هاتِ حدّث عَن المَليك السَعيدِ

هاتِ حدّث عَن المَليك السَعيدِ

لا عَن المالك الإِمام الرَشيدِ

لا عَن المالك الإِمام الرَشيدِ

Come, speak of King Sa'id,

Sing of the happy king, not of the pious caliph,

not of the sovereign, the imam al-Rashid.

And turn the pages in books away,

وَاضرب الذكر في الدَفاتر صَفحاً

وَاضرب الذكر في الدَفاتر صَفحاً

عَن عُلوم المَأمون خَير وَليد

عَن عُلوم المَأمون خَير وَليد

And pass over what the chronicles record

From the sciences of al-Ma'mun, best heir,

of al-Ma'mun's learning, that finest son.

And sing his praises wherever he revived,

وَتَغنَّى بِمدحه حَيث أَحيا

وَتَغنَّى بِمدحه حَيث أَحيا

بِالمَعالي رُسوم كُل تَليد

بِالمَعالي رُسوم كُل تَليد

And sing his praise, for he revived

With glories, the ways of every tradition,

through lofty deeds the traces of every ancient glory.

Wherever he revived his father, the best king,

حَيث أَحيا أَباه خَير مَليك

حَيث أَحيا أَباه خَير مَليك

ساد في مصره بفعل حَميد

ساد في مصره بفعل حَميد

For he revived his father, that finest king,

Who prevailed in his Egypt with praiseworthy deed,

who ruled in his Egypt with praiseworthy deeds.

And followed in his footsteps with it and it sufficed him,

وَاِقتَفى إِثره بِها وَكَفاها

وَاِقتَفى إِثره بِها وَكَفاها

شَرَّ باغٍ مراقب وَعَنيد

شَرَّ باغٍ مراقب وَعَنيد

And he followed his footsteps there, shielding it

Evil of a vigilant and obstinate watcher,

from the evil of a watchful aggressor and a stubborn foe.

And endowed it with sciences and knowledge,

وَحَباها مِن علمه بِفُنون

وَحَباها مِن علمه بِفُنون

وَعُلوم وَكُل درّ فَريد

وَعُلوم وَكُل درّ فَريد

And he endowed it, from his knowledge, with arts

And every precious, unique pearl,

and sciences, and every peerless pearl.

And rode the horses of loftiness in guiding it,

وَاِمتَطى غارب العلا في هداها

وَاِمتَطى غارب العلا في هداها

مِن ضلال بِكُل رَأي سَديد

مِن ضلال بِكُل رَأي سَديد

And he mounted the crest of glory, guiding it

From misguidance with every right opinion,

out of error with every sound judgment.

And with it he built fortresses resolutely,

وَبِها شَيّد الحُصون بِحَزم

وَبِها شَيّد الحُصون بِحَزم

وَثَبات لِقَمع خَصم عَنيد

وَثَبات لِقَمع خَصم عَنيد

And there he built fortresses with resolve

And steadfastly to subdue a stubborn foe,

and steadfastness, to subdue a stubborn foe.

And protected the coast of Purity attentively,

وَحمى حَوزة الصفا باهتمام

وَحمى حَوزة الصفا باهتمام

وَاجتِهاد في خَلق جَيشٍ جَديد

وَاجتِهاد في خَلق جَيشٍ جَديد

And he guarded the realm of serenity with care

And striving to create a new army,

and diligence in creating a new army.

Among them cannoneers who make enemies,

مِنهُ طوبجيةٌ تَبيت الأَعادي

مِنهُ طوبجيةٌ تَبيت الأَعادي

مِن تعدّي نيرانها في عَديد

مِن تعدّي نيرانها في عَديد

It has artillery; the enemies spend the night

Spend the night in fear of their abundant fire,

in lamentation at the onslaught of its fire.

Among them horsemen who lead the troops of death,

مِنهُ زرخ تَسوق جرد المَنايا

مِنهُ زرخ تَسوق جرد المَنايا

في الدَياجي إِلى العَدوِّ الجَحود

في الدَياجي إِلى العَدوِّ الجَحود

It has armored troops driving death's sleek steeds

In the darkness against the thankless enemy,

through the dark nights toward the ungrateful enemy.

Among them cavalry, when they prepare,

مِنهُ خَيالة إِذا ما استعدّت

مِنهُ خَيالة إِذا ما استعدّت

لِهُجوم باءَت بِنصرٍ أَكيد

لِهُجوم باءَت بِنصرٍ أَكيد

It has cavalry who, whenever they prepare

For an attack, they achieve assured victory,

for an assault, return with certain victory,

And call out to the armies, "We have conquered,

وَتلت للجيوش إِنا فتحنا

وَتلت للجيوش إِنا فتحنا

فادخلوها بِالعز وَالتأييد

فادخلوها بِالعز وَالتأييد

and recite to the armies, 'Indeed, We have granted victory';

So enter it in might and support!"

so enter it with glory and support.

Among them riflemen whom you see in ranks,

مِنهُ قرّابة تراها صُفوفاً

مِنهُ قرّابة تراها صُفوفاً

في المَيادين كَالبِناء المشيد

في المَيادين كَالبِناء المشيد

It has carabineers, whom you see in ranks

In the battlefields like erected building,

on the fields, like a lofty edifice.

Among them engineer lions, when,

مِنهُ أَسد مُهندسون إِذا ما

مِنهُ أَسد مُهندسون إِذا ما

أَقبَلوا أَدبرت جُموع الحَسود

أَقبَلوا أَدبرت جُموع الحَسود

It has engineers who are lions: whenever

They advance the envious hordes take flight,

they advance, the envious one's hosts retreat.

Apart from them, distinct in sciences,

عَن سِواهُم تَمَيزّوا بِعُلوم

عَن سِواهُم تَمَيزّوا بِعُلوم

وَفُنُون مَنظومة كَالعُقود

وَفُنُون مَنظومة كَالعُقود

They stand apart from all others through sciences

And regular arts like beads,

and arts strung together like necklaces.

And sappers who have every pride,

وَكَبورجيةٌ لَها كل فَخر

وَكَبورجيةٌ لَها كل فَخر

في جَميع البِقاع بَينَ الجُنود

في جَميع البِقاع بَينَ الجُنود

And bridge-builders, to whom all glory belongs

In all parts among the soldiers,

among the troops in every land.

And hold sway by land and sea,

وَلَها سَطَوة بِبر وَبَحر

وَلَها سَطَوة بِبر وَبَحر

تَطحَن المارِقين طَحن الحَصيد

تَطحَن المارِقين طَحن الحَصيد

And they have might on land and sea,

Grinding rebels like threshing harvest,

grinding the renegades as harvested grain is ground.

O owner of a clement king at peace,

يا لَهُ مالِكاً حَليماً لَدى السل

يا لَهُ مالِكاً حَليماً لَدى السل

م وَفي الحَرب ذا مراس شَديد

م وَفي الحَرب ذا مراس شَديد

What a forbearing sovereign he is in peace,

And in war of piercing spears,

and in war, a man of fierce martial prowess!

He on land is unmatched lion,

هُوَ في البر قَسَورٌ لا يُبارَى

هُوَ في البر قَسَورٌ لا يُبارَى

هُوَ في البَحر يا لَهُ مِن مبيد

هُوَ في البَحر يا لَهُ مِن مبيد

On land he is a lion none can rival;

He at sea - O how annihilating,

at sea—what a destroyer he is!

In knowledge and languages he is the imam,

هُوَ في العلم وَاللُغات إمام

هُوَ في العلم وَاللُغات إمام

هُوَ في عَصره أَجل وَحيد

هُوَ في عَصره أَجل وَحيد

In learning and languages he is a master;

In his time most eminent and unique,

in his age he is the most illustrious, without peer.

Just like Chosroes, though he aspired he doesn't equal,

عَدل كِسرى وَإِن سَما لا يُساوي

عَدل كِسرى وَإِن سَما لا يُساوي

عُشر مِعشار عَدل هَذا العَميد

عُشر مِعشار عَدل هَذا العَميد

Kisra's justice, however lofty, does not equal

A tenth of the justice of this pillar,

a tenth of a tenth of this leader's justice.

Caesar of Rome, his resolve in palaces,

قَيصَر الرُوم عَزمه في قُصور

قَيصَر الرُوم عَزمه في قُصور

عِندَ صَدرٍ مُؤيد وَسَعيد

عِندَ صَدرٍ مُؤيد وَسَعيد

The Roman Caesar's resolve falls short

Is with a supported and fortunate breast,

beside a lord upheld and fortunate.

The generosity of Ma'an and Hatim doesn't match,

جُود مَعن وَحاتم لا يُضاهي

جُود مَعن وَحاتم لا يُضاهي

ذَرّة مِن شُعاع جُود مَديد

ذَرّة مِن شُعاع جُود مَديد

The generosity of Ma'n and Hatim cannot match

An atom of the rays of his long generosity,

a speck of the radiance of his far-reaching generosity.

The generosity of Amr in his generosity you cannot measure him,

كَرّ عَمروٍ بِكرِّه لا تَقسه

كَرّ عَمروٍ بِكرِّه لا تَقسه

هُوَ في حربه مبيد الأُسود

هُوَ في حربه مبيد الأُسود

Do not compare Amr's charge with his charge;

He in his war is the annihilator of lions,

in his warfare he is a destroyer of lions.

He didn't boast of noble origin,

هُوَ لَم يَفتَخر بِأَصلٍ كَريم

هُوَ لَم يَفتَخر بِأَصلٍ كَريم

كَسِواه وَلا بِفَضل الجُدود

كَسِواه وَلا بِفَضل الجُدود

He has not boasted of noble lineage,

Like others, nor of the merits of forefathers,

like others, nor of his forefathers' merit.

He is true to his promise and you see him,

هُوَ لِلوَعد منجز وَتَراه

هُوَ لِلوَعد منجز وَتَراه

دائِماً مائِلاً لِخُلف الوَعيد

دائِماً مائِلاً لِخُلف الوَعيد

He fulfills his promise, and you see him

Always inclined to the opposite of threats,

always inclined to leave his threats unfulfilled.

Can Eias match him in intelligence,

هَل يُجاريه في الذَكاء إِياسٌ

هَل يُجاريه في الذَكاء إِياسٌ

وَهُوَ فيهِ إِمام كُل مجيد

وَهُوَ فيهِ إِمام كُل مجيد

Can Iyas rival him in intelligence,

When he in it is the imam of every glorious one?

when he is the master of all who excel in it?

O king of the world and darling of Egypt,

يا مَليك الوَرى وَبُغية مَصر

يا مَليك الوَرى وَبُغية مَصر

وَحِماها مِن كُل ضدٍّ مريد

وَحِماها مِن كُل ضدٍّ مريد

O king of mankind and Egypt's desire,

And its protector from every hostile schemer,

and its protector against every rebellious adversary,

And mate of gazelles and companion of highlands,

وَقَرين الظُبى وَخدن العَوالي

وَقَرين الظُبى وَخدن العَوالي

وَطَويل النِجاد يَوم الرُعود

وَطَويل النِجاد يَوم الرُعود

companion of sword blades and friend of lofty spears,

And long of spear on the day of commotion,

and wearer of a long sword-belt on the day of thunderclaps:

With the splendor of praise and eulogy,

هاكَ مِني يَتيمة قَد تَحلّت

هاكَ مِني يَتيمة قَد تَحلّت

مِن بَديع الثَناء بِالتَمجيد

مِن بَديع الثَناء بِالتَمجيد

Here, take from me a peerless gem, adorned

It is this gift and my hope,

with glorification through exquisite praise.

Is acceptance from me of this ode,

هِيَ هَذي هَدية وَرَجائي

هِيَ هَذي هَدية وَرَجائي

فيك مني قبول هَذا القَصيد

فيك مني قبول هَذا القَصيد

This is my gift, and my hope

This is the way of kings of old,

is that you will accept this poem from me.

And present and in all eras,

هَذِهِ سنّة المُلوك قَديماً

هَذِهِ سنّة المُلوك قَديماً

وَحَديثاً وَفي جَميع العُهود

وَحَديثاً وَفي جَميع العُهود

This has been the custom of kings of old

In their view the most valuable gifts to them,

and of today, throughout all ages:

Are books whose mention is allied with eternity,

عِندَهُم أَنفُس الهَدايا إليهم

عِندَهُم أَنفُس الهَدايا إليهم

كتب ذكرها حَليف الخُلود

كتب ذكرها حَليف الخُلود

in their eyes, the most precious gifts offered them

Not fresh herbs and perfumes are gifted to them,

are books whose renown is allied with immortality.

Nor silver like the rest of slaves,

لا إليهم يُهدَى نِضارٌ وَتبرٌ

لا إليهم يُهدَى نِضارٌ وَتبرٌ

لا وَلا فضة كَباقي العَبيد

لا وَلا فضة كَباقي العَبيد

Neither pure gold nor unworked gold is offered to them,

no, nor silver, as to the rest of the servants.