أتاني كتاب تنقيه الكتائب

أتاني كتاب تنقيه الكتائب

ففي القلب منه باتك وهو جائب

ففي القلب منه باتك وهو جائب

A letter came to me that battalions would dread;

A book came to me, clearing worries,

For it leaves a cleaving blade in the heart and pierces through.

In the heart it stayed the night, wandering.

محبره الحبر البليغ الذي له

محبره الحبر البليغ الذي له

على كل ابناء الزمان مناقب

على كل ابناء الزمان مناقب

Its composer is the eloquent scholar who possesses

Its ink is eloquent, it is for the one

Distinctions above all the sons of the age.

Who has merits among all people of the times.

عذوبة ماء النيل في بحر شعره

عذوبة ماء النيل في بحر شعره

فحوليه كل قارب لا مقارب

فحوليه كل قارب لا مقارب

The sweetness of the Nile's water fills the sea of his verse;

The sweetness of the water of the Nile is in the sea of his poetry,

Around him gathers every water-seeker, but none can match him.

So its peak, no boat can reach.

إمام له في كل فن براعة

إمام له في كل فن براعة

أديب له في ذا القريض عجائب

أديب له في ذا القريض عجائب

A master, accomplished in every art;

A leader in every art with skill,

A man of letters, with marvels in this art of verse.

A literary man with wonders in this ode.

يرينا بيانا في سطور طروسه

يرينا بيانا في سطور طروسه

فبائع سمط الدر موشيه عائب

فبائع سمط الدر موشيه عائب

He shows us eloquence in the lines of his pages,

He shows us in the lines of his composition,

So the pearl-necklace seller faults the one who adorned it.

So the seller of high quality pearls is blameworthy.

فمنفق در البحر في اليوم خاسر

فمنفق در البحر في اليوم خاسر

ومنفق در الحبر في الدهر كاسب

ومنفق در الحبر في الدهر كاسب

Whoever spends the sea's pearls loses that day,

Who spends the jewels of the sea in a day loses out,

While whoever spends the scholar's pearls gains for all time.

And who spends the jewels of ink lasts forever.

لقد صغرت نفسي به حشمة وان

لقد صغرت نفسي به حشمة وان

علت لي منه بين قومي مراتب

علت لي منه بين قومي مراتب

Indeed, my soul grew small before him in reverence, although

My soul has been humbled by his solemnity, and

Through him my standing rose among my people.

My status among my people has been raised by him.

وقد سد دوني القول حتى حسبتني

وقد سد دوني القول حتى حسبتني

بعيما ومالي في القريض مآرب

بعيما ومالي في القريض مآرب

And speech was closed to me, until I thought myself

Speech has been blocked from me, until I thought

Speechless, with no aspirations in verse.

Myself dumb, having no aptitude for poetry.

واوهمت افكاري ظلاما وقد بدت

واوهمت افكاري ظلاما وقد بدت

خواطره عندي وهن كواكب

خواطره عندي وهن كواكب

And my thoughts seemed darkness, when there appeared

My thoughts misled me into darkness, while

His inspirations before me, stars that they were.

His ideas appeared to me like stars.

وقد كنت آثرت السكوت تادبا

وقد كنت آثرت السكوت تادبا

ولكنما مدحي ليوسف واجب

ولكنما مدحي ليوسف واجب

I had preferred silence out of courtesy,

I had chosen to be silent out of courtesy,

But my praise of Yusuf is a duty.

But praising Yusuf is a duty.

فمن لي بعفو منه عن برد مدحتي

فمن لي بعفو منه عن برد مدحتي

بكانون اذ تغلو اللظى والجلابب

بكانون اذ تغلو اللظى والجلابب

Who will win me his pardon for the coldness of my praise

So who can forgive me for the coldness of my praise

In Kanun, when flames and cloaks grow costly?

In winter, when embers and clothes grow cold?

هو العلم الفرد الذي سار ذكره

هو العلم الفرد الذي سار ذكره

يشيد به ثاو وساع وراكب

يشيد به ثاو وساع وراكب

He is the peerless luminary whose fame has spread;

He is the unique scholar, whose fame

The settled, the traveler on foot, and the rider extol him.

Tha'w, Sa'a and Raakib praise.

اضاءت بنور من علاه مشارق

اضاءت بنور من علاه مشارق

وطابت بعرف من حلاه مغارب

وطابت بعرف من حلاه مغارب

Eastern lands were lit by a radiance from his eminence,

The east was illuminated by the light of his ascendance,

And western lands grew fragrant with the scent of his virtues.

And the west smelled sweet by the fragrance his beauty spreads.

وقور اذا مادت رواس وزلزلت

وقور اذا مادت رواس وزلزلت

سوار ففي اس الرزانة راتب

سوار ففي اس الرزانة راتب

Composed when firm mountains sway and shaken are

Dignified, when the honorable bow down and thrones shake,

The pillars—for he stands firm in the bedrock of composure.

In the essence of composure, he remains steady.

عليه جلال من سكينة ربه

عليه جلال من سكينة ربه

الى البر والتقوى مرائيه نادب

الى البر والتقوى مرائيه نادب

Upon him rests majesty from his Lord's serenity;

He has the majesty of the tranquility of his Lord,

He calls whoever beholds him to righteousness and piety.

Guiding him to righteousness and piety.

فما سمعت اذن المشاغب وعظه

فما سمعت اذن المشاغب وعظه

كما فاه الا وهو لله تائب

كما فاه الا وهو لله تائب

No troublemaker's ear has heard his admonition

No ear has heard his preaching to troublemakers,

As he uttered it, without the hearer repenting before God.

Except it, repenting to God.

قلى زخرف الدنيا فسيان عنده

قلى زخرف الدنيا فسيان عنده

غرائب منها تشتهي ورغائب

غرائب منها تشتهي ورغائب

He rejected the world's glitter, so alike to him are

The adornments of the world are equal in his eyes,

Its rarities you covet and its desirable treasures.

He does not covet its oddities and desires.

ولو كان في نيل المناصب همه

ولو كان في نيل المناصب همه

لدانت له منها الصعاب العوازب

لدانت له منها الصعاب العوازب

Had attaining high office been his concern,

If his concern was attaining high office,

The difficult and elusive among them would have yielded to him.

Its rough roads would have surrendered to him.

فهابته ارباب السيادة كلهم

فهابته ارباب السيادة كلهم

وحابته واسترضته تلك المناصب

وحابته واسترضته تلك المناصب

So all the lords of power stood in awe of him,

So people of power fear him, all of them,

And those offices favored him and sought to please him.

And they have loved him and made him content.

اذا قال كان الصدق والحق قصده

اذا قال كان الصدق والحق قصده

وكم قائل للدرهم الصدق كاذب

وكم قائل للدرهم الصدق كاذب

When he spoke, truthfulness and right were his aim;

When he speaks, truth and right are his aim,

Yet how many a speaker lies for a genuine dirham!

While many speakers lie for money.

وما تزدهيه العين ان جل حسنها

وما تزدهيه العين ان جل حسنها

وليس له عن سائل العرف حاجب

وليس له عن سائل العرف حاجب

Gold does not dazzle him, however great its beauty,

Blame does not increase if an eye refuses kindness,

Nor does a doorkeeper bar a seeker of kindness from him.

And he has no barrier against one asking courtesy.

وما زائف فتواه من هو حاضر

وما زائف فتواه من هو حاضر

ولا عائب نجواه من هو غائب

ولا عائب نجواه من هو غائب

No one present discredits his ruling,

Neither absent nor present, his decree is unsound,

Nor does anyone absent fault his private counsel.

Nor his success imperfect for one who is absent.

وفي كل فضل فاق واشتهرت له

وفي كل فضل فاق واشتهرت له

مناقب في الآفاق هن نقائب

مناقب في الآفاق هن نقائب

In every virtue he excelled, and renowned were his

In every virtue he surpassed and gained fame,

Merits throughout the world—qualities of noble character.

Merits across horizons that are brilliant stars.

فمن بهر ذي الاخلاق يبكي مبالغ

فمن بهر ذي الاخلاق يبكي مبالغ

وعن شأوها يكبو الفخور المغالب

وعن شأوها يكبو الفخور المغالب

So, overwhelmed by these virtues, the lavish praiser weeps;

The one with good character cries over his excess,

And the boastful rival stumbles short of their reach.

While the arrogant one kneels over his stature.

لهن اللواتي احسبت طالب العلى

لهن اللواتي احسبت طالب العلى

وليس لها من كثرة العد حاسب

وليس لها من كثرة العد حاسب

They are indeed those that amply satisfy the seeker of eminence,

Those whom I thought sought highness,

And no reckoner can count them, so numerous are they.

Have no counters for its excessive amount.