أسرجَ العلم اجتهادا

أسرجَ العلم اجتهادا

وارتدى العزم جهادا

وارتدى العزم جهادا

He saddled knowledge with diligence,

He saddled knowledge with diligence,

and donned resolve for struggle.

And wore determination as armor.

فعلا الدنيا غِلاباً

فعلا الدنيا غِلاباً

ورقى الكون ارتيادا

ورقى الكون ارتيادا

So he rose above this world by overcoming it,

He made the world succumb,

and ascended the universe in exploration.

And ascended the universe steadily.

سلك الوعر ليرضي

سلك الوعر ليرضي

الله نجداً ووهادا

الله نجداً ووهادا

He traversed rugged terrain to please

He tread the rugged path to please

God, through highlands and lowlands.

Allah with help and guidance.

ورأى الدنيا حطاماً

ورأى الدنيا حطاماً

فاشترى الأخرى مزادا

فاشترى الأخرى مزادا

And he saw this world as debris,

And saw the world as ruins,

so he bought the next world at auction.

So he bought the Hereafter at auction.

وارتدى الأخلاق تاجاً

وارتدى الأخلاق تاجاً

وتقى الله قِلادا

وتقى الله قِلادا

And he wore good character as a crown,

He wore morals as a crown,

and reverence for God as a necklace.

And avoided sins as a necklace.

إن لله رجالاً

إن لله رجالاً

بايعوه النفس زادا

بايعوه النفس زادا

Indeed, God has men

Indeed Allah has men,

who pledged their souls to Him as provision.

Who pledged their souls as provision.

هجروا الدنيا جفاءً

هجروا الدنيا جفاءً

وسموا عنها ابتعادا

وسموا عنها ابتعادا

They forsook this world in disdain,

They shunned the world's harshness,

and rose above it, drawing away.

And transcended from it distancing.

هكذا الافذاذ دوماً

هكذا الافذاذ دوماً

لا يؤاخون وِسادا

لا يؤاخون وِسادا

Such are exceptional men, always:

Thus the exceptional forever,

they do not befriend a pillow.

Do not befriend pillows.

كأبي مالك في الح

كأبي مالك في الح

.قّ علا فيه اشتدادا

.قّ علا فيه اشتدادا

Like Abu Malik, in the truth,

Like Abu Malik in truth,

he rose within it, growing ever firmer.

He rose with strength.

ذاك إبراهيم نجم

ذاك إبراهيم نجم

ذرّ في الفقه وسادا

ذرّ في الفقه وسادا

That is Ibrahim, a star

That's Ibrahim the star,

that rose in jurisprudence and attained preeminence.

Who scattered jurisprudence and presided.

نجل سيف أنهلته

نجل سيف أنهلته

كندة العلم ازديادا

كندة العلم ازديادا

Saif's son, whose thirst was quenched

The son of the Sword from whom

by Kindah with ever more knowledge.

Kinda's knowledge increased.

فهو بحر من علوم

فهو بحر من علوم

فضله عمّ العبادا

فضله عمّ العبادا

For he is a sea of learning,

So he is an ocean of knowledge,

whose bounty reached all people.

His virtue reached all worshippers.

وابنه مالك فحل

وابنه مالك فحل

ركب الشعر جيادا

ركب الشعر جيادا

And his son Malik, a master poet,

And his son Malik the stallion,

rode poetry as steeds.

Who rode poetry with steeds.

خاض فيه كل بحرٍ

خاض فيه كل بحرٍ

عبقرياً فأجادا

عبقرياً فأجادا

Within it, he ventured into every sea,

He delved in every sea,

a genius, and thus he excelled.

A genius who excelled.

ورقى الآفاق بدراً

ورقى الآفاق بدراً

تاجراً أورى الزنادا

تاجراً أورى الزنادا

And he rose through the horizons as a full moon,

And ascended horizons a full moon,

a merchant who struck sparks from the firesteel.

A businessman who loaded bags.

فحباه الله وُجداً

فحباه الله وُجداً

وبفضل الله جادا

وبفضل الله جادا

So God bestowed wealth upon him,

So Allah granted him generosity,

and, by God's grace, he gave generously.

And with Allah's grace he gave.

وعلا الشورى خطيباً

وعلا الشورى خطيباً

منبراً للحق نادى

منبراً للحق نادى

And he rose in the consultative council as an orator,

And he presided over the council as an orator,

calling for truth from a pulpit.

A pulpit where he called for truth.

أسرة بالفضل قامت

أسرة بالفضل قامت

واقامته عمادا

واقامته عمادا

A family that rose through virtue,

A family of virtue stood,

and made it their pillar.

And it made him a pillar.

فهي كالمشكاة نوراً

فهي كالمشكاة نوراً

عمّ جمعاً وفرادى

عمّ جمعاً وفرادى

So it is like a lamp-niche, a light

Thus it is like a lantern, a light,

that reached people in groups and singly.

That covered all groups and individuals.

كلما طوْدٌ تعالى

كلما طوْدٌ تعالى

طال طوْدٌ ثم زادا

طال طوْدٌ ثم زادا

Whenever a mountain rises high,

Every time a pillar rises high,

another mountain grows tall, then taller still.

Another pillar rises even higher.

وأرىيوسف شمساً

وأرىيوسف شمساً

خلف حُجْب تتهادى

خلف حُجْب تتهادى

And I see Yusuf as a sun,

And I see Yusuf a shining sun,

gliding gently behind veils,

Behind veils pulling.

قد أطلّت ذات صبح

قد أطلّت ذات صبح

نور علمٍ ورشادا

نور علمٍ ورشادا

that appeared one morning,

He rose one morning,

a light of knowledge and guidance.

With knowledge's light and guidance.

أشرق الكون وغنى

أشرق الكون وغنى

وانتشى منها ومادا

وانتشى منها ومادا

The universe shone and sang,

The universe shone and sang praise,

and grew intoxicated by it and swayed.

And it delighted and stretched from it.

وأرى سيفاًكسيفٍ

وأرى سيفاًكسيفٍ

مُغمدٍ شقّ الغمادا

مُغمدٍ شقّ الغمادا

And I see Saif as a sword,

And I see a sword like an unsheathed sword,

sheathed, yet splitting its scabbard.

That split the scabbard.

أوقد الهمة عزماً

أوقد الهمة عزماً

وانتضى الجِدّ اجتهادا

وانتضى الجِدّ اجتهادا

He kindled aspiration with resolve,

It ignited ambition with determination,

and unsheathed earnestness in diligent striving.

And the struggle shone diligence.

وأرى الباقين طرّاً

وأرى الباقين طرّاً

أنجماً زُهراً صِلادا

أنجماً زُهراً صِلادا

And I see all the others

And I see the rest as birds,

as radiant, unyielding stars.

Flowers, and potent trees.

إيه يا محسن أحسنـ

إيه يا محسن أحسنـ

ـت فأجملت الودادا

ـت فأجملت الودادا

Ah, Muhsin, you have done well,

O Mohsin you did good,

and made affection beautiful.

And you beautified affection.

لم تزل للعلم اهلاً

لم تزل للعلم اهلاً

ولأهليهِ سِنادا

ولأهليهِ سِنادا

You have always been worthy of learning,

You have always been a man of knowledge,

and a support to its people.

And a pillar for its people.

تزرع المعروف فضلاً

تزرع المعروف فضلاً

ثم تجنيه حصادا

ثم تجنيه حصادا

You sow kindness generously,

You plant good deeds,

then reap it as a harvest.

Then you harvest its crops.

كيف يا محسن قد طا

كيف يا محسن قد طا

وعك الطوْد انقيادا

وعك الطوْد انقيادا

How, Muhsin, has it yielded

How O Mohsin did your pillar rise high,

to you—the mountain—in submission?

Submitting with obedience.

جبل الشيبةأعلي

جبل الشيبةأعلي

ت فطاولت الشدادا

ت فطاولت الشدادا

Mount al-Shaybah, you raised it high,

The mountain of old age is the highest,

and rivaled the mighty peaks,

Yet you made its ruggedness succumb.

مُوقداً بالنار سِفراً

مُوقداً بالنار سِفراً

منه تُذكيه اتقادا

منه تُذكيه اتقادا

kindling a volume with fire,

Kindling the journey with fire,

from it, fanning it into a blaze.

From which you revive it with ignition.

وغداً يشرق عِلماً

وغداً يشرق عِلماً

نوره للكون غادى

نوره للكون غادى

And tomorrow it will shine with knowledge,

And tomorrow knowledge will shine,

its light reaching the universe at dawn,

Its light is for the universe to take.

بصلاة وسلامٍ

بصلاة وسلامٍ

تنشر الطيب برادا

تنشر الطيب برادا

with blessings and peace,

With prayers and peace,

spreading perfume as cool refreshment,

That spreads good scent broadly.

لنبيّ الله والآ

لنبيّ الله والآ

ل وللصحب امتدادا

ل وللصحب امتدادا

for God's Prophet and his family,

For Allah’s Prophet and his family,

and for his Companions, unceasingly:

And whoever increased his knowledge and praised his people.

من زكى بالعلم فضلاً

من زكى بالعلم فضلاً

وبأهليه أشادا

وبأهليه أشادا

he who grew in virtue through knowledge,

and extolled its people.