دَعِ الوقوفَ على الأطلال والدمَنِ

دَعِ الوقوفَ على الأطلال والدمَنِ

وذِكر جيرتكَ الغادين للظَّعنِ

وذِكر جيرتكَ الغادين للظَّعنِ

Leave off standing by the ruins and traces of old camps,

Forget standing at the ruins and blaming

And recalling your neighbors who set out at dawn to journey away.

And mentioning your absent neighbors with reproach

وامدح فتى حظُّه من وفر ثَروته

وامدح فتى حظُّه من وفر ثَروته

كحظ ناظِرِه من وجهِهِ الحسنِ

كحظ ناظِرِه من وجهِهِ الحسنِ

And praise a youth whose share of his abundant wealth

And praise a young man whose share of abundant wealth

Is like his eye's share of his handsome face.

Is like the share of one who sees his beautiful face

كما يَرى الناسُ في يومٍ محاسِنَهُ

كما يَرى الناسُ في يومٍ محاسِنَهُ

ما لا يَراهُنَّ بالمرآةِ في الزمن

ما لا يَراهُنَّ بالمرآةِ في الزمن

Just as people see in a single day beauties of his

As people see his virtues one day

That he never sees in the mirror over a lifetime,

That they do not see in the mirror over time

كذاك حظُّهمُ من ماله ولهُ

كذاك حظُّهمُ من ماله ولهُ

أدنَاهُ إذ لا يرى في ذاك من غَبنِ

أدنَاهُ إذ لا يرى في ذاك من غَبنِ

So too is their share of his wealth, while he has

So too is their share of his money and wealth

The least of it, for he sees no loss in that.

More constricted as he does not see in that any fraud

لا يشتري الحمدَ بل يُعطي اللُّهى هِبةً

لا يشتري الحمدَ بل يُعطي اللُّهى هِبةً

لا حمدَ للمشتري في الجُود بالثمنِ

لا حمدَ للمشتري في الجُود بالثمنِ

He does not buy praise, but bestows largesse as a gift;

He does not buy praise but Allah gives gracefully

No praise is due to the buyer who gives for a price.

No praise to the buyer in generosity for a price

ممن يَرَى أنه لم يُعْطِ سائله

ممن يَرَى أنه لم يُعْطِ سائله

إلا إذا هو أَعفاه من المؤن

إلا إذا هو أَعفاه من المؤن

He is one who believes he has not given to his petitioner

Of one who sees he did not give his beggar

Unless he has relieved him of his burdens.

Except when he exempted him from provision

ولا يَرَى مَنَّه مَنَّاً على أحدٍ

ولا يَرَى مَنَّه مَنَّاً على أحدٍ

حتى تحمَّل عنه مَحْمل المِنَن

حتى تحمَّل عنه مَحْمل المِنَن

Nor does he regard his favor as a favor to anyone

And does not see his favor as a favor upon anyone

Until he has shouldered for him the burden of favors.

Until he shoulders instead the burdens of obligations

من ذاك أضحى جميل الذكر متصلاً

من ذاك أضحى جميل الذكر متصلاً

به الثناء اتصالَ الروح بالبدنِ

به الثناء اتصالَ الروح بالبدنِ

Thus he has become fair in repute, closely attended

From that he became fair of mention, inseparable

By praise, as the soul is joined to the body.

Is praise of him, attachment of soul to body

يا ابنَ المُسيَّب خُذها مِدْحةً قصُرتْ

يا ابنَ المُسيَّب خُذها مِدْحةً قصُرتْ

وطال فيها عناءُ الدهرِ والفطنِ

وطال فيها عناءُ الدهرِ والفطنِ

O son of al-Musayyab, accept this brief poem of praise;

O son of Musayyab, take it as a poem I shortened

Though long has been the toil of time and keen minds upon it.

And the misery of fate and discernment prolonged in it

لها مَحاسنُ في الأسماعِ مُونقةٌ

لها مَحاسنُ في الأسماعِ مُونقةٌ

تدعو الحسُودَ إلى الإصغاء والأَذنِ

تدعو الحسُودَ إلى الإصغاء والأَذنِ

It has beauties delightful to the ears,

It has elegant virtues in hearing

Inviting the envious to listen and give ear.

That invite the envious to listen and ear