يا نجمَ دين الله حي

يا نجمَ دين الله حي

نَ تُمدُّ أسدافُ الضّلالِ

نَ تُمدُّ أسدافُ الضّلالِ

O star of God's faith, when

O star of the living religion of God

the dark veils of error are spread;

You oppose the outstretched wings of misguidance

والمُجْتلى بلواحظِ الت

والمُجْتلى بلواحظِ الت

تبجيلِ في أفُقِ المعالي

تبجيلِ في أفُقِ المعالي

And you, beheld with glances of

And the one adorned with the ornaments of glory

reverence, on the horizon of lofty honors;

In the horizons of sublimity

والوارثُ المجدَ الأثي

والوارثُ المجدَ الأثي

لَ الأصلِ عن عمٍّ وخالِ

لَ الأصلِ عن عمٍّ وخالِ

And heir to glory of ancient

The inheritor of ancestral glory

stock, from paternal and maternal uncles;

From an uncle and maternal uncle

والمغتدى للمُعتدى

والمغتدى للمُعتدى

بيديْ مَصالِ بني مَصالِ

بيديْ مَصالِ بني مَصالِ

And the morning refuge for one assailed

And the transgressor against the transgressed

at the hands of Maṣāl of the sons of Maṣāl;

With hands that wield deadly weapons

حلي كما لا تشتهي

حلي كما لا تشتهي

يا بْنَ الأكارمِ شرُّ حالِ

يا بْنَ الأكارمِ شرُّ حالِ

My condition, as you would not wish,

My situation is not what I desire

O son of the noblest, is the worst of conditions.

O son of the generous, the worst of states

نُكِّسْتُ في الأسفارِ بع

نُكِّسْتُ في الأسفارِ بع

دَ إفاقتي نكْسَ الهلالِ

دَ إفاقتي نكْسَ الهلالِ

I relapsed in my travels, after

I was inverted on journeys after

my recovery—a decline like the crescent's.

My awareness, inverted like the crescent moon

ولرُبَّ خِلٍّ قد شكو

ولرُبَّ خِلٍّ قد شكو

تُ له فأصبح ذا اختلالِ

تُ له فأصبح ذا اختلالِ

And many a friend I have complained

And for many sorrows I have complained

to has then fallen into distress;

To him, so he became disordered

أو سيّدٍ علّقْتُه

أو سيّدٍ علّقْتُه

أملي فمال الى المَلالِ

أملي فمال الى المَلالِ

Or a lord on whom I pinned

Or a master to whom I entrusted

my hope, only for him to grow weary.

My hopes, but he inclined toward indifference

وعلى النهايةِ إنني

وعلى النهايةِ إنني

أصبحتُ مالي رأسُ مالِ

أصبحتُ مالي رأسُ مالِ

And, in short, I

And in the end, I

have come to possess no capital.

Have nothing left but principal wealth

ولديهِ ما يصفُ الطبي

ولديهِ ما يصفُ الطبي

بُ من المعاجنِ والمَغالي

بُ من المعاجنِ والمَغالي

And it holds what the physician prescribes:

While he has what the perfumer describes

medicinal pastes and decoctions.

Of ointments and fragrant oils

والكيسُ مثلُ الرّأسِ لو

والكيسُ مثلُ الرّأسِ لو

لا علةٌ نالتْهُ خالِ

لا علةٌ نالتْهُ خالِ

And the purse, as the head would be were it

And the wise man is like the head - if

not for an ailment that seized it, is empty.

No illness befell him, nothing left wanting

ووحقِّ فضلِك إنه

ووحقِّ فضلِك إنه

قسَمُ المعاني والمعالي

قسَمُ المعاني والمعالي

And by the honor of your bounty—this is

And by the truth of your merit, verily

an oath by noble qualities and lofty honors—

You dispense meaning and sublimity

لئنِ اعتمَدْتُ على سوا

لئنِ اعتمَدْتُ على سوا

كَ لقد أحلْتُ على المُحالِ

كَ لقد أحلْتُ على المُحالِ

Were I to rely on anyone other

If I depend on you alone

than you, I would surely be banking on the impossible.

I will attain the impossible

فانعَمْ وأنعِمْ بالذي

فانعَمْ وأنعِمْ بالذي

توليه من منَنٍ توالي

توليه من منَنٍ توالي

So live in bliss, and be generous with what

So bestow and grant that

you bestow of favors, one after another.

Which you undertake of successive favors

واقبَلْ سؤالي فيّ غي

واقبَلْ سؤالي فيّ غي

رَ مقصِّرٍ واقبَلْ سؤالي

رَ مقصِّرٍ واقبَلْ سؤالي

And accept my plea; in my case, do not

And accept my request though I am

fall short—and accept my plea—

Negligent, accept my request

لا أرتضيه في النّدى

لا أرتضيه في النّدى

مَثَلاً يكونُ بلا مثالِ

مَثَلاً يكونُ بلا مثالِ

I would not have it, in matters of generosity,

I do not approve for myself in companionship

be a saying with no example.

An example that is without peer