أناI تِربُcompanion of الوفاfidelity وربُّand lord of المعاليlofty attainments
أنا تِربُ الوفا وربُّ المعالي
وغمامُand the raincloud of الندىgenerosity وليثُand the lion of النَزِالِِcombat
وغمامُ الندى وليثُ النَزِالِِ
I am fidelity’s companion and lord of lofty attainments,
I am the nurturer of loyalty and the lord of virtues,
and generosity’s raincloud, and the lion of combat.
The raincloud of dew and the lion of battle.
أناI صقرُthe falcon of الملوكِkings إنْif فَدَحَweighed heavily الخطبُcalamity
أنا صقرُ الملوكِ إنْ فَدَحَ الخطبُ
وهابَand feared الكميُّthe armored warrior طعنَthe thrusts of العَواليtall spears
وهابَ الكميُّ طعنَ العَوالي
I am the falcon of kings when calamity weighs heavily,
I am the falcon of kings - when disaster rages
and the armored warrior fears the thrusts of tall spears.
And the fates cast their spears, piercing misfortune.
أناI تاجُthe crown of الملوكِkings قدindeed علمknew الناthe people (first part)
أنا تاجُ الملوكِ قد علم النا
سُpeople (completion) بهذاof this وسيدُand master of الأبدالِthe Abdāl (substitute saints)
سُ بهذا وسيدُ الأبدالِ
I am the crown of kings; people have learned
I am the crown of kings, the people know this,
of this—and I am master of the Abdāl.
I am the master of time and chief of nobles.
أناI أزكىthe purest of الأنامِhumankind إلاexcept أُوليthose possessed of العزresolve (first part)
أنا أزكى الأنامِ إلا أُولي العز
مِresolve (completion) نجاراًin lineage وذاand the possessor of العُلىexaltation والجلالِand majesty
مِ نجاراً وذا العُلى والجلالِ
I am the purest of humankind, save those of firm resolve,
I am the most generous of men except those
in lineage—and save the Possessor of exaltation and majesty.
Of valor, sublimity, and majesty.
أناI ذوpossessor of السؤْدَدeminence السَّننيlofty (reading uncertain) سُليمانُSulayman
أنا ذو السؤْدَد السَّنني سُليمانُ
سليلِdescendant of المتوَّجِthe crowned one المفضالthe bountiful
سليلِ المتوَّجِ المفضال
I am Sulayman, possessed of lofty eminence,
I am he of the flowing locks, Solomon,
descendant of the crowned, bountiful one,
Scion of the crowned, the meritorious,
ابنson of نبهانNabhan إبنِson of عمروٍAmr وابنand son of كهلاKahlan (first part)
ابن نبهان إبنِ عمروٍ وابن كهلا
نَKahlan (completion) سليلِdescendant of النبيَّthe Prophet ذيpossessor of الأفضالِbounties
نَ سليلِ النبيَّ ذي الأفضالِ
son of Nabhan, son of Amr, and son of Kahlan,
Son of Nabhan, son of Amr, and son of Kilab,
descendant of the Prophet, possessor of bounties.
Scion of the Prophet, the most virtuous.
والمليكُand the king المتوَّجُthe crowned الأروعُthe awe-inspiring الضّرْlean (first part)
والمليكُ المتوَّجُ الأروعُ الضّرْ
بُlean (completion) جزيلlavish in العَطاgifts جزيلُlavish in النّوالِِbounty
بُ جزيل العَطا جزيلُ النّوالِِ
And I am the crowned king, awe-inspiring and lean,
I am the accomplished, crowned king, magnificent in valor,
lavish in gifts, lavish in bounty.
Bountiful in gift-giving, bountiful in feasts.
كلevery يومٍday أعطيI give to الفقيرthe poor وألقيand I cast
كل يومٍ أعطي الفقير وألقي
هامةَthe head of المعتديthe aggressor مكانin the place of النَّعالِsandals
هامةَ المعتدي مكان النَّعالِ
Every day I give to the poor, and I cast
Each day I give to the poor and cast down
the aggressor’s head where sandals tread.
The insolent's turban in place of sandals.
وإذاand when الجودُgenerosity جاءَcomes بعدafter سؤالٍa request
وإذا الجودُ جاءَ بعد سؤالٍ
جاءَcomes جوديmy generosity الأنامَto humankind قبلbefore السؤالِthe request
جاءَ جودي الأنامَ قبل السؤالِ
And when generosity comes after a request,
My generosity comes after request,
my generosity reaches humankind before the request.
Yet my munificence precedes all asking.
وإذاand when قلتُI spoke سُقتُI backed up قوليmy words بفعلٍwith a deed
وإذا قلتُ سُقتُ قولي بفعلٍ
ولكمand how many قائلٍa speaker بغيْرwithout فعِالِdeeds
ولكم قائلٍ بغيْر فعِالِ
And when I speak, I back my words with action;
When I speak, my words are borne out by deeds,
and how many speak without deeds!
Not like some speaker with no deeds to show.
أعطيI give الخيلhorses فيin الأجلةَّcaparisons
أعطي الخيل في الأجلةَّ
والعَسجَدand gold والإبلَand camels والأماءَand slave women الغواليcostly
والعَسجَد والإبلَ والأماءَ الغوالي
I give horses clad in caparisons,
I give horses caparisoned,
and gold, camels, and costly slave women.
Camels, cattle, and lovely slave girls.
وأرَوّىand I drench السّنانthe spearhead بلrather أغمدُI sheathe القرthe weapon’s point (first part)
وأرَوّى السّنان بل أغمدُ القر
نَweapon’s point (completion) بهامِin the heads of القرونِopponents والأبطالِand champions
نَ بهامِ القرونِ والأبطالِ
And I drench the spearhead—rather, I sheathe the point
I water the peak but also sheathe the point
in the heads of opponents and champions.
Of the spear amidst the valiant warriors' skulls.
وإذاand when عَقّبturned back الشجاعُthe brave warrior عنfrom الفيْلقِthe host
وإذا عَقّب الشجاعُ عن الفيْلقِ
أوor رَاعهfrightened him بريقُthe flash of النضالِcombat
أو رَاعه بريقُ النضالِ
And when the brave warrior retreats from the host,
When the brave turns from the mêlée
or the flash of combat frightens him,
Or is stunned by the flash of blades,
خُضتُI plunged into آذيّهits surging waves بمنصلتwith a keen blade الحدَّthe two edges (first part)
خُضتُ آذيّه بمنصلت الحدَّ
ينِtwo edges (completion) خوضَthe plunging of الغَضنفرthe mighty lion الرئبالِthe fierce lion
ينِ خوضَ الغَضنفر الرئبالِ
I plunge into its surging waves with a keen, double-edged blade,
I plunge into the foe with my Indian sword -
plunging like a mighty, fierce lion,
A plunge like al-Ghadanfar's midst the lions.
وبَلدْنٍand with a supple spear أصمَّsolid مطّردِregular in الأكْjoints (first part)
وبَلدْنٍ أصمَّ مطّردِ الأكْ
عُبjoints (completion) صدقٍsturdy مثقفٍstraightened عسَّالِquivering
عُب صدقٍ مثقفٍ عسَّالِ
and with a supple, solid spear, even in its
On a steed swifter than lightning, easier to turn
joints, sturdy, straightened, and quivering,
Than a thoughts in an enlightened, keen mind,
فوقَupon ذيone possessed of مَيْعةٍspirited speed أقَبَّslender-flanked قصيرshort of
فوقَ ذي مَيْعةٍ أقَبَّ قصير
الظهرback نهدٍstout مجنَّبٍwide-set-legged صهَّالِloud-neighing
الظهر نهدٍ مجنَّبٍ صهَّالِ
upon a spirited, slender-flanked steed, short of
Above it sways a firm breast, evading
back, stout, wide of stance, and loud-neighing.
Spear-tips, like a bending branch on a sand-dune.
أطفيءI quench الحربَwar فوقهatop him بحسامٍwith a keen sword
أطفيء الحربَ فوقه بحسامٍ
مَشرفيّMashrafi يطفيquenches لظىthe blaze of الأهوالِterrors
مَشرفيّ يطفي لظى الأهوالِ
I quench war astride him with a keen sword,
With my noble, glittering sword I quench war,
a Mashrafi blade that quenches the blaze of terrors.
Vanquishing the heat of terrors.
وإذاand when المحلُdrought جارَgrew oppressive وانخضعَand became humbled الناthe people (first part)
وإذا المحلُ جارَ وانخضعَ النا
سُpeople (completion) لفقدfor lack of المجلجلِthe thundering cloud الهطاَّلِrain-pouring
سُ لفقد المجلجلِ الهطاَّلِ
And when drought grows oppressive and people are humbled
When the kingdom was in strife and people bowed
for lack of the thundering, rain-pouring cloud,
To the loss of the great, exalted king,
سفحتْpoured out راحتيmy palm علىupon الخلقِcreation وَبْلاa downpour
سفحتْ راحتي على الخلقِ وَبْلا
ردِّrestored (contextual reading) رُوحاlife فيinto ميّتdead الآمالِhopes
ردِّ رُوحا في ميّت الآمالِ
my palm pours a downpour over creation,
My contentment flowed unto the people, restoring
restoring life to dead hopes.
Life to the dead of hope without match.
هذهthis عادتيmy habit وهذىand these فعاليmy deeds
هذه عادتي وهذى فعالي
وكذاand thus لمnot (past negation) أزلْI cease to be وتِلكمْand those (addressing you all) خصاليmy traits
وكذا لم أزلْ وتِلكمْ خصالي
This is my habit, and these are my deeds.
Such is my way and such are my deeds,
And so I have always been; such are my traits.
Ever was I thus, these are my attributes.