غابَ الأميرُ فما تَمادَى المَرجِعُ

غابَ الأميرُ فما تَمادَى المَرجِعُ

كالبَدرِ في فَلَكٍ يَغيبُ فيَطلُعُ

كالبَدرِ في فَلَكٍ يَغيبُ فيَطلُعُ

The emir went away, but his return was not long delayed,

The prince went away, so his return did not linger

like the full moon in its orbit: it vanishes, then rises.

Like the full moon in its orbit, it disappears then reappears

ألَقى على غَرْبِ البِلادِ قُدومُهُ

ألَقى على غَرْبِ البِلادِ قُدومُهُ

طَرَباً عليهِ مَتنُها يَتَوجَعُ

طَرَباً عليهِ مَتنُها يَتَوجَعُ

His arrival cast upon the west of the land

His arrival in the west of the country caused turmoil

a joy beneath which its back aches.

Its expanse was troubled and ached for him

رَجُلٌ تُصاحِبهُ السُّعودُ إذا مَضَى

رَجُلٌ تُصاحِبهُ السُّعودُ إذا مَضَى

وإذا أقامَ ففي حِماهُ تَرتَعُ

وإذا أقامَ ففي حِماهُ تَرتَعُ

A man whom good fortunes accompany when he departs,

A man accompanied by good fortune wherever he went

and when he stays, they graze in his protected domain.

And if he stayed, prosperity was under his protection

ما ضَيَّعَ الرَّحمنُ اسمَ محمَّدٍ

ما ضَيَّعَ الرَّحمنُ اسمَ محمَّدٍ

فيهِ وإنَّ اللهَ ليسَ يُضيِّعُ

فيهِ وإنَّ اللهَ ليسَ يُضيِّعُ

The All-Merciful has not let the name Muhammad go to waste

The Most Merciful did not waste the name of Mohammed

in him; indeed, God does not let it go to waste.

In him, and indeed Allah does not waste

وَرِثَ الأمينَ أباهُ مُتَّخِذاً لهُ

وَرِثَ الأمينَ أباهُ مُتَّخِذاً لهُ

من عندهِ أصلاً فصارَ يُفرِّعُ

من عندهِ أصلاً فصارَ يُفرِّعُ

He inherited from al-Amin, his father, taking for himself

He inherited his father the Trustworthy one, making him

a root from him, and began to put forth branches.

For himself a root, so he started branching out

فكأنَّهُ أعطاهُ مالَ تجارةٍ

فكأنَّهُ أعطاهُ مالَ تجارةٍ

أضَحى غِناهُ برِبحِها يَتَوَسعُ

أضَحى غِناهُ برِبحِها يَتَوَسعُ

It was as though he had given him capital for trade;

It was as if He gave him capital for trade

his wealth now grows through its profit.

So his wealth through its profits started expanding

يا مَن تِجارتُهُ مَكارمُ نفسِهِ

يا مَن تِجارتُهُ مَكارمُ نفسِهِ

أبداً فغيرَ المجدِ لا يَستبضِعُ

أبداً فغيرَ المجدِ لا يَستبضِعُ

O you whose trade is the noble qualities of your soul,

O you whose trade is the virtues of your soul

always—you buy no wares but glory.

You are never content with anything less than glory

تَرضَى بمَيْسورِ المنافعِ قانعاً

تَرضَى بمَيْسورِ المنافعِ قانعاً

لكنْ بميَسورِ العُلَى لا تَقنَعُ

لكنْ بميَسورِ العُلَى لا تَقنَعُ

You accept readily attainable benefits, contented,

You are satisfied with easy gains but not

but with readily attainable eminence you are not content.

Satisfied with easy supreme success

ما أنتَ من أهلِ الزَّمانِ وإن تَكُنْ

ما أنتَ من أهلِ الزَّمانِ وإن تَكُنْ

فيهِ فإنَّكَ لَستَ مِمَّن يَتبَعُ

فيهِ فإنَّكَ لَستَ مِمَّن يَتبَعُ

You are not one of this age's people, though you may be

You are not of the people of this time even if you are

within it, for you are not among those who follow.

In it, for you are not one who follows

عَمرَتْ رُبوعُ العِلمِ عِندَكَ بَعدَما

عَمرَتْ رُبوعُ العِلمِ عِندَكَ بَعدَما

كادَتْ تُمزِّقُها الرِّياحُ الأربَعُ

كادَتْ تُمزِّقُها الرِّياحُ الأربَعُ

The abodes of learning flourished with you, after

The lands of knowledge flourished through you after

the four winds had nearly torn them apart.

The winds had almost torn them apart

إنَّا لفي زَمَنٍ تَدِبُّ على العَصا

إنَّا لفي زَمَنٍ تَدِبُّ على العَصا

فيهِ العُلومُ وقد تَقومُ فتُصرعُ

فيهِ العُلومُ وقد تَقومُ فتُصرعُ

We are indeed in an age when they hobble on a staff—

We are in a time when knowledge crawls on a stick

the sciences—and may stand, only to be felled.

In it, and it can stand up and be knocked down

ألقى عليها المالُ هيبةَ سَيفِهِ

ألقى عليها المالُ هيبةَ سَيفِهِ

فمَضَتْ تَصيحُ ووَيْحَها من يَسمَعُ

فمَضَتْ تَصيحُ ووَيْحَها من يَسمَعُ

Wealth has cast upon them the dread of its sword,

He threw at it the awe of his sword

so they went on crying out—alas for them! Who listens?

So it walked crying "Woe to those who hear!"

هذا هُوَ المَلِكُ العظيمُ فإنَّهُ

هذا هُوَ المَلِكُ العظيمُ فإنَّهُ

في الأرض تَخدِمُهُ الخلائقُ أجَمعُ

في الأرض تَخدِمُهُ الخلائقُ أجَمعُ

This is the mighty king, for

This is the great King, for all creatures

all creatures on earth serve him.

Serve him on earth altogether

وهوَ القديرُ الآمِرُ النَّاهي الذي

وهوَ القديرُ الآمِرُ النَّاهي الذي

يَنْهَى ويأمُرُ مَنْ يشاءُ فيَخضَعُ

يَنْهَى ويأمُرُ مَنْ يشاءُ فيَخضَعُ

And he is the all-powerful one, commanding and forbidding, who

He is the Almighty, the Commander, the Forbidder whom

forbids and commands whomever he wills, and they submit.

He forbids and commands whoever He wills to submit

في كلِّ أهواءِ النُّفوسِ تَصَنُّعٌ

في كلِّ أهواءِ النُّفوسِ تَصَنُّعٌ

إلاّ هَواهُ فليسَ فيهِ تَصَنُّعُ

إلاّ هَواهُ فليسَ فيهِ تَصَنُّعُ

In every passion of the soul there is affectation,

In all the whims of souls there is pretense

except desire for him, in which there is no affectation.

Except his whim, in it there is no pretense

ولكُلِّ شَهْوةِ راغبٍ شِبَعٌ سِوَى

ولكُلِّ شَهْوةِ راغبٍ شِبَعٌ سِوَى

من يَشتَهيهِ فإنَّهُ لا يَشبَعُ

من يَشتَهيهِ فإنَّهُ لا يَشبَعُ

And every seeker's craving has its fill, except

And for every desire of the desirous there is satiation except

for one who craves him, for he is never sated.

Who desires Him, for he is never sated

حاشا الأميرِ مِنَ المَلامِ فإنَّهُ

حاشا الأميرِ مِنَ المَلامِ فإنَّهُ

في غيرِ كَسبِ فضيلةٍ لا يَطمَعُ

في غيرِ كَسبِ فضيلةٍ لا يَطمَعُ

The emir is beyond reproach, for he

Far it is for the prince to be blamed, for he does not

covets nothing but the gaining of virtue.

Hope for virtue he did not earn

لا تَحسَبنَّ المُستحيلَ ثلاثَةً

لا تَحسَبنَّ المُستحيلَ ثلاثَةً

فنظيرُهُ للمُستحيلِ يُربَّعُ

فنظيرُهُ للمُستحيلِ يُربَّعُ

Do not think impossibilities are only three,

Do not think the impossible is just three

for his equal is counted as a fourth impossibility.

For its like squared is the impossible

يا أيُّها العَلَمُ الرَّفيعُ مَقامُهُ

يا أيُّها العَلَمُ الرَّفيعُ مَقامُهُ

في كلِّ أمرٍ وَهوَ لا يَتَرَفَّعُ

في كلِّ أمرٍ وَهوَ لا يَتَرَفَّعُ

O eminent one, whose station is exalted

O high flag whose status

in every matter, yet who never acts haughtily,

Is lofty in every matter but he does not become arrogant

إنْ قُلتَ هذا شاعرٌ يَغلُو فإنْ

إنْ قُلتَ هذا شاعرٌ يَغلُو فإنْ

شَهِدتْ معي الدُّنيا فماذا تَصنَعُ

شَهِدتْ معي الدُّنيا فماذا تَصنَعُ

if you say, 'This is a poet who exaggerates,' then if

If you say this poet exaggerates, even if

the world bears witness with me, what will you do?

The whole world testifies with me, what can you do?