ضَنّ السَّمَاحُ عَلَيْه بِالتَّرحالِ

ضَنّ السَّمَاحُ عَلَيْه بِالتَّرحالِ

وأفَادَهُ الإحْسَانُ حُسْنَ الحَالِ

وأفَادَهُ الإحْسَانُ حُسْنَ الحَالِ

Generosity denied him leave to depart,

The tolerant pardoned him for wandering,

and kindness granted him well-being.

And kindness improved his condition.

فَبَنَى عَزَائِمَهُ على تَقْويضِها

فَبَنَى عَزَائِمَهُ على تَقْويضِها

وَثَنَى رَكَائِبَهُ عن الإرقَالِ

وَثَنَى رَكَائِبَهُ عن الإرقَالِ

So he built his resolutions upon undoing them,

So he built his resolves upon ruining them,

and turned his riding-camels away from their swift pace.

And folded back his mounts from galloping.

يُمْنُ الخِلافَةِ بُورِكَتْ وَيَمِينُها

يُمْنُ الخِلافَةِ بُورِكَتْ وَيَمِينُها

جَادا عَلَيْها بِالْجَدا الهَطَّالِ

جَادا عَلَيْها بِالْجَدا الهَطَّالِ

The caliphate's good fortune—blessed be it—and its right hand

With the caliphate's good fortune he was blessed,

both showered it with a downpour of bounty.

Generous upon it with intense determination.

وَلَقَدْ شَفَى إِقْبَالُهَا مَا شَفَّه

وَلَقَدْ شَفَى إِقْبَالُهَا مَا شَفَّه

فَاعْتَاضَ مِنْ شَكْواه بِالإبْلالِ

فَاعْتَاضَ مِنْ شَكْواه بِالإبْلالِ

Its favor has indeed cured what wasted him,

Indeed its prosperity cured what it cured,

so he exchanged his ailment for recovery.

So he complained of his illness with submission.

لَمْ يَخْلُ مِنْها عَادَةً عَدَوِيَّةً

لَمْ يَخْلُ مِنْها عَادَةً عَدَوِيَّةً

كَرُمَتْ عَن الإخْلافِ والإخْلالِ

كَرُمَتْ عَن الإخْلافِ والإخْلالِ

From it he never lacked an ʿAdawī custom,

No hostile habit came from it,

too noble for broken promises or neglect.

It was too noble for betrayal or perfidy.

وَأَبَى المعالي أنَّ ما بَذَلَتْ لهُ

وَأَبَى المعالي أنَّ ما بَذَلَتْ لهُ

عَطَفَاتُها لِمَكَارِم وَمَعَالِ

عَطَفَاتُها لِمَكَارِم وَمَعَالِ

And, by the father of noble deeds, what was bestowed on him

And the Exalted One refused what it offered him

by its kindness is truly generosity and high honor.

Of its kind acts and favors.

لَوْلا النَّدى والحلْمُ نَادَتْهُ النَّوى

لَوْلا النَّدى والحلْمُ نَادَتْهُ النَّوى

فَأجَابَها بِتَحمُّلٍ ورِحَالِ

فَأجَابَها بِتَحمُّلٍ ورِحَالِ

But for generosity and forbearance, distance would have called him,

Had it not been for calm and forbearance, worries

and he would have answered it by decamping and journeying.

Would have called him, and he would have answered with endurance and travel.

أيُقيمُ لَيْسَ يَريمُ بَيْنَ إضَافَةٍ

أيُقيمُ لَيْسَ يَريمُ بَيْنَ إضَافَةٍ

عَالَتْ فَريضَتُها وَبَيْنَ عِيَالِ

عَالَتْ فَريضَتُها وَبَيْنَ عِيَالِ

Should he stay, never stirring, between hospitality

Does he who cannot support a dependent woman

whose required outlay exceeds his means, and his dependents?

Whose duty soared, and his own family, stay?

هَلْ شَرْبَةٌ مِنْ أَبْحُرِ الجَدْوَى سِوَى

هَلْ شَرْبَةٌ مِنْ أَبْحُرِ الجَدْوَى سِوَى

ثَمَدٍ يَفِيضُ لِرَأسِ كُلِّ هِلالِ

ثَمَدٍ يَفِيضُ لِرَأسِ كُلِّ هِلالِ

Is a draught from the seas of bounty anything but

Is one draft from the sea of ardor enough,

a scant pool that wells up at each new crescent?

Except overflowing at the head of each crescent moon?

مَنْ ذا يُوَافيهِ الخُمُولُ فَلا يَفِي

مَنْ ذا يُوَافيهِ الخُمُولُ فَلا يَفِي

وَسَطَ الفَلا بِتَقَحُّمِ الأَهوالِ

وَسَطَ الفَلا بِتَقَحُّمِ الأَهوالِ

Who, overtaken by obscurity, would not rise to the challenge

Who is there whom sluggishness meets but doesn't repay

of plunging into terrors amid the wilderness?

Amidst perils with boldly plunging ahead?

رِحَلاً طِوَالاً رَامَ إذْ لَم يَحْتَقِبْ

رِحَلاً طِوَالاً رَامَ إذْ لَم يَحْتَقِبْ

إلا أذَى حِقَبٍ عَلَيْهِ طِوالِ

إلا أذَى حِقَبٍ عَلَيْهِ طِوالِ

He sought long journeys, for he carried as baggage

Lengthy travels he assumed when he did not fear

only the hurt of long years weighing upon him.

Anything but the harm of a long period against him.

قَصَرَتْ مَداهَا لِلخَليفَةِ رَحْمَةٌ

قَصَرَتْ مَداهَا لِلخَليفَةِ رَحْمَةٌ

مُنْثَالَةٌ بِنَوالِهِ المُنْثَالِ

مُنْثَالَةٌ بِنَوالِهِ المُنْثَالِ

The caliph's mercy shortened their reach,

Shortened for the Caliph were the days of mercy,

flowing freely with his freely flowing bounty.

Agitated by his agitated fortune.

واللّهُ يَشْكُرُ مَا أتَى مِنْ صَالِحٍ

واللّهُ يَشْكُرُ مَا أتَى مِنْ صَالِحٍ

لَوْلاهُ وَالى حَاصِدُ الآمالِ

لَوْلاهُ وَالى حَاصِدُ الآمالِ

And God rewards the good he has done;

And God is thankful for the righteous things

but for him, the reaper of hopes would have reaped on.

That came were it not for Him, the Reaper of Hopes.

حَسْبُ الأَماني أنَّ يَحْيَى المُرْتَضَى

حَسْبُ الأَماني أنَّ يَحْيَى المُرْتَضَى

يُجْرِي عَلى الإسْعافِ كُلَّ سُؤالِ

يُجْرِي عَلى الإسْعافِ كُلَّ سُؤالِ

It suffices for hopes that Yahya al-Murtada

Hopes are fulfilled: al-Murtaza Yahya

brings every request to fulfillment.

Answers all requests with aid.

مَلِكٌ يَرَى دِيناً ودُنْيا أنْ تَرَى

مَلِكٌ يَرَى دِيناً ودُنْيا أنْ تَرَى

أدْنَى مَوَاهِبه بُيُوتُ الْمَالِ

أدْنَى مَوَاهِبه بُيُوتُ الْمَالِ

A king who deems it faith and worldly duty that you see

A king who sees religion and world, that they see

treasuries as the least of his gifts.

The least of his gifts are homes of wealth.

وكَذَا إذَا الهَيْجَاءُ صُفَّتْ أُسْدُها

وكَذَا إذَا الهَيْجَاءُ صُفَّتْ أُسْدُها

فَصَرِيعُهَا مِنْهَا أبُو الأَشْبَالِ

فَصَرِيعُهَا مِنْهَا أبُو الأَشْبَالِ

And likewise, when battle's lions stand arrayed,

And likewise, when the frenzied lionesses rank themselves,

the one felled among them is the father of cubs.

Then the one killed by them is the Father of Cubs.

لا يَرْتَضي إلا الفُتُوحَ جَلِيلَةً

لا يَرْتَضي إلا الفُتُوحَ جَلِيلَةً

بِحُلِيِّ عِزٍّ أقْعَسٍ وَجَلالِ

بِحُلِيِّ عِزٍّ أقْعَسٍ وَجَلالِ

He accepts only glorious conquests,

He accepts nothing but mighty conquests

adorned with unbending might and majesty.

In the dignity of a dread and mighty dominion.

مَلَكِيَّةٌ أخْلاقُهُ فَكَأنهُ

مَلَكِيَّةٌ أخْلاقُهُ فَكَأنهُ

مَا صِيغَ في الأمْلاكِ مِنْ صَلْصالِ

مَا صِيغَ في الأمْلاكِ مِنْ صَلْصالِ

His character is angelic, as though he

Royal are his manners, so it is as if

were not, among kings, fashioned from sounding clay.

He was cast in kingdoms from steel.

مَولايَ لِي فِي الشكرِ مُعْتَمَدٌ فَهَلْ

مَولايَ لِي فِي الشكرِ مُعْتَمَدٌ فَهَلْ

يَمْضِي لِمَا أَرْجُو مِن اسْتِعْمَالِ

يَمْضِي لِمَا أَرْجُو مِن اسْتِعْمَالِ

My lord, gratitude is my mainstay—will it

My patron, I depend on you in gratitude, so will

help me obtain the appointment I hope for?

What I hope for from employment come to pass?

إنْ لَم تُفِدنِي ضَيْعَة أوْ صَنْعَة

إنْ لَم تُفِدنِي ضَيْعَة أوْ صَنْعَة

فَضَياعُ أحْوالِي من الأحْوالِ

فَضَياعُ أحْوالِي من الأحْوالِ

If you do not grant me an estate or a trade,

If neither an estate nor office benefits me,

then the ruin of my affairs is among the possible outcomes.

Then the loss of my circumstances is a circumstance.