أَينَwhere أَزمَعتَhave you resolved to go أَيُّهَذاO you الهُمامُthe valiant one
أَينَ أَزمَعتَ أَيُّهَذا الهُمامُ
نَحنُwe نَبتُplants الرُبىthe hills وَأَنتَand you الغَمامُthe raincloud
نَحنُ نَبتُ الرُبى وَأَنتَ الغَمامُ
Where have you resolved to go, O valiant one?
Where are you headed, O noble soul?
Where are you bound, O hero of high resolve?
We are the plants of the hills, and you are the raincloud.
We are the shoots, and you are the rain clouds.
We are the seedlings of the hills, and you the pouring clouds.
نَحنُwe مَنthose whom ضايَقَhas constrained الزَمانُtime لَهُfor him فيـin
نَحنُ مَن ضايَقَ الزَمانُ لَهُ فيـ
ـكَyou وَخانَتهُand betrayed him قُربَكَnearness to you الأَيّامُthe days
ـكَ وَخانَتهُ قُربَكَ الأَيّامُ
We are those whom time has kept apart from
We are those who find the days too narrow for them because of you,
We are those whom Time has harried for your sake, whom days betrayed despite your nearness.
you, and whom the days have cheated of your nearness.
Yet your nearness has betrayed them.
In the path of glory is your war and peace, your halting here and your swift departure.
فيin سَبيلِthe cause العُلىglory قِتالُكَyour fighting وَالسِلـand peace (first part)
في سَبيلِ العُلى قِتالُكَ وَالسِلـ
ـمُ(end of 'peace') وَهَذاand this المَقامُthe sojourn وَالإِجذامُand swift departure
ـمُ وَهَذا المَقامُ وَالإِجذامُ
In the cause of glory are your fighting and peace,
Your battle for glory, peace treaties, this position and determination
Would that we were your steeds when you ride forth, and your very tents when you alight.
this sojourn and your swift departure.
Would that when you travel the tents remain,
Each day brings you a new burden of travel, a march to glory where you find your home.
لَيتَwould that أَنّاthat we إِذاwhen اِرتَحَلتَyou depart لَكَfor you الخَيـthe horses (first part)
لَيتَ أَنّا إِذا اِرتَحَلتَ لَكَ الخَيـ
ـلُ(end of 'horses') وَأَنّاand that we إِذاwhen نَزَلتَyou alight الخِيامُthe tents
ـلُ وَأَنّا إِذا نَزَلتَ الخِيامُ
Would that, when you depart, we were your horses,
And when you camp the cavalcade moves on!
When souls are vast and great, the bodies grow weary in their service.
and, when you alight, we were your tents.
Each day for you there is a new undertaking
Just so do the full moons rise above us, and just so do the mighty oceans surge.
كُلَّevery يَومٍday لَكَfor you اِحتِمالٌa departure جَديدُnew
كُلَّ يَومٍ لَكَ اِحتِمالٌ جَديدُ
وَمَسيرٌand a journey لِلمَجدِfor glory فيهِin it مُقامُa dwelling
وَمَسيرٌ لِلمَجدِ فيهِ مُقامُ
Every day brings you a fresh departure,
And, on the road to glory, a place to stay.
We are accustomed to the grace of patience, were we tested by anything but your absence.
and a journey in which glory has its dwelling.
When spirits are great,
All life you do not sweeten is but death; every sun that is not you is merely dark.
وَإِذاand when كانَتِare النُفوسُthe souls كِباراًgreat
وَإِذا كانَتِ النُفوسُ كِباراً
تَعِبَتgrow weary فيin مُرادِهاtheir desire الأَجسامُthe bodies
تَعِبَت في مُرادِها الأَجسامُ
And when souls are great,
Bodies grow weary fulfilling their desires,
Dispel the gloom that dwells with us, O you with whom vast armies find their cheer.
bodies grow weary pursuing their desires.
Thus do the planets rise over us,
He who witnesses the fray with tranquil heart, as though the battle were a sacred trust,
وَكَذاand thus تَطلُعُrise البُدورُthe full moons عَلَيناover us
وَكَذا تَطلُعُ البُدورُ عَلَينا
وَكَذاand thus تَقلَقُare restless البُحورُthe seas العِظامُthe mighty
وَكَذا تَقلَقُ البُحورُ العِظامُ
And thus the full moons rise over us,
And thus do the great oceans surge.
Who strikes the battalions until the neck-bones collapse upon the feet.
and thus the mighty seas are restless.
We are wont to kindness and patience
If he settles but an hour in a place, all harm from Time is forbidden entrance.
وَلَناand we have عادَةُa habit الجَميلِthe noble مِنَof الصَبـpatience (first part)
وَلَنا عادَةُ الجَميلِ مِنَ الصَبـ
ـرِ(end of 'patience') لَوَif أَنّاthat we سِوىother than نَواكَseparation from you نُسامُwe are made to bear
ـرِ لَوَ أَنّا سِوى نَواكَ نُسامُ
And we would show our accustomed noble patience,
If only we had, apart from you, tranquility.
That which the lands bring forth is joy, and what the rain-clouds pour is wine.
were we made to bear anything but separation from you.
No living without the song of doves,
Whenever 'He has reached the limit' is said, he reveals a bounty to which the generous have found no path,
كُلُّevery عَيشٍlife ماso long as لَمnot تُطَبهُyou sweeten it حِمامٌdeath
كُلُّ عَيشٍ ما لَم تُطَبهُ حِمامٌ
كُلُّevery شَمسٍsun ماso long as لَمnot تَكُنهاyou are it ظَلامُdarkness
كُلُّ شَمسٍ ما لَم تَكُنها ظَلامُ
Every life, unless you sweeten it, is death;
No sunshine but that it knows darkness,
A combat from which foes recoil in dread, a benevolence that leaves the world amazed.
every sun, unless you are it, is darkness.
Remove the desolation that is in us,
The awe of the hoped-for King, Sayf al-Dawla, acts as a sword within the hearts of men,
أَزِلِdispel الوَحشَةَthe loneliness الَّتيthat عِندَناwith us ياO
أَزِلِ الوَحشَةَ الَّتي عِندَنا يا
مَنone who بِهِin him يَأنَسُfinds comfort الخَميسُthe army اللُهامُthe vast
مَن بِهِ يَأنَسُ الخَميسُ اللُهامُ
Dispel the loneliness we feel, O
O you who gives serenity to the sublime gatherings.
So the brave have naught to offer but caution, and the eloquent naught but a greeting.
you in whom the vast army finds comfort;
He who beholds the tumult, with a heart serene as if
وَالَّذيand who يَشهَدُattends الوَغىthe fray ساكِنَcalm القَلـthe heart (first part)
وَالَّذي يَشهَدُ الوَغى ساكِنَ القَلـ
ـبِ(end of 'heart') كَأَنَّas though القِتالَthe fighting فيهاin it ذِمامُa pledge of safety
ـبِ كَأَنَّ القِتالَ فيها ذِمامُ
and you who attend the fray with a tranquil heart,
The battle were tethered steeds;
as though the fighting there were a pledge of safety;
Who attacks squadrons till the van joins the rear;
وَالَّذيand who يَضرِبُstrikes الكَتائِبَthe battalions حَتّىuntil
وَالَّذي يَضرِبُ الكَتائِبَ حَتّى
تَتَلاقىmeet الفِهاقُthe neck vertebrae وَالأَقدامُand the feet
تَتَلاقى الفِهاقُ وَالأَقدامُ
and you who strike the battalions until
Who, halting in a land for but an hour,
neckbones and feet meet.
Wrongs time itself − trespass on destiny;
وَإِذاand if حَلَّhe stays ساعَةًan hour بِمَكانٍin a place
وَإِذا حَلَّ ساعَةً بِمَكانٍ
فَأَذاهُthen harming it عَلىto الزَمانِtime حَرامُforbidden
فَأَذاهُ عَلى الزَمانِ حَرامُ
And if he stays an hour in a place,
The land where he is sown yields happiness,
then harming it is forbidden to time.
The clouds wherefrom he rains pour wine;
وَالَّذيand what تُنبِتُbring forth البِلادُthe lands سُرورٌjoy
وَالَّذي تُنبِتُ البِلادُ سُرورٌ
وَالَّذيand what تَمطُرُrain down السَحابُthe clouds مُدامُwine
وَالَّذي تَمطُرُ السَحابُ مُدامُ
And what the lands bring forth is joy,
Whenever it was said: “We have seen the utmost of him,”
and what the clouds rain down is wine.
A bounty shone forth which the generous had not attained,
كُلَّماwhenever قيلَit is said قَدalready تَناهىhe has reached the utmost أَراناhe shows us
كُلَّما قيلَ قَد تَناهى أَرانا
كَرَماًgenerosity ماnot اِهتَدَتfound their way إِلَيهِto it الكِرامُthe generous
كَرَماً ما اِهتَدَت إِلَيهِ الكِرامُ
Whenever it is said, 'He has reached the utmost,' he shows us
A valor that adversaries fall short of,
a generosity the generous have never found their way to,
A composure to perplex people.
وَكِفاحاًand face-to-face combat تَكِعُّshrink back عَنهُfrom it الأَعاديthe enemies
وَكِفاحاً تَكِعُّ عَنهُ الأَعادي
وَاِرتِياحاًand delight in giving يَحارُis bewildered فيهِby it الأَنامُhumankind
وَاِرتِياحاً يَحارُ فيهِ الأَنامُ
and face-to-face combat from which enemies shrink,
The awe of the Ruler's sword in hearts
and delight in giving that bewilders humankind.
Is the blade of empire.
إِنَّماindeed هَيبَةُawe المُؤَمَّلِthe one in whom hopes are placed سَيفِSayf (sword) الـthe
إِنَّما هَيبَةُ المُؤَمَّلِ سَيفِ الـ
ـدَولَةِDawla (state) المَلكِthe king فيin القُلوبِthe hearts حُسامُa keen sword
ـدَولَةِ المَلكِ في القُلوبِ حُسامُ
Indeed, the awe of him in whom hopes are placed, Sayf al-
Many the bold fear it,
Dawla, the king, is a keen sword within hearts.
Many the eloquent greet it.
فَكَثيرٌso much مِنَfrom الشُجاعِthe brave man التَوَقّيcaution
فَكَثيرٌ مِنَ الشُجاعِ التَوَقّي
وَكَثيرٌand much مِنَfrom البَليغِthe eloquent man السَلامُa greeting
وَكَثيرٌ مِنَ البَليغِ السَلامُ
So from the brave, even caution is no small thing,
and from the eloquent, even a greeting is no small thing.
Partial English translation: 34 of 36 Arabic lines translated.
Partial English translation: 19 of 36 Arabic lines translated.