قُلْ مثلَما قد قال عبدُ الباقي

قُلْ مثلَما قد قال عبدُ الباقي

في نَعْتِ عِتْرَةِ صَفْوَةِ الخلاّق

في نَعْتِ عِتْرَةِ صَفْوَةِ الخلاّق

Say as Abd al-Baqi has said

Say, as Abdu'l Baqi has said

In praise of the kindred of the Creator's chosen one;

In eulogy of the elite of mankind

أو فاسترحْ وأرِحْ لسانك واتخذ

أو فاسترحْ وأرِحْ لسانك واتخذ

للنطق من صمت أجلّ نطاق

للنطق من صمت أجلّ نطاق

Or else rest, give your tongue repose, and take

Either take rest and give your tongue relief

From silence the noblest girdle for speech.

And take from silence a sublime mode of speech

إنَّ اللسان لمضغةٌ ما لم تفه

إنَّ اللسان لمضغةٌ ما لم تفه

بالطيّبات تُلاك بالأشداق

بالطيّبات تُلاك بالأشداق

Indeed, the tongue is a morsel of flesh—unless you speak

Indeed, the tongue is a morsel that unless

Good words—chewed between the jaws.

Seasoned with the good, it destroys you with heartburn

أوَ ما تراه قد أتى بأوابدٍ

أوَ ما تراه قد أتى بأوابدٍ

تفنى بنو الدنيا وهنَّ بواقي

تفنى بنو الدنيا وهنَّ بواقي

Do you not see that he has brought forth marvels?

Or what you see has come with far-reaching wisdoms

This world's children perish, yet these endure.

Mortal men perish while they remain

حِكمٌ على الألباب يُشْرِقُ نورها

حِكمٌ على الألباب يُشْرِقُ نورها

لله دَرُّك حكمة الإشراق

لله دَرُّك حكمة الإشراق

Wise sayings whose light shines upon minds:

Wisdoms that enlighten minds with their light

God bless you, O wisdom of illumination!

May God bless you, o wisdom of illumination

تُشجي وتُطربُ أنفساً وجوارحاً

تُشجي وتُطربُ أنفساً وجوارحاً

فكأنَّهنَّ صوارمُ الأحداق

فكأنَّهنَّ صوارمُ الأحداق

They sadden and delight souls and limbs,

Exhilarating souls and limbs

As though they were the eyes' keen swords.

As if they were sharp swords

ولقد أدار على العقول سلافةً

ولقد أدار على العقول سلافةً

ما لا تدور به أكُفُّ الساقي

ما لا تدور به أكُفُّ الساقي

And he has indeed passed round to minds a choice wine

And it has stirred the minds with its smoothness

That no cupbearer's hands can pass around.

In ways the wrist of the cupbearer cannot

عن بهجة المعشوق يسفر حسنها

عن بهجة المعشوق يسفر حسنها

ولواعج المشتاق في العشَّاق

ولواعج المشتاق في العشَّاق

Its beauty unveils the beloved's radiance

Unveiling the beauty of the beloved

And the yearning lover's burning pangs among lovers.

And passions of the ardent lover

قد عانَقَتْ أشرافَ آل محمد

قد عانَقَتْ أشرافَ آل محمد

فكأنَّها الأطواق في الأعناق

فكأنَّها الأطواق في الأعناق

It has embraced the nobles of Muhammad's house,

It has embraced the nobility of the family of Muhammed

As though it were necklaces around their necks.

As if they were necklaces around necks

فكأنَّها هَبَّتْ صَباً في روضةٍ

فكأنَّها هَبَّتْ صَباً في روضةٍ

فتأرَّجَتْ بنسيمها الخفَّاق

فتأرَّجَتْ بنسيمها الخفَّاق

As though it had blown as an east wind through a garden,

As if it breathed a morning breeze in a garden

So the garden grew fragrant with its fluttering breeze.

That fluttered with its gentle wind

رقَّتْ فكادتْ أنْ تسيل بلطفها

رقَّتْ فكادتْ أنْ تسيل بلطفها

حتَّى من الأَقلام والأَوراق

حتَّى من الأَقلام والأَوراق

It grew so delicate that it almost flowed in its tenderness,

It softened, almost melting away

Even from the pens and the pages.

Even ink and paper with its gentleness

وبما غَدَتْ تُملي ثناءً طيِّباً

وبما غَدَتْ تُملي ثناءً طيِّباً

عن طيِّبٍ في الأَصل والأَعراق

عن طيِّبٍ في الأَصل والأَعراق

And because it came to dictate sweet praise

And with it dictating beautiful praise

Of one pure in origin and ancestry,

Of one pure of origin and ancestry

لُدِغَتْ أُميَّةُ منه أفعى تنفث ال

لُدِغَتْ أُميَّةُ منه أفعى تنفث ال

سّمّ الزّعاف وما لها من راقِ

سّمّ الزّعاف وما لها من راقِ

Umayya was stung by it—a viper spewing

Umayyah was bitten by it like a snake spewing

Deadly venom, with no spell-healer to cure her.

Poisonous venom, beyond cure

كَلِمٌ ولا وخزات أطراف القنا

كَلِمٌ ولا وخزات أطراف القنا

يَلْمَعْنَ عن صَوْب الدم المهراق

يَلْمَعْنَ عن صَوْب الدم المهراق

Words—not the thrusts of spear-points—

A word whose edges of the spear

Gleam out of a downpour of shed blood.

Gleam towards the spilling blood

من كلِّ قافية بثاقب فكره

من كلِّ قافية بثاقب فكره

يفتضُّها عَذْرَا بغير صداق

يفتضُّها عَذْرَا بغير صداق

From every rhyme, with his penetrating thought,

With each rhyme its penetrating mind unlocks

He takes her virginity without a bridal dower.

A virgin metaphor without a price

طوبى له في النشأتين لقد حوى

طوبى له في النشأتين لقد حوى

نعمَ الذَّخيرة والثناء الباقي

نعمَ الذَّخيرة والثناء الباقي

Bliss be his in both lives; he has indeed gained

Good fortune to him in both worlds, he has contained

A fine treasure and enduring praise.

Good provision and lasting praise

فالله يجزيه بها خير الجَزا

فالله يجزيه بها خير الجَزا

ويَقيه شرًّا ما له من واقِ

ويَقيه شرًّا ما له من واقِ

So may God reward him for it with the finest recompense,

So may God reward him with the best reward

And shield him from evil against which he has no protector.

And protect him from any evil without end