1. لِسَاعدِ هذا الدّهر أنت أَصَابِعُ

    وأنتَ لأمر المُلْكِ خَتْمٌ وطَابِعُ

    You are the fingers of this age's forearm,

    and the seal and signet for the affairs of kingship.

  2. وفي كلّ مُلْكٍ مَنْ يسوس شؤونَه

    ولكِن عن الماضي يجلّ المضارع

    In every realm there is one who governs its affairs,

    yet the present surpasses the past.

  3. وفي الفَلَكِ السّامي كواكبُ جمّةٌ

    وأَنَّى يضاهي الشّمسَ في الأُفْقِ طالِعُ

    In the lofty firmament are stars in abundance,

    yet how could a rising star on the horizon rival the sun?

  4. أيا نورَ عَيْنِ الدّهر فالدّهرُ مُبْصِرٌ

    وَمَسْمَعَ جِسْمِ الدّهر فالدّهر سامع

    O light of the age's eye: thus the age can see,

    and ear of the age's body: thus the age can hear.

  5. حَلَلْتَ سماواتِ العُلَى فطويتَها

    وإلاّ فممّا أنت في الجوّ ساطع

    You alighted in the heavens of eminence and folded them up;

    otherwise, from what do you shine in the sky?

  6. وما جئتَ إِقْبالاً بعزٍّ وإنّما

    أتاك ليُلقى العزُّ إذْ أنت رافع

    You did not bring glory with your coming; rather,

    glory came to you to be received, for you exalt it.

  7. وما جاء إنْفَاساً بِغَيْرِ مَحَلِّه

    ولكنّ فَرْعَ الشّيء للشّيء راجع

    Nor did it come as enrichment out of place;

    rather, a thing's branch returns to the thing itself.

  8. وأيّ كمالٍ يبتغى فيه كاملٌ

    وأيّ جَداً يُبْغَى من النّاس نافع

    And every perfection sought in him is complete,

    and every bounty sought from people is beneficial.

  9. فتًى نشر الإِحسانَ وابلُ جودِه

    فقام ونُطْقُ الجودِ بالشّكر صادع

    A youth whose generosity's downpour spread beneficence;

    so it arose, while generosity's voice proclaimed thanks aloud.

  10. فأَنْبَتَ في الآفاقِ حمداً مُخَلّداً

    ومجداً عن الأصحاب يرويه تابع

    Thus it made undying praise sprout across the horizons,

    and glory a follower recounts from the companions.

  11. عَلاَمَ قَتَلْتَ البخلَ جوداً وأهلُه

    على سقمه الماضي الجفون دوامع

    Why did you slay miserliness with generosity, while its followers

    have eyelids shedding tears over its former sickness?

  12. كما نهكَتْ علياك عَلْيَاءَ حَاسِدٍ

    فأصبح ملسوعاً وقدرُك لاسعُ

    Just as your eminence wore down an envier's eminence,

    so he was left stung, and your stature was the stinger.

  13. على أنّ ما فوق البسيطة ساجدٌ

    إليك وما فيها لغيرك راكع

    Yet everything above the earth lies prostrate

    before you, and none upon it bows to anyone else.

  14. وما حَسَدَ الأعداءُ شيئاً يَرَوْنَهُ

    ورُبَّ عدوٍّ فيه للحقّ وَازعُ

    And the enemies envied nothing they see,

    and many a foe has within him a restraint for truth's sake.

  15. وقد بَرَزَتْ للمُلك منك عزائمٌ

    عَلِمْنَا بِأنَّ السّعدَ للنّحس قامع

    And resolves for kingship have emerged from you;

    we knew that good fortune subdues ill fortune.

  16. وأَمَّكَ بالإِقبال في الحُسْنِ مَنْ له

    إمَامَتُهُمْ في الدّين إذْ أنت جامع

    And he sought you with favor in goodness—the one who holds

    their leadership in religion, for you are a unifier.

  17. فلِلّه خاقانٌ يرى بفؤاده

    يُسَوِّفُ ما يأتي كما هو واقع

    God be praised for a khagan who sees with his heart,

    who postpones what is coming, just as it comes to pass.

  18. رأى أنّ للإِصلاح فيك شمائلاً

    فألْفاكَ لا يدنو إليك مضارع

    He saw in you qualities suited to reform,

    and found you with no equal drawing near.

  19. وغير غريبٍ أن يصيب بِرَأْيِهِ

    أميرٌ لِثّدْيِ الرأي والعلم راضعُ

    Nor is it strange that he is right in his judgment—

    a prince suckling at the breast of judgment and knowledge.

  20. وللفرع بالأصل ابتداءٌ وحيثما

    تكامل أصلُ المرء فالمرء تَابِعُ

    The branch has its beginning in the root; and wherever

    a person's root reaches perfection, the person follows suit.

  21. وَدُمْ أنتَ في وجه السّعادة طالعاً

    ودُرُّك من نحر الخلافة لامع

    May you ever rise upon the face of good fortune,

    and may your pearls shine from the caliphate's neck.