يا رب مسِّ الصاحب بن الصاحب

يا رب مسِّ الصاحب بن الصاحب

بعلو مرتبة وسعد راتب

بعلو مرتبة وسعد راتب

O Lord, touch the Sahib, son of the Sahib,

O Lord, bless the companion Ibn Al-Sahib

with exalted rank and lasting good fortune.

With a high status and happy sustenance

واحفظه ما حدر الصباح لثامه

واحفظه ما حدر الصباح لثامه

لملثم بالقر أغبر شاحبِ

لملثم بالقر أغبر شاحبِ

And preserve him as long as dawn lowers its veil

And protect him as long as the dawn conceals its wrap,

for one muffled against the cold, dust-covered and pale,

Wrapped in dignity, an ashy pale garment.

وصل السرى بسرى ليصبح قاطعا

وصل السرى بسرى ليصبح قاطعا

أسباب فاقته بقطع صسباسبِ

أسباب فاقته بقطع صسباسبِ

who joins night journey to night journey, to reach morning severing

Join the elite to the elite to become, by morning,

the bonds of his poverty by crossing desolate plains.

One who severs the causes of excesses with a cutting sword.

ولكل مجدود ينال مراده

ولكل مجدود ينال مراده

منا وكل أخي رجاء خائبِ

منا وكل أخي رجاء خائبِ

And for every fortunate man who attains his desire

And may each desirous one attain what he wishes

among us, and every disappointed bearer of hope.

From us, and every brother hopes, though unmet.

فهو الذي ما زال نائل كفه

فهو الذي ما زال نائل كفه

مرتاد مرتاد وطالب طالبِ

مرتاد مرتاد وطالب طالبِ

For he is the one whose hand's bounty has always been

For he is one whose palm remains

seeking out the seeker and pursuing the petitioner.

Achieving, seeking, requesting.

ملك له في ليل كل ملمة

ملك له في ليل كل ملمة

ليلاء عزم كالشهاب الثاقبِ

ليلاء عزم كالشهاب الثاقبِ

A king who, amid the night of every calamity,

A king owning each glance in the night

pitch-dark, has resolve like a piercing meteor.

Of a determined, piercing will.

ورع له في الملك عفة زاهد

ورع له في الملك عفة زاهد

وعقاب جبار وسطوة غالبِ

وعقاب جبار وسطوة غالبِ

Pious, he has in sovereignty an ascetic's self-restraint,

And he is devout towards the kingdom, an ascetic,

and a mighty ruler's punishment and a victor's might.

With stern punishment and overwhelming authority.

فتراه يمزج في العقوبة والتقى

فتراه يمزج في العقوبة والتقى

بنهاره المرهوب ليل الراهبِ

بنهاره المرهوب ليل الراهبِ

So you see him blend, in punishment and piety,

You see him mix punishment and piety

the monk's night with his own dreaded day.

With his formidable day and monastic night.

يا رب هب هِبة الإله فإنه

يا رب هب هِبة الإله فإنه

ليث وطود حجي وغيث مواهبِ

ليث وطود حجي وغيث مواهبِ

O Lord, grant us Hibat al-Ilah, for he is

O Lord, grant him the gift of God, for he

a lion, a mountain of wisdom, and a rain of gifts.

Is a lion and a towering pillar, a pouring rain of gifts.

حلو الضرائب وهو في يوم الوغى

حلو الضرائب وهو في يوم الوغى

بالبيض مرهفة أمر مضاربِ

بالبيض مرهفة أمر مضاربِ

Sweet of disposition, yet on the day of battle

Sweet yet firm, and on the day of turmoil,

with keen white swords he is bitterest in his blows.

With white swords, a refined commander of regiments,

ذمر يبرح بأسه بمقانب

ذمر يبرح بأسه بمقانب

ويقوم مدرج كتبه بكتائبِ

ويقوم مدرج كتبه بكتائبِ

A valiant warrior whose might wreaks havoc on cavalry squadrons,

Whose might persists with lances

while the roll of his letters serves in place of battalions.

And whose phalanxes stand in battalions.

بعدت مسافة مجده من حاسد

بعدت مسافة مجده من حاسد

ودنت رغائب كفه من راغبِ

ودنت رغائب كفه من راغبِ

His glory's reach lies far beyond the envious,

Far is the distance of his glory from envier,

while his hand's coveted gifts draw near to the seeker.

And near are the hopes of his palm from desirer.

ويهاب في يوم الهياج ولا يرى

ويهاب في يوم الهياج ولا يرى

للموت في يوم الهياج بهائبِ

للموت في يوم الهياج بهائبِ

And he is feared on the day of battle, yet is never seen

He is feared on the day of fury, and sees

fearing death on the day of battle.

No apprehension towards death on the day of fury.

فلحوزة الإسلام أحمى ناصر

فلحوزة الإسلام أحمى ناصر

ولنائب الرحمن أنصح نائبِ

ولنائب الرحمن أنصح نائبِ

So for Islam's realm he is the staunchest defender,

He defends the abode of Islam, its fiercest protector,

and for the All-Merciful's deputy, the most loyal deputy.

And for the successor of the Merciful, the most loyal successor.

يمسي ويصبح وهو سلم مسالم

يمسي ويصبح وهو سلم مسالم

وإلى خلافته وحرب محاربِ

وإلى خلافته وحرب محاربِ

Evening and morning, he is peace to the peaceable,

He retires and awakes in safety and peace,

and to his caliphate, but war to the warlike.

And to his succession and war upon opponent.

بالوافر استنفدت معظم وفره

بالوافر استنفدت معظم وفره

لما قربت إليه والمتقاربِ

لما قربت إليه والمتقاربِ

With Wafir verse I exhausted most of his wealth

I have exhausted most of his abundance,

when I approached him—with Mutaqarib verse as well.

When I drew near him, and to the intimate.

مهلا أبا الفضل الذي فضل الورى

مهلا أبا الفضل الذي فضل الورى

طرا بحق ندى يديه الواجبِ

طرا بحق ندى يديه الواجبِ

Gently, Abu al-Fadl, who has surpassed mankind,

Wait, O Abu Al-Fadl, whom the world

all of them—by the binding claim of your hands' bounty!

Has surpassed, by the right of your obligatory munificence.

عرفت يمينك العوارف والندى

عرفت يمينك العوارف والندى

فهما عليك الدهر ضربة لازبِ

فهما عليك الدهر ضربة لازبِ

Your right hand has known beneficence and generosity,

The elite and the virtuous knew your right hand,

so both are your inescapable obligation for all time.

For it was upon you, time's irreversible blow.

ما روضة مطلولة أرجاؤها

ما روضة مطلولة أرجاؤها

ضحكت ضحاء من بكاء سحائبِ

ضحكت ضحاء من بكاء سحائبِ

No garden whose reaches are moistened with dew,

No garden sheds its leaves, though its expanse

smiling in the forenoon from the weeping of clouds,

Laughed with the laughter of pouring rain.

محمرة مخضرة فكأنها

محمرة مخضرة فكأنها

من حسن منظرها خدود كواعبِ

من حسن منظرها خدود كواعبِ

reddening and greening, as though it were,

Reddened and verdant, as if

in the beauty of its appearance, the cheeks of budding maidens,

Its beautiful sight were the cheeks of lovely maidens.

أضحى نثير الطل فوق ترابها

أضحى نثير الطل فوق ترابها

يحكي العقود نظمن فوق ترائبِ

يحكي العقود نظمن فوق ترائبِ

with scattered dew upon its soil now

The early dew sprinkles its soil,

resembling necklaces strung upon upper chests,

Like beads strung atop necklaces.

وكأنما الغدران بين مروجها

وكأنما الغدران بين مروجها

مصقولة بيضا متون قواضبِ

مصقولة بيضا متون قواضبِ

and with pools amid its meadows seeming like

As if its meadows were the smooth white cores

the polished, white flats of keen-edged swords,

Of polished reeds.

مثل اللجين فإِن تراءت فوقها

مثل اللجين فإِن تراءت فوقها

شمس رأيت نضار تبر ذائبِ

شمس رأيت نضار تبر ذائبِ

like silver—but if above them there appears

When seen under the sun,

the sun, you see pure, molten gold—

You see the radiance of melting snow.

يوما بأحسن منك زهر خلائق

يوما بأحسن منك زهر خلائق

هي في سماء المجد زهر كواكبِ

هي في سماء المجد زهر كواكبِ

is ever lovelier than you, with your radiant qualities,

One day, you were the finest of people, a flower

which are bright stars in the heaven of glory.

In the sky of glory, a flower among stars.

فبقيت محد الدين من متطول

فبقيت محد الدين من متطول

سامي العلى خرق مهبب واهب

سامي العلى خرق مهبب واهب

So may you endure, [Majd] al-Din, a benefactor,

So you remained, with lofty ambition,

lofty in honor, magnanimous, vigorous, and giving,

Transcending, eminent, an overwhelming downpour.

صبا ببذل المكرمات متيما

صبا ببذل المكرمات متيما

ترمي العدو بسهم راي صائبِ

ترمي العدو بسهم راي صائبِ

passionately enamored of bestowing noble favors,

Passionate in bestowing gifts,

striking the enemy with the arrow of unerring judgment.

Shooting the enemy with a precise arrow.