أَبو بَحرٍ أَشدُّ الناسِ مَنّاً

أَبو بَحرٍ أَشدُّ الناسِ مَنّاً

عَلَينا بَعدَ حَيِّ أَبي المُغيرَه

عَلَينا بَعدَ حَيِّ أَبي المُغيرَه

Abu Bahr is the most bountiful of men

Abu Bahar, most generous of men

toward us, after the clan of Abu al-Mughira.

To us, after the life of Abi Mughirah

لَعَمرُكَ ما نَهَضتُ بِنَفسِ شَوٍّ

لَعَمرُكَ ما نَهَضتُ بِنَفسِ شَوٍّ

بِها وَهَنٌ وَلا هِمَم قَصيرَه

بِها وَهَنٌ وَلا هِمَم قَصيرَه

By your life, I have not risen with a worthless man's soul,

By your life! My soul rose not with frivolity

beset by weakness or low ambitions.

In it is weakness, nor short ambitions

لَقَد أَبقى لَنا الحِدثانُ مِنهُ

لَقَد أَبقى لَنا الحِدثانُ مِنهُ

اخا ثِقَةٍ مَنافِعُهُ كَثيرَه

اخا ثِقَةٍ مَنافِعُهُ كَثيرَه

Time's vicissitudes have indeed left us, in him,

Indeed he left for us the two youths from him

a trustworthy brother whose benefits are many.

Brothers, trustworthy, of benefits plentiful

قَريبُ الخَيرِ سَهلٌ غَير وَعرٍ

قَريبُ الخَيرِ سَهلٌ غَير وَعرٍ

وَبَعضُ الخَيرِ تَمنَعُهُ الوُعورَه

وَبَعضُ الخَيرِ تَمنَعُهُ الوُعورَه

His goodness is near; he is approachable, not rugged,

Nearby good, easy, not rugged

while roughness bars some goodness.

And some good made inaccessible by roughness

بَصَرتَ بِأَنَّنا أَصحابُ حَقٍّ

بَصَرتَ بِأَنَّنا أَصحابُ حَقٍّ

نُدِلُّ بِهِ وَإِخوانٌ وَجيرَه

نُدِلُّ بِهِ وَإِخوانٌ وَجيرَه

You saw that we possess a right

You saw that we possess a right

on which we presume, and are brothers and neighbors,

To which we point, and brethren and neighbors

وَأَهلُ مَضيعَةٍ فَوَجَدتَ خَيراً

وَأَهلُ مَضيعَةٍ فَوَجَدتَ خَيراً

مِنَ الخُلاَّنِ فيها وَالعَشيرَه

مِنَ الخُلاَّنِ فيها وَالعَشيرَه

and people left in need; you proved better

And people of a settlement, so you found better

in that plight than close friends and kinsfolk.

Than wastrels in it and the clan

فَإِنَّكَ ما عَلِمتُ وَكُلُّ نَفسٍ

فَإِنَّكَ ما عَلِمتُ وَكُلُّ نَفسٍ

تُرى صَفحاتُها وَلَها سَريرَه

تُرى صَفحاتُها وَلَها سَريرَه

For you, as I know you—and every soul

For you knew not, and every soul

shows its outward faces and has a hidden self—

Its pages seen, and it has a bed

لَذو قَلبٍ بِذي القُربى رَحيمٍ

لَذو قَلبٍ بِذي القُربى رَحيمٍ

وَذو عَينٍ بِما بَلَغت بَصيرَه

وَذو عَينٍ بِما بَلَغت بَصيرَه

surely possess a heart compassionate toward kin,

Possessor of a heart merciful to kinsman

and an eye discerning all within its reach.

And an eye, to what its sight attained

لَعَمرُكَ ما حَشاكَ اللَهُ نَفساً

لَعَمرُكَ ما حَشاكَ اللَهُ نَفساً

بِها جَشَعٌ وَلا نَفساً شَريرَه

بِها جَشَعٌ وَلا نَفساً شَريرَه

By your life, God has not filled you with a soul

By your life! Allah did not make you a soul

harboring greed, nor with an evil soul.

In it greed, nor an evil soul

وَلَكِن أَنتَ لا شَرِسٌ غَليظٌ

وَلَكِن أَنتَ لا شَرِسٌ غَليظٌ

وَلا هَشِمٌ تَنازَعُهُ خُؤورَه

وَلا هَشِمٌ تَنازَعُهُ خُؤورَه

Yet you are no fierce, harsh man,

But you are no fierce, harsh man

nor a weakling assailed by faintheartedness.

Nor crumbling, quarrelled by gloom

بِخَيرِ خَليقَةٍ وَبِخَير خُلقٍ

بِخَيرِ خَليقَةٍ وَبِخَير خُلقٍ

خُلِقتَ فَزادَكَ اللَهُ الغَفيرَه

خُلِقتَ فَزادَكَ اللَهُ الغَفيرَه

With the finest nature and the finest character

With the best of temperaments and the best of manners

you were created; may God grant you greater abundance.

You were created, and God increased you bounty

كَأَنّا إِذ أَتَيناهُ نَزَلنا

كَأَنّا إِذ أَتَيناهُ نَزَلنا

بِجانِبِ رَوضَةٍ رَيّا مَطيرَه

بِجانِبِ رَوضَةٍ رَيّا مَطيرَه

It was as though, when we came to him, we alighted

As if, when we came to him, we alighted

beside a lush, rain-watered meadow.

Beside a meadow, fresh rainwatered