هِمَمي أنافَتْ بي على الهِمَمِ

هِمَمي أنافَتْ بي على الهِمَمِ

قَبلَ الفِطامِ ومَبلغ الحُلُمِ

قَبلَ الفِطامِ ومَبلغ الحُلُمِ

My aspirations lifted me above all aspirations,

My aspirations soared in me before weaning,

Before weaning and the attainment of puberty.

And before attaining puberty and dreams.

وسَمَا بقَدْري في العلا أدبي

وسَمَا بقَدْري في العلا أدبي

حتى وَطِئتُ كواكبَ الظُّلَمِ

حتى وَطِئتُ كواكبَ الظُّلَمِ

And my refinement raised my rank to the heights,

My manners were predestined to be lofty,

Until I trod upon the stars of darkness.

Until I tread the stars of darkness.

تُثني عليّ إذا سكتُّ يَدي

تُثني عليّ إذا سكتُّ يَدي

بسَماحِها وتُضيء لي شِيَمي

بسَماحِها وتُضيء لي شِيَمي

My hand praises me when I fall silent,

My hands praise me when I fall silent,

Through its generosity; and my virtues shine for me.

With their generosity, lighting my path.

وإذا الكرامُ جَفَوا تكرُّمَهم

وإذا الكرامُ جَفَوا تكرُّمَهم

لؤماً فإنّي عاشقٌ كَرَمي

لؤماً فإنّي عاشقٌ كَرَمي

And when the noble forsake their generosity

And if the noble fall short of nobility,

Out of meanness, I am enamored of my generosity.

I remain a lover of generosity.

في كلّ صالحة مَدَدتُ يَدي

في كلّ صالحة مَدَدتُ يَدي

ولكلِّ مكرُمةٍ سعتْ قَدَمي

ولكلِّ مكرُمةٍ سعتْ قَدَمي

In every good deed I have extended my hand,

For every virtuous act my hand stretches,

And my foot has hastened toward every noble deed.

And for every glory my foot hastens,

وأقلُّ ما أَدْرِيه مِنْ زَمَني

وأقلُّ ما أَدْرِيه مِنْ زَمَني

رفعُ الجَهول وسَقْطةُ الفَهِمِ

رفعُ الجَهول وسَقْطةُ الفَهِمِ

And what I least understand about my times

The least I know of my time

Is the rise of the ignorant and the fall of the discerning.

Is the ignorance of fools and the fall of the wise.

فاسألْ خُطوبَ الدّهر عن جَلَدي

فاسألْ خُطوبَ الدّهر عن جَلَدي

وغوامضَ الأشياء عن فَهَمي

وغوامضَ الأشياء عن فَهَمي

So ask time's calamities about my fortitude,

So ask the turns of fate about my endurance,

And the mysteries of things about my understanding.

And the mysteries of things about my understanding,

هل شُمُّ أطوادِ الجبال سِوَى

هل شُمُّ أطوادِ الجبال سِوَى

حِلْمي وهل عَضْبٌ سِوى كَلِمي

حِلْمي وهل عَضْبٌ سِوى كَلِمي

Are the towering mountain masses anything but

Is anything but my patience the measure of mountains?

My forbearance, and is any keen sword anything but my words?

Is anything but my words rage?

والمجدُ فَرْعٌ أصلُه كَرَمي

والمجدُ فَرْعٌ أصلُه كَرَمي

والدهرُ رُمْحٌ سِنُّه قَلمي

والدهرُ رُمْحٌ سِنُّه قَلمي

And glory is a branch whose root is my generosity,

Glory is a branch whose origin is my nobility,

And time is a spear whose point is my pen.

And fate is a spear whose point is my pen.

والشمسُ من عِرضي تلأْلؤُها

والشمسُ من عِرضي تلأْلؤُها

بسَناه والأيَّامُ مِنْ خَدَمي

بسَناه والأيَّامُ مِنْ خَدَمي

And the sun draws its glitter from my honor,

The radiance of the sun derives from my brilliance,

Through its radiance; and the days are among my servants.

And the days from my service.

لم أَخْشَ قطُّ حُلولَ حادِثةٍ

لم أَخْشَ قطُّ حُلولَ حادِثةٍ

والليثُ لا يَخْشَى من النَّعَم

والليثُ لا يَخْشَى من النَّعَم

I have never feared a calamity's arrival,

Never have I feared the onset of events,

And the lion has no fear of livestock.

For the lion fears not bounty.

وجّهتُ جُودي قبلَ مسألتي

وجّهتُ جُودي قبلَ مسألتي

وبعثتُ فِعلي قبل لفظِ فَمي

وبعثتُ فِعلي قبل لفظِ فَمي

I sent forth my generosity before I was asked,

I direct my generosity before being asked,

And sent forth my action before my mouth's utterance.

And send forth my actions before speaking.

لا غيرَ أنَّي مانعٌ شَرَفي

لا غيرَ أنَّي مانعٌ شَرَفي

ومُبينُ فَضْلِ عُلايَ في الأُمم

ومُبينُ فَضْلِ عُلايَ في الأُمم

It is only that I defend my honor,

Only that I forbid violation of my honor,

And show the excellence of my high rank among the nations.

And clarify the precedence of my distinction among nations.

فلتَعلَم الدنيا وساكنهُا

فلتَعلَم الدنيا وساكنهُا

أنِّي عَظُمتُ بها عن العِظَم

أنِّي عَظُمتُ بها عن العِظَم

So let the world and its inhabitants know

So let the world and its inhabitants know

That in it I have grown greater than greatness.

That through it I became great, not from greatness,

وشفى نوالي النَاس من عَدَمٍ

وشفى نوالي النَاس من عَدَمٍ

وَشفَى مَقالي الصُّمَّ مِن صَمَمِ

وَشفَى مَقالي الصُّمَّ مِن صَمَمِ

And my bounty has cured people of poverty,

And my gifts cured people of deprivation,

And my speech has cured the deaf of deafness.

And my words cured the deaf of deafness.

وجلستُ من أملاكهم شَرَفا

وجلستُ من أملاكهم شَرَفا

فوق الرؤس وفي ذُرا القِمَمِ

فوق الرؤس وفي ذُرا القِمَمِ

And in honor, compared with their kings, I sat

I sat elevated over their heads, at the peak of peaks,

Above heads and upon the crests of peaks,

Except for the Almighty, for He is a King,

إلاّ العزيزَ فإنّه مَلِكٌ

إلاّ العزيزَ فإنّه مَلِكٌ

كلُّ افتخارٍ عن عُلاه عَمي

كلُّ افتخارٍ عن عُلاه عَمي

Except al-Aziz, for he is a king:

Above whom all pride is blind.

Every boast is blind to his eminence.

My grandfather is the Prophet, illuminated,

جدِّي النبيُّ المستضاءُ به

جدِّي النبيُّ المستضاءُ به

وأبي المعِزُّ مجلِّل النِّعَمِ

وأبي المعِزُّ مجلِّل النِّعَمِ

My forefather is the Prophet, from whom light is drawn,

My father is the Victorious, bestower of bounty.

And my father is al-Mu‘izz, who clothes others in blessings.

And I am the one whose loyalty witnessed for him

وأَنا الّذي شَهِد الوفاءُ له

وأَنا الّذي شَهِد الوفاءُ له

بالصِّدْقِ في لاءٍ وفي نَعَمِ

بالصِّدْقِ في لاءٍ وفي نَعَمِ

And I am he for whom fidelity has borne witness

Sincerity in tribulation and in bounty.

To truthfulness in 'no' and in 'yes'.

I hope and fear a power and an eminence

أُرجَى وأُخْشَى سَطْوةً ونَدىً

أُرجَى وأُخْشَى سَطْوةً ونَدىً

يُرْجَى نَدَاي وتُتَّقى نِقَمي

يُرْجَى نَدَاي وتُتَّقى نِقَمي

I am hoped for and feared, for my might and bounty:

To be hoped for in my eminence, and its vengeance feared.

My bounty is hoped for, and my vengeance is shunned.