أَيا رامِياً يُصمي فُؤادَ مَرامِهِ

أَيا رامِياً يُصمي فُؤادَ مَرامِهِ

تُرَبّي عِداهُ ريشَها لِسِهامِهِ

تُرَبّي عِداهُ ريشَها لِسِهامِهِ

O archer who mortally pierces his target's heart,

O archer who pierces the very heart of his aim,

whose enemies grow their feathers for his arrows.

Whose foes rear the feathers to fletch his own arrows.

أَسيرُ إِلى إِقطاعِهِ في ثِيابِهِ

أَسيرُ إِلى إِقطاعِهِ في ثِيابِهِ

عَلى طِرفِهِ مِن دارِهِ بِحُسامِهِ

عَلى طِرفِهِ مِن دارِهِ بِحُسامِهِ

I travel to the estate he granted me, wearing his clothes,

I journey to his fiefdom, clad in his robes,

on his steed, from his house, with his sword,

Upon his steed, from his dwelling, bearing his blade.

وَما مَطَرَتنيهِ مِنَ البيضِ وَالقَنا

وَما مَطَرَتنيهِ مِنَ البيضِ وَالقَنا

وَرومِ العِبِدّى هاطِلاتُ غَمامِهِ

وَرومِ العِبِدّى هاطِلاتُ غَمامِهِ

and all that was showered upon me—gleaming swords and spears,

It was not the rain of swords and spears that showered me,

and Byzantine slaves—by his downpouring clouds.

Nor the campaign of ‘Abiddā, but the torrents of his clouds.

فَتىً يَهَبُ الإِقليمَ بِالمالِ وَالقُرى

فَتىً يَهَبُ الإِقليمَ بِالمالِ وَالقُرى

وَمَن فيهِ مِن فُرسانِهِ وَكِرامِهِ

وَمَن فيهِ مِن فُرسانِهِ وَكِرامِهِ

A youth who gives away a province with its wealth and villages,

A hero who bestows a province, with its wealth and towns,

and those within it, its horsemen and nobles.

Along with all within it—its knights and its nobles.

وَيَجعَلُ ما خُوِّلتُهُ مِن نَوالِهِ

وَيَجعَلُ ما خُوِّلتُهُ مِن نَوالِهِ

جَزاءً لِما خُوِّلتُهُ مِن كَلامِهِ

جَزاءً لِما خُوِّلتُهُ مِن كَلامِهِ

And he makes the bounty he has granted me

He makes the bounty I have been granted from his hand

a reward for the words he has granted me.

A reward for the eloquence I have been granted by his speech.

فَلا زالَتِ الشَمسُ الَّتي في سَمائِهِ

فَلا زالَتِ الشَمسُ الَّتي في سَمائِهِ

مُطالِعَةَ الشَمسِ الَّتي في لِثامِهِ

مُطالِعَةَ الشَمسِ الَّتي في لِثامِهِ

So may the sun in his sky never cease

So may the sun that climbs within his sky never cease

to gaze upon the sun beneath his veil.

To gaze upon the sun that shines from beneath his veil.

وَلا زالَ تَجتازُ البُدورُ بِوَجهِهِ

وَلا زالَ تَجتازُ البُدورُ بِوَجهِهِ

تَعَجَّبُ مِن نُقصانِها وَتَمامِهِ

تَعَجَّبُ مِن نُقصانِها وَتَمامِهِ

And may the full moons never cease passing before his face,

And may the full moons forever pass before his face,

marveling at their imperfection and his perfection.

Marveling at their own waning, and his perfection.