لِيَهْنِmay gladden المُلْكَthe kingdom مالِكُهits master الجديدُnew
لِيَهْنِ المُلْكَ مالِكُه الجديدُ
ووارِثُهand its heir وإنand even if رَغِمَis humbled الحَسودُthe envious one
ووارِثُه وإن رَغِمَ الحَسودُ
May the kingdom rejoice in its new master,
And its heir, despite the envious one’s chagrin.
أتيتَyou came بهwith him أباO father of المنصورal-Mansur فَرْداpeerless
أتيتَ به أبا المنصور فَرْدا
تُنِيرyou illuminate بهwith him اللياليthe nights وهيwhile they are سودblack
تُنِير به الليالي وهي سود
You brought him forth peerless, Abu al-Mansur,
You light the nights with him, though they are black.
يلوحshines عليهupon him منكfrom you هُدىًguidance وفَضْلand excellence
يلوح عليه منك هُدىً وفَضْل
ويظهرand appears فيهin him منكfrom you حِجاًwisdom وجودand generosity
ويظهر فيه منك حِجاً وجود
Your guidance and excellence shine upon him,
And your wisdom and generosity appear in him.
حكاكhe resembles you كماjust as حكيتyou resembled أباكَyour father شِبْهاin likeness
حكاك كما حكيت أباكَ شِبْها
كذاكَlikewise الأُسْدُlions أشْبُلُهاtheir cubs الأسودlions
كذاكَ الأُسْدُ أشْبُلُها الأسود
He resembles you, as you resembled your father;
So it is with lions: their cubs are lions.
ولدتَyou begot الشمسَthe sun ياO صبحَdawn of المعاليlofty glories
ولدتَ الشمسَ يا صبحَ المعالي
فأَنجَبَso sired a noble child والدٌa father ونماand flourished وليدُa newborn
فأَنجَبَ والدٌ ونما وليدُ
You have begotten the sun, O dawn of lofty glories;
Thus a father has sired a noble child, and a newborn has flourished.
فأفْنيةُso the courtyards of الزمانtime بهwith him مِلاَءٌfull
فأفْنيةُ الزمان به مِلاَءٌ
وكوكبهاand its star بأسْعُدهthrough his auspicious stars سعيدfortunate
وكوكبها بأسْعُده سعيد
So time’s courtyards are filled with him,
And its star is fortunate through his auspicious stars.
وَليدٌa newborn كانتِhad been الدنياthe world ترجِّيhoping for
وَليدٌ كانتِ الدنيا ترجِّي
وِلادتَهhis birth وترقُبُهand awaited him السعودthe auspicious stars
وِلادتَه وترقُبُه السعود
A newborn—the world had hoped for
His birth, and the auspicious stars awaited him.
تباشرتrejoiced together اللياليthe nights والمعاليand lofty glories
تباشرت الليالي والمعالي
بمولدهat his birth وجُدِّدتand were renewed العُهُودthe covenants
بمولده وجُدِّدت العُهُود
The nights and lofty glories rejoiced together
At his birth, and covenants were renewed.
وكمand how many رَصَدتهawaited him آمالُthe hopes of البراياhumankind
وكم رَصَدته آمالُ البرايا
حوافلَbrimming قبلَbefore يُظْهِرهbrought him forth الوجودُexistence
حوافلَ قبلَ يُظْهِره الوجودُ
And how many hopes of humankind awaited him,
Brimming, before existence brought him forth.
وكمand how often هتفتcalled out بهto him رُهُنُthe captives الأمانيof hopes
وكم هتفت به رُهُنُ الأماني
لُطْلِقهاto free them ونادتهand called to him الوفودthe delegations
لُطْلِقها ونادته الوفود
And how often the captives of hope called to him,
To free them, and delegations called upon him.
وكمand how often رَجَتِhoped الخلافةُthe caliphate أنto تراهsee him
وكم رَجَتِ الخلافةُ أن تراه
كماjust as يرجوlongs for أحِبَّتَهhis loved ones العمِيدthe lovesick man
كما يرجو أحِبَّتَه العمِيد
And how often the caliphate hoped to see him,
As a lovesick man longs for his loved ones.
إلىuntil أنthat تَمَّwas fulfilled أمرُthe decree of اللهGod فيهconcerning him
إلى أن تَمَّ أمرُ الله فيه
ولاحand shone السعدُgood fortune واقتربand drew near البعيدthe distant
ولاح السعدُ واقترب البعيد
Until God’s decree concerning him was fulfilled,
Good fortune shone, and the distant drew near.
فألقتْso delivered حَمْلَهاits burden الدنياthe world تماماin full
فألقتْ حَمْلَها الدنيا تماما
بهin him ولكّلand for every حاملةٍpregnant bearer حُدُودlimits
به ولكّل حاملةٍ حُدُود
So the world delivered its burden in full,
In him—and every bearer has an appointed term.
وأعطِيتِand was given الخلافةthe caliphate ماwhat تمنَّتْit wished for
وأعطِيتِ الخلافة ما تمنَّتْ
بهthrough him واللهand God يفعلdoes ماwhat يريدHe wills
به والله يفعل ما يريد
And the caliphate was granted what it wished for
Through him; God does whatever He wills.
وأُطلِعand was made to rise بدرُهاits full moon وعلاand rose high ضُحاهاits morning light
وأُطلِع بدرُها وعلا ضُحاها
وأسفرand shone clear صُبْحُهاits dawn ونأىand departed الهجودslumber
وأسفر صُبْحُها ونأى الهجود
Its full moon was made to rise, and its morning light rose high;
Its dawn shone clear, and slumber fled.
وقرّand grew stable الملكsovereignty واتَّطَدَتْand were secured بُناهits structures
وقرّ الملك واتَّطَدَتْ بُناه
فأمكنهso became possible for it التزيُّدincrease والصعودand ascent
فأمكنه التزيُّد والصعود
Sovereignty grew firm, and its structures were secured,
So it could grow and rise.
وعزَّand grew mighty الحقّtruth وارتفعتْand rose high قَنَاهits spears
وعزَّ الحقّ وارتفعتْ قَنَاه
وجَدّand grew earnest الوعدthe promise واشتّدand intensified الوعيدthe threat
وجَدّ الوعد واشتّد الوعيد
Truth grew mighty, and its spears rose high;
The promise grew earnest, and the threat grew stern.
فكيفhow then إذاwhen نماhe grows واشتدand gains strength حتىuntil
فكيف إذا نما واشتد حتى
تَتمَّare completed بهthrough him المصادرُdepartures والورودand arrivals
تَتمَّ به المصادرُ والورود
What then, when he grows and gains strength, until
All departures and arrivals are accomplished through him,
وقادand led الخيلَthe cavalry واعتقلand held at his thigh العواليthe long lances
وقاد الخيلَ واعتقل العوالي
وخافتهand feared him التهائمthe lowlands والنُّجُودand the uplands
وخافته التهائم والنُّجُود
And he leads the cavalry and holds long lances at his thigh,
And the lowlands and uplands fear him,
وشنّand unleashed علىagainst العِدَاthe foes منfrom كلّevery فَجّpass
وشنّ على العِدَا من كلّ فَجّ
كتائبَbattalions لاتُحَادthat cannot be turned aside ولاand do not تحِيدُswerve
كتائبَ لاتُحَاد ولا تحِيدُ
And he unleashes upon his foes, from every pass,
Battalions none can turn aside, that never swerve,
علىupon قُبٍّlean-bellied steeds سوابقَfleet طاوياتٍfolding
على قُبٍّ سوابقَ طاوياتٍ
أياطِلَهاtheir flanks كماas تُطْوَىare folded الْبُرُودُstriped cloaks
أياطِلَها كما تُطْوَى الْبُرُودُ
On lean-bellied, fleet steeds that fold
Their flanks as striped cloaks are folded?
فعُمِّرso may he be granted long life عُمْرa lifespan of باقيةِthe remaining اللياليnights
فعُمِّر عُمْر باقيةِ الليالي
تواصِلُهcontinually attend him السلامةwell-being والخلودand immortality
تواصِلُه السلامة والخلود
So may he live for all the nights that remain,
With well-being and immortality ever attending him.
يُصَرفhe directs أمرهhis affairs قبضاwithholding وبسطاand bestowing
يُصَرف أمره قبضا وبسطا
يُشَدّare secured الحلّunbinding فيهin him والعقودand binding
يُشَدّ الحلّ فيه والعقود
He directs his affairs, withholding and bestowing;
In him the powers to loose and bind are secured.
ويُرضِيand pleases الدّينَreligion والدنياand worldly life جميعاًboth together
ويُرضِي الدّينَ والدنيا جميعاً
وتُمْحَىand are erased فيin القلوبhearts بهthrough him الحُقُودgrudges
وتُمْحَى في القلوب به الحُقُود
And he pleases religion and the world alike,
And through him grudges are erased from hearts.
عزِيزِيٌّof al-ʿAziz نِزارِيٌّof Nizar مليكٌa sovereign
عزِيزِيٌّ نِزارِيٌّ مليكٌ
لهhis الدنياthe world ومَنand whoever فيهاis in it عبيدslaves
له الدنيا ومَن فيها عبيد
An ʿAzizi, a Nizari sovereign:
The world is his, and all within it are slaves.
فآياتso the verses of القُرَانِthe Qur’an لهare his تُرَاثٌan inheritance
فآيات القُرَانِ له تُرَاثٌ
أبناءthe sons of النبيّthe Prophet لهhis جُدُودforefathers
أبناء النبيّ له جُدُود
Thus the Qur’an’s verses are his inheritance,
The Prophet’s sons are his forefathers.
نَمَاhe grew بينamong المكارمnoble virtues والمعاليand lofty glories
نَمَا بين المكارم والمعالي
فطارِفُهاso their new-won honors لهare his ولهand his التليدthe ancestral honors
فطارِفُها له وله التليد
He grew amid noble virtues and lofty glories;
His are their new-won honors, and his their ancestral ones.
فَهنَّاكso may He make pleasant for you الإلهGod بهthrough him العطاياthe gifts
فَهنَّاك الإله به العطايا
وإنand even if رغَمis humbled المُعَادِيthe hostile one والحَقُودand the spiteful one
وإن رغَم المُعَادِي والحَقُود
May God make the gifts a joy to you through him,
Though the hostile and spiteful be humbled.
وقابلand may greet نجمَكyour star الإسعادُgood fortune فيهin him
وقابل نجمَك الإسعادُ فيه
وشدّand may strengthen بقاءَthe continuance of نُعماكyour blessings المزيدincrease
وشدّ بقاءَ نُعماك المزيد
And may good fortune greet your star in him,
And may further bounty ensure your blessings endure.
فأنتfor you are أعزُّthe mightiest مَنْthose who مَلَكruled البراياhumankind
فأنت أعزُّ مَنْ مَلَك البرايا
ومنand those who خَفَقتْfluttered بنُصْرتهin his support البُنُودthe banners
ومن خَفَقتْ بنُصْرته البُنُود
For you are the mightiest of those who have ruled humankind,
And of those for whose victory banners have fluttered.
عليكupon you صلاةthe blessing of ربكyour Lord ماas long as أَضاءتflashed
عليك صلاة ربك ما أَضاءت
بَوارِقُlightning flashes of مُزْنةٍa raincloud وأخضرَّand grew green عودa bough
بَوارِقُ مُزْنةٍ وأخضرَّ عود
Upon you be your Lord’s blessing, as long as there flash
A raincloud’s lightning bolts, and a bough grows green.