1. لك عَلَيهِ لِواء المُلك مَنشور

    وَصارم بيد التَوفيق مَشهور

    For you, above him, the banner of sovereignty is unfurled,

    And a keen sword is drawn in the hand of divine aid.

  2. حَلت عَلَيهِ مِن الخنكار ألوية

    مَنصورة حَيث أَضحى وَهوَ مَنصور

    Banners from the Khunkar have alighted above him,

    Victorious wherever he now stands, himself victorious.

  3. رام المَمالك فانقادت أزمتها

    كَأَنما الملك في كَفيهِ مَسطور

    He sought dominions, and their reins yielded,

    As though sovereignty were inscribed upon his two palms.

  4. حَتّى سَمَت مَنزل الجَوزاء حَوزته

    فَدون رتبتها السَبع المَشاهير

    Until his domain rose to the station of al-Jawza,

    So the seven famed planets stand below its rank.

  5. قَضَت سَجاياه عَن حُسن وَعَن حسن

    كَما تَأَلق عَن شَمس الضُحى النور

    His qualities have spoken for beauty and for Hasan,

    As light shines forth from the sun of forenoon.

  6. رَأي يريك صَباح الحَق مُنبَلِجاً

    كَأَنَّما اِنشَقَ عَن جَنبيه ديجور

    A judgment that shows you the dawn of truth breaking clear,

    As though darkness had split away from its two sides.

  7. وَسَطوة باتَ صَدر العَدل مُنسَرِحاً

    مِنها وَصَدر ولاة الجور مَقهور

    And a might that leaves the breast of justice unconfined,

    By its power, and the breast of unjust rulers subdued.

  8. أَضحت كَتيبته في كُل ناحية

    شَعواء يَقتادها الشم المَغاوير

    His battalion has become, in every quarter,

    A raging force led by proud, intrepid warriors,

  9. مِن كُل أَبيض مَيمون تريكته

    تريك بحرا بِهِ تَجري المَقادير

    Drawn from every fair-faced, fortunate warrior whose helmet

    Shows you an ocean in which decrees of fate flow.

  10. وَجحفل قاتم الأَعماق منسدل

    كَالغَيث كُل مَحل مِنهُ ممطور

    And a host, dark in its depths and sweeping down,

    Like rain: every barren place is drenched by it.

  11. مارت لوطأته السَبع الشِداد فَإِن

    سارت تَقول لَها السَبع العُلى موروا

    The mighty seven swayed beneath its tread; and if

    They moved, the seven on high would tell them, 'Sway!'

  12. باز يَصيد الكماة الصيد عَن حنق

    وَسائر الناس في الهَيجا عَصافير

    A falcon hunting proud, armored champions in fury,

    While all other men in battle are sparrows.

  13. باتَت صَوارمه تَبكي ضَواحكها

    كَالبَرق وَالسُحب تزجيه الزَماجير

    His keen swords' laughing edges have begun to weep,

    Like lightning and clouds driven onward by thunderous roars.

  14. جاءَت عَوامله في الروع وَارتفعت

    فَمن أضيف إِلَيها فَهوَ مَكسور

    His spear-shafts advanced amid battle's terror and rose high;

    Whoever is attached to them is broken.

  15. يَلقى الكَتائب بساماً وَيَتركها

    تَبكي عَلَيها الغداة الأعين العور

    He meets battalions smiling, and leaves them

    With blinded eyes weeping over them at dawn.

  16. سَل عَن سَراياه خَيل الفُرس إِذ نكصت

    وَجَيشه بِالعَوالي حَولها سور

    Ask the Persian cavalry about his raiding bands, when it recoiled,

    And his army, with lofty spears, was a wall around it.

  17. صَحت أَحاديثه ما بَينهُم وَصحت

    عُقولهم وَفُؤاد السَيف مَخمور

    Reports of him proved true among them, and sound became

    Their minds, while the sword's heart was drunk.

  18. لا يَفلت المَوت هياباً وَلا وَكلا

    وَما المَحاذير إِذ تَأتي المَقادير

    Death lets neither the fearful nor the feeble escape,

    And what use are precautions when fate arrives?

  19. باتوا عَلى الأَرض صَرعى وَالوُحوش لَها

    فيهم رُسوم وَتَقديم وَتَأخير

    They lay slain upon the earth, and the wild beasts have

    Dues among them, with precedence and delay.

  20. كَفاه كف تذيب الصُم سَطوتها

    وَكف بر بِها للناس تَيسير

    His two hands: one whose might melts solid rock,

    And a hand of benevolence through which people find ease.

  21. نار عَلى كُل مَن ناواه حامية

    لَكنه للذي يَبغي النَدى نور

    A blazing fire against all who oppose him,

    Yet a light to whoever seeks bounty.

  22. لَيث وَغَيث لِيومي شدة وَرخا

    سُم وَشَهد وَللعافين اكسير

    A lion and rain for days of hardship and ease,

    Poison and honey, and an elixir for those seeking gifts.

  23. يا مَصدر الفَضل يا مَن فعله حَسَن

    وَسَعد طائر المَيمون مَشهور

    O source of excellence, O you whose deeds are good,

    And the luck of the auspicious bird is renowned.

  24. بَذَلت نصحك للخنكار مُجتهِداً

    فَما بَدا مِنك تَمويه وَتَقصير

    You offered the Khunkar your counsel with diligence,

    So no deception or negligence appeared from you.

  25. وَصرت للدولة الغَراء معصمها

    وَسورها نعم ذاك الكَف وَالسور

    And you became the wrist of the glorious state,

    And its rampart—excellent indeed are that hand and rampart!

  26. حَتّى اِصطَفاكَ وَلي الأَمر مُرتَضياً

    إِذ فيكَ أَمر صَلاح الناس مَحصور

    Until the ruler chose you, well pleased,

    For in you alone rests the matter of the people's welfare.

  27. وَلاك مملكة الزوراء فَابتَهَجَت

    وَشَهرزور فَزالَ البَغي وَالزور

    He placed you over al-Zawra's realm, and it rejoiced,

    And Shahrazur, so oppression and falsehood disappeared.

  28. وَزادك البَصرة الفَيحاء فَاِنفرجت

    عَنها الكُروب وَوافتها التَباشير

    And he added spacious Basra to your charge, freeing it

    From sorrows, while glad tidings reached it.

  29. مَشيت للمَجد مَشي الرخ مِن طَرَب

    بَين الفرازين تَتلوك الجَماهير

    You walked toward glory like a rook, in delight,

    Among the chess-viziers, with the multitudes following you.

  30. شامات علياك منها الشاء مات وَمن

    خوانك الرَحب خان الفرس مَنخور

    The beauty marks of your eminence have checkmated the shah; and from

    Your ample table, the Persian khan is eaten hollow.

  31. فَابشر بِفَتح وَنَصر عاجل بِهما

    دين الحَنيفية السَمحاء مَسرور

    So rejoice in conquest and swift victory, through both of which

    The tolerant faith of true monotheism rejoices.

  32. وَانشر عَلى البَلدة الزَوراء مِنكَ نَدى

    عَدل يَكون بِهِ رَأي وَتَدبير

    And shed upon the city of al-Zawra your dew

    Of justice, through which judgment and governance arise.

  33. وَقَد أَتَتك وَزير العَدل غانية

    لا الغانيات تدانيها وَلا الحور

    And a lovely maiden has come to you, O vizier of justice,

    Whom neither beautiful women nor houris can rival.

  34. جاءَت تهنيك هناك الإله بِما

    أَعطاك ما تليت ياسين وَالطور

    She came to congratulate you—may God gladden you with what

    He has given you, as long as Ya-Sin and al-Tur are recited.

  35. فاقبل وَقابل بإحسان وَمكرمة

    تبقى وَانك مَأجور وَمَشكور

    So accept her, and meet her with kindness and a noble favor

    That endures; indeed, you are rewarded and thanked.

  36. أَومت إليك بعينيها مؤرخة

    لِواء بر عَلى الزَوراء مَنشور

    She signaled to you with her two eyes, giving a chronogram:

    A banner of benevolence is unfurled over al-Zawra.