هَناgladdened رجبَRajab الشُّهورof the months وماand what يليهِfollows it
هَنا رجبَ الشُّهور وما يليهِ
بَقاؤكَyour continued life أنتyou ياO رَجَبَRajab الرِّجالof men
بَقاؤكَ أنت يا رَجَبَ الرِّجال
Rajab among the months, and those that follow it, have been gladdened
Your existence, O Rajab, is the manliness of men
by your continued life, O Rajab among men.
Blessings be upon it, but every year
لهُfor it البركاتُthe blessings لكنْbut كلَّevery عامٍyear
لهُ البركاتُ لكنْ كلَّ عامٍ
وأنتand you مُباركٌblessed فيin كلِّevery حالِcircumstance
وأنت مُباركٌ في كلِّ حالِ
It has its blessings, but only once a year,
You are blessed in every state
while you are blessed in every circumstance.
If abstinence in it guarantees reward
اذاif ضَمنَguarantees التَّنَسُّكُreligious devotion فيهin it أجْراًa reward
اذا ضَمنَ التَّنَسُّكُ فيه أجْراً
فمدحُthen praise of عُلاكَyour eminence يكْفلُstands surety بالنَّولِfor bounty
فمدحُ عُلاكَ يكْفلُ بالنَّولِ
If devotion in it guarantees a reward,
Then praising your loftiness is sufficient payment
then praising your eminence guarantees bounty.
You surpassed the sharp Indian sword in lethality
فَضلْتَyou surpassed الصّارمَthe keen blade الهْنديَّIndian فتْكاًin deadliness
فَضلْتَ الصّارمَ الهْنديَّ فتْكاً
وَفُقْتَand you outdid الطَّوْدَthe towering mountain عنجin الاِحْتمالendurance
وَفُقْتَ الطَّوْدَ عنج الاِحْتمال
You surpassed the Indian blade in deadliness,
And excelled over the heavily laden camel in endurance
and outdid the towering mountain in endurance.
Your forbearance cannot be comprehended through an intercessor
فحلمُكfor your clemency ليسis not يُدركُattained عنthrough شَفيعٍan intercessor
فحلمُك ليس يُدركُ عن شَفيعٍ
وبأسُكَand your might لاnot يُجرَّبُtested بالنزالin combat
وبأسُكَ لا يُجرَّبُ بالنزال
For your clemency is granted without an intercessor,
And your might cannot be tested in battle
and your might is not put to the test in combat.
Your feared threat disappoints the evildoer
يفُلُّblunts وعيدكَyour threat المرهوبَdreaded مَطْلٌdelay
يفُلُّ وعيدكَ المرهوبَ مَطْلٌ
ويكرُمand is too noble وعْدُa promise خيرof good عنfor مِطالِdelay
ويكرُم وعْدُ خير عن مِطالِ
Delay blunts your dreaded threat,
And your promise of good fulfills the wish of the hopeful
while a promise of good is too noble for delay.
The feats of the glorious become regrets
تَظلُّremain سوابقُthe racing steeds العَلْياءِof glory حَسْرىexhausted
تَظلُّ سوابقُ العَلْياءِ حَسْرى
اذاwhen شَدَّالوزيرُthe vizier races إِلىtoward المَعاليthe heights
اذا شَدَّالوزيرُ إِلى المَعالي
The racing steeds of glory are left exhausted
When the minister aspires towards the heights
when the vizier races toward the heights.
Praiseworthy, the mention of your loftiness brings light
حميدُpraiseworthy الذِّكرin renown تُسفِرُgrow bright منْthrough عُلاهُhis glory
حميدُ الذِّكر تُسفِرُ منْ عُلاهُ
اذاwhen ذُكرتْis recalled دياجيرُthe deepest darknesses اللياليof the nights
اذا ذُكرتْ دياجيرُ الليالي
Praiseworthy in renown, his glory lights up—
When the lamps of nights are mentioned
when recalled—the deepest darkness of the nights.
You make the wealthy cheerful, you do not covet their wealth
يُبيحُfreely bestows الدَّثْرَabundant wealth لاnot يرنوgazes اليهِat it
يُبيحُ الدَّثْرَ لا يرنو اليهِ
وينظرُand considers للرَّعِيَّةِfor the subjects فيregarding عَقالِa camel's tether
وينظرُ للرَّعِيَّةِ في عَقالِ
He gives abundant wealth freely, without a glance at it,
And you look after the commoners sensibly
yet safeguards his subjects' interests even over a camel's tether.
You are humble where your greatness is prominent
تواضعhe showed humility حيثwhere جَلَّwas exalted القَدْرُthe stature منهof him
تواضع حيث جَلَّ القَدْرُ منه
يَقيناin certainty أنَّthat ذاكَthat مِنَpart of الجَلالِmajesty
يَقينا أنَّ ذاكَ مِنَ الجَلالِ
He was humble despite his exalted stature,
Truly, that is a sign of majesty
certain that this is part of majesty.
Like water, the life force of everything
كمِثلِjust like المءِwater مَحْياthe life of كُلِّevery شيءٍthing
كمِثلِ المءِ مَحْيا كُلِّ شيءٍ
وموْردهُand its source رَخيصٌinexpensive غيرُnot غالِcostly
وموْردهُ رَخيصٌ غيرُ غالِ
Like water, the life of everything,
Yet its source is cheap, not expensive
and its source is inexpensive, not costly.
Partial English translation: 21 of 22 Arabic lines translated.