أَميرَناour emir لاnever بَرحتyou cease فيin رتبranks
أَميرَنا لا بَرحت في رتب
يَنحَطsinks عَنbelow بَعضsome دونِهاlower than them الفَلَكthe celestial sphere
يَنحَط عَن بَعض دونِها الفَلَك
Our emir, may you ever hold such ranks
Our prince, you have never ceased to rise in rank
that the heavens sink below even some lesser ones.
Above others, planets orbit below you
بيكلرbeys بيكياbey (title component) سُموكthey called you مظلمةan injustice
بيكلر بيكيا سُموك مظلمة
وَأَنتَand you بِالمَجدin glory وَالعُلىand loftiness مَلكa king
وَأَنتَ بِالمَجد وَالعُلى مَلك
They called you Beylerbeyi—an injustice—
With your sublime glory and highness, you are king
while in glory and loftiness you are a king.
When you close the book, you send it
إِذاwhen طَوَيتyou fold الكِتابthe letter تَنفدهُyou send it
إِذا طَوَيت الكِتاب تَنفدهُ
إِلىto العِداthe foes قَبلbefore فَضِهِits unsealing هَلَكواthey perish
إِلى العِدا قَبل فَضِهِ هَلَكوا
When you fold a letter to send it
To the enemies, before its unraveling, they perish
to your foes, they perish before it is unsealed.
And if you aim at souls to warn them
وَإِنand if قَصَدتyou target النُفوسthe souls تَنذرهاyou warn them
وَإِن قَصَدت النُفوس تَنذرها
تَرَكتyou leave طَيرbirds المُنونof death تَحتَبكbecome entangled
تَرَكت طَير المُنون تَحتَبك
And if you target souls, warning them,
You leave the birds of death fluttering
you leave the birds of death entangled.
You walked the pale faces into valleys
سَلَكتَyou led بيضwhite الوَجوهfaces أَوديَةًvalleys
سَلَكتَ بيض الوَجوه أَوديَةً
رَأيكyour counsel لَولاهُwere it not for it قَطever ماnot سَلَكواthey traversed
رَأيك لَولاهُ قَط ما سَلَكوا
You led bright-faced men through valleys
Without your view, they would have never walked
that, without your counsel, they would never have traversed.
Wherever your blessings went, your servants
عَبيدservants نَعماكof your bounty أَيَّنماwherever ذَهَبواthey went
عَبيد نَعماك أَيَّنما ذَهَبوا
حازواthey gained المَعاليlofty honors وَلِلمُنىand over aspirations مَلَكواthey gained mastery
حازوا المَعالي وَلِلمُنى مَلَكوا
The servants of your bounty, wherever they went,
Attained glory and owned felicity
won lofty honors and attained their wishes.
It made the longing hearts indifferent to
زهَّدmade renounce قَلبَthe heart المَشوقof the yearning lover بِأَسهمtheir might
زهَّد قَلبَ المَشوق بِأَسهم
حُبlove الغَوانيof fair women وَصَدِهِand turned it away النسكdevotion
حُب الغَواني وَصَدِهِ النسك
Their might made the yearning heart renounce
The love of maidens and the asceticism of monks
love of fair women, and devotion turned it away.
Whoever you sent from every group
مِنof كُلِevery زُمرfierce warrior إِذاwhen بَعَثتyou dispatch بِهِwith him
مِن كُلِ زُمر إِذا بَعَثت بِهِ
قامَarose بِهِthrough him فيamong العِداةthe foes مُعتَركa battlefield
قامَ بِهِ في العِداة مُعتَرك
Every fierce warrior, when you send him forth,
Stood with him against the enemies in battle
creates a battlefield among the foes.
The wolf in wilderness and eagle in the air
يَحمدهُpraises him الذئبthe wolf فيin الفَلاةthe wilderness وَفيand in الthe
يَحمدهُ الذئب في الفَلاة وَفي ال
جَوsky النُسورthe vultures وَالأَبحُرand the seas السمِكthe fish
جَو النُسور وَالأَبحُر السمِك
The wolf praises him in the wilderness, and in the
And the oceans' fish praise him
sky the vultures, and in the seas the fish.
My tongue falters, what do I say?
حارَwas bewildered لِسانيmy tongue فَماso what أَقولshall I say تَرىdo you think
حارَ لِساني فَما أَقول تَرى
أَنتَyou مَليكsovereign الزَمانof the age أَمor مَلكan angel
أَنتَ مَليك الزَمان أَم مَلك
My tongue is at a loss—what shall I say, do you think?
Are you the king of time or a king?
Are you the sovereign of the age, or an angel?
You alone contained all pride
حَوَيتyou gathered كُلall الفَخارglory مُنفَرِداًalone
حَوَيت كُل الفَخار مُنفَرِداً
وَفيand among سِواكَothers besides you الفَخارglory مُشتَركshared
وَفي سِواكَ الفَخار مُشتَرك
You alone have gathered all glory,
While pride in others is shared
while among others glory is shared.
Partial English translation: 21 of 22 Arabic lines translated.