حماك حِمى الرحمن من كل حادثٍ

حماك حِمى الرحمن من كل حادثٍ

يُخاف ومن خطبٍ تَروع نوائبُهْ

يُخاف ومن خطبٍ تَروع نوائبُهْ

May the All-Merciful's protection guard you from every calamity

May God protect you from every feared accident,

That is feared, and from every ordeal whose misfortunes terrify.

And from calamities whose afflictions are dreadful.

ولا فارقتْ تلك المناقبَ صِحَّةٌ

ولا فارقتْ تلك المناقبَ صِحَّةٌ

مهنَّأةٌ ما الْتَذَّ بالماءِ شارِبُهْ

مهنَّأةٌ ما الْتَذَّ بالماءِ شارِبُهْ

And may health never forsake those noble virtues,

And never parted from those virtues is wellness,

Blissfully enjoyed, so long as water delights its drinker.

Delighted, as long as its drinker drinks water.

فإنَّ العُلى من أحمد بن مُحمَّدٍ

فإنَّ العُلى من أحمد بن مُحمَّدٍ

عقيلةُ غيْرانٍ تُخافُ مَشاغِبُهْ

عقيلةُ غيْرانٍ تُخافُ مَشاغِبُهْ

For glory, with Ahmad son of Muhammad,

For the most high of Ahmad bin Muhammad

Is the cherished wife of a jealous man whose quarrels are feared.

Is the beloved of Ghairan, whose machinations are feared,

وزيرٌ يفُرُّ المحْلُ من جوِّ أرضه

وزيرٌ يفُرُّ المحْلُ من جوِّ أرضه

ويحسدُه صَوبُ الغَمام وساكبُه

ويحسدُه صَوبُ الغَمام وساكبُه

A minister: drought flees the air of his land,

A minister whom the abode flees from the atmosphere of his land,

And the clouds' downpour and its pourer envy him.

And the sides of clouds envy him and its pourer.

وينجاب طَخْيُ الليل من قسماتِه

وينجاب طَخْيُ الليل من قسماتِه

إذا ما دَجتْ ظلْماؤهُ وغَياهبُهْ

إذا ما دَجتْ ظلْماؤهُ وغَياهبُهْ

And night's murk lifts before his features,

The darkness of night is pierced by his divisions,

Whenever its darkness and deep shadows thicken.

When its darkness and obscurities grow dense.

إذا ما تبارى فاخِرانِ بمَفْخرٍ

إذا ما تبارى فاخِرانِ بمَفْخرٍ

كريمٍ تبارتْ كُتْبُهُ وكَتائِبُهْ

كريمٍ تبارتْ كُتْبُهُ وكَتائِبُهْ

Whenever two boasters vie over a distinction,

When two boastful ones compete in generosity,

A noble one—his writings and his battalions vie.

His books and writings compete.

فعند قَصيرٍ في المَجالِ ولاحِقٍ

فعند قَصيرٍ في المَجالِ ولاحِقٍ

طِعانٌ كولْغ الذيب وشْكٌ معاطبه

طِعانٌ كولْغ الذيب وشْكٌ معاطبه

So with the short-ranged and the pursuer in the field,

So for one short in space and overtaking,

There are thrusts like a wolf's lapping, swiftly fatal.

There are piercing strikes like the fang of a wolf and probable hits.

فسيَّانِ ما تُخفي معاني سُطورِه

فسيَّانِ ما تُخفي معاني سُطورِه

وما أظْهَرتهُ بالطِّرادِ مواكِبُه

وما أظْهَرتهُ بالطِّرادِ مواكِبُه

Thus equal are what the meanings of his lines conceal

The lines of his poetry conceal their meanings,

And what his cavalcades reveal in mounted combat.

As do their caravans openly manifest them.

فتى الحَيِّ أما جارُهُ فهو مانِعٌ

فتى الحَيِّ أما جارُهُ فهو مانِعٌ

حِماهُ وأمَّا مالُهُ فهو واهِبُهْ

حِماهُ وأمَّا مالُهُ فهو واهِبُهْ

The clan's champion: as for his neighbor, he guards

A living man, while his neighbor forbids him,

His sanctuary; as for his wealth, he gives it away.

Protects him, and his money, he grants it.

فمنْثورةٌ في سَلْمِه ونِزالِهِ

فمنْثورةٌ في سَلْمِه ونِزالِهِ

جماجمُ أبطالِ الوَغى ورَغائبُهْ

جماجمُ أبطالِ الوَغى ورَغائبُهْ

So scattered in his peace and his combat

Scattered in his peace and fighting

Are the skulls of battle's heroes and his coveted gifts:

Are the skulls of heroes of strife and its floods.

خضارمُ جودٍ أو معاقِلُ نجْدةٍ

خضارمُ جودٍ أو معاقِلُ نجْدةٍ

إذا الدهر أكْدى نصرهُ وسحائبُه

إذا الدهر أكْدى نصرهُ وسحائبُه

Oceans of generosity or strongholds of succor,

Verdant in generosity or fortified in help,

When Time's aid and its clouds fail.

When fate insists on aiding him and its clouds.

إذا مُضَرُ الحمراءِ مَدَّ أتِيُّها

إذا مُضَرُ الحمراءِ مَدَّ أتِيُّها

فخِنْدِفُها آذِيُّهُ وغَوارِبُهْ

فخِنْدِفُها آذِيُّهُ وغَوارِبُهْ

When Mudar the Red's torrent rises,

When the red hyena extends its neck

Then her Khindif is its billows and crests.

Its injuries and biting wounds pierce it.

فجاؤا بماضي العَزْم سامٍ إلى العُلى

فجاؤا بماضي العَزْم سامٍ إلى العُلى

تُكاثِرُ رَمْلَ الأنْعُمَيْن مناقبه

تُكاثِرُ رَمْلَ الأنْعُمَيْن مناقبه

So they brought one of firm resolve, aspiring to glory,

So they came with determination and composure to the most high,

Whose virtues rival the sands of al-An'umayn in number—

His virtues multiplying the sands of An’amayn.

أبي جعفرٍ تاجِ الملوكِ الذي بهِ

أبي جعفرٍ تاجِ الملوكِ الذي بهِ

يعُزُّ مُواليه ويَخْزى مُحاربُهْ

يعُزُّ مُواليه ويَخْزى مُحاربُهْ

Abu Ja'far, the crown of kings, through whom

Of my father Ja’far, crown of kings, by which

His ally gains honor and his enemy is disgraced.

His loyalists are honored and his adversaries humiliated.