إذا كان خير الدين عني راضيا

إذا كان خير الدين عني راضيا

فما ضائري أن أغضب الدهر والوسعا

فما ضائري أن أغضب الدهر والوسعا

If Khayr al-Din is pleased with me,

If my religion is pleased with me

what harm if I anger Time and the expanse [uncertain reading]?

Then no harm if I anger fate and capacity

هو البحر جودا والصباح صباحة

هو البحر جودا والصباح صباحة

ونور الدجى نفعا ولطف الصبا طبعا

ونور الدجى نفعا ولطف الصبا طبعا

He is the sea in generosity and the morning in beauty,

He is the sea of generosity and the morning is morning

and, in benefit, light amid darkness; in nature, the east wind's gentleness.

And the light of darkness is beneficial and the youth of morning is innate

جلا فضله كشف المخبأ في الورى

جلا فضله كشف المخبأ في الورى

فلولاه لم يبرز بحليته طبعا

فلولاه لم يبرز بحليته طبعا

His bounty brought 'Unveiling the Hidden' to light among mankind;

His virtue's superiority has uncovered the hidden in existence

for without him, it would not have appeared in print in its finery.

Without him, his nature would not have emerged

هو الاوحر الفرد الذي من نواله

هو الاوحر الفرد الذي من نواله

يلاقى المرجى حين يقصده جمعا

يلاقى المرجى حين يقصده جمعا

He is the peerless, singular one, from whose bounty

He is the unique reddish one whose giving

all that is hoped for is found whenever one seeks him.

Grants wishes when sought altogether

كريم لو ان الدهر ابصر جوده

كريم لو ان الدهر ابصر جوده

لعاوده الاحسان واستهجن المنعا

لعاوده الاحسان واستهجن المنعا

So generous—were Time to behold his bounty,

Generous, if fate saw his generosity

kindness would return to it, and it would deem withholding shameful.

It would repeat favors and disdain refusal

همام متى يوعد يعف وان يعد

همام متى يوعد يعف وان يعد

فغيث العطايا سابق برقه همعا

فغيث العطايا سابق برقه همعا

A magnanimous man: whenever he threatens, he pardons; and if he promises,

Zealous, when he promises he pardons, and if he threatens

the rain of his gifts pours down ahead of its lightning.

The rain of gifts precedes its lightning hastily

اذا رمت سعدا فارع مطلعه وما

اذا رمت سعدا فارع مطلعه وما

عليك اذا ما كنت للنجم لا ترعى

عليك اذا ما كنت للنجم لا ترعى

If you seek good fortune, watch his rising; what harm

If you seek fortune observe its ascension and do not

is there for you if you pay no heed to the star?

Worry if you are no star gazer

وقل للذي ينحو سوى باب فضله

وقل للذي ينحو سوى باب فضله

لعمرك قد ضيعت في غيره المسعى

لعمرك قد ضيعت في غيره المسعى

And say to whoever seeks a door other than that of his bounty:

And say to those who incline away from his door of grace

By your life, you have wasted your efforts elsewhere.

By your life you have wasted effort in other than Him

تغربت بين العجم اطلب نده

تغربت بين العجم اطلب نده

فلم ار من ذا الضرب اصلا ولا فرعا

فلم ار من ذا الضرب اصلا ولا فرعا

I traveled abroad among non-Arabs, seeking his equal,

I wandered among non-Arabs seeking his equal

yet saw neither root nor branch of this kind.

But did not see one of such pedigree or branch

فعدت الى رايي القديم بانه

فعدت الى رايي القديم بانه

علا كل من فوق الثرى بالندى فرعا

علا كل من فوق الثرى بالندى فرعا

So I returned to my former judgment: that he

So I returned to my old view that he

towers in generosity above everyone upon the earth.

Is supreme over all above the ground in generosity a branch

ومهما تجد في الارض مناي ومرتعا

ومهما تجد في الارض مناي ومرتعا

فانا الى نادى نداه لنا الرجعى

فانا الى نادى نداه لنا الرجعى

Whatever retreat and pasture you find on earth,

And whatever you find on earth of pasture and meadow

our return is to the gathering-place of his bounty.

To his call for aid we shall return

تقر بمرأه العيون وتنجلي

تقر بمرأه العيون وتنجلي

كما ان راوي مدحه يطرب السمعا

كما ان راوي مدحه يطرب السمعا

Eyes are soothed by seeing him and grow clear,

It settles the eyes and clarity

just as a reciter of his praise delights the ear.

As the reciter of his praise makes the hearing joyful

اذا حل في فيفا ارض ركابه

اذا حل في فيفا ارض ركابه

فيا طيب ما ماوى ويا خصب ما مرعى

فيا طيب ما ماوى ويا خصب ما مرعى

When his caravan halts on a desert tract of land,

When he descends in a wide earth with his feet

how pleasant the shelter, how lush the pasture!

Oh goodness of settlement and fertility of pasture

نصبت لواء خافقا في مديحه

نصبت لواء خافقا في مديحه

فسكن من روعي واولاني الرفعا

فسكن من روعي واولاني الرفعا

I raised a fluttering banner in his praise;

I raised his fluttering banner in praise

so he calmed my fear and bestowed elevation upon me.

So I was eased of worry and exalted

اذا كنت لا ارجوه في معنيثي رجا

اذا كنت لا ارجوه في معنيثي رجا

فاني اذا لا اعرف الضر والنفعا

فاني اذا لا اعرف الضر والنفعا

If I do not place my hope in him for [my livelihood?],

If I do not hope in him at any time

then I do not know harm from benefit.

Then I do not know harm or benefit

تعودت منه الفضل في كل حالة

تعودت منه الفضل في كل حالة

فما انا الا بابه قارع قرعا

فما انا الا بابه قارع قرعا

I have grown accustomed to his bounty in every circumstance;

I am accustomed to his favor in every situation

so I am but one who knocks insistently at his door.

So I am nothing but a knocker on his door knocking

ولكنما جدواه تطوى سباسبا

ولكنما جدواه تطوى سباسبا

الى وابحارا فلا ابرح الربعا

الى وابحارا فلا ابرح الربعا

Yet his bounty crosses barren plains

But his hands fold up finery

and seas to reach me, while I never leave my dwelling.

To seas and vast oceans so I do not leave the abode

على انني منه لا قنع بالرضى

على انني منه لا قنع بالرضى

فكيف وعندي الماس يحكى اسمه لمعا

فكيف وعندي الماس يحكى اسمه لمعا

Though his approval alone would surely satisfy me,

Yet I do not satisfy myself with his approval

how much more when I have a diamond whose brilliance echoes his name!

So how when his name glistens to me like a lamp

الا هكذا من شاد مجدا موثلا

الا هكذا من شاد مجدا موثلا

ومن صنع الاحسان او احسن الصنعا

ومن صنع الاحسان او احسن الصنعا

Indeed, such is one who builds firmly rooted glory,

Except that he who builds glorious fame

and one who practices kindness or excels in his deeds.

And does good or best act

تنزه عن ذام سوى ان فرط ما

تنزه عن ذام سوى ان فرط ما

حباني به اشقى حسودي ولا بدعا

حباني به اشقى حسودي ولا بدعا

He is beyond reproach, save that the excess of what

Is above any blame other than that his excess love for me

he bestowed on me has tormented my envier—and that is nothing new.

Makes my envious enemies wretched but no wonder

رايت جميع الناس تقصد بابه

رايت جميع الناس تقصد بابه

بما طاب من اقوالها وله تسعى

بما طاب من اقوالها وله تسعى

I saw all people making for his door,

I saw all people seeking his door

with their choicest words, striving toward him.

With whatever fine words for him they strive

فالقيت دلوي مع دلائهم فلم

فالقيت دلوي مع دلائهم فلم

تكن نهزة حتى على طغت ترعى

تكن نهزة حتى على طغت ترعى

So I cast my bucket alongside theirs, and scarcely

So I threw my bucket with their buckets but

had there been a single dip before it overflowed upon me [final word unclear].

There was no splash even if agitated it herds

وخلت لغيري من نضار ومن جنى

وخلت لغيري من نضار ومن جنى

وفوز واقبال كما نلته شرعا

وفوز واقبال كما نلته شرعا

And I supposed that others had gold and harvested fruit,

And others gained fresh, ripe and success and prosperity that I attained religiously

and triumph and good fortune, equally with what I received.

He granted me pride in his refinement and his eloquent composition does not accept removal

كساني فخرا ماسه وجوابه

كساني فخرا ماسه وجوابه

وشهرة ذا التأليف لا يقبل الخلعا

وشهرة ذا التأليف لا يقبل الخلعا

His diamond and his reply clothed me in pride,

So it is right that thanking him is an eternal religious duty

as did this work's renown: a pride that cannot be stripped away.

Thankfulness for favors is always an eternal religious duty

فحق على اليوم واجب شكره

فحق على اليوم واجب شكره

فشكر الأيادي واجب أبدا شرعا

فشكر الأيادي واجب أبدا شرعا

So today the duty of thanking him became incumbent upon me;

for gratitude for favors is always a duty under religious law.