أَبا الفَضائِلِ يا مَن في مُفاضَتِهِ

أَبا الفَضائِلِ يا مَن في مُفاضَتِهِ

بَدرٌ وَبَحرٌ وَثُعبانٌ وَرئبالُ

بَدرٌ وَبَحرٌ وَثُعبانٌ وَرئبالُ

O Abu al-Fada’il, you whose ample coat of mail holds

O' embodiment of virtue, in whose overflowing grace

a full moon, a sea, a serpent, and a lion.

Is a full moon, an ocean, a serpent, and a lion,

لا تَحلِفَنَّ بِقَولِ المُرجِفينَ وَما

لا تَحلِفَنَّ بِقَولِ المُرجِفينَ وَما

قَد زَخرَفُوا فَعَلى ذا الوَضعِ ما زالُوا

قَد زَخرَفُوا فَعَلى ذا الوَضعِ ما زالُوا

Never swear by the rumormongers’ words, or by what

Do not swear by the words of alarmists though

they have embellished, for they have always been this way.

They have embellished; they remain in this position

فَقَد عَهِدتُكَ طَوداً ما تُزَعزِعُهُ

فَقَد عَهِدتُكَ طَوداً ما تُزَعزِعُهُ

نَكباءُ عادٍ فكَيفَ القِيلُ وَالقالُ

نَكباءُ عادٍ فكَيفَ القِيلُ وَالقالُ

For I have known you as a mountain unshaken

I knew you as an unshakable mountain that

by ‘Ad’s crosswind—how, then, could idle talk shake you?

The adversities of ‘Aad cannot shake

مَن ذا يَهُمُّ بِغابٍ أَنتَ ضيغمُهُ

مَن ذا يَهُمُّ بِغابٍ أَنتَ ضيغمُهُ

وَحَولَكَ الأُسدُ في الماذِيِّ تَختالُ

وَحَولَكَ الأُسدُ في الماذِيِّ تَختالُ

Who would set his sights on a thicket whose lion you are,

Who would worry about a forest when you are its guardian

while around you lions swagger in fine chain mail?

And around you the lion prowls mightily?

قَد كُنتَ وَحدَكَ لا جُندٌ وَلا عَدَدٌ

قَد كُنتَ وَحدَكَ لا جُندٌ وَلا عَدَدٌ

وَقَد أَتَوكَ فَقُل لي ما الَّذي نالُوا

وَقَد أَتَوكَ فَقُل لي ما الَّذي نالُوا

You were alone, with neither troops nor numbers,

You were alone, no army or troops

and they came upon you; tell me, what did they gain?

Yet they came to you, so tell me what they attained

هَل غَيرُ إحراقِ غَلّاتٍ وَقَد شَقِيَت

هَل غَيرُ إحراقِ غَلّاتٍ وَقَد شَقِيَت

بِهِم عَجائِزُ هِمّاتٌ وَأَطفالُ

بِهِم عَجائِزُ هِمّاتٌ وَأَطفالُ

Was it anything but burning crops, while misery befell

Other than burning farms, where old women

decrepit old women and children at their hands?

And infants were devastated

وَكُلُّ ذا لَيسَ يُشفى غَيظَ ذي حَنَقٍ

وَكُلُّ ذا لَيسَ يُشفى غَيظَ ذي حَنَقٍ

وَكَيفَ يَشفي غَليلَ الحائِمِ الآلُ

وَكَيفَ يَشفي غَليلَ الحائِمِ الآلُ

And none of this assuages the wrath of one enraged;

All this does not soothe one angry

and how can a mirage slake the thirst of one seeking water?

Nor does it relieve the resentful's anguish

وَأَنتَ لَو شِئتَ أَضحَت كُلُّ ناحِيَةٍ

وَأَنتَ لَو شِئتَ أَضحَت كُلُّ ناحِيَةٍ

مِن أَرضِهِم وَبِها نَوحٌ وَإِعوالُ

مِن أَرضِهِم وَبِها نَوحٌ وَإِعوالُ

And had you wished, every district would have been filled,

Had you wished, every region of their land

throughout their land, with lamentation and wailing.

Would have been filled with lament and howling

لَكِن أَبى لَكَ حِلمٌ راسِخٌ وَتُقىً

لَكِن أَبى لَكَ حِلمٌ راسِخٌ وَتُقىً

ما لا تَوَهَّمهُ غَوغاءُ جُهّالُ

ما لا تَوَهَّمهُ غَوغاءُ جُهّالُ

But steadfast forbearance and piety held you back

But established wisdom and piety prevented you

from what an ignorant rabble could not imagine.

That the ignorant rabble cannot perceive

وَأَنتَ تَعلَمُ لازِلتَ المَنيعَ حِمىً

وَأَنتَ تَعلَمُ لازِلتَ المَنيعَ حِمىً

أَنَّ الشَدائِدَ لِلساداتِ غِربالُ

أَنَّ الشَدائِدَ لِلساداتِ غِربالُ

And you know—may your domain ever remain impregnable—

You know you are still an impenetrable protector

that hardships are a sieve for lords.

For champions, tribulations are but a filter

قَد أَحسَنَ المُتَنَبّي إِذ يَقولُ وَما

قَد أَحسَنَ المُتَنَبّي إِذ يَقولُ وَما

زالَت لَهُ حِكَمٌ تُروى وَأَمثالُ

زالَت لَهُ حِكَمٌ تُروى وَأَمثالُ

Al-Mutanabbi did well to say—and never

Al-Mutanabbi said it well, his wisdom

have his wise sayings and proverbs ceased to be recounted—

Remains narrated, his proverbs recited

لا يُدرِكُ المَجدَ إِلّا سَيّدٌ فَطِنٌ

لا يُدرِكُ المَجدَ إِلّا سَيّدٌ فَطِنٌ

لِما يَشُقُّ عَلى الساداتِ فَعّالُ

لِما يَشُقُّ عَلى الساداتِ فَعّالُ

“None attains glory but an astute lord,

Glory is only attained by a wise champion

who does what other lords find hard.”

Who can withstand what breaks the great

وَأَنتَ ذاكَ الَّذي نَعني فَلا اِنقَطَعَت

وَأَنتَ ذاكَ الَّذي نَعني فَلا اِنقَطَعَت

إِلى القِيامَةِ لِلراجيكَ آمالُ

إِلى القِيامَةِ لِلراجيكَ آمالُ

And you are the one we mean; may there never fail

It is you we mean, so may the hopes not cease

until the Resurrection, the hopes of those who look to you.

Of those who seek you, until the Day of Judgment

وَسُرَّ وَاِسعَد بِذا الشَهرِ الأَصَمِّ فَقَد

وَسُرَّ وَاِسعَد بِذا الشَهرِ الأَصَمِّ فَقَد

وَافاكَ يَصحَبُهُ نَصرٌ وَإِقبالُ

وَافاكَ يَصحَبُهُ نَصرٌ وَإِقبالُ

And rejoice and be happy in this Deaf Month, for

Rejoice and delight in this blessed month, for

it has come to you accompanied by victory and good fortune.

Victory and prosperity have come to you

وَاِسلَم وَدُم في نَعيمٍ شامِلٍ وَعُلاً

وَاِسلَم وَدُم في نَعيمٍ شامِلٍ وَعُلاً

ما دامَ لِلعَيشِ بِالوَعساءِ إِرقالُ

ما دامَ لِلعَيشِ بِالوَعساءِ إِرقالُ

And stay safe, and abide in all-embracing bliss and eminence,

Submit, live in all-encompassing bliss and esteem

as long as life has a swift gait across the soft sands.

As long as distress remains for the wretched