ألا ليت أهل الأرض في الحزن والسهّل

ألا ليت أهل الأرض في الحزن والسهّل

فداءٌ لذهل كلهم وبني ذهلِ

فداءٌ لذهل كلهم وبني ذهلِ

Would that the earth’s people, on rugged ground and plain,

Alas! If only the people of the earth were in sorrow and the plain

were, every one, a ransom for Dhuhl and Dhuhl’s sons.

A sacrifice for all their ignorance and the children of ignorance

فما هو إلاّ زينةٌ لملوكها

فما هو إلاّ زينةٌ لملوكها

ولو عقلوا فَدَّوهُ بالمال والأهلِ

ولو عقلوا فَدَّوهُ بالمال والأهلِ

For he is none other than an adornment to its kings;

It is nothing but an adornment for its kings

and had they sense, they would ransom him with wealth and kin.

If only they were wise, they would ransom it with money and family

أبو حسن المعطى المحاسن كلّها

أبو حسن المعطى المحاسن كلّها

من الطبع والعادات والقول والفعل

من الطبع والعادات والقول والفعل

Abu Hasan, endowed with every excellence,

Abu Hassan is endowed with all virtues

in nature, habits, speech, and deed.

Of nature, habit, speech and deed

له الحسب المعدود والنسب الّذي

له الحسب المعدود والنسب الّذي

زكا وصفا صفوَ الفريد من النصلِ

زكا وصفا صفوَ الفريد من النصلِ

His are renowned ancestral honor and a lineage that

He has reputable lineage and ancestry

has grown noble and pure, with the purity of a peerless blade.

Pure and refined, unique of its kind

بحلم بلا ضعف وقولٍ بلا خنا

بحلم بلا ضعف وقولٍ بلا خنا

وصمتٍ بلا عيٍّ ويسرٍ بلا هزلِ

وصمتٍ بلا عيٍّ ويسرٍ بلا هزلِ

With forbearance without weakness, and speech without obscenity,

With wisdom without weakness, words without spite

and silence without inarticulacy, and ease without frivolity;

Silence without disgrace, and ease without jest

وبأسٍ بلا عجبٍ ونفع بلا أذىً

وبأسٍ بلا عجبٍ ونفع بلا أذىً

وبذل بلا منُّ ووعدٍ بلا مطلِ

وبذل بلا منُّ ووعدٍ بلا مطلِ

and valor without conceit, and help without harm;

Ferocity without arrogance, benefit without harm

and giving without reproach, and promises without delay.

Generosity without pretense, promise without procrastination

إذا اشتغل النّاس احتفاظاً بمالهم

إذا اشتغل النّاس احتفاظاً بمالهم

فذهل من الإنفاق للمال في شغلِ

فذهل من الإنفاق للمال في شغلِ

When people busy themselves preserving their wealth,

When people are busy hoarding their money

Dhuhl is busy instead with spending wealth.

He is ignorant of hoarding, spending his money unconcerned

برى نفعَه من ماله نفعَ غيره

برى نفعَه من ماله نفعَ غيره

سجيّةُ نفسٌ لم تجد لذّة البخلِ

سجيّةُ نفسٌ لم تجد لذّة البخلِ

Others’ gain has pared away his own gain from his wealth—

He sees the benefit of his money in benefiting others

the nature of a soul that has found no pleasure in miserliness.

A disposition whose soul finds no pleasure in stinginess

كأَن يديه صيغتا من سماحةٍ

كأَن يديه صيغتا من سماحةٍ

فما أقرب الموجود منه إلى البذلِ

فما أقرب الموجود منه إلى البذلِ

It is as though his hands were fashioned from generosity:

As if his hands were molded from generosity

so how near all he possesses is to being given away!

So the existence closest to giving is he

أراه حمىّ للخائفين من العدَى

أراه حمىّ للخائفين من العدَى

ومنتجَعاً للوفد في زمن المحلِ

ومنتجَعاً للوفد في زمن المحلِ

I see him as a refuge for those who fear enemies,

I see him as a protector for those fearing injustice

and a pasture for visiting delegations in a season of drought.

And a refuge for delegations in times of need

أبا حسن ما أشبهَ النّاسَ باسمه

أبا حسن ما أشبهَ النّاسَ باسمه

وما لك في كل المحاسن من مثلِ

وما لك في كل المحاسن من مثلِ

O Abu Hasan, how closely mankind resembles its name!

Abu Hassan, how alike people are to his name!

Yet in every excellence you have no equal.

And what virtue of all virtues are you not his parallel?

بقيتَ ويُبقى الله أولادك الألى

بقيتَ ويُبقى الله أولادك الألى

همُ الفرع يَدري أنه طيّب الأصلِ

همُ الفرع يَدري أنه طيّب الأصلِ

May you live on, and may God preserve your children, who

You remain, and may God make your noble children remain

are the branch that knows it comes from a noble root.

They are the branches, he knows they have a good root

سألنا لكم طول البقاء كأنّما

سألنا لكم طول البقاء كأنّما

سألنا بقاءً للْمكارم والفضلِ

سألنا بقاءً للْمكارم والفضلِ

We asked for long life for you, as though

We ask for your longevity, as though

we were asking that noble virtues and excellence endure.

We asked for the permanence of generosity and grace

ويهنيكم الشّهر الجديد مبشّراً

ويهنيكم الشّهر الجديد مبشّراً

بمستمع النّعمى ومجتمع الشّملِ

بمستمع النّعمى ومجتمع الشّملِ

And may the new month gladden you, heralding

And the new month congratulates you, heralding

news of blessings and reunion.

The union of loved ones and gathering of kin

فأجروا لنا عادات بركم الّذي

فأجروا لنا عادات بركم الّذي

لو أنا سكتنا جاء بالعاجل الجَزْلِ

لو أنا سكتنا جاء بالعاجل الجَزْلِ

So continue toward us your customary kindness, which,

So perform for us your habitual kindness

even if we kept silent, would bring a prompt, abundant gift.

Which even if we were silent, would come in ample portions