الحِلمُ أَولى بِمَن شابَت ذَوائِبُهُ

الحِلمُ أَولى بِمَن شابَت ذَوائِبُهُ

وَالحَمدُ أَحرى بِمَن دامَت تَجارِبُهُ

وَالحَمدُ أَحرى بِمَن دامَت تَجارِبُهُ

Forbearance best befits one whose locks have turned gray,

Dreams are more fitting for one whose temples have grayed,

and praise best befits one whose experience is long-standing.

And praise is more proper for one whose trials have endured,

وَالمَرءُ مَن لَم يَضِق ذَرعاً بِنائِلِهِ

وَالمَرءُ مَن لَم يَضِق ذَرعاً بِنائِلِهِ

وَلا يَرى الهَول إِلّا وَهوَ راكِبُهُ

وَلا يَرى الهَول إِلّا وَهوَ راكِبُهُ

And a true man is one never constrained in his giving,

And a man is one who is not vexed by what comes his way,

and sees no terror without riding into it.

Who does not see terror except when in its midst,

فَإِن تَعَذَّرَ مطريه وَمادِحه

فَإِن تَعَذَّرَ مطريه وَمادِحه

أَتى إِلَيهِ مرجِّيهِ وَنادِبُهُ

أَتى إِلَيهِ مرجِّيهِ وَنادِبُهُ

So if his extoller and panegyrist falter,

So if his eulogizer and praiser are inaccessible,

those who hope in him and call upon him come to him.

His wishers and mourners will come to him,

أَبا العَلاء الَّذي جَلَّت مآرِبُهُ

أَبا العَلاء الَّذي جَلَّت مآرِبُهُ

مِن قبل قَصدي لَهُ دَرَّت سَحائِبُهُ

مِن قبل قَصدي لَهُ دَرَّت سَحائِبُهُ

O Abu al-Ala, whose aims are lofty,

Abu Al-‘Ala whose calamities were immense,

his clouds poured forth before I sought him.

Because of my intention towards him, his clouds rained,

لَولا المطهَّر ما تَهدي أَنامِلُهُ

لَولا المطهَّر ما تَهدي أَنامِلُهُ

إِلى العُفاةِ يعافُ الشعر صاحِبُهُ

إِلى العُفاةِ يعافُ الشعر صاحِبُهُ

But for al-Mutahhar and what his fingers bestow

Were it not for the Purified, his fingers would not

upon seekers of bounty, poetry’s author would shun it.

Guide him to the chaste where poetry adorns its owner,

يَجودُ بِدءاً وَعوداً قَبلَ تسأَلَهُ

يَجودُ بِدءاً وَعوداً قَبلَ تسأَلَهُ

فَإِن سَأَلتَ فَنَل ما أَنتَ طالِبُهُ

فَإِن سَأَلتَ فَنَل ما أَنتَ طالِبُهُ

He gives at first and gives again, before you ask him;

He gives freely, unasked, before being requested,

so if you ask, receive whatever you seek.

So if you ask, you get what you seek from him,

إِن أَخلَف المُزنَ لَم تَخلِف أَنامِلُهُ

إِن أَخلَف المُزنَ لَم تَخلِف أَنامِلُهُ

أَو أَمسِك الغَيثَ لَم تُمسِك مَواهِبُهُ

أَو أَمسِك الغَيثَ لَم تُمسِك مَواهِبُهُ

If the rainclouds fail their promise, his fingers do not;

If times betray, his fingers will not betray,

or if the rain holds back, his gifts do not.

Or if the rain withholds, its gifts do not withhold,

مباركُ الوَجهِ مَيمونُ النَقيبَةِ

مباركُ الوَجهِ مَيمونُ النَقيبَةِ

وَهّابُ الرَغيبَة مَعدومُ ضَرائِبُهُ

وَهّابُ الرَغيبَة مَعدومُ ضَرائِبُهُ

Blessed in countenance, auspicious in nature,

Blessed of face, auspicious of forehead,

a lavish giver of rich bounty, with no equal.

Bestower of wishes, exempt from tolls,

يُريكَ في بدءآتِ الرأي أَحسَن ما

يُريكَ في بدءآتِ الرأي أَحسَن ما

يأتي بِهِ بَعدَ أَحوالٍ عَواقِبُهُ

يأتي بِهِ بَعدَ أَحوالٍ عَواقِبُهُ

He shows you, at the outset of judgment, the best of what

He shows you in the beginnings of opinion the best

its outcomes bring after years.

Of what its consequences will later bring,

يا كاتِباً جَرَتِ الأَقدارُ حينَ جَرَت

يا كاتِباً جَرَتِ الأَقدارُ حينَ جَرَت

أَقلامُهُ في الوَرى شاعَت مَناقِبُهُ

أَقلامُهُ في الوَرى شاعَت مَناقِبُهُ

O scribe, fate’s decrees flowed with the flow of

O Scribe! When destinies flowed, his pen flowed,

his pens; among mankind his virtues became renowned.

His virtues have spread in the land,

قَضَت عَلى المالِ لِلعافي أَنامِلُهُ

قَضَت عَلى المالِ لِلعافي أَنامِلُهُ

كَما قَضَت في أَعاديهِ قَواضِبُهُ

كَما قَضَت في أَعاديهِ قَواضِبُهُ

His fingers passed sentence on wealth for the suppliant,

His fingers have ordained spending for the virtuous,

just as his sharp swords passed sentence on his foes.

Just as they have ordained destruction for his enemies,

وَواجِد طرقاً لِلحَمدِ واصِفُهُ

وَواجِد طرقاً لِلحَمدِ واصِفُهُ

وَعادِمٍ طُرُقات الذَمّ عائِبُهُ

وَعادِمٍ طُرُقات الذَمّ عائِبُهُ

And his describer finds paths to praise,

A finder of ways to praise and describer of it,

while his detractor finds no paths to blame.

And devoid of ways of dispraise and censure,

لا يَغفَل الخَير ما لاقيتَ غُرَّتُهُ

لا يَغفَل الخَير ما لاقيتَ غُرَّتُهُ

بِحَيثُ حَلَّ وَلا تَدجو غَياكِهبُهُ

بِحَيثُ حَلَّ وَلا تَدجو غَياكِهبُهُ

He never neglects good whenever you encounter his radiant face,

Goodness does not escape you wherever its forehead shone,

wherever he alights, nor do his shadows grow dark.

Or its darkness crept in whatever place,