وَراعَ صاحِبَ كِسرى أَن رَأى عُمَراً

وَراعَ صاحِبَ كِسرى أَن رَأى عُمَراً

بَينَ الرَعِيَّةِ عُطلاً وَهوَ راعيها

بَينَ الرَعِيَّةِ عُطلاً وَهوَ راعيها

And Kisra’s envoy was awestruck to see Umar

The keeper of Ctesiphon was amazed when he saw

Among the subjects, unarmed, though he was their shepherd.

Umar among the people, while he was their shepherd,

وَعَهدُهُ بِمُلوكِ الفُرسِ أَنَّ لَها

وَعَهدُهُ بِمُلوكِ الفُرسِ أَنَّ لَها

سوراً مِنَ الجُندِ وَالأَحراسِ يَحميها

سوراً مِنَ الجُندِ وَالأَحراسِ يَحميها

And his experience of Persian kings was that they had

And his covenant with the kings of Persia was that

A wall of soldiers and guards protecting them.

It had walls of soldiers and guards protecting it.

رَآهُ مُستَغرِقاً في نَومِهِ فَرَأى

رَآهُ مُستَغرِقاً في نَومِهِ فَرَأى

فيهِ الجَلالَةَ في أَسمى مَعانيها

فيهِ الجَلالَةَ في أَسمى مَعانيها

He saw him immersed in sleep, and so saw

He saw him drowned in his sleep, so he saw

In him majesty in its loftiest sense.

In him majesty in its highest meanings,

فَوقَ الثَرى تَحتَ ظِلِّ الدَوحِ مُشتَمِلاً

فَوقَ الثَرى تَحتَ ظِلِّ الدَوحِ مُشتَمِلاً

بِبُردَةٍ كادَ طولُ العَهدِ يُبليها

بِبُردَةٍ كادَ طولُ العَهدِ يُبليها

Upon the earth, beneath the shade of spreading trees, wrapped

Above the ground, under the shade of the tent, wrapped

In a cloak that the passage of time had nearly worn out.

In a cloak, which the length of time had nearly worn threadbare.

فَهانَ في عَينِهِ ما كانَ يَكبُرُهُ

فَهانَ في عَينِهِ ما كانَ يَكبُرُهُ

مِنَ الأَكاسِرِ وَالدُنيا بِأَيديها

مِنَ الأَكاسِرِ وَالدُنيا بِأَيديها

Then those he had held great grew small in his eyes—

So there became small in his eyes what he used to magnify

The Kisras, with the world in their hands.

Of emperors, and the world in their hands,

وَقالَ قَولَةَ حَقٍّ أَصبَحَت مَثَلاً

وَقالَ قَولَةَ حَقٍّ أَصبَحَت مَثَلاً

وَأَصبَحَ الجيلُ بَعدَ الجيلِ يَرويها

وَأَصبَحَ الجيلُ بَعدَ الجيلِ يَرويها

And he spoke a word of truth that became a proverb,

And he said a saying of truth which became a parable,

And generation after generation came to repeat it:

And generation after generation narrates it:

أَمِنتَ لَمّا أَقَمتَ العَدلَ بَينَهُمُ

أَمِنتَ لَمّا أَقَمتَ العَدلَ بَينَهُمُ

فَنِمتُ نَومَ قَريرِ العَينِ هانيها

فَنِمتُ نَومَ قَريرِ العَينِ هانيها

You were safe when you established justice among them;

"You felt secure when you established justice among them,

So I slept the sleep of one with contented, tranquil eyes.

So you slept the sleep of the clear-eyed, calm."