الحمدُ لله ليس لي نشَبُ

الحمدُ لله ليس لي نشَبُ

لا وَرِقٌ حُزتُه ولا ذهَبُ

لا وَرِقٌ حُزتُه ولا ذهَبُ

Praise be to God: I have no wealth.

Praise be to God, I have no grudge

I have acquired neither silver nor gold.

Neither leaf I have folded nor gold

فخفّ ظهري منه وقلّ أذى

فخفّ ظهري منه وقلّ أذى

وِزْري فما فيّ لامرئٍ أرَبُ

وِزْري فما فيّ لامرئٍ أرَبُ

So my back is light without it, and the trouble

So my back is lightened of it, and my harm little

of my burden is slight; no one has any interest in me.

My burden, so I have no enmity towards anyone

فمَنْ رآني فقد أحاطَ بما

فمَنْ رآني فقد أحاطَ بما

في الدارِ عِلماً هذا هو العجَبُ

في الدارِ عِلماً هذا هو العجَبُ

Whoever sees me has full knowledge of what

So whoever saw me has comprehended

is in the house—this is the wonder.

In the house, knowledge, this is the wonder

سراجيَ البدرُ بالعشيّ وإنْ

سراجيَ البدرُ بالعشيّ وإنْ

أنامُ ليلاً وسادَتي خشَبُ

أنامُ ليلاً وسادَتي خشَبُ

The full moon is my evening lamp, and if

My lamp is the full moon at nightfall

I sleep at night, my pillow is wood.

And if I sleep at night, my pillow is wood

وخيمتي خيمةٌ بلا عَمَدٍ

وخيمتي خيمةٌ بلا عَمَدٍ

ولا لها قبّةٌ ولا طُنُبُ

ولا لها قبّةٌ ولا طُنُبُ

And my tent is a tent without poles,

And my tent is a tent without poles

and it has neither a dome nor a guy rope.

And has neither dome nor pegs

فلستُ أخسى اللصوصَ إن قطَنوا

فلستُ أخسى اللصوصَ إن قطَنوا

في منزلي ما حييتُ أو ذهبوا

في منزلي ما حييتُ أو ذهبوا

So I do not fear thieves, whether they dwell

So I am not inferior to thieves if they stayed

in my home as long as I live, or depart.

In my dwellings whether I lived or went away

وقد أتيت الإمامَ أحمدَ مَن

وقد أتيت الإمامَ أحمدَ مَن

له النُهى والجلاُ والحسبُ

له النُهى والجلاُ والحسبُ

And I have come to the imam Ahmad, who

And I came to the Imam Ahmad, he who

has wisdom, distinction, and noble standing.

Has the prohibition, glory and nobility

وسيلتي جودُ كفّه فله

وسيلتي جودُ كفّه فله

في بذْلِه الجَوْدِ للورى أرَبُ

في بذْلِه الجَوْدِ للورى أرَبُ

My means of approach is his hand’s bounty, for he

My request is the generosity of his palm, so for him

desires to bestow generosity upon mankind.

Is generosity to people the most plentiful

جاد فمن دون جودِه السُحُبُ

جاد فمن دون جودِه السُحُبُ

ثمّ تعالى فدونه الشُهُبُ

ثمّ تعالى فدونه الشُهُبُ

He gave generously—the clouds fall short of his bounty;

He is generous, beyond his generosity are the clouds

then rose aloft, and the shooting stars are beneath him.

Then, exalted is He above the meteors

يقصُرُ عنه ثوبُ الثّنا وعلى

يقصُرُ عنه ثوبُ الثّنا وعلى

سواهُ عند الإياسِ ينسحِبُ

سواهُ عند الإياسِ ينسحِبُ

The robe of praise is too short for him, and upon

The garment of praise falls short of him, and above

anyone else, when hope is lost, it trails.

All others at despair it withdraws

له صِفاتٌ لم تجتمِعْ لفتًى

له صِفاتٌ لم تجتمِعْ لفتًى

سواهُ حقاً كذا العُلى رُتَبُ

سواهُ حقاً كذا العُلى رُتَبُ

He has qualities never united in any man

He has traits that no youth has combined

other than him; truly, such are the ranks of eminence.

Except him, truly, thus the most sublime ranks

دار عليها مديحُنا فغدَتْ

دار عليها مديحُنا فغدَتْ

بالله تُلفى كأنها قُطُب

بالله تُلفى كأنها قُطُب

Our praise revolved around them, so they came

A house upon which our praise settled so it became

to seem, by God, like a pivot.

With God enveloped as if it were the pole

مدحْتُه صادقاً وإن مدحَ الن

مدحْتُه صادقاً وإن مدحَ الن

اسُ سواهُ يوماً فقد كذَبوا

اسُ سواهُ يوماً فقد كذَبوا

I praised him truthfully; and if the

I praised him truthfully, and if people praise

people ever praise another, they have lied.

Another one day, then they have lied

له يدٌ تسكبُ النوالَ كما

له يدٌ تسكبُ النوالَ كما

تسكُب في الأرض ماءَها السحُب

تسكُب في الأرض ماءَها السحُب

He has a hand that pours out bounty, just as

He has a hand that pours bounty as

the clouds pour their water onto the earth.

The clouds pour their water upon the earth

بطونُ أيدي الرجالِ فقد مُلئَتْ

بطونُ أيدي الرجالِ فقد مُلئَتْ

منه ومن مأثراتِه الكُتُب

منه ومن مأثراتِه الكُتُب

The palms of men’s hands have indeed been filled

The palms of men's hands have been filled

by him, and books with his glorious deeds.

From it and from its traces the books

يا أيها الحافظُ الذي حفظ الش

يا أيها الحافظُ الذي حفظ الش

رْعَ لك العِلمُ ثمّتَ الأدبُ

رْعَ لك العِلمُ ثمّتَ الأدبُ

O guardian who has preserved the

O you preserver who preserved the law

sacred law, yours are knowledge, and then literary refinement.

For you is knowledge, then etiquette

بقيتَ في الفضلِ دائماً أبداً

بقيتَ في الفضلِ دائماً أبداً

فأنتَ للفضلِ ما حييتَ أبُ

فأنتَ للفضلِ ما حييتَ أبُ

May you remain in excellence always, forever,

You remained in virtue always, forever

for you are the father of excellence as long as you live.

For you are, for as long as you live, virtuous