حَمداً لِمَن جَعَل التاريخ عَقد حُلى

حَمداً لِمَن جَعَل التاريخ عَقد حُلى

تَزهو بِهِ مِن عُقول الأَذكياء طلى

تَزهو بِهِ مِن عُقول الأَذكياء طلى

Praise be to Him who made history a necklace of jewels,

Praise to Him who made history a necklace of jewels,

through which the necks of gifted minds gleam.

with which the necks of discerning minds gleam.

ثُمَّ الصَلاة مَع التَسليم أُتحفها

ثُمَّ الصَلاة مَع التَسليم أُتحفها

خَيرَ الوَرى ما بَدا نجم وَما أَفلا

خَيرَ الوَرى ما بَدا نجم وَما أَفلا

Then blessings, together with salutations of peace, I offer

Then I offer blessings together with salutations

to the best of creation, whenever a star rises or sets;

to the best of creation, as long as a star appears and sets,

وَالآل وَالصَحب وَالأَتباع مَن بَذَلوا

وَالآل وَالصَحب وَالأَتباع مَن بَذَلوا

نُفوسَهُم فَبَنوا لِلمكرمات عُلى

نُفوسَهُم فَبَنوا لِلمكرمات عُلى

and to his Family, Companions, and Followers, who sacrificed

and to his family, companions, and followers, who gave

their lives and thereby raised virtue to lofty heights.

their lives, thus building lofty heights for noble deeds.

وَبعدُ فَالعلم بِالتاريخ أَحسَن ما

وَبعدُ فَالعلم بِالتاريخ أَحسَن ما

يقنى وَأجمل ما يَكسو النهى حُلَلا

يقنى وَأجمل ما يَكسو النهى حُلَلا

And now: knowledge of history is the finest thing

And now: knowledge of history is the finest thing

the mind can treasure, the loveliest robe to clothe understanding.

one can acquire, and the fairest that clothes minds in robes.

وَهَذِهِ بَعد حَمد اللَه غانيَةٌ

وَهَذِهِ بَعد حَمد اللَه غانيَةٌ

أَلبَستها مِن حلى التاريخ ما جَملا

أَلبَستها مِن حلى التاريخ ما جَملا

Here, after praising God, is a beautiful maiden

And this, after praise of God, is a fair woman,

whom I have clothed in every lovely jewel of history,

whom I have clothed in history's beautifying jewels,

مِن كُلِّ دُرّة غَوّاص غلت ثَمَناً

مِن كُلِّ دُرّة غَوّاص غلت ثَمَناً

حَتّى عَلَت فَجَلَت نَظماً حَلا مَثَلا

حَتّى عَلَت فَجَلَت نَظماً حَلا مَثَلا

with every diver’s pearl that was precious in price,

each a diver's pearl, precious in price,

until she rose and shone as verse, sweet as a proverb.

until she rose high and shone as verse, lovely as an example.

إِن شئت تَبلغ مِن نَيل العُلا أَمَلا

إِن شئت تَبلغ مِن نَيل العُلا أَمَلا

فَلازم الحفظ حَتّى تَبلغ الأَمَلا

فَلازم الحفظ حَتّى تَبلغ الأَمَلا

If you wish to attain your hope of reaching the heights,

If you wish to fulfill a hope of attaining eminence,

hold fast to memorization until you attain that hope.

then persevere in memorizing until you attain that hope.

قَد كانَ حجّ وداع المُصطَفى وَلَهُ

قَد كانَ حجّ وداع المُصطَفى وَلَهُ

تاريخ حُبّ بِرَمز العام قَد حَصَلا

تاريخ حُبّ بِرَمز العام قَد حَصَلا

Indeed, the Chosen One’s Farewell Pilgrimage had its own

The Chosen One's Farewell Pilgrimage took place, and it has

date: “ḥubb” (“love”), obtained through the year’s cipher.

the date 'love,' obtained through the year's cipher.

وَذَلِكَ العام مِن تاريخ هجرتِهِ

وَذَلِكَ العام مِن تاريخ هجرتِهِ

وَفيهِ مِنهُ حمى الدين الحَنيف خَلا

وَفيهِ مِنهُ حمى الدين الحَنيف خَلا

That year is reckoned from the date of his Emigration,

And that year is reckoned from the date of his migration,

and in it the sanctuary of the true faith was left bereft of him.

and in it the domain of the true faith was left bereft of him.

صلّى الإله عَلَيهِ ما سَما وَعَلا

صلّى الإله عَلَيهِ ما سَما وَعَلا

وَما عَلى آلهِ غَيث الرضى هَطلا

وَما عَلى آلهِ غَيث الرضى هَطلا

May God bless him whenever anything soars and rises,

May God bless him as long as he is lofty and exalted,

and whenever grace’s rain pours upon his household.

and as long as the rain of favor pours upon his family.

هَذا وَكان اِفتِتاح الشام مبدأه

هَذا وَكان اِفتِتاح الشام مبدأه

لَهُ مِن الرَمز وجه بِالسُرور حلا

لَهُ مِن الرَمز وجه بِالسُرور حلا

Now, the conquest of Syria had its beginning;

Now, the onset of the conquest of al-Sham

its chronogram was “a face made sweet with joy.”

had the cipher 'face,' made lovely by joy.

وَقيسريّة في ذا العام قَد فتحَت

وَقيسريّة في ذا العام قَد فتحَت

قَسراً وَفيهِ بِناءُ البَصرة اِكتمَلا

قَسراً وَفيهِ بِناءُ البَصرة اِكتمَلا

And Caesarea, in that year, was indeed conquered

And Caesarea was conquered in that year,

by force; and in it the building of Basra was completed,

by force; in it, the building of Basra was completed,

حَتّى تَهلّل وَجه النَصر وَاِفتتحت

حَتّى تَهلّل وَجه النَصر وَاِفتتحت

مصر بِتاريخ طيٍّ قَد طَوى الجَهلا

مصر بِتاريخ طيٍّ قَد طَوى الجَهلا

until victory’s face beamed; and Egypt too was conquered

until victory's face beamed, and conquered was

on the date “ṭayy” (“folding”), which indeed folded ignorance away.

Egypt, with the date 'folding,' which folded ignorance away.

وَفَتح قبرس في أَيدي الغُزاة لَهُ

وَفَتح قبرس في أَيدي الغُزاة لَهُ

كوب سَقى الحَتف فيهِ المُشرِكين طلا

كوب سَقى الحَتف فيهِ المُشرِكين طلا

And Cyprus’s conquest, at the hands of the warriors, had

And the conquest of Cyprus, at the hands of the raiders, has

a cup that gave the polytheists death to drink as wine.

a 'cup': in it, death gave the polytheists wine to drink.

وَحين حاصر إسلامبول طالبها

وَحين حاصر إسلامبول طالبها

زَجرت صَهوة تاريخي فَقُلت هَلا

زَجرت صَهوة تاريخي فَقُلت هَلا

And when he besieged Istanbul, seeking to take it,

And when its would-be conqueror besieged Islambol,

I spurred the steed of my chronology and cried, “On!”

I urged on my chronogram's steed and said, 'Go on!'

وَلي غَدا الرَمز لِلبارود إِذ ظَهَرت

وَلي غَدا الرَمز لِلبارود إِذ ظَهَرت

حَوادث مِنهُ تأوي السَهل وَالجَبَلا

حَوادث مِنهُ تأوي السَهل وَالجَبَلا

And I found the cipher for gunpowder when there appeared

And 'for me' became the cipher for gunpowder, when there arose

events from it that spread through plain and mountain.

calamities from it that dwelt on plain and mountain.

ثُمَّ اِبتِداء ظُهور مِن مُلوك بَني

ثُمَّ اِبتِداء ظُهور مِن مُلوك بَني

أُميَّةٍ حازَ تاريخاً بِرَمز إِلى

أُميَّةٍ حازَ تاريخاً بِرَمز إِلى

Then began the rise of kings from the house

Then the first emergence of kings from the house of

of Umayya; its date was captured by the cipher “ilā.”

Umayya acquired a date through the cipher 'to.'

وَقَد بَنوا جامِعاً لِلعرب في الغَلطا

وَقَد بَنوا جامِعاً لِلعرب في الغَلطا

رَمزي لَدَيهِ حَلا نَظماً وَطابَ حُلى

رَمزي لَدَيهِ حَلا نَظماً وَطابَ حُلى

And they built a congregational mosque for the Arabs in the Ghouta;

And they built a congregational mosque for the Arabs in Galata;

my chronogram for it shone as verse, delightful as an ornament.

my cipher for it was sweet in verse and pleasing as jewels.

وَإِنَّ أَوّل ما سكَّت دَراهمنا

وَإِنَّ أَوّل ما سكَّت دَراهمنا

أَرّختها عادَ أَمر الملك مُكتملا

أَرّختها عادَ أَمر الملك مُكتملا

And the first time our dirhams were minted,

And when our dirhams were first minted,

I dated it: “The affair of sovereignty returned complete.”

I dated them: the affairs of the realm 'returned' to completeness.

وَفي يَكن مَولد النعمان كانَ فَقل

وَفي يَكن مَولد النعمان كانَ فَقل

هُوَ الإِمام إِمام الفَضل وَالفضلا

هُوَ الإِمام إِمام الفَضل وَالفضلا

And in “yakun” was al-Nuʿman’s birth; so say:

And in 'let it be' occurred al-Nu'man's birth; so say:

“He is the imam—the imam of excellence and the excellent.”

'He is the imam, the imam of virtue and the virtuous.'

وَإِن سَجّيلة بِالفَتح وافقها

وَإِن سَجّيلة بِالفَتح وافقها

بوغاز مسّينةٍ في رَمز كسب عُلا

بوغاز مسّينةٍ في رَمز كسب عُلا

And Sicily, in its conquest, was joined by

And Sajjila's conquest coincided with that of

the Strait of Messina, in the cipher “kasb ʿulā” (“winning glory”).

the Strait of Messina, in a cipher that 'won' eminence.

وَجامع الغلطا مُذ جَدّدوه أَتى

وَجامع الغلطا مُذ جَدّدوه أَتى

تاريخه فيهِ أَعني العلم وَالعملا

تاريخه فيهِ أَعني العلم وَالعملا

And when they rebuilt the Congregational Mosque of the Ghouta, there came

And Galata's mosque, once they renovated it, received

its date within it—I mean, “knowledge and action.”

its date: 'in it'—I mean knowledge and action.

وَعام نَحسَب فيهِ اِستَصنَعوا وَرقاً

وَعام نَحسَب فيهِ اِستَصنَعوا وَرقاً

وَلِلكِتابة قَبلاً كانَ رِقّ طلا

وَلِلكِتابة قَبلاً كانَ رِقّ طلا

And we reckon a year in which they had paper manufactured,

And in the year 'we reckon,' they had paper made;

while before that parchment had been the writing material.

previously, writing was on fawn-skin parchment.

وَقابلٌ مِنكَ تاريخ اِنقِراض بَني

وَقابلٌ مِنكَ تاريخ اِنقِراض بَني

أُميّة لِزَوال البَغي قَد قَبلا

أُميّة لِزَوال البَغي قَد قَبلا

And set against it yourself the date when the sons

And from you comes 'accepting,' the date of the demise of the sons of

of Umayya vanished: “For oppression’s passing” indeed fitted it.

Umayya; it assented to the ending of oppression.

وَدَولة مِن بَني العَباس قَد ظَهرت

وَدَولة مِن بَني العَباس قَد ظَهرت

وَالسَعد أَرَّخَ أَقبل إِن ترم أَمَلا

وَالسَعد أَرَّخَ أَقبل إِن ترم أَمَلا

Then the dynasty of the sons of al-Abbas arose,

And a dynasty from the sons of al-Abbas emerged;

and good fortune dated it “aqbil” (“Come!”)—if you seek hope.

and good fortune dated it: 'Come forward,' if you pursue a hope.

ثُمَّ الوَفاة لَها رَمز فَلم حَضرت

ثُمَّ الوَفاة لَها رَمز فَلم حَضرت

أَبا حَنيفة هَلّا اِستفسحت أَجَلا

أَبا حَنيفة هَلّا اِستفسحت أَجَلا

Then death, too, has its cipher; and when it came

Then death has its cipher: why, then, did it visit

to Abu Hanifa, why did it not seek a longer term?

Abu Hanifa? Why did you not seek a longer term?

وَمَولد الشافعيّ الحبر عمدتنا

وَمَولد الشافعيّ الحبر عمدتنا

في ذَلِكَ العام بِالإِسعاد قَد شملا

في ذَلِكَ العام بِالإِسعاد قَد شملا

And al-Shafiʿi, the learned master, was born, by our reckoning,

And the birth of al-Shafi'i, the learned scholar, our mainstay,

in that same year; by good fortune the two events were joined.

was, in that year, encompassed by felicity.

وَدَولَة الفاطِميين الَّتي ظَهَرَت

وَدَولَة الفاطِميين الَّتي ظَهَرَت

بِالغَرب عام زفير في المَلا اِشتَعَلا

بِالغَرب عام زفير في المَلا اِشتَعَلا

And the Fatimid dynasty, which arose

And the dynasty of the Fatimids, which appeared

in the West in the year “zafīr,” blazed among the people.

in the West, in the year of a 'sigh' that blazed among the gathering.