من اختار نقصَ المالِ أَورثَه الفضْلا

من اختار نقصَ المالِ أَورثَه الفضْلا

ومن طاب فرعاً دلَّ أَن قد زكا أصلا

ومن طاب فرعاً دلَّ أَن قد زكا أصلا

Whoever chose to diminish his wealth gained merit.

Who chose to lack wealth, nobility endowed him,

And one whose branch is noble shows that his root is pure.

And whose branch thrived, showed that its roots virtue allowed him.

إذا ما تساوى في النّجار بنو أبٍ

إذا ما تساوى في النّجار بنو أبٍ

فأولاهُم بالفَخرِ أحسنهم فعلا

فأولاهُم بالفَخرِ أحسنهم فعلا

When sons of one father are equal in lineage,

When equally skilled are the sons of a carpenter,

then the one most entitled to pride is the best in deeds.

The best-mannered among them is with glory allowed him.

كذُهلٍ إذا عُدُّ العَتيك وآلُه

كذُهلٍ إذا عُدُّ العَتيك وآلُه

فلسنا نَرى في المكرمات لهُ مِثلا

فلسنا نَرى في المكرمات لهُ مِثلا

Like Dhuhl, when al-Atik and his clan are counted,

Like a fool, when counting his shoes and family,

for we see no equal to him in noble deeds.

In generosity, we see no one near who can him parallel.

أَغرّ إذا ماشِمْتَ غُزَّةَ وجهه

أَغرّ إذا ماشِمْتَ غُزَّةَ وجهه

أَضاعت كما أصلَتَّ من غمْدهِ النَّصلا

أَضاعت كما أصلَتَّ من غمْدهِ النَّصلا

Radiant—when you behold the brightness of his face,

Dazzled when you look upon the sheen of his face,

it gleams like the blade you draw from its sheath.

Ruined, as his sword grants life when unsheathed from its barrel.

معودَّةٌ للبرِّ حينَ أَتيتَهُ

معودَّةٌ للبرِّ حينَ أَتيتَهُ

وجدت لَديهِ البشرَ والنائل الجَزَلا

وجدت لَديهِ البشرَ والنائل الجَزَلا

Accustomed to kindness—when you came to him,

Ready for kindness whenever you seek him,

you found with him cheerfulness and abundant bounty.

You will find with him plentiful boons that to you he shall proffer.

لعمركَ إنالانعدُّ فضيلةً

لعمركَ إنالانعدُّ فضيلةً

أبا حسَنٍ إلاّ وكنتَ لها أهلا

أبا حسَنٍ إلاّ وكنتَ لها أهلا

By your life, we count no virtue,

By your life, none can claim a virtue,

O Abu Hasan, without finding you worthy of it.

O Abu Hassan, unless you were worthy of it as well.

وكنتَ المُسامي في المكارم جاعلاً

وكنتَ المُسامي في المكارم جاعلاً

طلابَ العُلَى من دون شغل الغنى شغلا

طلابَ العُلَى من دون شغل الغنى شغلا

And you strove to excel in noble deeds, making

You were the highest peak in magnanimity, making

the pursuit of eminence your occupation, rather than the pursuit of wealth.

Seekers of lofty goals, before wealth's affairs, their quarry.

أَلم تَر أَني ما مُنيتُ بحَاجةٍ

أَلم تَر أَني ما مُنيتُ بحَاجةٍ

ولاَ نكبةٍ إلا دَعوتُ لها ذُهلا

ولاَ نكبةٍ إلا دَعوتُ لها ذُهلا

Have you not seen that I was never afflicted by a need,

Do you not see that I have never been struck with an affliction,

or a calamity, without calling on Dhuhl for it?

Or calamity, except that for it I called Thuhl?

فأوسعني برّاً جزيلاً وعاجلا

فأوسعني برّاً جزيلاً وعاجلا

فلا قلّةً صادفتُ منه ولا مطلا

فلا قلّةً صادفتُ منه ولا مطلا

So he lavished on me abundant and immediate kindness,

So grant me ample, immediate kindness,

so I found in him neither meagerness nor delay.

From him I found no scarcity, or even a wait that was sterile.

أَدام له اللهالعُلى وأعزَّه

أَدام له اللهالعُلى وأعزَّه

وخَوَّلهُ من دهره المالَ والأهلا

وخَوَّلهُ من دهره المالَ والأهلا

May God sustain his eminence and honor him,

May God eternally uplift him and give him might,

and grant him wealth and family in his lifetime.

And grant him wealth and family from his world as his share.