنبرٌ
فياso, oh! لكَfor you منof طيبٍsweet scent وياand, oh! لكَfor you منof نشْرِwafting fragrance
فيا لكَ من طيبٍ ويا لكَ من نشْرِ
and soil is scented with ambergris by spring's breaths—
What exquisite fragrance and ample greenery!
so what sweet perfume, and what wafting fragrance!
And clouds resembling your tranquility, as though
وغيمٌand a cloud يحاكيimitates راحتيكَyour two palms كأنَّهُas though it
وغيمٌ يحاكي راحتيكَ كأنَّهُ
علىupon المسكِmusk والكافورِand camphor يهطِلُrains down بالخمْرِwith wine
على المسكِ والكافورِ يهطِلُ بالخمْرِ
And a cloud mimics your two palms, as though it
Raining wine, camphor and myrrh.
were raining wine upon musk and camphor.
So revive your spirit by drinking joy - truly,
فروِّحْso refresh بشربِby drinking الراحِwine روحَكَyour soul إنَّهاfor it
فروِّحْ بشربِ الراحِ روحَكَ إنَّها
لفيsurely in تعبٍweariness منfrom وقعةِthe clash of البيضِthe white swords والسمْرِand the brown spears
لفي تعبٍ من وقعةِ البيضِ والسمْرِ
So refresh your soul by drinking wine, for it
It is weary from the white and black of battle.
is surely weary from the clash of white swords and brown spears.
And rest, having attained perfect fortune,
ودُمْand endure لاقتناءِto possess الملكِkingship فيin أكملِthe fullest of المنىwishes
ودُمْ لاقتناءِ الملكِ في أكملِ المنى
وفيand in أَرفعِthe loftiest of العلياglory وفيand in أطولِthe longest of العمْرِlife
وفي أَرفعِ العليا وفي أطولِ العمْرِ
And may you endure in possession of kingship, with wishes fulfilled to the utmost,
At the highest summit, in greatest longevity.
and in the loftiest glory and the longest life.
Partial English translation: 39 of 40 Arabic lines translated.