مثلَlike مُنْهَلِّthe downpour of أنعُمِthe favors of الملكِthe king الصَّاal-Salih (first part)
مثلَ مُنْهَلِّ أنعُمِ الملكِ الصَّا
لِحal-Salih (completion) يَروَىhas his thirst quenched دانٍone nearby بهby it وسَحِيقُand one far away
لِح يَروَى دانٍ به وسَحِيقُ
Like the downpour of favors from King
Like a fountain of the righteous king's bounty
al-Salih: near and far alike have their thirst quenched by it.
Quenching the thirsty with its pouring heed.
سُحُبٌclouds وَبْلُهَاtheir downpour النُّضَارُpure gold وللأَعْand for the enemies (first part)
سُحُبٌ وَبْلُهَا النُّضَارُ وللأَعْ
داءِenemies (completion) فيهاin them صواعقٌthunderbolts وحَريقُand fire
داءِ فيها صواعقٌ وحَريقُ
Clouds whose downpour is pure gold; for the
Clouds of goodness, lightning strikes for enemies;
enemies they hold thunderbolts and fire.
A king whose humility adds majesty, inspiring awe then delight.
ملكٌa king زادهincreased him التواضعُhumility للّbefore God (first part)
ملكٌ زاده التواضعُ للّ
هِGod (completion) جلالاًin majesty يَروعُinspires awe ثمَّthen يَروقُdelights
هِ جلالاً يَروعُ ثمَّ يَروقُ
A king whose humility before
A feared authority, hoped-for clemency,
God has increased his majesty: he awes, then delights.
Frank magnanimity, charming mien.
سَطَواتٌmighty assaults تُخشَىare feared وحلمٌand forbearance يُرجَّىis hoped for
سَطَواتٌ تُخشَى وحلمٌ يُرجَّى
ونَوالٌand bounty طلقٌfreely given ووجهٌand a face طليقُcheerful
ونَوالٌ طلقٌ ووجهٌ طليقُ
Onslaughts to be feared, and forbearance to be hoped for,
When turtle doves cooed in the boughs,
and freely given bounty, and a cheerful face.
My ode was sweet to hear and caught his fancy.
منwho حكَىlikened بِيto me ورْقُgray-feathered ones الحمائمِthe doves فيamong الأفthe boughs (first part)
من حكَى بِي ورْقُ الحمائمِ في الأف
نانِboughs (completion) جيدِيmy neck حالٍadorned وغُصنيand my branch وريقُleafy
نانِ جيدِي حالٍ وغُصني وريقُ
Who has likened the gray doves to me among the
Candor's grace in him will never fade.
boughs? My neck is adorned, and my branch leafy.
Not all who hear are inclined towards honesty.
وثَنائِيand my praise كَشدْوِهِنَّlike their singing مدَىthroughout الأَيْthe days (first part)
وثَنائِي كَشدْوِهِنَّ مدَى الأَيْ
يامِdays (completion) يحلُوis sweet سَماعُهhearing it ويروقُand delights
يامِ يحلُو سَماعُه ويروقُ
And my praise, like their singing, throughout the
O commander of armies, you remain
days, is sweet to hear and gives delight.
A pillar of faith and religion, unwavering.
رونقُthe luster of الصّدقِtruth فِيهِin it بادٍevident وماand not زَاceased (first part)
رونقُ الصّدقِ فِيهِ بادٍ وما زَا
لَceased (completion) إلىfor الصّدقِtruth كلُّevery سمعٍear يتُوقُyearns
لَ إلى الصّدقِ كلُّ سمعٍ يتُوقُ
The luster of truth is evident in it, and
The call for holy war - how quickly
every ear has always yearned for truth.
You answered, O king of noble deeds.
ياO أميرَcommander of الجُيوشِthe armies ماnot زالceased للإسfor Islam (first part)
يا أميرَ الجُيوشِ ما زال للإس
لامِIslam (completion) والدينِand the faith منكَfrom you ركنٌa pillar وثيقُsteadfast
لامِ والدينِ منكَ ركنٌ وثيقُ
O commander of armies, you remain for
A just ruler who illuminated faith,
Islam and the faith a steadfast pillar.
And spread Islam's dawn far and wide.
أسمعَتْmade itself heard دعوةُthe call to الجهادِjihad فلبَّاso he answered
أسمعَتْ دعوةُ الجهادِ فلبَّا
هَاit مليكٌa king بالمكرماتِof noble deeds خَليقُworthy
هَا مليكٌ بالمكرماتِ خَليقُ
The call to jihad rang out, and was answered
Preoccupied with spreading good, waging holy war,
by a king worthy of noble deeds.
He has no time for pagans and injustice.
ملِكٌa king عادلٌjust أنَارَshone بهthrough him الدِّيthe faith (first part)
ملِكٌ عادلٌ أنَارَ به الدِّي
نُfaith (completion) فعمَّso it suffused الإسلامَIslam منهُfrom him الشُروقُdawn's radiance
نُ فعمَّ الإسلامَ منهُ الشُروقُ
A just king: through him shone the
Like a sword, his heart is smoothed and sharpened,
faith, and dawn's radiance from him suffused Islam.
Gentle yet firm, a blade made keen.
ماnot لَهfor him عنfrom جِهادِهِhis combat against الكُفرَunbelief والعدand justice (first part)
ما لَه عن جِهادِهِ الكُفرَ والعد
لِjustice (completion) وفعلِand doing الخيراتِgood deeds شُغلٌan occupation يعوقُhinders
لِ وفعلِ الخيراتِ شُغلٌ يعوقُ
No occupation keeps him from combating unbelief or from
With forbearance that makes hostile folly
justice and doing good deeds.
Seem rash, and seals his enemies' ruin.
هوhe مثلُlike الحُسامِthe sharp sword صدرٌa breast صقيلٌpolished
هو مثلُ الحُسامِ صدرٌ صقيلٌ
ليّنٌsoft مسَّهhis touch وحدٌّand an edge ذَليقُkeen
ليّنٌ مسَّه وحدٌّ ذَليقُ
He is like a sword: a polished breast,
So take refuge, two caverns, from darkness' cloak,
soft to the touch, and a keen edge.
Where Islam's lightning crackles and flashes bright.
ذوpossessed of أناةٍdeliberation يخالُهاhe supposes it الغِرُّthe inexperienced one إهماneglect (first part)
ذو أناةٍ يخالُها الغِرُّ إهما
لاًneglect (completion) وفيهاand in it حتفُthe death of الأعاديthe enemies المُحيقُengulfing
لاً وفيها حتفُ الأعادي المُحيقُ
Possessed of deliberation, which the inexperienced mistake for
neglect, yet in it lies the doom that engulfs his enemies.
فاسلمَاso remain safe, you two للإسلامِfor Islam كَهْفَينِtwo cave-refuges ماas long as طَرْembroidered (first part)
فاسلمَا للإسلامِ كَهْفَينِ ما طَرْ
رَزَembroidered (completion) ثوبَthe robe of الظلامِdarkness برقٌlightning خَفوقُflickering
رَزَ ثوبَ الظلامِ برقٌ خَفوقُ
So may you both remain safe, two cave-refuges for Islam, as long as
flickering lightning embroiders the robe of darkness.
Partial English translation: 24 of 28 Arabic lines translated.