يا مَالِكَ الثَّغرِ الَّذي بِسُيوفِهِ

يا مَالِكَ الثَّغرِ الَّذي بِسُيوفِهِ

عَزَّت مَطالِبُهُ عَلى أَعدائِهِ

عَزَّت مَطالِبُهُ عَلى أَعدائِهِ

O lord of the frontier, by whose swords

O owner of the radiant face whose swords

it has become hard for its enemies to seize.

Have made his requests supreme over his foes

أَشرَقتَ فيهِ فَلَيلُهُ كَنَهارِهِ

أَشرَقتَ فيهِ فَلَيلُهُ كَنَهارِهِ

وَرَفَعتَ مِنهُ فَأَرضُهُ كَسَمائِهِ

وَرَفَعتَ مِنهُ فَأَرضُهُ كَسَمائِهِ

You shone within it, so its night is like its day,

You have made its night as bright as its day

and you exalted it, so its earth is like its sky.

And raised its land as high as its skies

لاموكَ في بَذلِ النَّوالِ وَإِنَّما

لاموكَ في بَذلِ النَّوالِ وَإِنَّما

شَرَفُ الغَمام بِما جَرى مِن مائِهِ

شَرَفُ الغَمام بِما جَرى مِن مائِهِ

They blamed you for bestowing bounty; yet

I do not blame you for being generous

a cloud's honor lies only in the water it sheds.

For clouds are ennobled by their rain

وَوَجَدتَ عاقِبَةَ السَّماحِ حَميدَة

وَوَجَدتَ عاقِبَةَ السَّماحِ حَميدَة

فَحَذارِ مِن نُصحِ البَخيلِ وَرائِهِ

فَحَذارِ مِن نُصحِ البَخيلِ وَرائِهِ

And you found generosity's outcome praiseworthy;

You have found good consequences of generosity

so beware the miser's counsel thereafter.

So beware of the miser's advice behind you

لا تُشفِقَنَّ عَلى الثَّراءِ فَما ذَوى

لا تُشفِقَنَّ عَلى الثَّراءِ فَما ذَوى

رَوض تَكون ظُباك مِن أَندائِهِ

رَوض تَكون ظُباك مِن أَندائِهِ

Do not fear for wealth, for never has there withered

Do not grieve over wealth, for no garden

a garden whose dew includes your sword-blades.

Has ever been fertilized by its trees' fruits

ضَمِنَت لَكَ الخُلفَ السَّريعَ شِفارُها

ضَمِنَت لَكَ الخُلفَ السَّريعَ شِفارُها

مِن بَعدِ ما عَرَفَت مَكانَ وَفائِهِ

مِن بَعدِ ما عَرَفَت مَكانَ وَفائِهِ

Their cutting edges have guaranteed you swift replenishment,

Its quick replacement is guaranteed by its blades

after learning where its fulfillment lay.

After they realized the place of its loyalty

ما رامَ عَبدُكَ أَن يُشيرَ وَإِنَّما

ما رامَ عَبدُكَ أَن يُشيرَ وَإِنَّما

نَظمُ القَريضِ جَرى عَلى غَلوائِهِ

نَظمُ القَريضِ جَرى عَلى غَلوائِهِ

Your servant did not mean to offer counsel; rather,

Your servant did not intend to give advice

the composition of verse ran its impetuous course.

Poetry strings flowed according to their excess

إِن صَدَّهُ عَنَتُ الزَّمانِ وَصَرفُهُ

إِن صَدَّهُ عَنَتُ الزَّمانِ وَصَرفُهُ

فَلَهُ قَديمُ ذِمامِهِ وَوَلائِهِ

فَلَهُ قَديمُ ذِمامِهِ وَوَلائِهِ

If time's hardship and its vicissitudes have held him back,

If the hardship of time barred him

he still has his longstanding bond and loyalty.

He has his old reins and loyalty

أَو كانَ مُقتَصِراً فَخِدمَةُ مِثلِهِ

أَو كانَ مُقتَصِراً فَخِدمَةُ مِثلِهِ

مَعروفَةٌ بِثَنائِهِ وَدُعائِهِ

مَعروفَةٌ بِثَنائِهِ وَدُعائِهِ

Or if he has done little, the service of one like him

Or if he fell short, serving the likes of you

is known by his praise and his prayers.

Is well-known for his praise and prayer