مكارمكَ اغتباقِي واصطباحِي

مكارمكَ اغتباقِي واصطباحِي

ومن ذكراكَ ريحاني وَرَاحي

ومن ذكراكَ ريحاني وَرَاحي

Your noble deeds are my evening draught and my morning draught,

Your kindness is my morning draught and evening feast,

And from remembering you come my sweet basil and my wine.

And the memory of you is my sweet basil and relief.

تحَيِيني بأَثمارِ الأَمانِي

تحَيِيني بأَثمارِ الأَمانِي

وأَرفُلُ منكَ فِي روضِ السَّماحِ

وأَرفُلُ منكَ فِي روضِ السَّماحِ

You greet me with the fruits of hopes,

You revive me with the fruits of my hopes,

And through you I walk in splendor in generosity's garden.

And I revel in your meadow of generosity.

فما هاجَتنيَ الأَطْرَابُ إِلّا

فما هاجَتنيَ الأَطْرَابُ إِلّا

إليكَ نِزاعُ نفسي وارتياحي

إليكَ نِزاعُ نفسي وارتياحي

For no raptures stir me without

Thus my soul is troubled by none but you,

My soul's longing and delight turning toward you;

To you it turns for solace and comfort.

ولا غَنَّتْ ليَ الآمالُ إِلّا

ولا غَنَّتْ ليَ الآمالُ إِلّا

وحظُّ رضاكَ سُؤْلِي واقتراحي

وحظُّ رضاكَ سُؤْلِي واقتراحي

Nor do hopes sing to me without

And my hopes sing for none but you,

A share of your favor being my wish and request.

For your favor is my request and desire.

فإِنْ أَصبحتُ مُنْتَشِياً بنُعْمى

فإِنْ أَصبحتُ مُنْتَشِياً بنُعْمى

تُواليها فشُكْرُ الحُرِّ صَاحِ

تُواليها فشُكْرُ الحُرِّ صَاحِ

So if I wake intoxicated with bounty

When I wake feeling blessed,

You keep bestowing, a noble man's gratitude stays sober.

Gratitude is the freeman’s cry.

وقَلَّ لِمَنْ جَلا الإِظلامَ عَنِّي

وقَلَّ لِمَنْ جَلا الإِظلامَ عَنِّي

ولَقَّى ناظِري وَجْهَ الصباحِ

ولَقَّى ناظِري وَجْهَ الصباحِ

Yet it is little for him who dispelled my darkness

And few are they from whom the darkness lifts from me,

And made my eye meet the face of morning,

Revealing the light of dawn.

ومَنْ بيمينه وَرِيَتْ زنادي

ومَنْ بيمينه وَرِيَتْ زنادي

سَناً وبيُمنِهِ فازَت قدَاحي

سَناً وبيُمنِهِ فازَت قدَاحي

And him by whose right hand my fire-sticks flared

By whose right hand my tinderbox ignited,

With radiance, and by whose blessing my lot-arrows won,

My brief years blessed, my goblets brimming over.

ومَنْ نادَيْتُ حَيَّ عَلَى التَّلاقِي

ومَنْ نادَيْتُ حَيَّ عَلَى التَّلاقِي

فلَبَّانِي بحَيَّ عَلَى النَّجاحِ

فلَبَّانِي بحَيَّ عَلَى النَّجاحِ

And him to whom I called, 'Come, let us meet!'

Whose call of “Courage!” at the encounter

Who then answered me, 'Come to success!'

I answer with “Courage and success!”

وآوانِي إِلَى رُكْنٍ شديدٍ

وآوانِي إِلَى رُكْنٍ شديدٍ

وأَوْفى بي عَلَى أَمَلٍ مُتاحِ

وأَوْفى بي عَلَى أَمَلٍ مُتاحِ

And gave me refuge by a mighty pillar,

Who has brought me to a formidable pillar,

And raised me to a hope within reach.

And fulfilled in me an attainable hope.

وزيرٌ قُلِّدَ المَلِكَانِ منهُ

وزيرٌ قُلِّدَ المَلِكَانِ منهُ

حُسامَ البأْس والنُّصْح المُباحِ

حُسامَ البأْس والنُّصْح المُباحِ

A minister through whom the two kings were girded

A minister endowed with the twin swords

With the keen sword of might and freely offered counsel:

Of valor and frank counsel for the kings.

حمائلُهُ لصدر المُلْك حَلْيٌ

حمائلُهُ لصدر المُلْك حَلْيٌ

وحدَّاهُ عَتادٌ للكِفاحِ

وحدَّاهُ عَتادٌ للكِفاحِ

Its sword-belts adorn the breast of kingship,

His defense of the throne a necklace,

And its two edges are armament for battle.

His armor attire for the fight.

حياةٌ عند مُزْدَحَمِ الأَمانِي

حياةٌ عند مُزْدَحَمِ الأَمانِي

وموتٌ عند مُشتَجَرِ الرِّماحِ

وموتٌ عند مُشتَجَرِ الرِّماحِ

Life where hopes crowd together,

Life lies with the hopeful man,

And death where spears intertwine;

Death with the hopeless spearman.

ولَيثٌ تَحْتَ سابغَةٍ دلاصٍ

ولَيثٌ تَحْتَ سابغَةٍ دلاصٍ

وغيثٌ بَيْنَ أَثناءِ الوشاحِ

وغيثٌ بَيْنَ أَثناءِ الوشاحِ

And a lion beneath a full-length coat of smooth mail,

A lion beneath a flowing tasseled bridle,

And rain amid the folds of the sash.

A rain shower between loosened garment folds.

إِذا الرَّاياتُ جَهَّزَها برأْيٍ

إِذا الرَّاياتُ جَهَّزَها برأْيٍ

فقد لَقِيَ العِدى شاكي السِّلاحِ

فقد لَقِيَ العِدى شاكي السِّلاحِ

When he equips the banners with a plan,

When he arrays the flags by his wisdom

Then, fully armed, he meets the enemy;

He meets the foe disappointed of arms.

وإِنْ لاقى الخطوبَ بفَضْلِ حُكْمٍ

وإِنْ لاقى الخطوبَ بفَضْلِ حُكْمٍ

فقَدْ أَبقاهُ ذُخراً للصَّلاحِ

فقَدْ أَبقاهُ ذُخراً للصَّلاحِ

And if he faces calamities with superior judgment,

When he faces disasters with excellent judgment

Then he has kept it in reserve for good.

He keeps them in reserve for better times.

بَعيدُ الشَّأْو مُقتَرِبُ الأَيادي

بَعيدُ الشَّأْو مُقتَرِبُ الأَيادي

عَزيزُ القَدْر مخفوضُ الجَناحِ

عَزيزُ القَدْر مخفوضُ الجَناحِ

Far ahead in achievement, close at hand in bounty,

Lofty in station, gentle in manner,

Exalted in rank, yet with his wing lowered;

Mighty in influence, his wings folded in modesty.

حسامٌ للكواكِبِ فِي المعالي

حسامٌ للكواكِبِ فِي المعالي

مُبارٍ فِي المكارم للرِّياحِ

مُبارٍ فِي المكارم للرِّياحِ

A keen sword challenging the stars in eminence,

A scimitar to the stars in glory,

Vying with the winds in generous deeds.

Racing the winds in bounty.

فمُلِّيناهُ فِي دِينٍ ودُنيا

فمُلِّيناهُ فِي دِينٍ ودُنيا

مَريعَ الروض محلول النَّواحي

مَريعَ الروض محلول النَّواحي

So may we long be blessed with him in faith and worldly life,

He has bent us – in religion and worldly affairs –

His garden fertile, his precincts well inhabited.

To fresh meadows, untroubled waters.