لك سيرة محمودة الأثر

لك سيرة محمودة الأثر

وعلى ثراها بالفخار ثري

وعلى ثراها بالفخار ثري

Yours is a life that leaves a praiseworthy mark,

Your conduct has a praiseworthy effect,

And upon its soil you are rich in glory.

And over its ashes the pottery is plentiful.

ومكارم تصفو كرائمها

ومكارم تصفو كرائمها

للوفد مِن مَنٍّ ومِن كَدرِ

للوفد مِن مَنٍّ ومِن كَدرِ

And generous deeds whose choicest gifts are pure

And virtues that purify its generosity

For visiting delegations, free of reminders of favors and taint.

For the delegation, from benevolence and from adversity.

أنت الذي أفعاله أبدا

أنت الذي أفعاله أبدا

في دهمة الأيام كالغررِ

في دهمة الأيام كالغررِ

You are the one whose deeds are always

You are the one whose deeds are always

Like white blazes in the darkness of days.

In the darkness of days like sparks.

بأبي خلائقك التي خلقت

بأبي خلائقك التي خلقت

كالزهر بل كالأنجم الزُهُرِ

كالزهر بل كالأنجم الزُهُرِ

May my father ransom your virtues, fashioned

By my father your traits that you were created with

Like flowers—nay, like radiant stars.

Are like flowers, nay like bright stars.

وعزائم لك حيث ذكرت

وعزائم لك حيث ذكرت

أغنت عن الصمصامة الذكرِ

أغنت عن الصمصامة الذكرِ

And your firm resolves, wherever mentioned,

And your resolves, wherever mentioned

Have made the keen Samsamah sword needless.

Suffice over mentioning them repeatedly.

يا قائدَ الخيل العتاقِ إلى

يا قائدَ الخيل العتاقِ إلى

ليلٍ من الهيجاءِ معتَكِر

ليلٍ من الهيجاءِ معتَكِر

O leader of thoroughbred steeds into

O leader of the noble horses to

A night of battle, dense with darkness,

A night of raging darkness.

ومبيح ثغرٍ كان ممتنعا

ومبيح ثغرٍ كان ممتنعا

ومحكِّم الأرماحِ في الثُّغَرِ

ومحكِّم الأرماحِ في الثُّغَرِ

And conqueror of a frontier fortress once impregnable,

And opener of a mouth that was forbidden

And you who give spears dominion in the breaches:

And judge of spears in the openings.

لحديث مجدك والقديم معا

لحديث مجدك والقديم معا

فينا حيث غير مختصرِ

فينا حيث غير مختصرِ

For your glory, new and ancient alike,

For the story of your glory, both new and old

Among us, where it is not abridged.

In us, for it is not summarized.

يا طالب المعروف من نَفَرٍ

يا طالب المعروف من نَفَرٍ

عن طالبي معروفهم نُفُرِ

عن طالبي معروفهم نُفُرِ

O seeker of kindness from a band of men

O seeker of benevolence from a group

Who shun those seeking their kindness,

Who shun those seeking their benevolence.

زر مادحا عضد الهدى فبه

زر مادحا عضد الهدى فبه

تستغنِ عن عضدِ وعن وَزرِ

تستغنِ عن عضدِ وعن وَزرِ

Visit Adud al-Huda with praise; for through him

Visit one who praises the forearm of guidance, for through it

You will need neither a supporting arm nor a refuge.

You suffice over a forearm and over a burden.

رب الوغى ما إن يزال له

رب الوغى ما إن يزال له

فيها زناد بالنصالِ يري

فيها زناد بالنصالِ يري

Master of battle, who always has

Lord of the tumult, it does not cease to have

Firesteels sparking there against spearheads.

In it arrows with blades that shred.

والسابقات تروح مجفرة

والسابقات تروح مجفرة

والسابغات تلوح كالغدرِ

والسابغات تلوح كالغدرِ

And the swift steeds go forth, broad-flanked,

And the early arrivals travel heavily laden

And ample coats of mail gleam like pools.

And the late arrivals appear like betrayal.

وأنزل بساحته وناد ندى

وأنزل بساحته وناد ندى

بدر الندى وواهب البِدَرِ

بدر الندى وواهب البِدَرِ

And alight in his courtyard, and invoke the generosity

And he descended in his field and called out a call

Of bounty's full moon and giver of money-purses.

The full moon of calls and granter of the full moon.

ما استمطرت أنواء راحته

ما استمطرت أنواء راحته

فاحتاجت الدنيا إلى مطرِ

فاحتاجت الدنيا إلى مطرِ

Never were his palm's rain-stars entreated,

The clouds of his comfort have not rained down

Only for the world still to need rain.

So the world was in need of rain.

يا ابن المظفر دمت مشتملا

يا ابن المظفر دمت مشتملا

بملأتي نعماكَ والظَّفرِ

بملأتي نعماكَ والظَّفرِ

O son of al-Muzaffar, may you remain enfolded

O son of the victorious, may you remain

In the two cloaks of your bounty and victory.

With my fullness of your favors and victory.

وبقيت محسودا ولا نظرت

وبقيت محسودا ولا نظرت

يوما إليك نواظر الغِيرِ

يوما إليك نواظر الغِيرِ

And may you remain envied; may they never look

And remain envied and never looked

Toward you on any day—the eyes of adversity.

One day to you, the gazes of others.

أنت امرؤ في عودِهِ ثمرُ

أنت امرؤ في عودِهِ ثمرُ

يرجى وكم عود بلا ثَمرِ

يرجى وكم عود بلا ثَمرِ

You are a man whose bough bears fruit

You are a man whose branch has fruit

That is hoped for—how many boughs bear no fruit!

Hoped for, and how many a branch without fruit.

ما إِن رأينا قبل جودِك ذا

ما إِن رأينا قبل جودِك ذا

جودا ولا ذا البِشرِ مِن بَشَرِ

جودا ولا ذا البِشرِ مِن بَشَرِ

Never before this generosity of yours have we seen

We have not seen before your generosity one

Such generosity, nor such cheerfulness in any mortal.

With generosity, nor one of good tidings from a harbinger.

فهناك باع ندىً وباع عداً

فهناك باع ندىً وباع عداً

ضِدّان في طول وفي قِصَرِ

ضِدّان في طول وفي قِصَرِ

There is an armspan of bounty, and an armspan of enmity—

For there he sold benevolence and sold enmity

Two opposites in length and shortness.

Two opposites in length and in shortness.

يا أيها المدر الذي عذبت

يا أيها المدر الذي عذبت

نعماه لي في الوِرد والمَدَرِ

نعماه لي في الوِرد والمَدَرِ

O lavish giver, whose bounty has grown sweet

O you who has sweetened with your favours for me

To me, in drinking-water and clay.

In roses and in perfumed wine.

إسعد بصومكِ وابق ما سَجَعَت

إسعد بصومكِ وابق ما سَجَعَت

ورقُ الحمامِ بمورِقِ الشَّجَرِ

ورقُ الحمامِ بمورِقِ الشَّجَرِ

Rejoice in your fast, and live as long as there is cooing

Be felicitous with your fasting, and remain what the doves'

From gray doves amid the leafy trees.

Foliage has adorned on the trees' branches.