رويْدَكُمُ فالفتح يُصغرهُ القدْرُ

رويْدَكُمُ فالفتح يُصغرهُ القدْرُ

جلا المجد حتى ما الشَّآمُ وما مصرُ

جلا المجد حتى ما الشَّآمُ وما مصرُ

Take your time: his stature dwarfs the conquest.

Have patience, for victory belittles hardship

Glory has shone forth—what, then, are al-Sham and Egypt?

Glory transcends Syria and Egypt

ستُذْعِن دُنياكم لطاعةِ قانِتٍ

ستُذْعِن دُنياكم لطاعةِ قانِتٍ

مُنيفِ العُلى للّهِ في نفسه سِرُّ

مُنيفِ العُلى للّهِ في نفسه سِرُّ

Your world will submit in obedience to a devout man,

Your world will submit to the obedience of the devout

lofty in eminence, with God's secret within his soul.

In his soul is the secret of highness to God

تعجَّبْتُم منْ فتحِ مصْرَ ودونها

تعجَّبْتُم منْ فتحِ مصْرَ ودونها

فَناءُ المَطايا والتَّنائفُ والبَحْرُ

فَناءُ المَطايا والتَّنائفُ والبَحْرُ

You marvelled at the conquest of Egypt, though before it lay

You were amazed by the conquest of Egypt and beyond

the perishing of mounts, trackless deserts, and the sea.

The vanishing of harbors, deserts, and sea

ولم تعْلموا أنَّ النُّجومَ بودِّها

ولم تعْلموا أنَّ النُّجومَ بودِّها

النُّزولَ إليه وهي عاليةٌ زُهْرُ

النُّزولَ إليه وهي عاليةٌ زُهْرُ

Yet you did not know that the stars long

You did not know that the stars in their orbit

to descend to him, high and radiant though they are.

Descend to him while they are still lofty flowers

فلو سألَ الرَّحمن طاعة كوكبٍ

فلو سألَ الرَّحمن طاعة كوكبٍ

لأذْعَنتِ الشِّعْرى ودانَ له البدرُ

لأذْعَنتِ الشِّعْرى ودانَ له البدرُ

So, were he to ask the Most Merciful for a star's obedience,

If the Merciful asked for the obedience of a planet

Sirius would submit, and the full moon yield to him.

The Pleiades would submit and the moon would obey

إِمام هُدىً لو أوطأ الطِّرف هامداً

إِمام هُدىً لو أوطأ الطِّرف هامداً

لأضحت رُباه وهي مهتزةٌ خُضر

لأضحت رُباه وهي مهتزةٌ خُضر

A guiding imam: were he to make his steed tread on barren land,

A guiding imam, if he lowered his eyelid humbly

its hills would become green, stirring with life.

His flock would become devoted even if agitated like green grass

أطاع إِله العرش فيما اسْتنَابَهُ

أطاع إِله العرش فيما اسْتنَابَهُ

فطاعَتُه دِينٌ وعِصْيانُه كُفْرُ

فطاعَتُه دِينٌ وعِصْيانُه كُفْرُ

He obeyed the God of the Throne in the charge He entrusted to him;

He obeyed the Lord of the Throne in what He deputized him

so obedience to him is religion, and disobedience to him unbelief.

So obeying him is faith and disobeying him is blasphemy

يُضيء الدُّجى الغربيب من قسماته

يُضيء الدُّجى الغربيب من قسماته

فأيسَرُ بشْرٍ من طلاقتهِ فَجْرُ

فأيسَرُ بشْرٍ من طلاقتهِ فَجْرُ

His features illuminate the pitch-black darkness;

He illuminates the dark night with his smiles

so the slightest cheer in his open countenance is dawn.

So is any mortal easier to access in his radiance?

أفاض النَّدى والعدل جوداً ورأفةً

أفاض النَّدى والعدل جوداً ورأفةً

فقد نُصر المظلومُ واخضرت الغُبْر

فقد نُصر المظلومُ واخضرت الغُبْر

He poured forth bounty and justice, in generosity and compassion;

He bestowed generosity and justice, benevolence and mercy

so the wronged were championed, and dusty lands grew green.

So the oppressed triumphed and the dust turned green

ولانَ من التَّقوى وعزَّ من الحمى

ولانَ من التَّقوى وعزَّ من الحمى

كما خشُنتْ في لينها البيضُ والسُّمر

كما خشُنتْ في لينها البيضُ والسُّمر

He grew gentle through piety, and mighty in defense of his domain,

He is gentle with piety and strong with zeal

as white swords and tawny spears are harsh despite their suppleness.

As white and brown intermingled in their softness

مقالتُه والطَّعْن فصْلٌ وفيْصَلٌ

مقالتُه والطَّعْن فصْلٌ وفيْصَلٌ

فمقطوعُه حَبْرٌ ومطْعونُه ذِمْر

فمقطوعُه حَبْرٌ ومطْعونُه ذِمْر

His utterance and his spear-thrust are decisive judgment and a cleaving sword;

His words and satire are conclusive and decisive

so the man he confutes is a scholar, and the man he pierces a valiant warrior.

His writing is ink and his stabbing is a spear

إذا هطلتْ نُعْماه غيْثٌ وديمَةٌ

إذا هطلتْ نُعْماه غيْثٌ وديمَةٌ

وإِن وضُحت فتْواهُ فالبحر والحَبْرُ

وإِن وضُحت فتْواهُ فالبحر والحَبْرُ

When his bounty pours down, he is life-giving rain and a steady shower;

When his blessings pour like lasting rain

and when his ruling is clear, he is the ocean and the scholar.

And his legal opinions shine like the sea and ink

بكلِّ إِمامٍ عادِلٍ فخْرُ عَصْرهِ

بكلِّ إِمامٍ عادِلٍ فخْرُ عَصْرهِ

وبالمُسْتضيءِ البَرِ يفتخِرُ الدهرُ

وبالمُسْتضيءِ البَرِ يفتخِرُ الدهرُ

Each just imam is the pride of his age;

Every just imam is the pride of his time

and in righteous al-Mustadiʾ, all time takes pride.

And the enlightened righteous man makes the age proud

فتى الخيْل تعْدو بالكُماةِ كأنَّها

فتى الخيْل تعْدو بالكُماةِ كأنَّها

سَراحين قفْرٍ مَدَّ أنْفاسها الصَّفر

سَراحين قفْرٍ مَدَّ أنْفاسها الصَّفر

A gallant man whose horses race with armored warriors, as though they were

The steed of horses gallops with vigor as if

wolves of a wilderness, their breaths drawn out by hunger.

Extending its breath over the vast yellow desert

تجانَفُ عن رَعْي الجميم وتخْتلي

تجانَفُ عن رَعْي الجميم وتخْتلي

خمائلَ هامٍ نبْتُ عُدوتها الشَّعْر

خمائلَ هامٍ نبْتُ عُدوتها الشَّعْر

They shun grazing on lush grass, and crop

It turns away from grazing on coarse herbage

thickets of heads, whose banks grow hair.

And heads for the lush meadows, the home of green grass

وتطوي نِهاءَ القاع وهي ظَميئةٌ

وتطوي نِهاءَ القاع وهي ظَميئةٌ

إلى موردٍ ينْبوعُه الطَّرف والنَّحر

إلى موردٍ ينْبوعُه الطَّرف والنَّحر

And they traverse the pools of the plain, still thirsty

Crossing the barren plains, thirsty

for a watering place whose spring is the eye and the throat.

To a watering place whose rim is bushes and trees

هُنالِكَ تَلْقى المُسْتضيءً كأنه

هُنالِكَ تَلْقى المُسْتضيءً كأنه

غضنفرُ خِيسٍ نالَ أشْباله الضُّرُّ

غضنفرُ خِيسٍ نالَ أشْباله الضُّرُّ

There you encounter al-Mustadiʾ, as though he were

There it meets the enlightened one as if he were

a lion of the thicket whose cubs have suffered harm.

A noble stallion who reached his fine steeds

فيوسعُ ضرباً والوَغى مُسْتمرَّةٌ

فيوسعُ ضرباً والوَغى مُسْتمرَّةٌ

ويعفو عن الأسَرى إذا صرَّح النصر

ويعفو عن الأسَرى إذا صرَّح النصر

So he showers blows while the battle continues,

He continues his onslaught as the battle rages

and pardons the captives when victory becomes clear.

And pardons the captives when victory is clear

كعادته في الصَّفْح عن كلِّ مُجْرمٍ

كعادته في الصَّفْح عن كلِّ مُجْرمٍ

إذا ما الحُبى طاشتْ وضاق بها القَفرُ

إذا ما الحُبى طاشتْ وضاق بها القَفرُ

As is his habit of pardoning every offender,

As is his custom to forgive every sinner

when knee-bands fly loose and the wilderness grows too narrow for them.

When passions flare and the desert grows confined

نوى الخير من قبلِ الخِلافَة قلبُه

نوى الخير من قبلِ الخِلافَة قلبُه

فصدَّقهُ الإحْسانُ والنَّائلُ الغمْر

فصدَّقهُ الإحْسانُ والنَّائلُ الغمْر

His heart intended good before the caliphate,

His heart intended good before the caliphate

and beneficence and copious bounty bore it out.

So benevolence and the imploring validated him

وجازَ مع الإِمكان عن حدِّ نذْرهِ

وجازَ مع الإِمكان عن حدِّ نذْرهِ

فباتَ يظُنُّ النَّزْرَ ما قدره دَثرُ

فباتَ يظُنُّ النَّزْرَ ما قدره دَثرُ

And, having the means, he passed beyond the bounds of his vow,

He exceeded the limit of his vow along with ability

so he came to deem scant what was abundant in measure.

Thus he deemed the little to be what a cloak could contain

وأضحى كضوء الشمس فائضُ جوده

وأضحى كضوء الشمس فائضُ جوده

عميماً وللشاكين منْ دهرهم شُكْر

عميماً وللشاكين منْ دهرهم شُكْر

And, like sunlight, his overflowing generosity became

His generosity became as radiant as the sun

all-embracing, with gratitude from those who complained of their times.

Universally, and the complainers of their time thanked him

ومن شَرف الإِقْبال تشييد مجدِه

ومن شَرف الإِقْبال تشييد مجدِه

بأرْوعَ وهَّابٍ إذا حُبس القطْر

بأرْوعَ وهَّابٍ إذا حُبس القطْر

And one honor of good fortune is the raising of his glory

The glory of his auspicious state

by an awe-inspiring, lavish giver when the rain is withheld,

Was built by the most generous donor when rain was held back

بخير وزيرٍ ضَمَّ دسْتٌ وجحفلٌ

بخير وزيرٍ ضَمَّ دسْتٌ وجحفلٌ

وخُطَّ على الأطراس من كفِّه سطر

وخُطَّ على الأطراس من كفِّه سطر

by the best minister a throne and an army have embraced,

With the best minister who gathered allies

and whose hand has inscribed a line upon the parchments.

And lined the pages with his script from his palm

إذا جحدَ الأعْداءُ باهرَ فضْلهِ

إذا جحدَ الأعْداءُ باهرَ فضْلهِ

أقرَّ له السَّعْي المكرَّمُ والنَّجْرُ

أقرَّ له السَّعْي المكرَّمُ والنَّجْرُ

If enemies deny his dazzling merit,

If enemies denied his prominent virtue

his honored deeds and lineage attest to it.

His noble effort and eloquence would acknowledge it

بقيتَ أميرَ المُؤمنين مُمَدَّحاً

بقيتَ أميرَ المُؤمنين مُمَدَّحاً

كريمَ الثَّنَا ما أدْلج القَفْلُ والسَّفْرُ

كريمَ الثَّنَا ما أدْلج القَفْلُ والسَّفْرُ

May you remain, Commander of the Faithful, much praised,

You remained, Commander of the Faithful, praised

noble in renown, as long as homebound caravans and travelers journey by night.

As generous and sublime whether destiny locked or unlocked

وأنت لِما أُثْني به خيرُ أهْلِه

وأنت لِما أُثْني به خيرُ أهْلِه

وأنت لما أرْجوهُ منْ أمَلي ذُخْر

وأنت لما أرْجوهُ منْ أمَلي ذُخْر

And you are the worthiest of the praise I offer,

You are the best qualified for what I praise

and you are a treasure in reserve for the hopes I cherish.

And you are my hope's treasure for what I wish