لتُهْنِ قصور المجد زيدتْ جَلالةً

لتُهْنِ قصور المجد زيدتْ جَلالةً

إذا خُصَّ ذو حَظٍّ بفضْل حِباءِ

إذا خُصَّ ذو حَظٍّ بفضْل حِباءِ

May the palaces of glory rejoice, their majesty increased,

The palaces of glory are made more majestic

when a fortunate man is singled out for exceptional bounty:

When one favored by fortune is distinguished

ولايةُ سَبَّاقٍ إلى الخيرِ موجِفٍ

ولايةُ سَبَّاقٍ إلى الخيرِ موجِفٍ

إلى الحمد كَسَّابٍ لكُلِّ ثَناءِ

إلى الحمد كَسَّابٍ لكُلِّ ثَناءِ

the appointment of one who races to goodness, hastening

The rule of one racing to benevolence and urging

toward praise, earning every commendation.

To praise, conferring all eulogy

فإنَّ كمالَ الدينِ ما زالَ ناهِضاً

فإنَّ كمالَ الدينِ ما زالَ ناهِضاً

إلى المجدِ فَرَّاعاً لكل عَلاءِ

إلى المجدِ فَرَّاعاً لكل عَلاءِ

For Kamal al-Din has never ceased rising

Indeed, the perfection of religion has remained vigilant

toward glory, surmounting every height.

To glory, watching over every supreme one

إذا حلَّ أرضاً أشْرقت بحلُولِهِ

إذا حلَّ أرضاً أشْرقت بحلُولِهِ

كما تُشْرِقُ الدُّنيا بضوْءِ ذُكاء

كما تُشْرِقُ الدُّنيا بضوْءِ ذُكاء

Whenever he settles in a land, it shines with his arrival,

When he settles a land, it shines with his arrival

as the world shines with the light of Dhuka, the sun.

As the world shines with the light of daybreak

فتىً يبْذُلُ الدَّثْرَ الجَزيلَ ويمنعُ

فتىً يبْذُلُ الدَّثْرَ الجَزيلَ ويمنعُ

النَّزيل ويحْمي وُدَّهُ بوَفاءِ

النَّزيل ويحْمي وُدَّهُ بوَفاءِ

A young man who gives abundant riches and protects

A young man who gives abundantly and prevents

the guest, and safeguards his friendship through fidelity.

The visitor, protecting his affection with loyalty

ويهْتَزُّ للمعروفِ حتى كأنَّهُ

ويهْتَزُّ للمعروفِ حتى كأنَّهُ

قَرا السَّيفِ مهزوزاً بيومِ لقاءِ

قَرا السَّيفِ مهزوزاً بيومِ لقاءِ

And he thrills to generosity, until he seems

And he trembles for benevolence as if he

the spine of a sword brandished on a day of battle.

Readied his sword, quivering for the day of meeting

ويرزن في ناديه والخطب عاصِفٌ

ويرزن في ناديه والخطب عاصِفٌ

إذا نَبْوةٌ حَلَّتْ حُبى الحُلَماء

إذا نَبْوةٌ حَلَّتْ حُبى الحُلَماء

And he stays composed in his assembly while calamity rages,

And he is joyous in his club when a prophecy descends

when a setback unfastens the knee-bands of the forbearing.

The love of the wise

وفارسُ قولٍ لا يُرامُ نِزالُهُ

وفارسُ قولٍ لا يُرامُ نِزالُهُ

مَدى القوْلِ كَرَّارٌ على العُلماء

مَدى القوْلِ كَرَّارٌ على العُلماء

And a knight of speech whom none dares face in combat,

A horseman of words who cannot be rivaled

throughout the realm of speech, repeatedly charging at scholars.

Repeating words to the scholars

إذا خطرتْ أقلامُهُ في طُروسهِ

إذا خطرتْ أقلامُهُ في طُروسهِ

عَدَوْنَ على الأحْبارِ والبُلَغاءِ

عَدَوْنَ على الأحْبارِ والبُلَغاءِ

When his pens prance upon his pages,

When his pens rush forth in his writings

they charge against the learned and the eloquent.

They race against the literati and eloquent

يحول سوادُ النِّقْس منها إذا جرت

يحول سوادُ النِّقْس منها إذا جرت

إلى الأحمريْنِ عَسْجَدٍ ودِماءِ

إلى الأحمريْنِ عَسْجَدٍ ودِماءِ

When they run, the blackness of their ink turns

The blackness of ink changes when they flow

into the two reds: gold and blood.

To red, like blood and the sunset

رآهُ أميرُ المؤمنينَ بعَيْنِهِ

رآهُ أميرُ المؤمنينَ بعَيْنِهِ

من الأكرَمَيْنِ صَحَّةٍ ووَفاءِ

من الأكرَمَيْنِ صَحَّةٍ ووَفاءِ

The Commander of the Faithful beheld him with his own eye,

The Commander of the Faithful saw him with his eyes

with the two noblest qualities: integrity and fidelity;

As the most generous and loyal

فرَدَّ إليهِ حَوْزَةَ المجد والعُلى

فرَدَّ إليهِ حَوْزَةَ المجد والعُلى

بأسْرارِها مِن ظاهرٍ وخَفاءِ

بأسْرارِها مِن ظاهرٍ وخَفاءِ

so he entrusted him with the domain of glory and eminence,

So he returned to him the keep of glory and heights

with its secrets, manifest and hidden.

With its mysteries, evident and hidden

كما يستعينُ المَشْرَفيُّ بِساعِدٍ

كما يستعينُ المَشْرَفيُّ بِساعِدٍ

فيَفْرِي رِقابَ الصِّيدِ والشُّجعاء

فيَفْرِي رِقابَ الصِّيدِ والشُّجعاء

as a Mashrafi sword draws help from a forearm,

As Al-Mashrifi seeks the aid of one

and thus cleaves the necks of the proud and the brave.

Who liberates the necks of prey and the brave

ونِعْمَ مُناخُ الطَّارقينَ عَشيَّةً

ونِعْمَ مُناخُ الطَّارقينَ عَشيَّةً

إذا ضاقَ ذرْعُ الحيِّ بالنُّزَلاءِ

إذا ضاقَ ذرْعُ الحيِّ بالنُّزَلاءِ

And what a fine halting-place for night visitors at evening,

And excellent is the shelter of the mounted at night

when the tribe's capacity is strained by guests,

When the living are distressed by the lodgers

وأخْمد نيران القِرى صرْصَريَّةٌ

وأخْمد نيران القِرى صرْصَريَّةٌ

تَهُزُّ رِعانَ الطَّوْدِ بالعُرَواءِ

تَهُزُّ رِعانَ الطَّوْدِ بالعُرَواءِ

and a freezing gale extinguishes the fires of hospitality,

And the crackling fires of villages calm down

shaking the mountain's crags with feverish shivers.

Shaking the mounts in the wilderness

هناك أبو الفضْلينِ عِلْمٍ ونائلٍ

هناك أبو الفضْلينِ عِلْمٍ ونائلٍ

وشيكُ القِرى في كلِّ ليلِ شِتاءِ

وشيكُ القِرى في كلِّ ليلِ شِتاءِ

There is Abu al-Fadlayn—father of learning and bounty—

There, Abu Al-Fadl, learned and attaining

swift with hospitality on every winter night.

Seeking shelter for every village in winter nights

يُحاذرُ جدْبُ العام سُكنى بلاده

يُحاذرُ جدْبُ العام سُكنى بلاده

فيُلْقي المَراسي في يَدِ البُخلاءِ

فيُلْقي المَراسي في يَدِ البُخلاءِ

The year's dearth fears dwelling in his lands,

He keeps the drought of the year from his country

so it casts its anchors into the hands of misers.

Sending provisions into the hands of the stingy

تركْتُ عليه مِن مديحي قَلائداً

تركْتُ عليه مِن مديحي قَلائداً

خَوالدَ تبْقى بعد كُلِّ بَقاءِ

خَوالدَ تبْقى بعد كُلِّ بَقاءِ

I have left upon him necklaces of my praise,

I left on him, of my praises, necklaces

everlasting, outliving everything that endures.

Everlasting, remaining after every eternity

مَطايا وَلاءٍ لا يَزالُ رَسيمُها

مَطايا وَلاءٍ لا يَزالُ رَسيمُها

يُقرِّبُ من قاصٍ ومِن عُدَواءِ

يُقرِّبُ من قاصٍ ومِن عُدَواءِ

Mounts of loyalty whose swift trot never ceases

The steeds of loyalty whose breeze still

to bring one close, from afar and from remoteness.

Brings together the distant and the hostile

تكِلُّ رِقابُ القوم وهي مُغِذَّةٌذ

تكِلُّ رِقابُ القوم وهي مُغِذَّةٌذ

تَمارَحُ منْ إِدْمانِ كلِّ نَجاءِ

تَمارَحُ منْ إِدْمانِ كلِّ نَجاءِ

The people's necks grow weary, while these mounts press on,

The necks of the people relax, nourished,

frisking from constant practice in every swift journey.

Frolicking in drinking each wine

مَراها ودادٌ لم يغبْ عُمْر ساعةٍ

مَراها ودادٌ لم يغبْ عُمْر ساعةٍ

ولم يمتزِجْ إِخلاصُهُ بِرياءِ

ولم يمتزِجْ إِخلاصُهُ بِرياءِ

Affection spurred them on, never absent for even an hour,

I saw loyalty that never lacked all life

nor was its sincerity mingled with ostentation.

Nor was its sincerity mixed with hypocrisy

فكُن مُحسناً في السَّعي مثل مدائحي

فكُن مُحسناً في السَّعي مثل مدائحي

وكُنْ وافياً بالوعْدِ مثلَ وَفائي

وكُنْ وافياً بالوعْدِ مثلَ وَفائي

So be as good in your endeavors as my praises,

So be good in striving like my praises

and be true to your promise, as I am in my fidelity.

And be faithful to promises like my loyalty