بأَيمنِwith the most auspicious طائرٍbird-omen وأَصحِّand the surest فالٍaugury
بأَيمنِ طائرٍ وأَصحِّ فالٍ
وأسعدِand the luckiest كوكبٍstar يغزوgoes to war الأميرُthe emir
وأسعدِ كوكبٍ يغزو الأميرُ
With the most auspicious bird-omen and the surest augury,
With the most auspicious bird and the happiest omen,
and the luckiest star, the emir goes to war.
The prince goes forth supported by victorious armies,
يؤيَّدُis strengthened جيشُهُhis army بجيوشِby armies of نصرٍvictory
يؤيَّدُ جيشُهُ بجيوشِ نصرٍ
تسيرُthey march علىtoward النجاحِsuccess إِذاwhenever تسيرthey march
تسيرُ على النجاحِ إِذا تسير
His army is strengthened by armies of victory,
That march on to success wherever they go,
which march to success whenever they march,
Until they attain the ultimate triumph.
فتبلغُand so they reach حيثماwherever بَلَغَتْhave reached مُنَاهُhis hopes
فتبلغُ حيثما بَلَغَتْ مُنَاهُ
ويلقاناand meets us ببشراهُwith his glad tidings البشيرthe herald
ويلقانا ببشراهُ البشير
and reach wherever his hopes have reached;
He brings us good tidings, the herald -
and the herald meets us with his glad tidings.
A prince, the most magnanimous of all princes,
أميرٌan emir أوسعُbroadest الأمراءِof the emirs صدراًin breast
أميرٌ أوسعُ الأمراءِ صدراً
إذاwhen ضاقتْgrew tight بماwith what تَسَعُhold الصدورthe breasts
إذا ضاقتْ بما تَسَعُ الصدور
An emir, broadest of breast among emirs,
When situations contract what chests can contain.
when breasts grow tight with what they hold.
O son of those who stood erect in every age,
أياO ابنَson القائمينthose who stand بكلِّin every دهرٍage
أيا ابنَ القائمين بكلِّ دهرٍ
إذاwhen قَعَدَتْsat down ولمand did not تقمِrise الدهورthe ages
إذا قَعَدَتْ ولم تقمِ الدهور
O son of those who stand in every age,
When ages crouched and would not stand erect!
when the ages sit down and do not rise.
When have the stars been reckoned as live coals?
متىwhenever عُدَّare counted الكواكبُthe stars منof مَعَدٍّMaʿadd
متى عُدَّ الكواكبُ من مَعَدٍّ
فأنكمُthen you are شموسٌsuns لاnot بدورfull moons
فأنكمُ شموسٌ لا بدور
Whenever the stars of Maʿadd are counted,
For you are suns that know no setting.
then you are suns, not full moons.
Some of the Byzantines you left slain,
تركتَyou left الرومthe Romans بعضُهُمُsome of them قتيلٌslain
تركتَ الروم بعضُهُمُ قتيلٌ
يمجُّspews دماًblood وبعضُهُمand some of them أسيرcaptive
يمجُّ دماً وبعضُهُم أسير
You left the Romans, some of them slain,
Pouring blood, some taken captive.
spewing blood, and some of them captive.
When yesterday your might assailed them,
ولماand when طارflew بأسُكَyour might أمسِyesterday فيهمamong them
ولما طار بأسُكَ أمسِ فيهم
هَفَواthey fluttered جَزَعاًin panic كماas تَهْفُوflutter الطيورthe birds
هَفَوا جَزَعاً كما تَهْفُو الطيور
And when your might flew among them yesterday,
They fled in panic like frightened birds.
they fluttered in panic, as birds flutter.
Though they died, they were not buried,
فقدfor indeed ماتواthey died وماand not قُبرواwere buried ولكنْand yet
فقد ماتوا وما قُبروا ولكنْ
كأَنَّas though بيوتَهُمْtheir houses لهمُfor them قبورtombs
كأَنَّ بيوتَهُمْ لهمُ قبور
For they have died and have not been buried, yet
As if their homes became their tombs.
it is as though their houses were tombs for them.
The sword of Saif al-Dawla is the sword that renders
لسيفِfor the Sword الدولةof the State السيفُthe sword الذيwhich للfor the
لسيفِ الدولة السيفُ الذي لل
مناياdeaths فيin غِرَارَيْهِits two cutting edges زئيرa roar
منايا في غِرَارَيْهِ زئير
Sayf al-Dawla has the sword whose
Death-rattles in its sheath a roar.
two edges resound with the roar of death.
Villages it defends are a verdant paradise
قَراهُits back جَنَّةٌa garden خضراءُgreen حَفَّتْbordered
قَراهُ جَنَّةٌ خضراءُ حَفَّتْ
بحدَّيهby its two edges وحدَّاهُand its two edges السَّعيرblazing fire
بحدَّيه وحدَّاهُ السَّعير
Its back is a green garden, bordered
Girdled by its blade, and seared by its flame.
by its two edges; its two edges are blazing fire.
With its right hand it storms the foe
ومجتاحٌand a ravager بيمناهwith his right hand الأعاديthe foes
ومجتاحٌ بيمناه الأعادي
كماas اجتاحَswept away الكراوينَthe curlews الصُّقورthe falcons
كما اجتاحَ الكراوينَ الصُّقور
And with his right hand he sweeps away his foes,
As falcons stoop upon the pigeons.
as falcons sweep away curlews.
Poetic genius never flags or pauses;
وفألand the good omen of الشعرpoetry ليسis not لهfor it تراخٍdelay
وفأل الشعر ليس له تراخٍ
تراختْlagged behind أوor تقاربتِdrew near الأمورthe affairs
تراختْ أو تقاربتِ الأمور
And poetry's good omen knows no delay,
Events slacken or draw nigh.
whether affairs lag behind or draw near.
Partial English translation: 25 of 26 Arabic lines translated.