إِنَّ الأَميرَ أَبا عَلِيٍّ أَصبَحَت

إِنَّ الأَميرَ أَبا عَلِيٍّ أَصبَحَت

كَفّاهُ قَد حَوَتِ المَكارِمَ وَالعُلا

كَفّاهُ قَد حَوَتِ المَكارِمَ وَالعُلا

Indeed, the emir Abu Ali—now

Indeed Prince Abu Ali's hands

his two hands have gathered noble deeds and lofty honor.

Now embrace all virtues and eminence

حاطَ الخِلافَةَ ذائِداً عَن عِزِّها

حاطَ الخِلافَةَ ذائِداً عَن عِزِّها

وَكَفى الخَليفَةَ ما أَهَمَّ وَأَعضَلا

وَكَفى الخَليفَةَ ما أَهَمَّ وَأَعضَلا

He guarded the caliphate, defending its honor,

He protected the caliphate, defending its glory

and spared the caliph whatever troubled him and proved intractable.

And relieved the caliph of anxieties that overwhelmed and troubled

سَيفٌ عَلى أَعدائِهِ لا تَنجَلي

سَيفٌ عَلى أَعدائِهِ لا تَنجَلي

ظُلَمُ الخُطوبِ السودِ حَتّى يُجتَلى

ظُلَمُ الخُطوبِ السودِ حَتّى يُجتَلى

A sword against his enemies; never are dispelled

A sword against his enemies that does not recede

the shadows of black calamities until it is drawn.

Until the darkness of formidable calamities is dispelled

تَثني بَوادِرُهُ الأَناةُ وَرُبَّما

تَثني بَوادِرُهُ الأَناةُ وَرُبَّما

سارَت عَزيمَتُهُ فَكانَت جَحفَلا

سارَت عَزيمَتُهُ فَكانَت جَحفَلا

Deliberation restrains his impulses; yet at times

His firm resolve may waver at times

his resolve advances and becomes a mighty host.

And his determination prove hasty at times

تَقِفُ المَوالي حَجرَتَيهِ فَإِن غَدا

تَقِفُ المَوالي حَجرَتَيهِ فَإِن غَدا

أَغدى لُيوثاً ما تُرامُ وَأَشبُلا

أَغدى لُيوثاً ما تُرامُ وَأَشبُلا

His retainers stand on either flank; if he sets out at dawn,

The loyal stand guard over him, and when he sets out

he leads forth unassailable lions and lion cubs.

He goes forth as a lion, not to be confronted or rivaled

قَد جَرَّبَ الأَعداءُ مِن وَقعاتِهِ

قَد جَرَّبَ الأَعداءُ مِن وَقعاتِهِ

ما كَفَّ غَربَ الخالِعينَ وَنَكَّلا

ما كَفَّ غَربَ الخالِعينَ وَنَكَّلا

His enemies have experienced, among his onslaughts,

The enemies have tasted his blows

what blunted the rebels' edge and made an example of them.

Which sufficed to drive the fleeing rebels away

كَم سادِرٍ في الغِيِّ ذَمَّ فِعالَهُ

كَم سادِرٍ في الغِيِّ ذَمَّ فِعالَهُ

لَمّا هَوى تَحتَ السيوفِ مُجَدَّلا

لَمّا هَوى تَحتَ السيوفِ مُجَدَّلا

How many a man heedlessly astray cursed his own deeds

How many mounted warriors in combat met their end

when he fell beneath the swords, flung to the ground!

When they fell beneath his sword, mangled

كَأَبي نُمَيرٍ إِذ تَتابَعَ غُيُّهُ

كَأَبي نُمَيرٍ إِذ تَتابَعَ غُيُّهُ

وَغَلا بِهِ مِن فَرطِ بَغيٍ ما غَلا

وَغَلا بِهِ مِن فَرطِ بَغيٍ ما غَلا

Like Abu Numayr, when his waywardness persisted,

Like Abu Numeir whose transgressions progressed

and excessive rebellion carried him to such extremes.

And whose rebellion went too far

قَطَعَتهُ وَقعَةُ مَشرَفِيٍّ سارِمٍ

قَطَعَتهُ وَقعَةُ مَشرَفِيٍّ سارِمٍ

أَعيا لَها جُثمانُهُ أَن يوصَلا

أَعيا لَها جُثمانُهُ أَن يوصَلا

A stroke from a keen Mashrafi sword severed him,

Al-Musharraf's devastating blow cut him down

leaving his body impossible to rejoin.

His body, though reluctant, was severed in two

وَغَدَت بِهِ نِصفَينِ قَد فُصِلا عَلى

وَغَدَت بِهِ نِصفَينِ قَد فُصِلا عَلى

حَدَقٍ تَوَخّى قاسِمٍ أَن يُعدِلا

حَدَقٍ تَوَخّى قاسِمٍ أَن يُعدِلا

And it left him in two halves, parted with

And he was split in half, separated

the skill of a divider intent on making them equal.

Upon the blade of the equitable Qasim

يَتَأَمَّلُ الأَقوامُ إِذ حَدَقوا بِهِ

يَتَأَمَّلُ الأَقوامُ إِذ حَدَقوا بِهِ

نِصفَينِ رَيُّهُما يَرَونَ الأَطوَلا

نِصفَينِ رَيُّهُما يَرَونَ الأَطوَلا

The people scrutinize, as they gather around him,

The people gaze in awe as the two halves lie

the two halves, to see which looks longer [uncertain reading].

Seeing which half was longer

قَد قُلتُ لِلعَرَبِ اِشكُروا ذا أَنعُمٍ

قَد قُلتُ لِلعَرَبِ اِشكُروا ذا أَنعُمٍ

أَولاكُموها صافِحاً وَمُنَوِّلا

أَولاكُموها صافِحاً وَمُنَوِّلا

I have said to the Arabs: thank the giver of blessings

I said to the Arabs, thank he who bestowed favors

who bestowed them on you, pardoning and granting gifts.

Embrace him, greet him, make him welcome

عَجِلَت مَواهِبُهُ لَكُم فَتَسَرَّعَت

عَجِلَت مَواهِبُهُ لَكُم فَتَسَرَّعَت

وَتَثَبَّتَت خُطُواتُهُ أَن تَعجَلا

وَتَثَبَّتَت خُطُواتُهُ أَن تَعجَلا

His gifts hastened to you, rushing forth,

His gifts came quick, he made haste

while his steps were too measured to rush.

His steps rushed to arrive early

حَقَنَ الدِماءَ وَلَو يَشاءُ هَراقَها

حَقَنَ الدِماءَ وَلَو يَشاءُ هَراقَها

جَزَلَ العَطايا حامِلاً ما حُمِّلا

جَزَلَ العَطايا حامِلاً ما حُمِّلا

He spared blood, though he could have shed it had he wished,

He spared blood, though he could have shed it

lavish in gifts, bearing whatever he was charged to bear.

He gave generously, bearing the burdens

صَلُحَت بِهِ أَسبابُ قَومٍ لَم يَكُن

صَلُحَت بِهِ أَسبابُ قَومٍ لَم يَكُن

إِلّا اِلتُقى بِصَلاحِها مُتَكَفِّلا

إِلّا اِلتُقى بِصَلاحِها مُتَكَفِّلا

Through him a people's affairs were set right; nothing

Through him the affairs of a people were reconciled

but piety was the guarantor of their welfare.

Who had no one but him to set things right

شَمَلَ الثُغورَ بِضيمَةٍ مِن جودِهِ

شَمَلَ الثُغورَ بِضيمَةٍ مِن جودِهِ

سَمحٍ وَذَلَّلَ حِمصَ فيما ذَلَّلا

سَمحٍ وَذَلَّلَ حِمصَ فيما ذَلَّلا

He enveloped the frontier strongholds in a steady rain of his bounty [uncertain reading],

In his magnanimity he embraced the frontiers

so lavish—and subdued Hims among the places he subdued.

He was lenient with Homs in all he pardoned

أَصحَبتُهُ أَمَلي وَمِثلُ خِلالِهِ

أَصحَبتُهُ أَمَلي وَمِثلُ خِلالِهِ

كَرُمَت فَأَعطَت راغِباً ما أَمَّلا

كَرُمَت فَأَعطَت راغِباً ما أَمَّلا

I made my hope his companion; virtues such as his

I placed my hopes in him, his virtues perfect

proved generous, granting a seeker what he hoped for.

Nobility rewarded the eager with all he wished

وَرَجَوتُ أَن يُعطى بِقِسطِ فُتوحِهِ

وَرَجَوتُ أَن يُعطى بِقِسطِ فُتوحِهِ

فَيُخَوِّلَ الشاماتِ فيما خُوِّلا

فَيُخَوِّلَ الشاماتِ فيما خُوِّلا

And I hoped he would be rewarded in proportion to his conquests,

I hoped he would grant the Levant its rightful share

and be entrusted with the Syrian lands among his charges,

And entrust it with all it was entrusted before

لِيُقَوِّمَ المُعوَجَّ مِن تَدبيرِها

لِيُقَوِّمَ المُعوَجَّ مِن تَدبيرِها

وَيُعيدَ مُدبِرَ كُلِّ أَمرٍ مُقبِلا

وَيُعيدَ مُدبِرَ كُلِّ أَمرٍ مُقبِلا

to straighten what is crooked in their governance

To set right its crooked administration

and make every retreating affair advance again.

And restore as leader each qualified man

وَلَرُبَّ رُتبَةِ سُؤدَدٍ شَفَعَت بِهِ

وَلَرُبَّ رُتبَةِ سُؤدَدٍ شَفَعَت بِهِ

مِن قَبلِ أَن يُدعى لَها وَيُؤَهَّلا

مِن قَبلِ أَن يُدعى لَها وَيُؤَهَّلا

And many a rank of lordship has interceded for him

Through his intercession many an unworthy man

before he was called to it and deemed fit.

Was granted a position he was unqualified to fill

كانَ السَحابُ مُجانِباً لِبِلادِنا

كانَ السَحابُ مُجانِباً لِبِلادِنا

حَتّى قَدِمتَ فَجادَ فيهِ وَأَسبَلا

حَتّى قَدِمتَ فَجادَ فيهِ وَأَسبَلا

The clouds had kept away from our land

The rain had shunned our lands

until you came; then they rained there abundantly and poured down.

Until you arrived and it poured heavily down

فَاِسلَم لَنا طولَ الحَياةِ مُؤَمَّراً

فَاِسلَم لَنا طولَ الحَياةِ مُؤَمَّراً

وَمُؤَمِّلاً وَمُعَظَّماً وَمُبَجَّلا

وَمُؤَمِّلاً وَمُعَظَّماً وَمُبَجَّلا

So remain safe for us throughout life, a commander,

May you live long, always empowered

and hopeful, honored, and revered.

Honored, revered, and exalted