لِيَهْنِك ما بَلَغْتَ من الأماني

لِيَهْنِك ما بَلَغْتَ من الأماني

فَلَمْ تَبْرَح بأيَّام التَّهاني

فَلَمْ تَبْرَح بأيَّام التَّهاني

May you rejoice in the hopes you have attained,

May the wishes you have fulfilled bring you joy,

and never cease to enjoy days of celebration.

For you remain amid days of rejoicing.

تُسَرُّ وقد تَسُرُّ الناس طرًّا

تُسَرُّ وقد تَسُرُّ الناس طرًّا

ببيضِ فعالك الغرّ الحسان

ببيضِ فعالك الغرّ الحسان

You are gladdened, even as you gladden all people

You rejoice, and you gladden all people

through your radiant, noble, beautiful deeds.

With your white, radiant, beautiful deeds.

وفيما قدْ فَعَلْتَ جُزيتَ خيراً

وفيما قدْ فَعَلْتَ جُزيتَ خيراً

وهل تجزى سوى خلد الجنان

وهل تجزى سوى خلد الجنان

For what you have done, may you be rewarded with goodness—

For what you have done, may you be rewarded with good;

and what reward is there but eternity in Paradise?

And what reward but eternity in the gardens of Paradise?

فَعَلْتَ الواجبَ المأمور فيه

فَعَلْتَ الواجبَ المأمور فيه

وما سنّ النَّبيُّ من الختان

وما سنّ النَّبيُّ من الختان

You performed the duty enjoined upon you,

You performed the duty prescribed in this matter,

the circumcision established by the Prophet.

And what the Prophet ordained concerning circumcision.

وأولَمْتَ الوَلائم فاستَلَذَّتْ

وأولَمْتَ الوَلائم فاستَلَذَّتْ

لها الفقراءُ من قاصٍ ودانِ

لها الفقراءُ من قاصٍ ودانِ

You gave banquet after banquet, whose fare

And you held banquets that were relished

the poor savored, from far and near.

By the poor from far and near.

وأكثَرْتَ الطعام بهنّ حتَّى

وأكثَرْتَ الطعام بهنّ حتَّى

لقَدْ ضاق الطعام عن الجفان

لقَدْ ضاق الطعام عن الجفان

You filled them with such an abundance of food

You provided such plentiful food at them

that the serving bowls could scarcely contain it.

That the great serving bowls could scarcely hold it.

وجاء الناس أفواجاً إليها

وجاء الناس أفواجاً إليها

فلمْ يعرف فلان من فلان

فلمْ يعرف فلان من فلان

People came to them in throngs,

And people came to them in throngs,

until no one could distinguish one man from another.

So none could tell one person from another.

شرابُهم شرابٌ سُكَّريٌّ

شرابُهم شرابٌ سُكَّريٌّ

وممّا يشتهون لحوم ضان

وممّا يشتهون لحوم ضان

Their drink was a sweet, sugared drink,

Their drink was sweet with sugar,

and among the foods they craved was mutton.

And mutton was among the foods they desired.

لقد قيل الطعام فلم تدان

لقد قيل الطعام فلم تدان

وقد قيل السماع فلم تدان

وقد قيل السماع فلم تدان

Food was mentioned, yet you were not blamed;

Food was announced, yet you did not draw near;

and music was mentioned, yet you were not blamed—

Music was announced, yet you did not draw near.

بذكر الله إنَّك قبل هذا

بذكر الله إنَّك قبل هذا

قد استغنيتَ عن كلّ الأغاني

قد استغنيتَ عن كلّ الأغاني

for your music was the remembrance of God. Even before this,

For through remembrance of God, even before this,

you had no need of any songs.

You had already dispensed with every song.

وما تلهو عن السَّبْع المثاني

وما تلهو عن السَّبْع المثاني

بأصواتِ المثالثِ والمثاني

بأصواتِ المثالثِ والمثاني

Nor are you diverted from the Seven Oft-Repeated

Nor are you distracted from the seven oft-repeated verses

by the sounds of three-stringed and two-stringed instruments.

By the sounds of the third and second strings.

خَتَنْتَ بَنيك في أيّام سَعْدٍ

خَتَنْتَ بَنيك في أيّام سَعْدٍ

بمعتَدِل الفصولِ من الزمان

بمعتَدِل الفصولِ من الزمان

You circumcised your sons in auspicious days,

You had your sons circumcised in days of good fortune,

in a temperate season of the year.

In a temperate season of the year.

وأربعمائة خُتِنَتْ وكانت

وأربعمائة خُتِنَتْ وكانت

يَتامى لم تُسَنَّنْ بالختان

يَتامى لم تُسَنَّنْ بالختان

And four hundred others were circumcised:

And four hundred were circumcised; they were

orphans who had not undergone the rite.

Orphans who had not undergone the rite of circumcision.

كسَوتَهم الملابسَ فاخراتٍ

كسَوتَهم الملابسَ فاخراتٍ

فراحوا مثلَ روض الأقحوان

فراحوا مثلَ روض الأقحوان

You clothed them in splendid garments,

You clothed them in splendid garments,

and they went forth like a garden of daisies:

And they went forth like a garden of chrysanthemums:

فمن خضرٍ ومن صُفرٍ وحُمرٍ

فمن خضرٍ ومن صُفرٍ وحُمرٍ

كأمثال الشقيق الأرجواني

كأمثال الشقيق الأرجواني

some in green, some in yellow, and some in red,

Some in green, some in yellow and red,

like purple anemones,

Like crimson anemones.

كأزهار الرَّبيع لها ابتهاجٌ

كأزهار الرَّبيع لها ابتهاجٌ

وقد سُقيَت حيا المزن الهتان

وقد سُقيَت حيا المزن الهتان

like joyous spring flowers

Like spring flowers, full of joy,

watered by the life-giving rain of pouring clouds.

Watered by the life-giving rain of pouring clouds.

أتيت بها من الصَدقات بكراً

أتيت بها من الصَدقات بكراً

وما كانت لعمرك بالعوان

وما كانت لعمرك بالعوان

You brought those garments from alms, brand-new;

You brought this forth, a virgin among charitable deeds,

by your life, they were not worn and old.

And, by your life, no matron was she.

أرَدْتَ بذاكَ وجْهَ الله لا ما

أرَدْتَ بذاكَ وجْهَ الله لا ما

يقالُ ويستفاض من اللسان

يقالُ ويستفاض من اللسان

In this you sought the countenance of God, not what

By that you sought the face of God, not what

is said and spread from tongue to tongue.

Is said and spread from tongue to tongue.

أُحِبُّكَ لا لمالٍ أقْتَنيه

أُحِبُّكَ لا لمالٍ أقْتَنيه

ولا طمعٌ بجود وامتنان

ولا طمعٌ بجود وامتنان

I love you not for wealth I might acquire,

I love you, not for wealth I might acquire,

nor from hope of generosity or favor.

Nor in hope of bounty and favors.

ولا أثني عليكَ الخيرَ إلاَّ اعت

ولا أثني عليكَ الخيرَ إلاَّ اعت

قاداً باللّسان وبالجَنان

قاداً باللّسان وبالجَنان

Nor do I praise the good in you except out of

Nor do I speak well of you except from convic-

conviction, with both tongue and heart.

tion, with tongue and heart.

وكيفَ وأنتَ للإسلام ركنٌ

وكيفَ وأنتَ للإسلام ركنٌ

تُشاد به القواعدُ والمباني

تُشاد به القواعدُ والمباني

How could I not, when you are a pillar of Islam

And how could it be otherwise, when you are a pillar of Islam,

upon which its foundations and structures are raised?

Through which foundations and buildings are raised?

أعَزَّ الله فيك الدينَ عِزًّا

أعَزَّ الله فيك الدينَ عِزًّا

ولم يَكُ قبلَ ذلك بالمُهان

ولم يَكُ قبلَ ذلك بالمُهان

Through you, God has mightily strengthened the faith,

God has greatly exalted the faith through you,

though it had not been abased before.

Though it was not abased before that.

فكنتَ الرَّوح والمعنى المعالي

فكنتَ الرَّوح والمعنى المعالي

فقلْ ما شئت عن روح المعاني

فقلْ ما شئت عن روح المعاني

Thus you became its spirit, its meaning, and its loftiness—

Thus you became solace and the sublime meaning;

so say what you will of the spirit of all meanings.

So say what you will of the spirit of meanings.

تقولُ الحقَّ لا تخشى ملاماً

تقولُ الحقَّ لا تخشى ملاماً

ولست عن المقالة بالجبان

ولست عن المقالة بالجبان

You speak the truth, fearing no reproach,

You speak the truth, fearing no reproach,

and are no coward when it comes to speaking out.

And you are no coward when it comes to speaking.

ولا داريتَ أو ماريتَ قوماً

ولا داريتَ أو ماريتَ قوماً

برفعة منصبٍ وعلوِ شان

برفعة منصبٍ وعلوِ شان

You neither placate nor wrangle with people

Nor have you flattered or wrangled with people

on account of high office or lofty station.

For high office and exalted standing.

ولم تحكمْ على أمرِ بشيءٍ

ولم تحكمْ على أمرِ بشيءٍ

إلى أنْ يستبينَ إلى العيان

إلى أنْ يستبينَ إلى العيان

You pass no judgment upon a matter

Nor have you passed judgment on any matter

until it becomes plainly visible,

Until it became plain to the eye.

فتدرك ما تحاول بالتأني

فتدرك ما تحاول بالتأني

وإنْ رمتَ الجميل فلا توان

وإنْ رمتَ الجميل فلا توان

and so, through patience, attain what you seek;

Thus, through deliberation, you attain what you seek;

yet when you pursue a noble deed, there is no delay.

Yet if you seek a noble deed, there is no delay.

محمّد الأمين أمِنْتَ مما

محمّد الأمين أمِنْتَ مما

تحاذِرُه وإنَّك في أمان

تحاذِرُه وإنَّك في أمان

Muhammad the Trustworthy, you are safe from what

Muhammad al-Amin, may you be safe from what

you fear, and truly you are secure.

You fear; indeed, you are secure.

كفاك الله ألسِنَةً حداداً

كفاك الله ألسِنَةً حداداً

لها وخزٌ ولا وخزُ السنان

لها وخزٌ ولا وخزُ السنان

May God protect you from sharp tongues:

May God shield you from sharp tongues,

they have a sting—while spearheads have no sting by comparison.

Whose sting no spearpoint's thrust can match.

ولم أسمَعْ مقالاً فيك إلاَّ

ولم أسمَعْ مقالاً فيك إلاَّ

مقالَ الخير آناً بعد آن

مقالَ الخير آناً بعد آن

I have never heard anything said of you except

And I have heard nothing said of you but

words of praise, time after time.

Words of praise, time after time.

بَقيتَ لنا وللدنيا جميعاً

بَقيتَ لنا وللدنيا جميعاً

وكلٌّ غيرُ وجهِ الله فانِ

وكلٌّ غيرُ وجهِ الله فانِ

May you remain for us and for all the world;

May you remain for us and for all the world,

for everything but the Face of God must perish.

Yet all but the face of God passes away.