مَليك نَماه الصَيد وَالسادة النجب

مَليك نَماه الصَيد وَالسادة النجب

وَنير فَضل دونه السَبعة الشُهب

وَنير فَضل دونه السَبعة الشُهب

A king sprung from proud nobles and highborn lords,

A king whose hunting and nobles excel

And a luminary of excellence, with the seven bright stars beneath him,

With a river of virtue unmatched by the seven planets

وَصارم حَزم يُغلق الصُم رَأيه

وَصارم حَزم يُغلق الصُم رَأيه

عَلى أَنَّهُ عَن خطة الفَضل لا ينبو

عَلى أَنَّهُ عَن خطة الفَضل لا ينبو

And a keen sword of resolve, whose judgment seals solid rock,

And a resolute guardian whose deaf opinion

Yet he never swerves from the path of virtue.

Is that he does not deviate from the path of virtue

تَغَذى لبان العلم طفلاً وَيافِعا

تَغَذى لبان العلم طفلاً وَيافِعا

فراق لَنا مِن فَضل مَشربه الشرب

فراق لَنا مِن فَضل مَشربه الشرب

He fed on the milk of knowledge as a child and as a youth,

He was nurtured on the milk of knowledge as a child and youth

So the draught from the bounty of his spring delighted us.

We were deprived of his outstanding virtues

نَشا بَين سوس كَالنُجوم طَوالِعاً

نَشا بَين سوس كَالنُجوم طَوالِعاً

وَلَكنهُ في أَوج طالعهم قُطب

وَلَكنهُ في أَوج طالعهم قُطب

He grew up among leaders rising like stars,

He was raised in Sus as stars rising

Yet he is the pole star at the zenith of their ascent.

Yet he is the zenith of their ascent

باحمد طال المدح وَالحمد وَالثَنا

باحمد طال المدح وَالحمد وَالثَنا

وَفاق العلى وَالمَجد وَالمرتع الخَصب

وَفاق العلى وَالمَجد وَالمرتع الخَصب

Through Ahmad, praise, thanksgiving, and acclaim have grown great,

With Ahmed praise, gratitude and eulogy grew long

And he surpassed eminence, glory, and the lush pasture.

And he surpassed the high, glorious and fertile land

وَكَيف يَفوت المَجد مَن كانَ همه

وَكَيف يَفوت المَجد مَن كانَ همه

طلاب العلى وَالفَضل من أَجله عَذب

طلاب العلى وَالفَضل من أَجله عَذب

And how could glory elude one whose concern was

And how can glory elude one whose only concern

the pursuit of eminence—and through whom bounty is sweet?

Is to yearn for virtue and eminence for its own sake

وَما كُل مَن رام العُلى حَل مَتنها

وَما كُل مَن رام العُلى حَل مَتنها

فَمسلكها وَعر وَمركبها صَعب

فَمسلكها وَعر وَمركبها صَعب

Not everyone who sought eminence has mounted its back;

Not everyone who aspires to ascend its heights succeeds

For its path is rugged, and its mount is hard to ride.

For its path is rugged and its mount arduous

وَهَيهات أَن يَعلو ذراها سوى فَتى

وَهَيهات أَن يَعلو ذراها سوى فَتى

بِنَيل لَهُ في كُل مَكرُمة حزب

بِنَيل لَهُ في كُل مَكرُمة حزب

And none can scale its summits except a youth

It is inconceivable that anyone could climb its peaks

who, through bounty, has a share in every noble deed.

Except a hero who triumphs in every glorious endeavor

يُناطح أَفلاك السَماء بِهامه

يُناطح أَفلاك السَماء بِهامه

وَتَعلو بِهِ الأَقطار وَالمَنزل الرَحب

وَتَعلو بِهِ الأَقطار وَالمَنزل الرَحب

He butts against the spheres of heaven with his head,

With his determination he contends with the orbit of the heavens

And through him, the lands and the spacious dwelling rise high.

And through him lands and spacious dwellings rise high

ضَحوك إِذا ما قطب الدَهر وَجهه

ضَحوك إِذا ما قطب الدَهر وَجهه

وَغَيث إِذا ما حَل في أَرضه الجدب

وَغَيث إِذا ما حَل في أَرضه الجدب

Ever smiling when Time furrows its brow,

A laughing spring when the wheel of fate turns his way

And rain whenever drought settles in his land.

And a rain when drought befalls his land

غَمامة جود يَقذف التبر طلها

غَمامة جود يَقذف التبر طلها

فَمشرعها عَذب وَمربعها خَصب

فَمشرعها عَذب وَمربعها خَصب

A cloud of generosity whose drizzle showers gold dust,

A cloud of generosity scattering free-flowing charity

So its watering-place is sweet, and its spring pasture fertile.

With sweet water and fertile meadows

علا مِن جياد المَجد خَيلاً شَوازفاً

علا مِن جياد المَجد خَيلاً شَوازفاً

أَياطلها قب وَأعناقها غلب

أَياطلها قب وَأعناقها غلب

He mounted towering horses from among the steeds of glory,

He rose above the steeds of glory, intrepid racers

Their flanks lean, and their necks thick.

Whose strides conquer the hills and necks subdue the dunes

زَكي يُزيل الشَك نير عَقله

زَكي يُزيل الشَك نير عَقله

إِذا ما دجى أَمر وَكانَ لَهُ صخب

إِذا ما دجى أَمر وَكانَ لَهُ صخب

A pure man, whose mind's radiance dispels doubt

Sagacious, his bright intellect dispels doubt

when a matter grows dark and is fraught with clamor.

When matters grow dark and turbulent

إِناءة عرفان وَهمة باسل

إِناءة عرفان وَهمة باسل

وَصمت وَقور لا يزلزله الخَطب

وَصمت وَقور لا يزلزله الخَطب

Deliberation born of understanding and a valiant man's resolve,

Gracious, courageous, silent and dignified, unshaken by events

And the silence of a dignified man whom calamity cannot shake,

With a fiery intelligence piercing the deaf, its light held in that heart

وَنار ذَكاء يخرق الصم ضوؤها

وَنار ذَكاء يخرق الصم ضوؤها

وَنور اِهتداء ضمه ذَلِك القَلب

وَنور اِهتداء ضمه ذَلِك القَلب

And a fire of intelligence whose light pierces solid rock,

Noble, perplexing the mind in describing him

And a light of guidance that heart has embraced.

As books and scrolls fall short of comprehending him

نَجيب يحير العَقل في وَصفه كما

نَجيب يحير العَقل في وَصفه كما

تَضاءل عَن إِدراكه الصُحف وَالكتب

تَضاءل عَن إِدراكه الصُحف وَالكتب

A noble man whom the mind is baffled to describe, just as

And I, who am but mine, how can I eulogize him

scrolls and books fall short of comprehending him.

When my heart, at every moment, is his heart

وَإِني لمثلي أَن يَقوم بِمدحه

وَإِني لمثلي أَن يَقوم بِمدحه

وَقَلبي وَهى في كُل آن لَهُ قَلب

وَقَلبي وَهى في كُل آن لَهُ قَلب

And I—how can someone like me undertake his praise,

Memories of the loved one fill me at all times

while my heart has weakened, turning over at every moment?

And my tears for him flow in every quarter

يذكرُني الزَوراء في كُل ساعة

يذكرُني الزَوراء في كُل ساعة

وَدَمعي لَهُ في كُل ناحية صَب

وَدَمعي لَهُ في كُل ناحية صَب

He reminds me of al-Zawra at every hour,

If my praise falls short of your sublime state

And for him my tears pour in every quarter.

My heart, O noblest of people, still aspires

لَئن كان مَدحي في علاكم مُقَصراً

لَئن كان مَدحي في علاكم مُقَصراً

فَقَلبي إِلَيكُم يا كِرام الوَرى يَصبو

فَقَلبي إِلَيكُم يا كِرام الوَرى يَصبو

Even if my praise falls short of your eminence,

You are the light of my eye and vision's illumination

Yet my heart yearns for you, O noble ones of mankind.

My rain when drought befalls my land

وَأَنتم ضيا عَيني وَنور بَصيرتي

وَأَنتم ضيا عَيني وَنور بَصيرتي

وَغيثي إِذا ما حَل في ساحَتي الجدب

وَغيثي إِذا ما حَل في ساحَتي الجدب

And you are the radiance of my eye and the light of my insight,

The world sings your praises, and its people

And my rain whenever drought settles in my courtyard.

All foreigners and Arabs bow to you

وَقَد أَثنَت الدُنيا عَلَيكُم وَأَهلها

وَقَد أَثنَت الدُنيا عَلَيكُم وَأَهلها

وَدانَت لَكُم كُل الأَعاجم وَالعرب

وَدانَت لَكُم كُل الأَعاجم وَالعرب

And the world and its people have indeed praised you,

It has seven regions, so if an eighth comes

And all non-Arabs and Arabs have submitted to you.

Slandering you, know that the eighth is a dog

أَقاليمها سَبع فَإِن جاءَ ثامن

أَقاليمها سَبع فَإِن جاءَ ثامن

بِذمك فاعلم أَن ثامنهم كَلب

بِذمك فاعلم أَن ثامنهم كَلب

Its climes are seven; if an eighth should come

Long live the spring of generosity and life for you

to disparage you, then know that their eighth is a dog.

May your grace, honor and intimacy endure

سَقاكَ الحَيا يا مَعدن الجود وَالحَيا

سَقاكَ الحَيا يا مَعدن الجود وَالحَيا

وَدام لَكَ الأَفضال وَالعز وَالقُرب

وَدام لَكَ الأَفضال وَالعز وَالقُرب

May rain water you, O mine of generosity and modesty,

Spared from turmoil, far from harm

And may bounties, honor, and closeness endure for you,

Safeguarded from foes, worshipper of the Lord

مُعافى مِن الأَكدار عادَ عَن الأَذى

مُعافى مِن الأَكدار عادَ عَن الأَذى

مَصوناً عَن الأَغيار ما عبد الرَب

مَصوناً عَن الأَغيار ما عبد الرَب

Free from troubles, turned away from harm,

Protected from vicissitudes as long as the Lord is worshipped.