رعى الله عيشاً نِعمنا به

رعى الله عيشاً نِعمنا به

ملَياً وصرف النوى غافل

ملَياً وصرف النوى غافل

May God preserve the life we enjoyed

May Allah bless a life we enjoy,

For a long while, while separation's vicissitudes lay heedless.

Filled with ease as worries pass by unnoticed,

أمانٍ تُقضّى ولا غُصَّة

أمانٍ تُقضّى ولا غُصَّة

ووصل يُرَجّى ولا شاغل

ووصل يُرَجّى ولا شاغل

Wishes fulfilled, with no anguish,

With safety guaranteed and no distress,

And union hoped for, with no distraction.

A hoped-for union with no distraction,

ونعلو على الناس فيما نقول

ونعلو على الناس فيما نقول

وكلٌ له سامعٌ قابل

وكلٌ له سامعٌ قابل

And we excel others in what we say,

We rise above people in what we say,

And each has a receptive listener.

And all listen receptively,

ولم نكُ نجهل ريبَ الزمان

ولم نكُ نجهل ريبَ الزمان

وأنَّ المقيمَ به راحل

وأنَّ المقيمَ به راحل

Yet we were not unaware of time's reversals,

We were not ignorant of the whims of fate,

And that whoever dwells in it must depart.

That the one who stays will depart,

وأحسنُ ما كنت مغرىّ به

وأحسنُ ما كنت مغرىّ به

وصالُ فتىً خيرُهُ واصل

وصالُ فتىً خيرُهُ واصل

And the finest thing I was enamored of

The best I was tempted by,

Was companionship with a young man whose goodness reached others.

Was the union of a youth whose goodness was ever-present,

فلما نأى أخملتني الخطوبُ

فلما نأى أخملتني الخطوبُ

لمُن قَدرُه بالحيا خامل

لمُن قَدرُه بالحيا خامل

But when he went far away, misfortunes cast me into obscurity,

But when he went away, misfortunes weighed heavy on me,

To one whose worth pales beside the rain [wording unclear].

For one whose worth mixed with life lies dormant,

بعدت أين يحى فلم يحى لي

بعدت أين يحى فلم يحى لي

لبُعدك جاهٌ ولا نائل

لبُعدك جاهٌ ولا نائل

You went far away—where is Yahya?—and nothing lived on for me:

I wondered where Yahya was, but he did not live for me,

Because of your distance, neither standing nor bounty.

Without you, one of stature yet unable to attain,

وكنتُ ذخرتُك لي عدَّةً

وكنتُ ذخرتُك لي عدَّةً

ليشملني فضلك الشامل

ليشملني فضلك الشامل

And I had kept you in reserve as a safeguard for myself,

I had hoped you would be a reserve for me,

So that your all-embracing bounty might enfold me.

With your all-encompassing grace to envelop me,

وقلت إذا مُتُ فهو الوصيُّ

وقلت إذا مُتُ فهو الوصيُّ

على مَن أخلِّفُ والكافل

على مَن أخلِّفُ والكافل

And I said, 'If I die, he will be the appointed guardian

And said if I die, he is the guardian,

Of those I leave behind, and their provider.'

For those I leave behind and their provider,

فكيف احتيالي ومن دون ما

فكيف احتيالي ومن دون ما

ترجَّيتُه قدَرٌ حائل

ترجَّيتُه قدَرٌ حائل

How, then, can I find a way, when before what

So how could I strategize when without what,

I hoped for stands an obstructing fate?

I had hoped for, a determining fate intervened,

فيا أيها الصدرُ قاضي القضاة

فيا أيها الصدرُ قاضي القضاة

ومن طَول إحسانه طائل

ومن طَول إحسانه طائل

So, O foremost dignitary, judge of judges,

Oh you, the wise judge of judges,

And whose abundant kindness is vast,

With enduring benevolence that towers,

تملَّ بما حُزتَ من رفعةٍ

تملَّ بما حُزتَ من رفعةٍ

نعيمُكَ في ذيلها رافل

نعيمُكَ في ذيلها رافل

Enjoy at length the high rank you have attained,

Be content with the elevation you have attained,

Your bliss striding proudly in its flowing train.

Its eternal bliss trails behind it,

حباك إمامُ البرايا بها

حباك إمامُ البرايا بها

وكمَّلها جودُه الكامل

وكمَّلها جودُه الكامل

The imam of all creation endowed you with it,

The leader of all creation has loved you for it,

And his perfect generosity brought it to perfection.

And completed it with his perfect generosity,

إمامٌ هُمامُ جوادٌ رضيّ

إمامٌ هُمامُ جوادٌ رضيّ

كريمُ النَّثا عالمٌ عامل

كريمُ النَّثا عالمٌ عامل

An imam, valiant, generous, and well-pleasing,

A resolute, generous, pleased leader,

Of noble renown, learned and practicing his knowledge.

Noble, worldly and just ruler,

يسوس العبادَ ويُحيي البلادَ

يسوس العبادَ ويُحيي البلادَ

حكمُ سياسته العادل

حكمُ سياسته العادل

The people are governed and the lands revived

Who governs the people and revives the lands,

By the just rule of his governance.

His fair policies have authority,

له سطوات يُذبنَ الصَّفا

له سطوات يُذبنَ الصَّفا

ويرهبها الأسدُ الباسل

ويرهبها الأسدُ الباسل

He has fierce assaults that melt solid rock,

With powers that subdue lofty minds,

And the valiant lion fears them.

And the mighty lion intimidates them,

وكفٌ إذا هطلت باللُّهى

وكفٌ إذا هطلت باللُّهى

تضاءل منها الحيا الهاطل

تضاءل منها الحيا الهاطل

And a hand: when it pours down gifts,

A hand, if it is open-handed with gifts,

The pouring rain dwindles beside it.

The pouring rain is humbled by it,

فدامَ ودامت له دولةٌ

فدامَ ودامت له دولةٌ

يصول بعزِّتها الدائل

يصول بعزِّتها الدائل

May he endure, and may his dominion endure,

May his rule last and his state endure,

In whose might the victorious one strikes.

Raging with its overpowering majesty,

تُوايل منها ملوكُ الزمانِ

تُوايل منها ملوكُ الزمانِ

ويرجو نوافلها الآمل

ويرجو نوافلها الآمل

From it the kings of the age seek refuge,

Kings of the age inherit it one after another,

And the hopeful one longs for its bounties.

And the aspirant hopes for its surplus,