راسِي الحُبى في سَلْمهِ ونَديِّهِ

راسِي الحُبى في سَلْمهِ ونَديِّهِ

ومعَ الحفيظةِ فالجرازُ المِصْدَعُ

ومعَ الحفيظةِ فالجرازُ المِصْدَعُ

Steady in his knee-bound seat, in peace and in his council,

My head is in its health and vigor,

and when indignant, a severing, cleaving sword.

With the guard, the broken jar,

ونسيمُ باكِرَةٍ رُخاءٌ سجْسَجٌ

ونسيمُ باكِرَةٍ رُخاءٌ سجْسَجٌ

وإذا يُهاجُ فَرامِساتٌ زَعْزَعُ

وإذا يُهاجُ فَرامِساتٌ زَعْزَعُ

And a morning breeze, gentle and temperate,

And the morning breeze, a gentle rustling,

and when roused, violent winds that bury traces.

When stirred, fluttering branches,

ووعورُ جرْولةٍ إذا أحْفَظْتَهُ

ووعورُ جرْولةٍ إذا أحْفَظْتَهُ

ومع الرِّضا فهو البِراثُ المَهْيَعُ

ومع الرِّضا فهو البِراثُ المَهْيَعُ

And rugged, stony ground if you anger him,

The bleating of a lamb, if you protect it,

and when pleased, he is soft ground, a broad open way.

With consent, it is the scatted wool,

عضد الهُدى والدين والصدر الذي

عضد الهُدى والدين والصدر الذي

شَهدَ الوَغى بفَخارهِ والمَجْمَع

شَهدَ الوَغى بفَخارهِ والمَجْمَع

The supporting arm of guidance and faith, and the chief whose

Supporter of guidance, religion and the bosom that

glory battle and assembly have attested.

Witnessed the tumult with its pride and assembly,

ورِثَ الرياسة كابراً عن كابِرٍ

ورِثَ الرياسة كابراً عن كابِرٍ

والفَرْعُ أزْكى والمكارمُ أوسع

والفَرْعُ أزْكى والمكارمُ أوسع

He inherited leadership, a great man from a great forebear;

Inherited leadership from leaders,

and the branch is nobler, its noble virtues more abundant.

The branch more virtuous, the virtues more abundant,

كالغَيْثِ والدُه الغَمامُ فنافِعٌ

كالغَيْثِ والدُه الغَمامُ فنافِعٌ

بَرٌّ ومولودٌ أبَرُّ وأنْفَعُ

بَرٌّ ومولودٌ أبَرُّ وأنْفَعُ

He is like rain, his father the cloud—beneficent

Like rain its clouds beneficial,

and kind, with a son kinder and more beneficent.

Righteous and a son more righteous and useful,

مَلآن قَلْبٍ بالتُقى وضَميرُهُ

مَلآن قَلْبٍ بالتُقى وضَميرُهُ

منْ كلِّ خائنَةٍ قَواءٌ بَلْقَعُ

منْ كلِّ خائنَةٍ قَواءٌ بَلْقَعُ

His heart is full of piety, and his conscience

Filled with piety and his conscience

is an empty, barren waste, devoid of every treachery.

Free of any treacherous guilt,

يعْصي العواذلَ في النَّوالِ وقلْبُه

يعْصي العواذلَ في النَّوالِ وقلْبُه

للّهِ والعافي مُجيبٌ طَيِّعُ

للّهِ والعافي مُجيبٌ طَيِّعُ

He defies the reproaching women in giving, and his heart

Disobeying adulteresses in intimacy yet his heart

is responsive and willing toward God and the supplicant.

To God compliant and obedient,

بَطَلٌ طَرائدُه الخطوبُ فكُلُّها

بَطَلٌ طَرائدُه الخطوبُ فكُلُّها

بالبأس والجدوى يَتُلُّ ويصْرع

بالبأس والجدوى يَتُلُّ ويصْرع

A hero, with calamities for his quarry: all of them

A hero whom all calamities

he throws down and fells with valor and bounty.

With might and resolve attack and defeat,

فإذا الرَّعيَّةُ قد أقامَ قَناتَها

فإذا الرَّعيَّةُ قد أقامَ قَناتَها

مِنَحٌ مُكَرَّرةٌ وعدْلٌ مُمْتِع

مِنَحٌ مُكَرَّرةٌ وعدْلٌ مُمْتِع

So behold, the people's spear-shaft has been straightened by

Thus did the commoners establish their aqueducts

repeated gifts and lasting justice.

Repeating favors and enjoyable justice,

قاصِي العُلى أمَمٌ على عَزَماتِهِ

قاصِي العُلى أمَمٌ على عَزَماتِهِ

فالميلُ فِتْرٌ والنَّحيزَةُ إِصبَعُ

فالميلُ فِتْرٌ والنَّحيزَةُ إِصبَعُ

The farthest heights are near to his firm resolves;

Guide of the lofty, nations in their resolutions

so a mile is a thumb-to-forefinger span, and a strip of land a finger's breadth.

Inclination, isolation, and partisanship ceased,

سَنَنُ المَعالي آمِنٌ لسُلوكِهِ

سَنَنُ المَعالي آمِنٌ لسُلوكِهِ

ولغيرهِ فهو المَخوفُ المُسْبِعُ

ولغيرهِ فهو المَخوفُ المُسْبِعُ

The path to lofty honors is safe for his passage,

Ways of glory, secure to follow,

but for others it is the dreaded, beast-haunted way.

And for others, frightening and intimidating,

طِرْفٌ مَداهُ لا يُباحُ لسابِقٍ

طِرْفٌ مَداهُ لا يُباحُ لسابِقٍ

وتَهابُ غايتَهُ الرِّياحُ الأرْبَعُ

وتَهابُ غايتَهُ الرِّياحُ الأرْبَعُ

A noble steed whose range no racer can attain,

A gaze whose extent competitors cannot traverse

and the four winds dread his farthest reach.

And its end makes the four winds fearful,

فإذا جَرى للمكْرُماتِ تقاصَر

فإذا جَرى للمكْرُماتِ تقاصَر

الهوجُ الزَّعازِعُ والجَوادُ الجَرْشَعُ

الهوجُ الزَّعازِعُ والجَوادُ الجَرْشَعُ

And when he races for noble deeds, left behind are

When the generous coursers and lively racers fell short,

the wild, tempestuous winds and the swift, broad-chested steed.

Turbulent waves and roaring seas,

نصَعَ الزمانُ بنورِ مجْد محمَّدٍ

نصَعَ الزمانُ بنورِ مجْد محمَّدٍ

وسنَى مُحيَّاهُ المُكَرَّمُ أنْصَعُ

وسنَى مُحيَّاهُ المُكَرَّمُ أنْصَعُ

Time has brightened with the light of Muhammad's glory,

The times were adorned with Muhammad’s glory,

and the radiance of his honored face is brighter still.

And its reviver the most honorable reformer,

بمُعظَّمٍ قبل الوزارةِ لمْ يَزَلْ

بمُعظَّمٍ قبل الوزارةِ لمْ يَزَلْ

سامي أوامِرِه يُطاعُ ويُسْمَعُ

سامي أوامِرِه يُطاعُ ويُسْمَعُ

Through a revered man who, before the vizierate, had always been

With a dignified one before authority, never

lofty in his commands, obeyed and heeded.

Ceasing, his lofty commands obeyed and heard,

وكأنَّهُ في النَّاس شمسُ ظَيهرةٍ

وكأنَّهُ في النَّاس شمسُ ظَيهرةٍ

يَجْلو مَحاسنها سَحيقٌ مُمْرِع

يَجْلو مَحاسنها سَحيقٌ مُمْرِع

And among people he is like a noonday sun

As if among people a rising sun

whose beauties a distant, verdant expanse reveals.

Whose beauty a pouring rain reveals.