قُل لِأَثيرِ الدينِ خِدنِ العُلى

قُل لِأَثيرِ الدينِ خِدنِ العُلى

أَخي النَدى نَجلِ أُسودِ الشَرى

أَخي النَدى نَجلِ أُسودِ الشَرى

Say to Athir al-Din, companion of eminence,

Say to Athir al-Din, companion of the heights,

brother of generosity, scion of al-Shara’s lions:

Brother of generosity, scion of the lions of al-Shara:

أَنتَ شِهابُ الفَضلِ بَل شَمسُهُ

أَنتَ شِهابُ الفَضلِ بَل شَمسُهُ

وَهَضبَةُ المَجدِ وَطودُ الحِجى

وَهَضبَةُ المَجدِ وَطودُ الحِجى

You are excellence’s blazing meteor—rather, its sun,

You are the blazing star of excellence—rather, its sun,

the hill of glory and the towering mountain of wisdom.

And the hill of glory and the mountain of wisdom.

يا أَسبَقَ الناسِ إِلى غايَةٍ

يا أَسبَقَ الناسِ إِلى غايَةٍ

وَياكَريمَ الفَرعِ وَالمُنتَمى

وَياكَريمَ الفَرعِ وَالمُنتَمى

O foremost among people in attaining a goal,

O first of men to reach a goal,

O noble in branch and lineage,

And O noble in branch and lineage,

يا مُهدِيَ الدُرِّ النَظيمِ الَّذي

يا مُهدِيَ الدُرِّ النَظيمِ الَّذي

أَحسَنَ مِنهُ مَسمَعي ما وَعى

أَحسَنَ مِنهُ مَسمَعي ما وَعى

O giver of strung pearls, finer than which

O giver of strung pearls, than which

my hearing has taken in nothing—

My ear has heard nothing finer:

شِعرٌ كَرَوضٍ خَضِلٍ نَبتُهُ

شِعرٌ كَرَوضٍ خَضِلٍ نَبتُهُ

باتَت أَقاحيهِ تَمُجَّ النَدى

باتَت أَقاحيهِ تَمُجَّ النَدى

verse like a garden whose growth is lush,

Poetry like a garden whose growth is lush and moist,

whose daisies passed the night distilling dew.

Its daisies spent the night pouring forth dew.

فَهوَ عَلى قُوَّةِ أَلفاظِهِ

فَهوَ عَلى قُوَّةِ أَلفاظِهِ

أَرَقُّ مِن مَرِّ نَسيمِ الصِبا

أَرَقُّ مِن مَرِّ نَسيمِ الصِبا

For all the strength of its words,

Yet despite the strength of its words, it is

it is gentler than the passing breath of the east wind.

More delicate than a waft of the east wind.

زِدتُ سُروراً وَاِبتِهاجاً بِهِ

زِدتُ سُروراً وَاِبتِهاجاً بِهِ

كَأَنَّني راجَعتُ عَصرَ الصِبا

كَأَنَّني راجَعتُ عَصرَ الصِبا

Through it my joy and gladness increased,

My joy and delight grew through it,

as though I had returned to the age of youth.

As though I had revisited the days of youth.

مِثلُكَ لا يَفدي وَهَل تُقتَدى

مِثلُكَ لا يَفدي وَهَل تُقتَدى

حَصباءُ أَرضٍ بِنُجومِ السَما

حَصباءُ أَرضٍ بِنُجومِ السَما

One such as you does not ransom another—and can

One like you should not give ransom—and can

earth’s pebbles emulate heaven’s stars?

Earth's pebbles be patterned after heaven's stars?

أَنتَ حَرىً أَن يُصبِحَ الناسُ مِن

أَنتَ حَرىً أَن يُصبِحَ الناسُ مِن

كُلِّ مُلِمٍّ لِعُلاكَ الفَدى

كُلِّ مُلِمٍّ لِعُلاكَ الفَدى

You well deserve that people should become, in the face of

You deserve that people should become, against

every calamity, the ransom offered for your eminence.

Every calamity, a ransom for your eminence.

بَدَأتَني بِالفَضلِ وَالفَضلُ في ال

بَدَأتَني بِالفَضلِ وَالفَضلُ في ال

ناسِ لِمَن أَسلَفَهُ وَاِبتَدا

ناسِ لِمَن أَسلَفَهُ وَاِبتَدا

You forestalled me with favor—and favor among

You first showed me kindness; and merit among the

people belongs to whoever first bestows and begins it.

People belongs to whoever first bestowed it and took the lead.

فَاِسمَع تَخَطَّتكَ الرَزايا وَلا

فَاِسمَع تَخَطَّتكَ الرَزايا وَلا

مَرَّت بِناديكَ صُروفُ الرَدى

مَرَّت بِناديكَ صُروفُ الرَدى

Now listen—may calamities pass you by, and may

So listen—may calamities pass you by, and may

the turns of death never pass through your gathering.

Death's vicissitudes never cross your gathering-place.

شَوائِبُ الدَهرِ وَأَحداثُهُ

شَوائِبُ الدَهرِ وَأَحداثُهُ

غادَرنَني في كَسرِ بَيتي لَفا

غادَرنَني في كَسرِ بَيتي لَفا

Time’s afflictions and its vicissitudes

Time's troubles and its calamities

have left me with my home in ruins, utterly spent.

Left me a castoff in a corner of my house.

كَسَرنَ حاجاتي وَقَصَّرنَ مِن

كَسَرنَ حاجاتي وَقَصَّرنَ مِن

خَطوي وَما كُنتُ قَصيرَ الخُطا

خَطوي وَما كُنتُ قَصيرَ الخُطا

They frustrated my needs and shortened

They shattered my hopes and shortened

my stride, though never was my stride short.

My stride, though I had never taken short steps.

سِيّانَ صُبحي وَمَسائي فَجُن

سِيّانَ صُبحي وَمَسائي فَجُن

حُ اللَيلِ عِندي مِثلُ رَأدِ الضُحى

حُ اللَيلِ عِندي مِثلُ رَأدِ الضُحى

Morning and evening are alike to me; the darkness

My morning and evening are alike, for the gloom

of nights is, to me, like morning’s broad light.

Of night is to me like the full light of morning.

فَمَهِّدِ العُذرَ لِمُستَأخِرٍ

فَمَهِّدِ العُذرَ لِمُستَأخِرٍ

مَشَت بِهِ أَيّامُهُ القَهقَرى

مَشَت بِهِ أَيّامُهُ القَهقَرى

So make ready an excuse for one delayed,

So make allowance for one who has fallen behind,

whom his days have driven backward.

Whose days have carried him backward.

فَأَنتَ لي ذُخرٌ إِذا نابَني

فَأَنتَ لي ذُخرٌ إِذا نابَني

دَهرٌ فَنِعمَ الذُخرُ وَالمُنتَمى

دَهرٌ فَنِعمَ الذُخرُ وَالمُنتَمى

For you are my reserve whenever I am beset

For you are my treasure whenever I am assailed

by Time—what an excellent reserve, and trusted one!

By time—what an excellent treasure and refuge!