يساري في يمينكَ لا تزالُ

يساري في يمينكَ لا تزالُ

وما مسَّت يميِنك لي شمالُ

وما مسَّت يميِنك لي شمالُ

My prosperity remains in your right hand,

Your left hand is still in my right,

and no left hand has touched your right on my behalf.

And my left hand has never touched your right.

وليس يمينِ ظن المرتجى في

وليس يمينِ ظن المرتجى في

شمائل من يحسّنهُ النوالُ

شمائل من يحسّنهُ النوالُ

Nor does the hopeful one's expectation prove false in

The hope I envision is not in

the qualities of one whom generosity adorns.

The traits of one who is graced with prosperity.

عداتك سوفَ تقضيها بيومٍ

عداتك سوفَ تقضيها بيومٍ

يضيق على العدى اليوم المحالُ

يضيق على العدى اليوم المحالُ

You will fulfill your promises in a day;

Your enemies will one day be defeated

today the foes find no room for their scheming.

On a day that is too narrow for the foe.

ويصبحُ والعفات من الاعادي

ويصبحُ والعفات من الاعادي

نبال كالعقامِ قد استقالوا

نبال كالعقامِ قد استقالوا

And dawn comes, while the supplicants among the foes

And the nobles will become, because of their enemies,

are arrows like the barren, having sought pardon [wording unclear].

Like anchored arrows that have settled.

بساحتك الوزارَة قد أناخت

بساحتك الوزارَة قد أناخت

مطاياها فليس لها ارتحالُ

مطاياها فليس لها ارتحالُ

In your courtyard the vizierate has made kneel

In your courtyard the ministers have anchored

its mounts; it has no journey onward.

Their steeds, so they have no departure.

وعند كلَّ يوم للمعالي

وعند كلَّ يوم للمعالي

مراتبُ للورى فيها انتقالُ

مراتبُ للورى فيها انتقالُ

And every day, for lofty honors,

And for the eminent, everyday

there are ranks through which humankind passes.

There are ranks in which there is ascension.

ترقى ذا إَلى درجاتِ هذا

ترقى ذا إَلى درجاتِ هذا

ويرفع ذا منيع لا يزالُ

ويرفع ذا منيع لا يزالُ

This one has ascended to the ranks of that one,

One rises to the rank of this one,

and one who remains unassailable raises this one.

And another impregnable is elevated and does not cease.

وفخر في الانام به استطالوا

وفخر في الانام به استطالوا

ومرتبةٌ تطولُ ولا تطالُ

ومرتبةٌ تطولُ ولا تطالُ

And glory by which they stand tall among mankind,

And they have prided themselves to the people with it,

and a station that towers high yet cannot be reached.

A position that lengthens but does not reach.

وإِنك يا شهاب لهم زعيمٌ

وإِنك يا شهاب لهم زعيمٌ

فما لنظامِ عقدهم انحلالُ

فما لنظامِ عقدهم انحلالُ

And you, O Shihab, are their leader,

And you, O Shahab, are for them a leader,

so the string of their necklace never unravels.

So the system of their knot does not unravel.

خلقت كما تشا خلقاً وخُلقاً

خلقت كما تشا خلقاً وخُلقاً

جمال في توسعهِ جلالُ

جمال في توسعهِ جلالُ

You were fashioned as you would wish, in form and character:

You were created, in form and manners,

beauty whose breadth embraces majesty.

As you desired - majesty in its expansiveness is glory.

يخفُّ إِلى النوال وفي التواني

يخفُّ إِلى النوال وفي التواني

خصالكَ لا توازنها الجبالُ

خصالكَ لا توازنها الجبالُ

He hastens to give; yet in unhurriedness,

Your traits belie easy gain, and in your deliberation,

your virtues cannot be matched in weight by mountains.

Your qualities are not equalled by mountains.

لقد حازت شمائلكُ الغوادي

لقد حازت شمائلكُ الغوادي

ولم يعدلنها السحبُ الثقالُ

ولم يعدلنها السحبُ الثقالُ

Your virtues have indeed captured the morning rain clouds,

Indeed, your features have won the valleys,

nor have the heavy-laden clouds equaled them.

And the heavy clouds have not equalled them.

فكم شملت وما حنثت بقولٍ

فكم شملت وما حنثت بقولٍ

ولا اسطاعت تجاريها الشمالُ

ولا اسطاعت تجاريها الشمالُ

How many they have embraced, never breaking a pledged word;

How much you have encompassed, and you have not broken a promise,

nor could the north wind rival them.

Nor have the North winds kept pace with them.

شرعتَ شرائعَ المعروفِ فينا

شرعتَ شرائعَ المعروفِ فينا

وقد صرمت من العرفِ الحبالُ

وقد صرمت من العرفِ الحبالُ

You established among us the laws of kindness,

You have set forth the traditions of virtue among us,

when the cords of benevolence had been severed.

And have cast off the recognized from convention.

وأحييتَ السخا واخترتَ منهُ

وأحييتَ السخا واخترتَ منهُ

سخاء لا يدنسهُ سؤالُ

سخاء لا يدنسهُ سؤالُ

You revived generosity and chose from it

You have revived generosity and chosen from it

a bounty unsullied by begging.

Generosity that no request can taint.

وأرضيت المهيمنَ والبرايا

وأرضيت المهيمنَ والبرايا

فشدّت نحوَ ساحتِك الرحال

فشدّت نحوَ ساحتِك الرحال

You pleased the Guardian and creation,

You have satisfied the Vanquisher and the wilderness,

so saddles were strapped for a journey toward your courtyard.

So they have hastened toward your field.

جمعت إليك أسباب المعالي

جمعت إليك أسباب المعالي

فأصبحت الفريدَ كما يقالَ

فأصبحت الفريدَ كما يقالَ

You gathered to yourself the means of greatness,

You have gathered to yourself the means to eminence,

and became the peerless one, as they say.

Thus you have become unmatched, as is said.

تقاصر عَن مداك الشَّعرُ خطواً

تقاصر عَن مداك الشَّعرُ خطواً

فشأوك بالمدائح لا ينالُ

فشأوك بالمدائح لا ينالُ

Poetry's stride falls short of your reach,

Poetry falls short in your praise,

so your eminence cannot be attained through praises.

So praising you is unattainable.

دنوت تواضعاً وعلوت قدراً

دنوت تواضعاً وعلوت قدراً

فهاماتُ النجوم لكم نعالُ

فهاماتُ النجوم لكم نعالُ

You drew near in humility and rose in rank,

You have come near in humility and risen in worth

so the crowns of the stars are sandals for you.

Thus the brows of the stars are your slippers.

فيا كهفَ الوزارةِ إِن كهفي

فيا كهفَ الوزارةِ إِن كهفي

إذا ما استأصل الأمن الوبالُ

إذا ما استأصل الأمن الوبالُ

O refuge of the vizierate, indeed my refuge,

So O cave of ministry, if the cave of my security

when calamity uproots safety,

Is made safe when calamity is uprooted.

وجودٌ نحوه يعزيى وجوديى

وجودٌ نحوه يعزيى وجوديى

وموجودي وحالي والمالُ

وموجودي وحالي والمالُ

and a bounty to which are ascribed my existence,

An existence towards which my existence is consoled,

and my possessions, my condition, and wealth,

And my existence, state, wealth,

وملبوسي ومأكولي وشربي

وملبوسي ومأكولي وشربي

بكفٍ منكَ ليس له انتشلالُ

بكفٍ منكَ ليس له انتشلالُ

and my clothing, my food, and my drink,

My clothes, food, and drink

rest in a hand of yours, never to be withdrawn.

Are in a palm of yours that does not cease.

فها أنا في فناك قريرُ عين

فها أنا في فناك قريرُ عين

أنالُ بفضلكمْ ما لا يُنالُ

أنالُ بفضلكمْ ما لا يُنالُ

So here I am in your courtyard, my eyes at ease,

So here I am, delighted, in your glory

I attain through your bounty what cannot be attained.

I attain by your grace what cannot be attained.

وعندكَ كلَّ يوم لي منالٌ

وعندكَ كلَّ يوم لي منالٌ

تجددها أياديك الطوالُ

تجددها أياديك الطوالُ

And with you, every day, I have a boon,

And with you everyday I have attainment

which your far-reaching hands renew.

Renewed by your long hands.

أعددها ولاَ احصى ثناها

أعددها ولاَ احصى ثناها

وهل تُحصى لمن عد الرمالُ

وهل تُحصى لمن عد الرمالُ

I count them, yet cannot exhaust their praise;

I count them but do not enumerate their praise

and can the sands be numbered by one who counts?

Can one enumerate him who counts the grains of sand?

فداً لجداكَ كل كريمِ قوم

فداً لجداكَ كل كريمِ قوم

مفدى لا تذمُّ له خِصَالُ

مفدى لا تذمُّ له خِصَالُ

May every nobleman of a people be ransom for your bounty,

So may every generous person of a people be ransomed for your generosity,

himself ransomed, whose traits incur no blame.

A ransomed one whose traits are not blamed.

فتلكَ أجلُّ قدراً ان تَفدى

فتلكَ أجلُّ قدراً ان تَفدى

باقوام وليس لها كمالُ

باقوام وليس لها كمالُ

For those qualities are too exalted in worth to be ransomed

For that is the greatest worth, that you be ransomed

by peoples who themselves lack perfection.

For a people that have no perfection.