لا يجتلي النور إلا من مشارقه

لا يجتلي النور إلا من مشارقه

ويجتني الدر إلا من مجانيه

ويجتني الدر إلا من مجانيه

One beholds light only from its rising places,

The light shines not but from its risings

And gathers pearls only from their gathering grounds.

And pearls are picked but from their origins

إذا تولى كمال عنصراً كملت

إذا تولى كمال عنصراً كملت

فروعه وسرت فيه معانيه

فروعه وسرت فيه معانيه

When perfection governs a stock, perfected are

If perfection assumed a being, completed

Its branches, and its qualities flow through it.

Would be its branches and its meanings spread

ومن تكن نفسه بحراً فلا عجب

ومن تكن نفسه بحراً فلا عجب

أن يجتني الجوهر المكنون من فيه

أن يجتني الجوهر المكنون من فيه

And when a man's soul is a sea, it is no wonder

He whose soul is an ocean, no wonder

That one gathers hidden jewels from his mouth.

That he picks concealed gems from within

أصل تجسم من نور الكمال فمن

أصل تجسم من نور الكمال فمن

إشراق أوله إشراق تاليه

إشراق أوله إشراق تاليه

A root that took shape from perfection's light; and so from

The form materialized from the light of perfection so from

The radiance of its first comes that of its successor.

The first rising, the subsequent rising

حسب الملوك بني سلطان من حسب

حسب الملوك بني سلطان من حسب

أن تحسب الشمس ركناً من مبانيه

أن تحسب الشمس ركناً من مبانيه

For the kings, sons of Sultan, this is nobility enough:

It suffices the kings, sons of the sultan from lineage

That the sun be counted a pillar of its edifices.

That the sun be considered a pillar of his buildings

أبقوا لأعقابهم ما ليس تدركه

أبقوا لأعقابهم ما ليس تدركه

سيارة الشهب من مجد وتنزيه

سيارة الشهب من مجد وتنزيه

They left their descendants what cannot be reached

They left for their descendants what cannot be reached

By the coursing meteors—glory and purity.

By the orbit of meteors, of glory and praise

رمى حمود مراميهم فما انفلتت

رمى حمود مراميهم فما انفلتت

أكرومة لم تقيدها معاليه

أكرومة لم تقيدها معاليه

Hamoud aimed at their targets, and there escaped no

Hamoud threw his spears at their aspirations so no

Noble deed that his lofty merits had not bound.

Fortress slipped which his greatness did not bind

أقيمُ في حمده نفسي وأقعدها

أقيمُ في حمده نفسي وأقعدها

جل القضية حمد لست أحصيه

جل القضية حمد لست أحصيه

In praising him, I make myself rise and sit.

I stand myself in his praise and seat it

The matter is chiefly praise I cannot number.

The whole case is praise, I cannot count it