لا زالَ سَعيُكَ مَقروناً بِهِ الرَشَدُ

لا زالَ سَعيُكَ مَقروناً بِهِ الرَشَدُ

وَطُولُ عُمرِكَ مَعموراً بِهِ الأَبَدُ

وَطُولُ عُمرِكَ مَعموراً بِهِ الأَبَدُ

May right guidance ever accompany your striving,

Your endeavor remains guided by wisdom

and may eternity be filled with the span of your life.

And the length of your life populated by eternity

يا بَحرَ جُودٍ إِذا جادَت غَوارِبُهُ

يا بَحرَ جُودٍ إِذا جادَت غَوارِبُهُ

فَكُلُّ بَحرٍ سِواهُ في النَدى ثَمَدُ

فَكُلُّ بَحرٍ سِواهُ في النَدى ثَمَدُ

O sea of generosity, when its wave-crests pour forth,

O ocean of generosity, when its waves surge

every other sea is, in bounty, a mere puddle.

Every other ocean pales in bounty

كَم مِن يَدلَكَ عِندَ المَجدِ قَد غَرَسَت

كَم مِن يَدلَكَ عِندَ المَجدِ قَد غَرَسَت

مَكارِماً ما لِمَخلوقٍ بِهِنَّ يَدُ

مَكارِماً ما لِمَخلوقٍ بِهِنَّ يَدُ

How many a hand of yours has planted, in the realm of glory,

How many noble traits your hand has planted

noble deeds beyond any mortal's power.

That no other creature could have planted

يَنتابُكَ الناسُ أَفواجاً فَتُصدِرُهُم

يَنتابُكَ الناسُ أَفواجاً فَتُصدِرُهُم

عَن مَورِدٍ غَيرِ مَذمومٍ إِذا وَرَدُوا

عَن مَورِدٍ غَيرِ مَذمومٍ إِذا وَرَدُوا

People come to you in throngs, and you send them back

People come to you in droves and you send them off

from a watering place none condemns when they come to drink.

From a pristine spring when they arrive

وَيُصبحُ القَومُ يَهدِي مِن حَدِيثِهمُ

وَيُصبحُ القَومُ يَهدِي مِن حَدِيثِهمُ

إِلَيكَ حَمداً بَعيداً كُلَّما بَعُدُوا

إِلَيكَ حَمداً بَعيداً كُلَّما بَعُدُوا

And the people come to send, through their words,

And people begin their day attributing

praise to you from afar whenever they journey far away.

Distant praise to you the further they go

أَمُّوا نَداكَ ففازُوا بِالَّذي طَلَبوا

أَمُّوا نَداكَ ففازُوا بِالَّذي طَلَبوا

وَفُزتَ مِنهُم بِما أَثنَوا وَما حَمَدوا

وَفُزتَ مِنهُم بِما أَثنَوا وَما حَمَدوا

They sought your bounty and won what they requested,

They came to you for help and attained what they sought

and you won from them their commendation and praise.

While you gained from them what they praised and lauded

مِن كُلِّ مُجتَهدٍ يُثني وَأَنتَ لَهُ

مِن كُلِّ مُجتَهدٍ يُثني وَأَنتَ لَهُ

فيما بَذَلتَ مِنَ الإِحسانِ مُجتَهِدُ

فيما بَذَلتَ مِنَ الإِحسانِ مُجتَهِدُ

From each who strives to praise you, while you, for his sake,

Every diligent man who praises you

strive in the kindness you have bestowed.

For the benevolence you have shown is diligent

مَنَّت عَلَيكَ بِهِ البَيداءُ وَاِبتَدَأَت

مَنَّت عَلَيكَ بِهِ البَيداءُ وَاِبتَدَأَت

فِعلاً جَميلاً إِلَيهِ العِرمِسُ الأُجُدُ

فِعلاً جَميلاً إِلَيهِ العِرمِسُ الأُجُدُ

The desert bestowed him upon you; and the first to show

The desert blessed you and was first

him kindness was the sturdy, strong-bodied she-camel.

To undertake this fine deed, so very generous

وَفِتيَةٍ أنجَدَت في المُقفِراتِ بِهِم

وَفِتيَةٍ أنجَدَت في المُقفِراتِ بِهِم

عَرامِسٌ طالَ مِن إِنجادِها النُجُدُ

عَرامِسٌ طالَ مِن إِنجادِها النُجُدُ

And many a band of youths borne through barren wastes to the uplands

And children you rescued in desolate places

by sturdy she-camels, with highlands stretching far along their ascent.

Whose rescue by them was most outstanding

أَسرَت يُغَمِّضُ طُولُ السَيرِ أَعيُنها

أَسرَت يُغَمِّضُ طُولُ السَيرِ أَعيُنها

وَطالَما كَفَّ عَن أَبصارِها الرَمَدُ

وَطالَما كَفَّ عَن أَبصارِها الرَمَدُ

They traveled by night, the long journey closing their eyes,

Traveling wearied their eyes so that they closed

while eye inflammation had long spared their sight.

And for long their vision was clouded by mucus

تَلقى السِياطَ بِأَقرابٍ مُلَحَّبَةٍ

تَلقى السِياطَ بِأَقرابٍ مُلَحَّبَةٍ

مِثلَ السِياطِ مِنَ الوَخدِ الَّذي تَخِدُ

مِثلَ السِياطِ مِنَ الوَخدِ الَّذي تَخِدُ

They receive the whips upon flanks worn lean,

They endured whips alongside beloved kin

thin as whips from the swift strides they take.

Like the blows of whips on an affectionate cheek

مَجهولَةُ البِيدِ لَم يُمدَد بِها طُنُبٌ

مَجهولَةُ البِيدِ لَم يُمدَد بِها طُنُبٌ

مِنَ الغَريبِ وَلَم يُضرَب بِها وَتِدُ

مِنَ الغَريبِ وَلَم يُضرَب بِها وَتِدُ

In unknown desert wastes, no tent-rope has been stretched

The unknown desert where no tent pegs were hammered

by a stranger, and no tent-peg has been driven there.

By strangers and no poles were pegged

كَأَنَّما الآلُ فيها حينَ تَنظُرُهُ

كَأَنَّما الآلُ فيها حينَ تَنظُرُهُ

يَمٌّ وَمَوّارُها مِن فَوقِهِ زَبَدُ

يَمٌّ وَمَوّارُها مِن فَوقِهِ زَبَدُ

As though the mirage there, when you look upon it,

As if its dunes, when you observe them

were a sea, with its swirling dust as foam above it.

Are roaring seas with foaming foam above

ضَلُّوا بِها فَهَداهُم في الدُجى مَلِكٌ

ضَلُّوا بِها فَهَداهُم في الدُجى مَلِكٌ

جَبِينُهُ مِثلَ نُورِ الشَمسِ يَتَّقِدُ

جَبِينُهُ مِثلَ نُورِ الشَمسِ يَتَّقِدُ

They lost their way there, so a king guided them through the darkness,

They lost their way so a king guided them in the darkness

his brow blazing like the light of the sun.

His forehead shining like the blazing sun

أَغَرُّ لا يَقصِدُ القُصّادُ نائِلَهُ

أَغَرُّ لا يَقصِدُ القُصّادُ نائِلَهُ

إِلّا وَيَغمرُهُم مَعرُوفُ مَن قَصَدُوا

إِلّا وَيَغمرُهُم مَعرُوفُ مَن قَصَدُوا

Bright-browed, no petitioners ever seek his bounty

Most noble, no archers can hit their target

without the kindness of the one they sought engulfing them.

Unless overwhelmed by the benevolence of those they sought

مِن آل مِرداسَ خَيرِ الناسِ إِن رَحَلَوا

مِن آل مِرداسَ خَيرِ الناسِ إِن رَحَلَوا

وَإِن أَقامُوا وَإِن غابُوا وَإِن شَهِدُوا

وَإِن أَقامُوا وَإِن غابُوا وَإِن شَهِدُوا

Of the house of Mirdas, the best of men, whether they travel

Of the family of Mirdas, the best of people, whether they leave

or stay, whether they are absent or present.

Or stay or are absent or attend

تَلقى النَدى وَالرَدى فيهم فَقَد عُرِفُوا

تَلقى النَدى وَالرَدى فيهم فَقَد عُرِفُوا

بِالصِدقِ إِن أَوعدُ وَاشَرّاً وَإِن وَعَدُوا

بِالصِدقِ إِن أَوعدُ وَاشَرّاً وَإِن وَعَدُوا

Among them you find bounty and death, for they are known

They meet praise and grace, their repute is known

for truthfulness, whether they threaten harm or make promises.

For their truthfulness whether they promise or make a vow

شُمُّ العَرانينِ في آنافِهِم أَنَفٌ

شُمُّ العَرانينِ في آنافِهِم أَنَفٌ

عَنِ القَبيحِ وَفي أَعناقِهم صَيَدُ

عَنِ القَبيحِ وَفي أَعناقِهم صَيَدُ

High-nosed, their noses show disdain

The scent of meadows in their nostrils is a nose

for baseness, and their necks a proud stiffness.

That spurns disgrace and their necks bear prey

إِن تَلقَهُم تَلقَ مِنهُم في مَجالِسِهِم

إِن تَلقَهُم تَلقَ مِنهُم في مَجالِسِهِم

قَوماً إِذا سُئِلُوا جادُوا بِما وَجَدُوا

قَوماً إِذا سُئِلُوا جادُوا بِما وَجَدُوا

If you meet them, you find among them, in their assemblies,

If you meet them you meet people who, when asked,

a people who, when asked, give generously whatever they have.

Give freely of what they can afford

نالُوا السَماءَ وَحَطّوا مِن نُفوسِهِم

نالُوا السَماءَ وَحَطّوا مِن نُفوسِهِم

إِنَّ الكِرامَ إِذا اِنحَطُّوا فَقَد صَعَدُوا

إِنَّ الكِرامَ إِذا اِنحَطُّوا فَقَد صَعَدُوا

They reached the sky and humbled themselves;

They attained heaven and climbed down from their souls

for noble men, when they lower themselves, have risen.

For the noble, when they descend, have climbed up

مُحَسَّدُونَ وَلَو لَم يَعلُ قَدرُهُم

مُحَسَّدُونَ وَلَو لَم يَعلُ قَدرُهُم

عَن قَدرِ كُلِّ جَليلِ القَدرِ ما حُسِدُوا

عَن قَدرِ كُلِّ جَليلِ القَدرِ ما حُسِدُوا

Greatly envied: had their rank not risen

Envied, even if the extent of their worth

above that of every man of lofty rank, they would not be envied.

Was not known to exceed all people of worth

بَنى المُعِزُّ لَهُم غَيطاءَ مُشرِفَةً

بَنى المُعِزُّ لَهُم غَيطاءَ مُشرِفَةً

في العِزِّ لَم يَبنِها مِن قَبلِهِ أَحَدُ

في العِزِّ لَم يَبنِها مِن قَبلِهِ أَحَدُ

Al-Mu'izz built for them a dense, lofty grove

Al-Muizz built Ghyta'a for them, lofty

in glory, which no one before him had built.

In honor - none before had built it

يا عُدَّةَ الدَولَةِ القِرمُ الَّذي فَعَلَت

يا عُدَّةَ الدَولَةِ القِرمُ الَّذي فَعَلَت

أَفعالَهُ الغُرُّ مالا تَفعَلُ العُدَدُ

أَفعالَهُ الغُرُّ مالا تَفعَلُ العُدَدُ

O ‘Uddat al-Dawla, the mighty chief whose

O mainstay of the state, the hero who has accomplished

radiant deeds have done what armaments cannot do.

Deeds the valorous cannot accomplish

جُزِيتَ مِن والِدٍ خَيراً عَلى نِعَمٍ

جُزِيتَ مِن والِدٍ خَيراً عَلى نِعَمٍ

حَصَّلتَها فَتَلَقّى دَرَّها الوَلَدُ

حَصَّلتَها فَتَلَقّى دَرَّها الوَلَدُ

May you, as a father, be rewarded with good for blessings

You were rewarded by a parent for blessings

you secured, so that the son received their flowing milk.

You acquired, and the son reaps their harvest

وافى لِيَنعَمَ فيما قَد كَسِبتَ لَهُ

وافى لِيَنعَمَ فيما قَد كَسِبتَ لَهُ

وَالشِبلُ يَأكُلُ مِمّا يَفرِسُ الأَسَدُ

وَالشِبلُ يَأكُلُ مِمّا يَفرِسُ الأَسَدُ

He came to enjoy what you have earned for him,

Loyally enjoying what you gained for him

and the lion cub eats of what the lion kills.

For the cub eats from the prey the lion hunts

فَاسلَم لَهُ وَلِثَغرٍ بِتَّ تَكَلأُهُ

فَاسلَم لَهُ وَلِثَغرٍ بِتَّ تَكَلأُهُ

مِنَ العَدُوِّ كَلاكَ الواحِدُ الأَحَدُ

مِنَ العَدُوِّ كَلاكَ الواحِدُ الأَحَدُ

So remain safe for him and for the frontier you guard by night

So make peace with him and with a border through which he

against the enemy; may the One, the Unique, guard you.

Fends off the enemy, biting as one

وَلا خَلا مِنكَ لا سَمعٌ ولا بَصَرٌ

وَلا خَلا مِنكَ لا سَمعٌ ولا بَصَرٌ

وَلا سَريرٌ وَلا قَصرٌ وَلا بَلَدُ

وَلا سَريرٌ وَلا قَصرٌ وَلا بَلَدُ

And may neither hearing nor sight be bereft of you,

You cannot be without him - no hearing, sight,

nor throne, nor palace, nor city.

Throne, palace or city