هَنِيئاًfelicitations لَهُto him عَادَىopposed أَعَادِيthe enemies of إِمَامِهِhis imam
هَنِيئاً لَهُ عَادَى أَعَادِي إِمَامِهِ
مُكَاثَرَةًvying in abundance وَقْعَthe falling of الحَيَاrain مِنْfrom غَمَامِهِhis cloud
مُكَاثَرَةً وَقْعَ الحَيَا مِنْ غَمَامِهِ
Joy to him: he opposed the enemies of his imam,
Fortunate is he who opposes the enemies of his leader
vying in abundance with the rain falling from his cloud.
Contending, amid the gloom of his clouds.
قَصِيّone from afar دَناdrew near مِنto مَشْرَعِthe watering place of الجُودِgenerosity والنَّدىand bounty
قَصِيّ دَنا مِن مَشْرَعِ الجُودِ والنَّدى
فَحَيَّاهُso welcomed him شاميSyrian الرّيِّthirst-quenching قَبلَbefore حِيَامِهِhis burning thirst
فَحَيَّاهُ شامي الرّيِّ قَبلَ حِيَامِهِ
One from afar drew near the watering place of generosity and bounty,
We sought closeness through generosity and amity,
and Syrian refreshment welcomed him before his burning thirst.
So one from Syria greeted him before his retinue.
وَيَمَّمَand headed toward دَارَthe abode of المُلْكِkingship مُعْتَصِماًseeking refuge بِهاin it
وَيَمَّمَ دَارَ المُلْكِ مُعْتَصِماً بِها
عَلَىwith ثِقَةٍconfidence مِنof فَوْزِهِhis success بِاعْتِصَامِهِthrough his taking refuge
عَلَى ثِقَةٍ مِن فَوْزِهِ بِاعْتِصَامِهِ
And he made for the royal abode, seeking refuge in it,
He resolved to rule the kingdom, taking refuge in it,
confident of his success through taking refuge.
Trusting he would triumph by remaining steadfast.
فَلاso no عَجَبٌwonder أنْthat رَاحَhe went يَومَon the day of سَلامِهِhis greeting
فَلا عَجَبٌ أنْ رَاحَ يَومَ سَلامِهِ
إلَىto سِلْمِpeace with دَهْرTime شَجَّهwounded his head بسلامِهِwith its stones
إلَى سِلْمِ دَهْر شَجَّه بسلامِهِ
No wonder, then, that on the day of his greeting he went
No surprise that on the day of peace
to peace with Time, which had wounded his head with its stones.
He brought calm to the tumult of time with his accord.
حَدَتْهُurged him إِلىtoward البَابِthe gate الكَريمِnoble كَرَامةٌa gracious favor
حَدَتْهُ إِلى البَابِ الكَريمِ كَرَامةٌ
تَعَرّفَهَاhe recognized it فيon سَيْرِهِhis journey بِسَلامِهِthrough his safe passage
تَعَرّفَهَا في سَيْرِهِ بِسَلامِهِ
A gracious favor urged him toward the noble gate,
Chivalry guided him to the noble gate –
a favor he recognized on his journey through his safe passage.
It recognized him by his journey in amity.
أحَلَّتْهُlodged him أعلَىthe loftiest تُرْعَةٍelevated garden بِاضْطِرابِهِamid his restless wandering
أحَلَّتْهُ أعلَى تُرْعَةٍ بِاضْطِرابِهِ
وَعَلَّتْهُand gave him drink again أحْلَىthe sweetest شِرْعَةٍwatering place فيamid اضْطِرَامِهِhis burning thirst
وَعَلَّتْهُ أحْلَى شِرْعَةٍ في اضْطِرَامِهِ
They lodged him in the loftiest garden amid his restless wandering,
It gave him the highest meadow in his distress
and gave him drink anew at the sweetest watering place amid his burning thirst—
And granted him the sweetest law amid his struggles.
صَنَائِعُthe favors of مَوْلىًa lord أَصْبَحَhas become الدَّهْرُTime عَبْدَهُhis slave
صَنَائِعُ مَوْلىً أَصْبَحَ الدَّهْرُ عَبْدَهُ
وأَصْحَبَand grew docile حَتَّىuntil قَادَهhe led it بِزِمَامِهِby its rein
وأَصْحَبَ حَتَّى قَادَه بِزِمَامِهِ
the favors of a lord whose slave Time has become,
The feats of a Master whose world kneeled before,
and grown so docile that he led it by its rein.
And remained until led by his bridle.
إِذاwhen الشِّعْرُpoetry لاقَىencounters جَيْشَهَاtheir army وهوwhile it جائِشٌsurges
إِذا الشِّعْرُ لاقَى جَيْشَهَا وهو جائِشٌ
كَفَاهُsuffices for it اعتِذاراًas an excuse أَنَّهُthat it is فيin انْهِزامِهِits defeat
كَفَاهُ اعتِذاراً أَنَّهُ في انْهِزامِهِ
When poetry meets their army, itself surging,
When poetry met her army raging,
its defeat is excuse enough for it.
His apology sufficed – that he was in retreat.
تكُفُّrefrain القَوافيthe rhymes عَنfrom تَعَرُّضِهاtheir challenging لَهagainst it
تكُفُّ القَوافي عَن تَعَرُّضِها لَه
وَهَيْهَاتَand how impossible يُحْصَىbe counted القَطْرُthe rain عِنْدَduring انْسِجامِهِits downpour
وَهَيْهَاتَ يُحْصَى القَطْرُ عِنْدَ انْسِجامِهِ
Rhymes refrain from challenging it,
Rhymes abstained from faulting him,
and the rain can never be counted as it pours.
And endless are the teardrops when composed.
سَحابُa cloud of نَدىًbounty تُزْجِيهِdrives it onward رِيحُthe wind of ارْتِياحِهِhis gladness
سَحابُ نَدىً تُزْجِيهِ رِيحُ ارْتِياحِهِ
وَيُغْرِيهِand urges it بالإلْثاثِto rain incessantly بَرْقُthe lightning of ابْتِسامِهِhis smile
وَيُغْرِيهِ بالإلْثاثِ بَرْقُ ابْتِسامِهِ
A cloud of bounty, driven by the wind of his gladness,
A cloud of dew, stirred by the wind of his comfort,
and urged to rain unceasingly by the lightning of his smile.
With the lightning of his smile radiating joy.
هُوَhe المَلِكُthe king المَيْمونُauspicious وَجْهاًin countenance وَدَوْلَةًand in reign
هُوَ المَلِكُ المَيْمونُ وَجْهاً وَدَوْلَةً
يدينُsubmits لَهto him بالقُرْبِby drawing near أقْصَىthe farthest reach of مَرَامِهِhis goal
يدينُ لَه بالقُرْبِ أقْصَى مَرَامِهِ
He is the king, auspicious in countenance and reign;
He is the auspicious king, in demeanor and state,
his remotest goal submits to him by drawing near.
To whom the furthest hopes are duty-bound.
تَلَقَّتْreceived لِوَاءَthe banner of المَجْدِglory راحتُهُhis palm التِيwhich
تَلَقَّتْ لِوَاءَ المَجْدِ راحتُهُ التِي
تَوَلَّتْundertook بِناءَthe rebuilding of الجُودِgenerosity عِنْدَupon انْهِدامِهِits collapse
تَوَلَّتْ بِناءَ الجُودِ عِنْدَ انْهِدامِهِ
Glory's banner was received by his palm, which
His stable disposition assumed the flag of glory
undertook to rebuild generosity when it had collapsed.
And rebuilt generosity upon its demise.
مُطَهَّرَةٌpure أعْراقُهُhis ancestral roots عُمَرِيَّةٌof ʿUmar's line
مُطَهَّرَةٌ أعْراقُهُ عُمَرِيَّةٌ
لَهَاto them belongs مِنْof سِنَانِthe spearhead of الفَخْرِpride أعْلَىthe highest of سَنَامِهِits crest
لَهَا مِنْ سِنَانِ الفَخْرِ أعْلَى سَنَامِهِ
His ancestral roots are pure, of ʿUmar's line;
Pure are his roots, honorable his lineage,
theirs is the highest crest of pride's spearhead.
With the highest marks of pride as its minarets.
عَلىupon المَجْدِglory والعَليْاand eminence بَهَاءُthe splendor of اعتِزازِهِhis pride
عَلى المَجْدِ والعَليْا بَهَاءُ اعتِزازِهِ
وَللدّينِand for faith والدّنْيَاand this world مَضاءُthe force of اعْتِزامِهِhis resolve
وَللدّينِ والدّنْيَا مَضاءُ اعْتِزامِهِ
Upon glory and eminence shines the splendor of his pride,
His pride in glory and loftiness has a brilliance,
and faith and this world have the force of his resolve.
His resolve for religion and life has a radiance.
يَسُوءُdistresses طُغاةَthe tyrants of الكُفْرِunbelief كافِيsufficient فِعالِهِhis deeds
يَسُوءُ طُغاةَ الكُفْرِ كافِي فِعالِهِ
ويَأْسُوand heals كُلومَthe wounds of الدَّهرِTime شافِيhealing كَلامِهِhis speech
ويَأْسُو كُلومَ الدَّهرِ شافِي كَلامِهِ
His deeds suffice to distress the tyrants of unbelief,
Sufficient are his deeds in disgracing tyrants,
and his healing speech mends the wounds of Time.
And healing are his words for the sullenness of time.
عَوَاقِبَthe outcomes of ماwhat يَأتِيhe does وَماand what هُوَhe تَارِكٌleaves undone
عَوَاقِبَ ما يَأتِي وَما هُوَ تَارِكٌ
يَذُمُّcondemns الذِيthe one who لَمhas not يَعْتَلِقclung بِذِمَامِهِto his protection
يَذُمُّ الذِي لَم يَعْتَلِق بِذِمَامِهِ
The outcomes of what he does and what he leaves undone
The consequences of what is to come and what remains
are condemned by one who has not clung to his protection.
Are blamed by those who grasp not his principles.
كَفَانِيsuffices me افْتِخاراًas pride أَنَّنيthat I مِنof جَنابِهِhis court
كَفَانِي افْتِخاراً أَنَّني مِن جَنابِهِ
بِحَيثُwhere تَنالُreaches النجمthe star كَفُّthe talon of عُلامِهِhis hawk
بِحَيثُ تَنالُ النجم كَفُّ عُلامِهِ
It is pride enough for me that I am of his court,
I am sufficed in pride that I am in his presence,
where the talon of his hawk reaches the star.
Where even stars receive the palm of his banner.
أَرَىI see مِنْهُin him بَدْرَthe full moon of المُلْكِkingship دُونَwithout سِرارِهِits dark phase
أَرَى مِنْهُ بَدْرَ المُلْكِ دُونَ سِرارِهِ
وأبْصرand I behold بَحْرَthe sea of الجُودِgenerosity غَيْرَwithout غَرَامِهِits destructive peril
وأبْصر بَحْرَ الجُودِ غَيْرَ غَرَامِهِ
In him I see the full moon of kingship, without its dark phase,
I see in him the full moon without its mysteries,
and I behold the sea of generosity, without its destructive peril.
And observe the sea of generosity without its waves.
حَبَاbestowed gifts وحَمَىand protected فيamid عُسْرَةٍhardship ومَخافَةٍand fear
حَبَا وحَمَى في عُسْرَةٍ ومَخافَةٍ
فَهاso behold أناI ذاthis one فيin كَلِّهِhis charge واحْتِرامِهِand his esteem
فَها أنا ذا في كَلِّهِ واحْتِرامِهِ
He bestowed gifts and gave protection amid hardship and fear;
He granted intimacy and protection in hardship and fear.
so here I am, in his charge and held in his esteem.
Behold! I am here, under hisshade and esteem.
أَسيرُI journey إلَىto إقْطاعِهِhis land grant فيin ثِيابهِhis garments
أَسيرُ إلَى إقْطاعِهِ في ثِيابهِ
علَىon طرْفِهِhis steed مِنْfrom دارِهِhis house بِحُسامِهِwith his sword
علَى طرْفِهِ مِنْ دارِهِ بِحُسامِهِ
I journey to his land grant, wearing his garments,
I walk clad in his garb, to be granted his land,
on his steed, from his house, with his sword.
Stepping to the edge of his abode, with his sword.