هو الفضل حتى لا تعد المناقب

هو الفضل حتى لا تعد المناقب

بل العزم حتى تطلبنك المطالب

بل العزم حتى تطلبنك المطالب

Such is excellence that its merits cannot be counted;

He is virtue itself, so virtues cannot be counted,

rather, such resolve that the goals themselves seek you out.

But resolve itself, so that demands seek you,

وما قد الإنسان إلا اقتداره

وما قد الإنسان إلا اقتداره

أجل وعلى قدر الرجال المراتب

أجل وعلى قدر الرجال المراتب

And a person's stature is nothing but his capability.

For man is only capable of what he can do,

Indeed, ranks accord with the measure of men.

And people's ranks are according to their abilities.

أقام الفتى العرضي للمجد دولة

أقام الفتى العرضي للمجد دولة

لها قائد من ناظريه وحاجب

لها قائد من ناظريه وحاجب

The young al-ʿUrḍī established a realm for glory;

The young man established glory's state,

it has a commander from his two eyes, and a chamberlain.

With a leader watching him and chamberlain,

بها اعتذرت أيامنا عن ذنوبها

بها اعتذرت أيامنا عن ذنوبها

وأقبل جاني دهرنا وهو تائب

وأقبل جاني دهرنا وهو تائب

Through it our days apologized for their sins,

Our days have been excused for their sins through it,

and our age, the culprit, came forward repentant.

And the times smiled at us in penitence.

يسددها رأي مع العزم صائب

يسددها رأي مع العزم صائب

ويحرسها بأس مع العلم عاطب

ويحرسها بأس مع العلم عاطب

Sound judgment, joined with resolve, guides it aright,

It is led by reason and resolute purpose,

and deadly might, joined with knowledge, guards it.

And protected by might and erudite wisdom,

وللمدد مثل الناس سقم وصحة

وللمدد مثل الناس سقم وصحة

وفه كما فيهم صدوق وكاذب

وفه كما فيهم صدوق وكاذب

And aid, like people, has sickness and health,

To aid there is for people health and illness,

and in it, as among them, are the truthful and the false.

And in it there is, as with them, sincere and liar.

أنيط به حتى لو اختار نزعه

أنيط به حتى لو اختار نزعه

لحن إليه وهو ثكلان نادب

لحن إليه وهو ثكلان نادب

It was bound to him so closely that, were he to choose to cast it off,

He is entrusted with it, even if he chose to take it off,

it would yearn for him, bereaved and lamenting.

He would be inclined to it while lamenting and grieving,

ومن لا يوفي للمعالي حقوقها

ومن لا يوفي للمعالي حقوقها

فإن مساعيه الحسان مثالب

فإن مساعيه الحسان مثالب

And whoever fails to give high honors their due,

And whoever does not fulfil glory's rights,

his finest endeavors are blemishes.

His fine efforts are blemishes.

ألم ترها كيف اقتناها محمد

ألم ترها كيف اقتناها محمد

تجاذبه أذياله ويجاذب

تجاذبه أذياله ويجاذب

Have you not seen how Muhammad made them his own?

Have you not seen how Muhammad acquired it,

They tug him by his hems, and he tugs back.

As it dragged its train and he dragged it,

إذا الماء لم تشتق لشارب عذبها

إذا الماء لم تشتق لشارب عذبها

فلا عذبت يوماً عليه المشارب

فلا عذبت يوماً عليه المشارب

If sweet water does not yearn for its drinker,

If water were not created for a fresh drinker,

then may no drinking-place ever be sweet to him.

It would never be fresh for him however much he drank

فساس طواغيها وراض شماسها

فساس طواغيها وراض شماسها

وأضحى له منها وزير وحاجب

وأضحى له منها وزير وحاجب

So he ruled their rebels and tamed their unruliness,

So he disciplined its rebels and contented its servants,

and from them he gained a vizier and a chamberlain.

And for him it made a minister and chamberlain,

حوى سؤددا تبدو ذكاء بوجهه

حوى سؤددا تبدو ذكاء بوجهه

وترنو لعينيه النجوم الثواقب

وترنو لعينيه النجوم الثواقب

He attained nobility, with Dhukāʾ—the sun—shining in his face,

It contained a mind that seems brilliant in his face,

and the piercingly bright stars gaze at his eyes.

And its piercing stars gaze at his eyes.

تغرب لا يرضى ذرى النجم موطناً

تغرب لا يرضى ذرى النجم موطناً

وأمثاله حيث استقرت غرائب

وأمثاله حيث استقرت غرائب

He went abroad, not accepting the stars' heights as a home,

It sets unwilling for the stars' rays a place,

and men like him are rarities wherever they settle.

And its like, wherever wonders settled.

دعاه العلا شوقاً فلبى وغيره

دعاه العلا شوقاً فلبى وغيره

دعته فلباها النساء الكواعب

دعته فلباها النساء الكواعب

High honor called him in longing, and he answered; another man

Sublimity called him in yearning, so he responded,

was called by budding-breasted women, and answered them.

While others called him, so he responded to the charming ladies.

ومن يخسر الراحات يكتسب العلا

ومن يخسر الراحات يكتسب العلا

وبعض خسارات الرجال مكاسب

وبعض خسارات الرجال مكاسب

And whoever forfeits comforts gains high honor,

Whoever loses pleasures gains highness,

and some losses men incur are gains.

And some men's losses are gains.

فآب بما يشجي العدى ويسره

فآب بما يشجي العدى ويسره

فوائد قوم عند قوم مصائب

فوائد قوم عند قوم مصائب

So he returned with what grieves his foes and delights him:

So he came with what enrages the enemy and delights him,

one people's gains are another people's calamities.

Disasters for a people are gains for a people.

ليهن علاه منصب طالما صبا

ليهن علاه منصب طالما صبا

له بل تهنى إذ حواها المناصب

له بل تهنى إذ حواها المناصب

May a post congratulate his eminence—a post that long yearned

Let his highness rejoice in an office he long strove for,

for him; rather, let posts be congratulated, since they have embraced his eminence.

Rather, it rejoices that offices contain him,

من القوم اما عرضهم فممنع

من القوم اما عرضهم فممنع

حصين واما عرفهم فهو سائب

حصين واما عرفهم فهو سائب

He is of a people whose honor is unassailable,

Some people refuse them, so he prevents them, steadfast,

securely guarded, while their bounty is freely bestowed.

And some know them, so he is open-handed.

يدين له بالمجد دان وشاسع

يدين له بالمجد دان وشاسع

وينعتهم بالفضل ساع وراكب

وينعتهم بالفضل ساع وراكب

The near and the far alike acknowledge his glory,

Low and high are indebted to him for glory,

and walker and rider alike proclaim their excellence.

And they attribute to them merit, whether late or early,

ففيهم وإلا لا تقال مدائح

ففيهم وإلا لا تقال مدائح

ومنهم وإلا لا ترام الرغائب

ومنهم وإلا لا ترام الرغائب

Praises are spoken of them, or else not spoken at all,

For through them, or else praise is not said,

and coveted gifts are sought from them, or else not sought at all.

Or else desires are not sought.

إليك إمام الفضل منا توجهت

إليك إمام الفضل منا توجهت

كتائب إلا أنهن مواكب

كتائب إلا أنهن مواكب

Toward you, leader of excellence, there have set forth from us

To you, leader of merit, from us came

battalions—except that they are processions.

Groups, though they are processions,

معان تعير العين سحر عيونها

معان تعير العين سحر عيونها

وتسخر منها بالعقود الترائب

وتسخر منها بالعقود الترائب

Meanings that lend the eye the enchantment of their eyes,

Meanings that shame the eye with the magic of their eyes,

and necklace-adorned bosoms mock them.

And mock it with their plaited strands,

قد انسدلت بين الطروس سطورها

قد انسدلت بين الطروس سطورها

كما انسدلت فوق الصدور الذوائب

كما انسدلت فوق الصدور الذوائب

Their lines trail down among the pages,

They have strewn their lines amidst the Pleiades,

as locks of hair trail down over breasts.

As the ornaments strewed themselves on the chests.

لها من براح الشوق حاد وقائد

لها من براح الشوق حاد وقائد

إليك ومن لقياك داع وخاطب

إليك ومن لقياك داع وخاطب

From longing's open plains they have a camel-driver and a guide

For them the ardour of yearning is guide and leader

toward you, and from meeting you a summoner and a suitor.

To you, and meeting you is caller and speaker,

محملة مني الهناء بمنصب

محملة مني الهناء بمنصب

تسير ببشراه الصبا والجنائب

تسير ببشراه الصبا والجنائب

Laden with my congratulations on a post

Carrying from me congratulations on the office,

whose glad tidings the east wind and led mounts bear.

Going happily with youth and song.

فإن سرني أخبار أنك قادم

فإن سرني أخبار أنك قادم

فقد ساءني تقدير أني غائب

فقد ساءني تقدير أني غائب

For if news that you are coming has delighted me,

So if news of you coming brings me joy,

the decree that I am absent has saddened me.

Estimating that I am absent brings me sorrow.

قد اتسعت ما بيننا شقة النوى

قد اتسعت ما بيننا شقة النوى

وضاقت على وجه اللقاء المذاهب

وضاقت على وجه اللقاء المذاهب

The distance of separation between us has grown vast,

The gulf of longing has widened between us

and the paths to a meeting have narrowed.

And the ways to meet have narrowed.

فيا للموالى للعبيد بأوبة

فيا للموالى للعبيد بأوبة

ليهدي بها قلب من البعد واجب

ليهدي بها قلب من البعد واجب

So, masters, aid your slaves by returning,

So greet the loyal slave with a return

so that a heart throbbing from distance may be calmed by it,

With which he may guide a heart separation made obligatory,

وتستد آمال وتسكن لوعة

وتستد آمال وتسكن لوعة

ويفرح محزون ويبسم قاطب

ويفرح محزون ويبسم قاطب

and hopes become secure, and anguish subside,

Hopes may be fulfilled and anguish stilled,

and the sorrowful rejoice and the frowning smile.

And the sorrowful may rejoice and all smile.