ترفّعْ إلى النجم العليِّ مكانُه

ترفّعْ إلى النجم العليِّ مكانُه

ونَل كل ما منّاه نفسَك فضلُها

ونَل كل ما منّاه نفسَك فضلُها

You have risen to the lofty star’s own station,

Rise to the star whose station is lofty,

and won all that your soul’s excellence made it aspire to.

And attain all your soul's excellence has led it to hope for;

ولا تتكبّرْ عند ذلك كله

ولا تتكبّرْ عند ذلك كله

فَوَ اللَّهِ ما نلتَ التي أنت أهلُها

فَوَ اللَّهِ ما نلتَ التي أنت أهلُها

Yet never grow proud over all of that,

Yet do not grow arrogant amid all of that,

for, by God, you have not attained the station you deserve.

For, by God, you have not attained what you deserve.

عذرتُك لو نلتَ التي أنت دونَها

عذرتُك لو نلتَ التي أنت دونَها

من الأمرِ أو نلتَ التي أنت عِدلُها

من الأمرِ أو نلتَ التي أنت عِدلُها

I could excuse you had you attained a rank beyond your worth,

I would excuse you had you attained a station above you

in office—or attained one equal to you.

In rank, or attained one equal to you;

ولا عذرَ إن نِلتَ التي أنت فوقها

ولا عذرَ إن نِلتَ التي أنت فوقها

على هذه الصغرى التي قلّ عذلُها

على هذه الصغرى التي قلّ عذلُها

But there is no excuse if you attain one beneath you

But if you attained a station beneath you, there is no excuse

and vaunt this lesser prize, whose reproach is slight.

For this lesser failing, so little reproached.

أمثلُ الذي قد نلتَ يكبُر قدْرُه

أمثلُ الذي قد نلتَ يكبُر قدْرُه

لدى نفسك الكبرى التي ليس مثلُها

لدى نفسك الكبرى التي ليس مثلُها

Can the like of what you have attained loom great in worth

Can the like of what you have attained seem great

before your great soul, which has no peer?

To your great soul, which has no equal?

ولا عذرَ للحالِ التي ضنَّ فرعُها

ولا عذرَ للحالِ التي ضنَّ فرعُها

علينا بما فيه إذا اشتدّ أصلُها

علينا بما فيه إذا اشتدّ أصلُها

Nor is there excuse for a fortune whose branch begrudges

Nor is that state excused whose branch withholds

us what it bears once its root has grown strong.

From us what it holds, once its root grows strong.

عهدْنا لك الكفَّ التي جلَّ بذلُها

عهدْنا لك الكفَّ التي جلَّ بذلُها

فلِمْ قلّ لما زادك الله بذْلُها

فلِمْ قلّ لما زادك الله بذْلُها

We have known as yours a hand magnificent in giving;

We knew your hand, whose giving was immense;

why then, when God increased you, did its giving diminish?

So why did its giving dwindle when God gave you more?

وما قلّ إلا عندَ عبدِك وحده

وما قلّ إلا عندَ عبدِك وحده

وقد جِيد حَزْنُ الأرضِ منها وسهلُها

وقد جِيد حَزْنُ الأرضِ منها وسهلُها

And it has grown scant only toward your servant, and him alone,

Yet it dwindled only toward your servant alone,

though it has made the earth’s rough and level ground flourish.

Though the earth's rough ground and its plains were drenched by it.

أضأتَ لأهل الأرضِ غيري وأظلمتْ

أضأتَ لأهل الأرضِ غيري وأظلمتْ

لذلك نفسٌ حالف الليلَ رحلُها

لذلك نفسٌ حالف الليلَ رحلُها

You shone for all the earth’s people except me, and darkness fell

You shone for all on earth but me, and darkness fell

upon my soul thereby; its dwelling became night’s sworn companion.

Thus on a soul whose dwelling made a pact with night.

وصبّتْ على غيري فجادت بطلِّها

وصبّتْ على غيري فجادت بطلِّها

سماؤك حتى غرّق الناس هَطلُها

سماؤك حتى غرّق الناس هَطلُها

And upon others it poured, lavish with its gentle rain—

And it poured on others, giving freely of its gentle rain—

your sky—until its downpour drowned the people.

Your sky—until its downpour drowned the people.

فأنت لعمري في العلوِّ نظيرُها

فأنت لعمري في العلوِّ نظيرُها

وفي المجد مولاها وفي الحسنِ شكلُها

وفي المجد مولاها وفي الحسنِ شكلُها

For you, by my life, are its peer in loftiness,

For you, by my life, are its equal in loftiness,

its home in glory, and in beauty its likeness.

And in glory its master, and in beauty its likeness.

فجدْ مِثلَ ما جادت سحابةُ رحمةٍ

فجدْ مِثلَ ما جادت سحابةُ رحمةٍ

مطبّقةٌ عمَّ الخلائقَ وبلُها

مطبّقةٌ عمَّ الخلائقَ وبلُها

So give as freely as a cloud of mercy gives,

So give as a cloud of mercy gives—

all-enfolding, its downpour embracing every creature.

All-encompassing, its downpour reaching every creature.

مضى قبلكم قومٌ أطاعت نفوسُهم

مضى قبلكم قومٌ أطاعت نفوسُهم

هواها فأداها إلى الشرّ جهلُها

هواها فأداها إلى الشرّ جهلُها

Before you there passed a people whose souls obeyed

Before you passed a people whose souls obeyed

their own caprice; their ignorance led them into evil.

Their desires; their ignorance led them into evil.

وكانوا جرادَ الأرض يُفنون ريعَها

وكانوا جرادَ الأرض يُفنون ريعَها

وأنتم تمجُّ الشهدَ للناس نحلُها

وأنتم تمجُّ الشهدَ للناس نحلُها

They were the earth’s locusts, devouring its crops;

They were the earth's locusts, devouring its yield;

you are its bees, pouring honey out for humankind.

And you are its bees, pouring honey forth for the people.

بل المثلُ الأعلى لكم من عصابةٍ

بل المثلُ الأعلى لكم من عصابةٍ

غلامُ العلا منكم قديماً وكهلُها

غلامُ العلا منكم قديماً وكهلُها

Rather, among all clans the highest exemplar is yours:

Rather, yours is the highest example, as a fellowship

from ancient days, Glory’s youth and elder alike have come from you.

From whom, of old, came glory's youth and its elder.