ساعَفت بالوِصالِ وَنيل الأَمَل

ساعَفت بالوِصالِ وَنيل الأَمَل

وَزارَت عَلى رَغمِ مَن قَد عَذل

وَزارَت عَلى رَغمِ مَن قَد عَذل

She granted union and the fulfillment of hope,

I lovingly visited despite those who blamed

and visited despite those who had reproached.

I revived a beloved with yearning beyond words

وَحَيَّت وَأَحيَت حَبيباً بِهِ

وَحَيَّت وَأَحيَت حَبيباً بِهِ

مِنَ الشَوقِ ما لَفظُهُ لا يَقل

مِنَ الشَوقِ ما لَفظُهُ لا يَقل

She greeted and revived a lover within whom

The anklets were relieved of kohl

was a longing his words could not express.

And the robes of their jewelry and finery

تَبَدَّلَت الغُنجَ عَن كُحلِها

تَبَدَّلَت الغُنجَ عَن كُحلِها

وَبالدَلِّ عَن حَليِها وَالحُلَل

وَبالدَلِّ عَن حَليِها وَالحُلَل

She substituted coy charm for her kohl,

And smiles instead of the like of poetry's organization

and coquetry for her jewelry and fine robes.

And the throwing of roses by a soft hand

وَتَبسَمُ عَن مِثلِ نَظمِ الجُما

وَتَبسَمُ عَن مِثلِ نَظمِ الجُما

نِ وَتَرمي المُاومي بِسَيفٍ المُقَل

نِ وَتَرمي المُاومي بِسَيفٍ المُقَل

She smiles, revealing what resembles a string of pearls,

The words of the enamored therein are true

and strikes the reproacher with the sword of her eyes.

So talk and do not fear boredom

حَديثُ المُتَيَّمِ فيها صَحيحٌ

حَديثُ المُتَيَّمِ فيها صَحيحٌ

فَحَدِّث وَلا تَخشَ فيهِ المَلَل

فَحَدِّث وَلا تَخشَ فيهِ المَلَل

The love-struck man's account of her is true;

God has guided to love of her

so relate it, and fear no tedium in the telling.

Does he not recognize the face or take evidence?

لَحى اللَهُ لا حيّ عَن حُبِّها

لَحى اللَهُ لا حيّ عَن حُبِّها

أَما يَعرِفُ الوَجهَ أَو يَستَدِل

أَما يَعرِفُ الوَجهَ أَو يَستَدِل

God curse whoever reproaches me for loving her!

Evidence of it is like celebrity

Does he not recognize her face, or discern the proof?

And like the example going around among people

دَليلٌ عَلَيها كَمِثلِ الشِها

دَليلٌ عَلَيها كَمِثلِ الشِها

ب وَمِثلِ في الناسِ سَيرَ المَثَل

ب وَمِثلِ في الناسِ سَيرَ المَثَل

A sign of her is like a shooting star,

And like the son of Salama in his merit

and like a proverb in its passage among people,

And the example has gone around among people

وَكابنِ سَلامَةَ في فَضلِهِ

وَكابنِ سَلامَةَ في فَضلِهِ

وَقَد سارَ في الناسِ سَيرَ المَثَل

وَقَد سارَ في الناسِ سَيرَ المَثَل

and like Ibn Salama in his excellence,

A leader with whom Tunisia has reached its peak

whose fame has spread among people like a proverb.

And shown with it the beauty of celebration

إِمامٌ تَسامَت بِهِ تونِسٌ

إِمامٌ تَسامَت بِهِ تونِسٌ

وَأَبدَت بِهِ زينَةَ المُحتَفِل

وَأَبدَت بِهِ زينَةَ المُحتَفِل

An imam through whom Tunis has risen high,

And God has given him from knowledge and forbearance beyond hope

and through whom she has displayed her festive finery.

When he takes the lead in a session

وَبَوّأهُ اللَهُ سُبحانَهُ

وَبَوّأهُ اللَهُ سُبحانَهُ

مِنَ العِلمِ وَالحِلمِ فَوقَ الأَمَل

مِنَ العِلمِ وَالحِلمِ فَوقَ الأَمَل

And God—glory be to Him—has raised him

You see the sun in the sign of Aries

in knowledge and forbearance beyond all hope.

And if he elaborates in his lesson

إِذا ما تَصَدّرَ في مَجلِسٍ

إِذا ما تَصَدّرَ في مَجلِسٍ

تَرى الشَمسَ حَلَّت بِبُرجِ الحَمَل

تَرى الشَمسَ حَلَّت بِبُرجِ الحَمَل

Whenever he takes the foremost seat in an assembly,

You see how the lines of robes are elaborated

you see the sun settled in the sign of Aries.

And if his guard takes five for rest

وَإِن بَسَطَ القَولَ في دَرسِهِ

وَإِن بَسَطَ القَولَ في دَرسِهِ

تَرى كَيفَ يُبسَطُ رَقمُ الحُلَل

تَرى كَيفَ يُبسَطُ رَقمُ الحُلَل

And if he unfolds his discourse in his lesson,

You see his family around him like cubs

you see how the embroidery of robes is spread out.

Oh pillar of the faith, oh its happiness

وَإِن أَخَذَت خَمسهُ لِليَراع

وَإِن أَخَذَت خَمسهُ لِليَراع

تَرى أَهلَهُ حَولَهُ كالخَوَلِ

تَرى أَهلَهُ حَولَهُ كالخَوَلِ

And if his five fingers take up the reed pen,

And oh supporter of truth, lofty position

you see its masters around him like servants.

And possessor of what Malik said

أَيا عَضُدَ الدين يا سَعدَهُ

أَيا عَضُدَ الدين يا سَعدَهُ

وَيا ناصِرَ الحق سامي المَحَل

وَيا ناصِرَ الحق سامي المَحَل

O supporting arm of religion, O its good fortune,

And his successor in his knowledge and deed

and O champion of truth, exalted in station,

And relater of what the generous wrote down

وَمالِكَ ما قالَهُ مالِكٌ

وَمالِكَ ما قالَهُ مالِكٌ

وَتاليه في عِلمِهِ وَالعَمَل

وَتاليه في عِلمِهِ وَالعَمَل

and master of what Malik said,

And relator of the hadiths of the axis of milestones

and his follower in knowledge and practice,

To you, God, from a master whose habit is guidance

وَمُلقيَ ما دَوّنَتهُ الكِرامُ

وَمُلقيَ ما دَوّنَتهُ الكِرامُ

وَمُملي أَحاديثَ قُطبِ المِلَل

وَمُملي أَحاديثَ قُطبِ المِلَل

and transmitter of what the noble have recorded,

Of one who is perplexed or one who strays

and you who dictate the traditions of the pivot of faiths:

Congratulations on what you have attained of rank

لَكَ اللَهُ مِن سَيدٍ دَأبُهُ

لَكَ اللَهُ مِن سَيدٍ دَأبُهُ

هُدى مَن تَحَيَّرَ أَو مَن يَضِل

هُدى مَن تَحَيَّرَ أَو مَن يَضِل

God be with you—what a master, whose constant task

For you are its reward and term

is guiding whoever is bewildered or goes astray!

And you were fortunate to seal the Canon of Healing

هَنيئاً بِما نِلتَ مِن رُتبَةٍ

هَنيئاً بِما نِلتَ مِن رُتبَةٍ

فَأَنتَ المُكافي لَها وَالأَجَل

فَأَنتَ المُكافي لَها وَالأَجَل

Congratulations on the rank you have attained;

And won the attainment of your wish without haste

for you are its equal, and nobler still.

And met the approval of the Lord of Worshipers

وَهُنِّيتَ خَتمَ كِتابِ الشِفا

وَهُنِّيتَ خَتمَ كِتابِ الشِفا

وَفُزتَ بِنَيلِ المُنى عَن عَجَل

وَفُزتَ بِنَيلِ المُنى عَن عَجَل

And may you be congratulated on completing the book al-Shifa,

And the approval of Ahmed the best of Messengers

and may you swiftly attain your wishes.

And you still remain an impenetrable cave for those

وَلاقَيتَ رِضوانَ رَبِّ العِباد

وَلاقَيتَ رِضوانَ رَبِّ العِباد

وَرِضوانَ أَحمَدَ خَير الرسُل

وَرِضوانَ أَحمَدَ خَير الرسُل

And may you gain the favor of the Lord of humankind,

Who take refuge in your loftiness, sun of fortunes

and the favor of Ahmad, best of messengers.

And your attainment overflowed with all of this

وَلا زِلتَ كَهفاً مَنيعاً لِمَن

وَلا زِلتَ كَهفاً مَنيعاً لِمَن

يَلوذُ بِعَلياكَ شَمسَ الدوَل

يَلوذُ بِعَلياكَ شَمسَ الدوَل

And may you ever remain an impregnable cave for those

And chronicled the attainment of a healing that transpired

who take refuge in your eminence, O sun of realms.

وَنيلُكَ فاضَ بِذا كُلِّهِ

وَنيلُكَ فاضَ بِذا كُلِّهِ

وَأرّخ بِنَيلِ شِفاءٍ حَصَل

وَأرّخ بِنَيلِ شِفاءٍ حَصَل

And your Nile has overflowed with all this;

and mark the date with: 'The attainment of healing came to pass.'