لقد علمَ الأحياءُ دانٍ ونازحٌ

لقد علمَ الأحياءُ دانٍ ونازحٌ

اذا ما المساعي أعربتها المجامعُ

اذا ما المساعي أعربتها المجامعُ

The clans, near and far, have surely learned,

The living have known, humbled and displaced,

when assemblies give voice to noble endeavors,

When ambitions are expressed through gatherings,

بأنَّ المعالي بين سعدٍ ومالكٍ

بأنَّ المعالي بين سعدٍ ومالكٍ

مُحصَّنةٌ لا تَدَّريها المَطامعُ

مُحصَّنةٌ لا تَدَّريها المَطامعُ

that lofty honors, held between Sa'd and Malik,

That glories between Sa'd and Malik

are fortified: ambitions cannot steal upon them;

Are fortified, unknown to greedy ambitions,

وأنَّ محل المجد من فرع خندفٍ

وأنَّ محل المجد من فرع خندفٍ

تقاصَرُ عنه الشامخاتُ الفوارعُ

تقاصَرُ عنه الشامخاتُ الفوارعُ

and that glory's station in Khindif's branch

And that the abode of glory from the branch of Khandaf

lies beyond the reach of the loftiest, towering heights;

Is beyond the reach of the lofty and sublime,

وأنَّ قصيَّاتِ الأماني من العُلى

وأنَّ قصيَّاتِ الأماني من العُلى

حواها فأنْهى دارمٌ ومُجاشِعُ

حواها فأنْهى دارمٌ ومُجاشِعُ

and that the farthest hopes of eminence

And that the shortcomings of wishes for glory

have been fully encompassed by Darim and Mujashi'.

Are contained, completed by Dārim and appeasers,

سوابق مجدٍ أحرزت كل غايةٍ

سوابق مجدٍ أحرزت كل غايةٍ

فلا الوعر نكَّابٌ ولا البُهر قاطعُ

فلا الوعر نكَّابٌ ولا البُهر قاطعُ

Forerunners in glory, they have attained every goal;

Past glories have attained every goal

neither rough ground deflects them nor breathlessness stops them.

So neither roughness deters, nor vastness obstructs,

وما برحوا مُسترعفينَ بسيدٍ

وما برحوا مُسترعفينَ بسيدٍ

تدين له الأحياءُ والدَّهرُ طائعُ

تدين له الأحياءُ والدَّهرُ طائعُ

And they have ever come to the fore with a lord

And they have not ceased being protected by a master

to whom the clans submit, while Time obeys.

To whom the living and time are obedient,

وما اِن دجا ليل الخطوب وأظلمت

وما اِن دجا ليل الخطوب وأظلمت

مشارقُ من عليائهمْ ومَطالعُ

مشارقُ من عليائهمْ ومَطالعُ

No sooner had calamity's night grown dark, and

And if the night of tribulations darkened

the dawns and rising places of their eminence grown dim,

And the dawns from their grandeur disappeared,

بدت جونةٌ من أفْقهمْ مستبرَّةٌ

بدت جونةٌ من أفْقهمْ مستبرَّةٌ

لها اللّهُ مُبْدٍ والخليفةُ رافِعُ

لها اللّهُ مُبْدٍ والخليفةُ رافِعُ

than a sun appeared on their horizon, shining clear,

A bright new dawn emerged from their horizon

brought forth by God and raised high by the caliph.

For which Allah is the starter and the caliph the raiser,

فأُرشدَ سارٍ بعد طول مضلَّةٍ

فأُرشدَ سارٍ بعد طول مضلَّةٍ

وأُنجِدَ مخذولٌ وأُيسرَ قانعُ

وأُنجِدَ مخذولٌ وأُيسرَ قانعُ

So a night traveler was guided after long wandering,

So the lost after long misguidance were guided,

the forsaken aided, and the needy petitioner enriched,

And the abandoned were helped, and the content facilitated,

بأبيضَ وضَّاحٍ يزيدُ طَلاقَةً

بأبيضَ وضَّاحٍ يزيدُ طَلاقَةً

اذا ما اكفهرت للرجالِ الوقائعُ

اذا ما اكفهرت للرجالِ الوقائعُ

by a fair, radiant man who grows more cheerful

By an eloquent white man whose eloquence increases

when battles scowl darkly upon men.

When events frown upon men,

وزيرٌ تحاماهُ الكُفاةُ وتَتَّقي

وزيرٌ تحاماهُ الكُفاةُ وتَتَّقي

بديهةَ فتواهُ النفوسُ البوارعُ

بديهةَ فتواهُ النفوسُ البوارعُ

A minister whom the capable avoid, while

A minister whom the qualified protect

brilliant minds dread his instant judgment.

And the perceptive souls fear his intuitive judgment,

ويرهبُ أحْبارُ الدواوين لمْحهُ

ويرهبُ أحْبارُ الدواوين لمْحهُ

اذا نوزع الحكمَ القؤولُ المماصعُ

اذا نوزع الحكمَ القؤولُ المماصعُ

The learned masters of the bureaus fear his glance

The clerks of the departments dread his touch

when that eloquent contender is challenged over judgment.

When the obstinate divide authority,

فيُصبح متبوعَ المقالِ كأنما

فيُصبح متبوعَ المقالِ كأنما

شرائطهُ بين الكُفاةِ شرائعُ

شرائطهُ بين الكُفاةِ شرائعُ

His words are then followed, as though

So he becomes the authority people follow, as if

his stipulations among the capable were laws.

His principles among the qualified are scriptures,

تواضَعَ لمَّا ازْداد مجداً ورفْعةً

تواضَعَ لمَّا ازْداد مجداً ورفْعةً

فلله ذاكَ الماجِدُ المُتواضِعُ

فلله ذاكَ الماجِدُ المُتواضِعُ

He humbled himself as his glory and rank increased;

He is humble despite increasing glory and status

God be praised for that noble, humble man!

So praise be to that glorious humble soul,

وجاد على العافين من غير ثرْوةٍ

وجاد على العافين من غير ثرْوةٍ

ولكنَّه صدرٌ من المجدِ واسعُ

ولكنَّه صدرٌ من المجدِ واسعُ

He gave generously to petitioners, though without riches;

He was generous to the prosperous without wealth

yet his is a breast spacious with nobility.

But he has a chest of glory that is vast,

وفرَّقَ من آرائهِ البيضَ والقَنا

وفرَّقَ من آرائهِ البيضَ والقَنا

وللجيش اِطْلالٌ بدجلةَ رائعُ

وللجيش اِطْلالٌ بدجلةَ رائعُ

With his counsels he scattered gleaming swords and spears,

He distributed his views, white and red,

while the army loomed terrifyingly beside the Tigris.

And the army has a fine camp at the Tigris,

وردَّ على أعقابهِ كل داغِرٍ

وردَّ على أعقابهِ كل داغِرٍ

وما سُلَّ هِنْديٌّ وما هُزَّ شارع

وما سُلَّ هِنْديٌّ وما هُزَّ شارع

He turned every assailant back upon his heels,

And turned back every invader,

without an Indian sword drawn or a leveled spear brandished.

No Indian bent, no Syrian fled,

هو المرءُ أما حلمهُ فهو راسِخٌ

هو المرءُ أما حلمهُ فهو راسِخٌ

رزينٌ وأما عزمهُ فهو قاطِعُ

رزينٌ وأما عزمهُ فهو قاطِعُ

He is the man: his forbearance is firmly rooted,

He is the man, his patience is solid,

and steady; his resolve, however, is decisive.

Dignified, and his will is firm,

يودُّ المُنيفُ المُشمخرُّ أناتهُ

يودُّ المُنيفُ المُشمخرُّ أناتهُ

وتحسدُهُ عند المضاء الزَّعازعُ

وتحسدُهُ عند المضاء الزَّعازعُ

The lofty, towering mountain covets his deliberation,

The distinguished swaggerer wishes to match his calm,

and tempests envy him in decisive action.

And the tumultuous envy him in adversity,

دعاهُ أمير المؤمنين رَضِيَّهُ

دعاهُ أمير المؤمنين رَضِيَّهُ

كما رضيَ العضب الكميُّ المقارعُ

كما رضيَ العضب الكميُّ المقارعُ

The Commander of the Faithful called him his favored one,

The Commander of the Faithful, may God be pleased with him,

as an armored combatant favors a keen-edged sword.

Called him as Al-Qami the fighter was pleased,

ولَقَّبهُ غَرْسَ الخِلافةِ حينما

ولَقَّبهُ غَرْسَ الخِلافةِ حينما

رأى الغرس منه وهو بالنُّصح يانعُ

رأى الغرس منه وهو بالنُّصح يانعُ

And styled him Ghars al-Khilafa, 'the Caliphate's Sapling,' when

And titled him the scion of the caliphate when

he saw his planting flourishing with sincere counsel.

He saw the scion in him giving sincere advice,

وما قاتلٌ بالزأرِ من غير وثْبَةٍ

وما قاتلٌ بالزأرِ من غير وثْبَةٍ

فان شدَّ يوماً فهو للقرنِ صارعُ

فان شدَّ يوماً فهو للقرنِ صارعُ

Nor is one who kills with a roar, without a leap—

And no warrior roars without a leap,

who, if he charges one day, throws his rival down;

So if he strains one day he duels the era,

سواءٌ عليه حرب جيش و واحدٍ

سواءٌ عليه حرب جيش و واحدٍ

اذا راح عن أشْبالِه وهو جائعُ

اذا راح عن أشْبالِه وهو جائعُ

to whom fighting an army or one man is all the same,

It’s equal to him, war of one army while hungry,

when he leaves his cubs, hungry;

If he missed his cubs and was starving,

يهونُ عليه الدارعونَ كأنما

يهونُ عليه الدارعونَ كأنما

سوابغهم عند اللقاءِ موادعُ

سوابغهم عند اللقاءِ موادعُ

for whom armored men are easy prey, as though

Armored warriors seem to him

their full coats of mail in combat were mere work smocks;

As if their coats during battle are kind,

وتضعفُ عنه المرهفاتُ كأنما ال

وتضعفُ عنه المرهفاتُ كأنما ال

صَوارم في الأيدي الشداد وشائعُ

صَوارم في الأيدي الشداد وشائعُ

against whom keen-edged blades are feeble, as though the

And sharp swords seem weak to him

swords in strong hands were spools of yarn;

As if there are no blades in stubborn gripping hands,

ويهتزُّ ضالُ القاعِ عند مرورهِ

ويهتزُّ ضالُ القاعِ عند مرورهِ

وتقلقُ بالريفِ النَّخيلُ الكوارعُ

وتقلقُ بالريفِ النَّخيلُ الكوارعُ

at whose passing the plain's wild lote trees tremble,

And the lost in wastelands shake at his passing,

and the water-drinking palms of the countryside quake—

And palms on the farms, the tall, tremble,

بأشجعَ من تاجِ المُلوكِ اذا دَجا

بأشجعَ من تاجِ المُلوكِ اذا دَجا

الصباح وغابت في النحور الشوارعُ

الصباح وغابت في النحور الشوارعُ

braver than Taj al-Muluk when darkness shrouds

Braver than the king’s crown when night falls

the morning, and leveled spears vanish into chests.

And the streets disappear into the necks,

فهُنِّي بالشهر الحرامِ وغيرهِ

فهُنِّي بالشهر الحرامِ وغيرهِ

سجيس الليالي ما علا الغصن ساجعُ

سجيس الليالي ما علا الغصن ساجعُ

So congratulations on the sacred month, and beyond it,

So congratulate the sacred and other months,

through all the nights, as long as a cooing bird mounts a branch.

Intimate night companion until the branch bows,

واني لراجٍ عود خضبي برأيهِ

واني لراجٍ عود خضبي برأيهِ

ونُعْماهُ والأيامُ عوجٌ رواجِعُ

ونُعْماهُ والأيامُ عوجٌ رواجِعُ

And I hope for my dye's return through his counsel

And I am hoping for his opinion's green wood

and his bounty, while the days are crooked and turn back.

Blissful, though days return wavering,