بقيتmay you live on لكلfor every مكرًمةٍnoble deed وبأسٍand valor
بقيت لكل مكرًمةٍ وبأسٍ
عزيزhonored الجارِthe neighbor مَحميَّprotected المقامِthe abode
عزيز الجارِ مَحميَّ المقامِ
May you live on for every noble deed and feat of valor,
For every generous deed and valor
your neighbor honored, your abode protected.
Dear neighbor, protector of the abode
تكرُّreturn لكfor you المواسمُthe festivals والتَّهانيand the congratulations
تكرُّ لك المواسمُ والتَّهاني
بماwith what تهواهُyou desire it عاماًa year بعدafter عامِa year
بما تهواهُ عاماً بعد عامِ
Festivals and good wishes return to you,
The seasons come and go with blessings for you
with what you desire, year after year.
With whatever you desire, year after year
فكلُّfor all الدهرtime عندكwith you منthrough صلاحٍrighteousness
فكلُّ الدهر عندك من صلاحٍ
وتقوىand piety موسمُseason الشهرthe month الحرامِsacred
وتقوى موسمُ الشهر الحرامِ
For all time with you, through righteousness
For you, each moment brings goodness
and piety, is the season of the sacred month.
And virtue in the holy month
وبأسكَand your valor غالبٌsurpassing حَدَّthe edge المواضيthe keen swords
وبأسكَ غالبٌ حَدَّ المواضي
وجودكَand your generosity فاضلٌsurpassing صوبَthe downpour الغمامِthe clouds
وجودكَ فاضلٌ صوبَ الغمامِ
And your valor surpasses the edge of keen swords,
Your strength conquers the dwelling places
and your generosity surpasses the clouds' downpour.
Your generosity flows to the clouds above
وقلبكَand your heart والمساعيand the endeavors شاهداتٌbearing witness
وقلبكَ والمساعي شاهداتٌ
نقيُّpure السِّرِّthe inner self منfrom صَوَرٍcrookedness وذامِand blame
نقيُّ السِّرِّ من صَوَرٍ وذامِ
And your heart—your endeavors bear witness—
Your heart and deeds bear witness
is pure within, free of crookedness and blame.
Pure of secret, beyond illusion and blemish
وماand never فضلَsurpassed الكرامُthe noble الناسَother people إِلاexcept
وما فضلَ الكرامُ الناسَ إِلا
فضلْتyou excelled علىover السَّراةِthe leaders منamong الكرِامthe noble
فضلْت على السَّراةِ من الكرِام
The noble never surpass other men
The noble distinguish people only
without your surpassing the leaders among the noble.
You excel the riders of steeds
ولاand never استُصْرِخْتَyou were called for help إِلاexcept كنتyou were أمْضيswifter
ولا استُصْرِخْتَ إِلا كنت أمْضي
إِلىto الاِthe (fragment of 'succor') نْجادِsuccor (word continuation) منthan صرْمِthe keen ones السِّهامِthe arrows
إِلى الاِ نْجادِ من صرْمِ السِّهامِ
Nor are you ever called for help without being swifter
If you are called, you swiftly answer
to bring aid than keen arrows.
Marching to aid amidst the arrows' hiss
سريعُswift النصرaid والإحسانِand kindness عافٍforgiving
سريعُ النصر والإحسانِ عافٍ
عنof الجانيthe offender بطيءُslow الإنتقامِrevenge
عن الجاني بطيءُ الإنتقامِ
Swift to aid and show kindness, forgiving
Quick to grant victory and favor, forgiving
the offender, slow to take revenge.
Slow to take revenge on the sinner
عمادُpillar الدولةِthe state الغَرَّاءِillustrious حاميprotector
عمادُ الدولةِ الغَرَّاءِ حامي
معاقِدهاits foundations رَضيُّpleasing للإِمامِto the Imam
معاقِدها رَضيُّ للإِمامِ
Pillar of the illustrious state, protector
Pillar of the splendid state, protector
of its foundations, pleasing to the Imam.
Of its principles, compliant to the imam
يُحازُis won ودادهُhis affection بسلامِwith a greeting يومٍa day
يُحازُ ودادهُ بسلامِ يومٍ
اذاwhen غدرَbetrays المُعاهدُthe covenant-bound ally بالذِّمامِwith respect to the pledge
اذا غدرَ المُعاهدُ بالذِّمامِ
His affection is won with a single day's greeting,
Your affection is won with a day of peace
when the covenant-bound ally betrays his pledge.
When the oath-breaker betrays with guile
يجيبُhe answers دواعيthe calls العليْاءِhigh honor طوْعاًwillingly
يجيبُ دواعي العليْاءِ طوْعاً
ويعصيand he defies فيin النَّدىgenerosity داعيthe call المَلامِcensure
ويعصي في النَّدى داعي المَلامِ
He willingly answers the calls of high honor,
Willingly you answer the calls of the exalted
and in generosity defies the call of censure.
And disobey the whisper of blame
ويُسْفرُand he shines forth للخطوبِbefore calamities وللَّياليand before nights
ويُسْفرُ للخطوبِ وللَّيالي
فيجلوهاso he dispels them بجودٍwith generosity وابْتسامِand a smile
فيجلوها بجودٍ وابْتسامِ
And he shines forth before calamities and nights,
You face troubles and nights with generosity and smiles
dispelling them with generosity and a smile.
So no place remains dark where you tread
فلاthus no محلُdrought السنينthe years يحلُّsettles upon أرضاًa land
فلا محلُ السنين يحلُّ أرضاً
ألَمَّhe alighted بهاin it ولاand neither غَسقُgloom الظَّلامِthe darkness
ألَمَّ بها ولا غَسقُ الظَّلامِ
Thus no drought of years settles upon a land
If I cannot reward his gifts with verse
he has visited, nor does the gloom of darkness.
Articulate in composition and metre
اذاif لمnot أجْزِI repay نُعْماهُhis bounty بغُرٍّwith radiant verses
اذا لم أجْزِ نُعْماهُ بغُرٍّ
فِصاحِeloquent اللَّفظthe wording مُحكمةِperfectly wrought النظامِthe composition
فِصاحِ اللَّفظ مُحكمةِ النظامِ
If I do not repay his bounty with radiant verses,
Then I am no poet of Tameem
eloquent in wording, perfectly wrought in composition,
But a mere cobbler tapping his awl
مُخلَّدةٍimmortalized فلستُthen I am not فتىa young man تميمٍTamim
مُخلَّدةٍ فلستُ فتى تميمٍ
ولكنيbut I منamong القَزَمِthe lowly الرُّذامِthe contemptible
ولكني من القَزَمِ الرُّذامِ
everlasting, then I am no son of Tamim,
but I am among the lowly, contemptible rabble.
Partial English translation: 28 of 30 Arabic lines translated.