يا فارسَ الهْوْليْنِ عَمَّ رَداهما

يا فارسَ الهْوْليْنِ عَمَّ رَداهما

تحت القَتام وتحت ظِلِّ العِثْيرِ

تحت القَتام وتحت ظِلِّ العِثْيرِ

O knight of the two terrors, their doom has spread everywhere

O knight of the two steeds, whose vastness encompasses them,

Beneath the battle-dust and beneath the shade of swirling dust.

Beneath the darkness and beneath the shadow of the dust cloud,

يجلوهُما من بأسهِ ونوالهِ

يجلوهُما من بأسهِ ونوالهِ

بمُهنَّأٍ خافٍ ونَصْرٍ مُظْهَرِ

بمُهنَّأٍ خافٍ ونَصْرٍ مُظْهَرِ

He dispels them through his valor and his bounty,

He makes them both safe from his might and attack,

With a welcome boon concealed and a victory made manifest.

With ease, caution, and a triumphant victory,

فمضاؤهُ في سلْمهِ ونزالهِ

فمضاؤهُ في سلْمهِ ونزالهِ

اِنجادُ مخذولٍ وثروةُ مُعْسرِ

اِنجادُ مخذولٍ وثروةُ مُعْسرِ

Thus his resolve, in peace and in battle, is

So his light in his peace and strife,

Rescue for the forsaken and wealth for the destitute.

Is the rescue of the defeated and the wealth of the destitute,

جاد السحاب وجُدْتَ لكن قدِّرتْ

جاد السحاب وجُدْتَ لكن قدِّرتْ

أوقاتهُ ونداك غيرُ مُقَدَّرِ

أوقاتهُ ونداك غيرُ مُقَدَّرِ

The cloud poured freely, and you gave freely; but measured were

The clouds poured down but you were predestined,

Its seasons, while your bounty is beyond measure.

To set their times and your call was not preordained,

وظللت تمطرُ وهو يُمطرُ تارةً

وظللت تمطرُ وهو يُمطرُ تارةً

ما ماطِرٌ يُحْيي البلاد كمُمْطرِ

ما ماطِرٌ يُحْيي البلاد كمُمْطرِ

And you kept raining, while it rains only now and then.

And you continued to rain while it rained at times,

No raincloud revives the land like one who showers bounty.

Not like the rain that gives life to the countries you rain upon,

واذا بوارقهُ كَذَبْنَ لشائمٍ

واذا بوارقهُ كَذَبْنَ لشائمٍ

حيناً فبشركَ صادقٌ للمقْترِ

حيناً فبشركَ صادقٌ للمقْترِ

And when its lightning flashes deceive one watching for rain

And when its lightning bolts lied to the detractors,

At times, your smiling face proves true to the needy.

You were the truthful bringer of good news to the needy,

تخبو المواقدُ باليَفاع وبشْرُك ال

تخبو المواقدُ باليَفاع وبشْرُك ال

هادي ركابَ الخابطِ المُتنوِّرِ

هادي ركابَ الخابطِ المُتنوِّرِ

The fires on the heights die down, but your smiling face is the

The embers die down from the blazes yet your guidance,

Guide for the riding camels of the wanderer seeking firelight.

Does not forsake the steps of the confused enlightened one,

لا تحتمي الوجْناءُ منك بِتامِكٍ

لا تحتمي الوجْناءُ منك بِتامِكٍ

جلْدِ الاِهاب ولا الشُّجاع بمغفر

جلْدِ الاِهاب ولا الشُّجاع بمغفر

The sturdy she-camel cannot shield herself from you with a lofty hump

The coward cannot seek refuge in you with his,

Clad in tough hide, nor can the brave warrior with a mail coif.

Fox skin armor or the brave with forgiveness,

يشكو كفاحك كاتبٌ وكَتائبٌ

يشكو كفاحك كاتبٌ وكَتائبٌ

ما بين محجوجٍ وبين مُعَفَّرِ

ما بين محجوجٍ وبين مُعَفَّرِ

A writer and battalions lament your onslaught,

Your struggle is lamented by a writer and troops,

One defeated in argument, the other cast into the dust.

Between the banned and the expelled,

بمبادريْنِ إِلى الطِّعانِ مُهَمْلجٍ

بمبادريْنِ إِلى الطِّعانِ مُهَمْلجٍ

فوق الطُّروس وطامرٍ مُتمطِّرِ

فوق الطُّروس وطامرٍ مُتمطِّرِ

With two that rush to thrust: one smoothly pacing

With audacious ones rushing to pierce,

Over the pages, and one leaping at full gallop.

Above the saddles and a pouring rainfall,

حتى اذا قَذفَ اليراعُ بحالكٍ

حتى اذا قَذفَ اليراعُ بحالكٍ

أجرى النحور صَبيبَ قانٍ أحمرِ

أجرى النحور صَبيبَ قانٍ أحمرِ

Until, when the reed pen casts forth black ink,

Until when the tremor cast your condition,

Throats are made to gush a stream of crimson red.

It let flow from the veins a red, pure, hot stream,

فالشاهدانِ بما بلغْتَ من العُلى

فالشاهدانِ بما بلغْتَ من العُلى

ظهرُ الفلاة ضُحىً وبطن الدفتر

ظهرُ الفلاة ضُحىً وبطن الدفتر

So the two witnesses to the heights you have attained are

So the two witnesses to what you reached of highness,

The desert's back at midmorning and the book's belly.

Were the surface of the desert at dawn and the page of the book,

فبقيتَ يا تاجَ المُلوكِ للائذٍ

فبقيتَ يا تاجَ المُلوكِ للائذٍ

مستعصمٍ ولمُسنتٍ مستمْطرِ

مستعصمٍ ولمُسنتٍ مستمْطرِ

So may you endure, O crown of kings, for one seeking refuge,

Thus you remained, O crown of kings, for the refuge seeker,

Seeking protection, and for one drought-stricken, seeking rain.

A staunch protector and a pouring rain,

كاَد التَّصوُّنُ أن تماط سُجوفُه

كاَد التَّصوُّنُ أن تماط سُجوفُه

فحفظتهُ بتبرعٍ لم يكْدُرِ

فحفظتهُ بتبرعٍ لم يكْدُرِ

Dignified reserve nearly had its curtains drawn aside,

Withdrawal was about to fade through his essence,

So you preserved it with an untainted, freely given gift.

But you preserved him with unblemished generosity,

واغبرَّ مُخضرُّ الشؤونِ فصُبْتَه

واغبرَّ مُخضرُّ الشؤونِ فصُبْتَه

من راحتيك بوابلٍ مُثْعَنْجِرِ

من راحتيك بوابلٍ مُثْعَنْجِرِ

And the verdure of affairs turned dust-gray; you drenched it

And the horizon of affairs was murky so you poured on it,

From your two palms with a gushing downpour.

From your comfort a heavy pouring rain,

رزح الجُلال العود من دلج السُّرى

رزح الجُلال العود من دلج السُّرى

والعِبءِ وهو لذاك غيرُ مُجرجر

والعِبءِ وهو لذاك غيرُ مُجرجر

The mighty, seasoned camel sagged from marching through the night

The majesty of authority was stooped by the frost of eminence,

And the load, yet it did not groan for all that.

And the burden though it was not for that cumbersome,

صَمْتٌ تُقرُّ له البلاغةُ بالحِجا

صَمْتٌ تُقرُّ له البلاغةُ بالحِجا

والحزمُ للمتأمِّلِ المُسْتبصرِ

والحزمُ للمتأمِّلِ المُسْتبصرِ

A silence whose wisdom eloquence acknowledges,

A silence you grant eloquence to argue for,

As does prudence, to the reflective, discerning observer.

And wisdom for the observing wise one,

لا أوحشت منك الدسوت ولا خلت

لا أوحشت منك الدسوت ولا خلت

منكَ السروجُ بغيبةٍ وبمحضرِ

منكَ السروجُ بغيبةٍ وبمحضرِ

May the seats of honor never be desolate without you, nor be empty

You did not make the visitors despair or leave,

Of you the saddles, in absence and in presence.

The saddlebags in your absence or presence,

اِنْ كان معنى جَعْفَرٍنهراً به

اِنْ كان معنى جَعْفَرٍنهراً به

تروى العُطاش فأنت نهرُ الكوثرِ

تروى العُطاش فأنت نهرُ الكوثرِ

If Ja'far means a river by which

If the meaning of Ja'far is a river in which,

The thirsty drink their fill, then you are the river al-Kawthar.

The thirsty are satiated then you are the river of abundance.