سألتُ إِلهَ العرشِ رَبَّ مُحمَّدِ

سألتُ إِلهَ العرشِ رَبَّ مُحمَّدِ

بَقاءَ الوزير أحمدَ بن مُحمَّدِ

بَقاءَ الوزير أحمدَ بن مُحمَّدِ

I asked the God of the Throne, Muhammad's Lord,

I asked the Lord of the Throne, the Lord of Muhammad

for the long life of the vizier Ahmad ibn Muhammad,

For the survival of Vizier Ahmed ibn Muhammad

مُطاعاً إذا أمْضى أوامِرَ يوْمِهِ

مُطاعاً إذا أمْضى أوامِرَ يوْمِهِ

به آمِناً شَرَّ العواقبِ في غَدِ

به آمِناً شَرَّ العواقبِ في غَدِ

obeyed whenever he puts his day's commands into force,

Obeyed when he executes the commands of his day

secure therein against evil consequences on the morrow.

With him I feel safe from the evils of tomorrow

إذا لَثَمتْ صيدُ الملوكِ بِساطَه

إذا لَثَمتْ صيدُ الملوكِ بِساطَه

حوى الفخر أدناهم إلى الكُمِّ واليد

حوى الفخر أدناهم إلى الكُمِّ واليد

When proud kings kiss his carpet,

When the prey of kings kiss his carpet

the nearest of them to his sleeve and hand wins glory.

Pride carries the lowest of them to prudence and kindness

فما هو إِلا النَّجمُ في أُفقِ العُلى

فما هو إِلا النَّجمُ في أُفقِ العُلى

به طالبُ العَلْياء والمجْد يهْتدي

به طالبُ العَلْياء والمجْد يهْتدي

For he is but the star on the horizon of eminence,

He is but the star on the horizon of loftiness

by whom the seeker of high rank and glory finds his way.

With him the seekers of glory and honor are guided

أغَرُّ لَموعُ البِشْر سهلٌ حجابُه

أغَرُّ لَموعُ البِشْر سهلٌ حجابُه

وشيكُ قِرى الضِّيفان طلاع أنجُد

وشيكُ قِرى الضِّيفان طلاع أنجُد

Radiant, beaming with cheer, readily accessible,

Deceitful is the flash of mortals, his veil easy to lift

swift to feed his guests, a scaler of heights.

And the lodging of the two guests is soon to appear

يُؤنِّسُ بالألطافِ كلَّ مُنَفَّرٍ

يُؤنِّسُ بالألطافِ كلَّ مُنَفَّرٍ

ويحوي من الإحسان كلَّ مُشرَّدِ

ويحوي من الإحسان كلَّ مُشرَّدِ

With kindness he reassures everyone driven away,

He comforts every outcast with his kindness

and gathers every scattered form of goodness.

And shelters with benevolence every homeless

فيسْمَحُ بالإِكرامِ غير مُخادَعٍ

فيسْمَحُ بالإِكرامِ غير مُخادَعٍ

ويبْدأ بالمعروفِ غيرَ مُصَرَّدِ

ويبْدأ بالمعروفِ غيرَ مُصَرَّدِ

He bestows honor freely, without being tricked,

He is generous without being deceitful

and offers kindness first, with nothing stinted.

And initiates good without being forced

ونَشْوانُ من حُبِّ المعالي كأنما

ونَشْوانُ من حُبِّ المعالي كأنما

سَقتْهُ أحاديث العُلى خمر صرخد

سَقتْهُ أحاديث العُلى خمر صرخد

And drunk with love of lofty achievements, as though

His joy from the love of noble deeds is as if

tales of eminence had given him Sarkhad's wine to drink.

The sublime words have quenched him with pure wine

أعار مُنيفَ الطَّوْدِ فضل أناتِه

أعار مُنيفَ الطَّوْدِ فضل أناتِه

وعزْمتَهُ حَدَّ الحُسامِ المُهنَّدِ

وعزْمتَهُ حَدَّ الحُسامِ المُهنَّدِ

He lent the towering mountain his surpassing composure,

He lent the excellence of his achievements to Munif Al-Tawd

and his resolve to the edge of the Indian blade.

And his resolve to the sharp polished sword

فلم يحفل الهوجاءَ أورَقُ شامخٌ

فلم يحفل الهوجاءَ أورَقُ شامخٌ

ولم يرهب القِرْضابُ هامَة أصْيد

ولم يرهب القِرْضابُ هامَة أصْيد

So the towering gray mountain heeds no raging gale,

So he did not care for the howling paper rustling in the wind

and the keen-cutting sword fears no proud man's head.

Nor feared the short necked hyenas

يضيقُ بأدنى العار ذرعاً وصدرهُ

يضيقُ بأدنى العار ذرعاً وصدرهُ

رحيبٌ يُباري كل مَرْتٍ وفدفد

رحيبٌ يُباري كل مَرْتٍ وفدفد

He cannot bear the slightest disgrace, yet his breast

Narrowness hurts him even slightly and his chest is spacious

is broad, rivaling every barren plain and open wilderness.

Rivaling every honored arrival

ويهْدي سَناهُ الطَّارقين عَشيَّةً

ويهْدي سَناهُ الطَّارقين عَشيَّةً

إلى جودهِ من قَبْلِ نارٍ ومَوْقِدِ

إلى جودهِ من قَبْلِ نارٍ ومَوْقِدِ

And his radiance guides night visitors at evening

And his lofty years guide those who come at night

to his bounty, before any fire or hearth.

To his generosity without need for fire or hearth

يلوذُ بعضْبٍ مُصْلت النَّصل جارُه

يلوذُ بعضْبٍ مُصْلت النَّصل جارُه

وفي حلم محجوب الغِرارين مُغْمَد

وفي حلم محجوب الغِرارين مُغْمَد

His neighbor takes refuge in a keen sword, its blade drawn,

Some take refuge in his justly used sword

yet in forbearance it is sheathed, both edges hidden.

While his forbearance sheaths the fierce warriors

يفمحو بصفْحٍ منهُ كلَّ كبيرةٍ

يفمحو بصفْحٍ منهُ كلَّ كبيرةٍ

ويحْمي ببأسٍ منه كل مُطَرَّدِ

ويحْمي ببأسٍ منه كل مُطَرَّدِ

Thus with his pardon he effaces every grave offense,

With his pardon he erases any great sin

and with his might he protects every outcast.

And with his power protects every outcast

إذا مطلتْ أيامُه وعْدَ مَفْخَرٍ

إذا مطلتْ أيامُه وعْدَ مَفْخَرٍ

تَعلَّقها فِعْلَ الغَريمِ اليَلَنْدَد

تَعلَّقها فِعْلَ الغَريمِ اليَلَنْدَد

When his days delay a promise of glory,

If his days exceed the promise of pride

he lays hold of them like an unyielding creditor.

Clinging to the acts of the abject flexible enemy

فيقْتادُهُ تاجُ الملوكِ بعَزْمَةٍ

فيقْتادُهُ تاجُ الملوكِ بعَزْمَةٍ

كما انقاد مَخْشوشٌ بساعِد أيِّد

كما انقاد مَخْشوشٌ بساعِد أيِّد

So the Crown of Kings draws it along with firm resolve,

So the crown of kings leads him resolutely

as a camel with a nose-peg yields to a mighty arm.

As an obedient trained horse with a strong hand