1. كذا الرُزءُ إِذ أَودَى فَتَى العِلمِ والذِّكرَى

    فَهَل حِينَ عَزَّ الصَّبرُ مِن بائِعٍ صَبرا

    Such is the loss, now that the noble man of learning and remembrance has died.

    So, when patience has grown scarce, is anyone selling patience?

  2. عَهِدتُ اصطِباري في الحُروبِ أَخاوفاً

    فإِذ خانَنِي ذا اليَومَ أَوسَعتُهُ عُذرا

    I had known my endurance in wars as a faithful brother;

    so when it betrayed me today, I granted it ample excuse.

  3. وَما لِيَ لم أُوسِعهُ عُذراً وَقَد مَضَى

    أَبُو الفَضلِ في الدُنيا إِلى مَنزِلِ الأُخرى

    And why should I not excuse it fully, now that he has departed—

    Abu al-Fadl—from this world to the abode of the next?

  4. هُوَ الشَّيخُ إبراهِيمُ شَمسُ بِلادِنا

    ضُحَى المُهتَدي فيها وَبَدرٌ لِمَن أَسرى

    He is Sheikh Ibrahim, the sun of our land,

    the morning light for the guided there, and a full moon for the night traveler.

  5. تَنَكَّرَتِ الأَحساءُ يَومَ وفاتِهِ

    فسُكّانُها حَيرَى وَأَرجاؤُها غَبرا

    Al-Ahsa became unrecognizable on the day of his death;

    so its inhabitants were bewildered, and its quarters dust-gray.

  6. إِمامٌ إذا فَخَّمتُهُ شَهِدَت لَهُ

    أَياديهِ فِينا وَالمَعالي التي تُدرى

    An imam—when I extol him, witness is borne for him

    by his favors among us and his well-known noble deeds,

  7. وَأَهلُ العُقولِ الراجِحاتِ مِنَ الوَرى

    وَكلُّ حَليمٍ يَشتَري المَجدَ إِذ يُشرى

    and by people of sound judgment among humankind,

    and every wise man who buys glory when it can be bought.

  8. فَلِلَّه حَبرٌ حِينَ تُجلَى صِفاتُهُ

    تأَرَّجَتِ الآفاقُ مِن نَشرِها عِطرا

    What a scholar, by God! When his qualities are unveiled,

    the horizons grow fragrant with their spreading perfume.

  9. مَواعِظُهُ فَوقَ القُلُوبِ زَواهِرٌ

    تَراءى عَلى أَرجائِها أَنجُماً زُهرا

    His exhortations shine above hearts,

    appearing across their reaches as radiant stars.

  10. مَوَاعِظُ حَبرٍ عَن كِتاب إِلهِهِ

    وَعَن سُنَّةِ المُختارِ يَنشُرُها نَشرا

    A scholar's exhortations, drawn from the Book of his God

    and from the Chosen One's tradition—he spreads them far and wide.

  11. فآراؤُهُ حَزمٌ وَسِيرَتُهُ هُدىً

    وَأَلفاظُهُ نُور وَرُؤيَتُهُ ذِكرَى

    So his judgments are firm resolve, and his conduct guidance;

    and his words are light, and the sight of him a reminder.

  12. حَلِيمٌ وَلَكِن حِينَ لَم يلقَ مُنكَراً

    فإِن يَلقَهُ أَلفَيتَهُ ضَيغماً بَحرا

    Forbearing—but only while he encounters no wrongdoing;

    but if he encounters it, you find him a lion, an ocean.

  13. مَواقِفُهُ في نُصرَةِ الدِّينِ جَمَّةٌ

    فِخامٌ فَسَل مَن قَد أَحاطَ بِهِ خُبرا

    His stands in defense of the faith are many,

    and mighty—so ask one who knows him thoroughly.

  14. عَلى أَنَّهُ مِن آلِ بَيتٍ تَعَوَّدُوا

    إِذا أُمَّةٌ مِنهُم خَلَت سارَتِ الأُخرى

    Moreover, he comes from a household whose custom is this:

    when one generation of them passes, the next carries on.

  15. فَسَل سالِفَ الأَيامِ عَن سالِفِيهِمُ

    تَرَى منهُمُ الساداتِ مِن نَسلِهِم تَترَى

    So ask the days of old about their forebears;

    you will see leaders from their stock following one another.

  16. وفِينا بِحَمدِ اللَّهِ منهُم جَهابِذٌ

    حُماةٌ هُداةٌ لا تَمَلُّ وَلا تَكرَى

    And among us, praise be to God, are eminent scholars from their number,

    protectors and guides who neither weary nor grow drowsy.

  17. مَعاليهِمُ في سَابِقِ الدَّهرِ غُرَّةٌ

    تُجَمِّلُ مِنهُم كلَّ آوِنَةٍ عَصرا

    Their noble deeds are a radiant mark in time gone by,

    through them adorning age after age.

  18. جَمالُ وجُوهٍ مَع فَصاحَةِ أَلسُنٍ

    وكِبرُ نُفُوسٍ عَن مُلابَسَةِ الصُّغرى

    Beauty of faces, together with eloquence of tongues,

    and souls too lofty to engage in pettiness.

  19. مَخائِلُهُم تُنبيكَ قَبلَ اختِبارِهم

    عَلى أَنَّهُم أَهلُ العُقُولِ ولا فَخرا

    Their bearing tells you, before you test them,

    that they are people of reason—and this is no boast.

  20. هُمُ جَمَعُوا عِلماً وحِلماً وعِفَّةً

    سِماحُ أَكُفٍّ لا تُلِمُّ بِهم عَورَا

    They have combined knowledge, forbearance, and chastity,

    generous of hand, untouched by disgrace.

  21. فَقُل لِلكِرامِ الغُرِّ آلِ مُبارَكٍ

    لَقَد كنتُمُ في كلِّ نادٍ عَلا صَدرا

    So tell the noble, illustrious Al Mubarak family:

    You have indeed held the highest place in every gathering,

  22. بِخِدمَتِكُم شَرعَ الإِلهِ وَمَن يَقُم

    بِخِدمَةِ شَرعِ اللَّه سادَ الوَرى طُرّا

    through your service to God's law; and whoever undertakes

    service to God's law becomes master of all humankind.

  23. فأَبدُوا مَزِيداً من تَنافُسِكُم بِهِ

    وَجِدُّوا لهُ حِفظاً وَجِدُّوا لهُ إِقرا

    So show still greater eagerness to excel in its service,

    and strive to preserve it, and strive to teach it.

  24. أَلا واجعَلُوا التَقوى السَّبيلَ إِلى المُنى

    فلَيسَ إِليهِ غيرُ تَقوى الفَتى مَجرى

    Take heed, and make piety the path to your hopes,

    for no road leads there except a person's piety.

  25. هِيَ العَيشُ في الدُّنيا هِيَ النُورُ وَالهُدى

    هي الأمنُ يَومَ النَّشرِ والفَوزُ والسَّرا

    It is life in this world; it is light and guidance,

    it is safety on the Day of Resurrection, triumph, and joy.

  26. وَراعُوا خِلالاً كُنَّ في مَكرُماتِكُم

    لكُم سَلِمَت فيها السَعادَةُ والبُشرى

    And safeguard the traits counted among your noble qualities,

    through which happiness and glad tidings remain secure for you:

  27. حَقارَةُ دُنياكُمُ وَحِفظُ اجتِماعِكُم

    وَرَعيكُمُ الشُورى مَتى تُبرِمُوا أَمرا

    holding your worldly life in little regard, and preserving your unity,

    and heeding consultation whenever you decide a matter,

  28. وَإِعطاءُ أهلِ السِّنِّ مِنكُم حُقُوقَهُم

    بِطاعَتِهِم أَمراً وَتَعظِيمِهِم قَدرا

    and granting the elders among you their rights,

    by obeying their commands and honoring their rank.

  29. فَهَذِي وَصايا العاقِلينَ وهذِهِ

    تِجارَةُ أَهلِ الفَضلِ أَنتُم بِها أَحرى

    These, then, are the counsels of the wise, and this is

    the commerce of the virtuous; you are most worthy of it.