قُلْ لسديدِ الحضرةِ المُرتجَى

قُلْ لسديدِ الحضرةِ المُرتجَى

القائلِ المَعْروفَ والفاعلِ

القائلِ المَعْروفَ والفاعلِ

Say to the sound-judging, hoped-for lord of the court—

Say to Sadid al-Hadra, in whom hopes are placed,

the renowned speaker and man of action—

who speaks what is good and does it,

ومَن غدا طَلُّ عَطِيّاته

ومَن غدا طَلُّ عَطِيّاته

يُخْجِلُ صَوْبَ المطَر الوابل

يُخْجِلُ صَوْبَ المطَر الوابل

the man whose gifts’ dew has come

and whose gifts’ dew has come

to shame the driving torrent of pelting rain;

to shame the downpour of torrential rain,

ومَن يُرينا حينَ نَنْتابُه

ومَن يُرينا حينَ نَنْتابُه

كيف صَنيعُ المُفْضِلِ الفاضل

كيف صَنيعُ المُفْضِلِ الفاضل

the man who shows us, whenever we visit him,

and who shows us, when we visit him,

what the noble benefactor’s conduct is like:

how a virtuous benefactor acts:

يَفْديكَ من طارقِ صَرّفِ الرَّدى

يَفْديكَ من طارقِ صَرّفِ الرَّدى

مَن وَجْهُه قُفْلُ فَمِ السّائل

مَن وَجْهُه قُفْلُ فَمِ السّائل

May he ransom you from death’s sudden turns—

May you be ransomed from the onslaught of death’s vicissitudes

the man whose face is a lock upon the petitioner’s mouth—

by one whose face is a lock upon the supplicant’s mouth,

وأنت تَجلو عَنْ سَنا غُرّةٍ

وأنت تَجلو عَنْ سَنا غُرّةٍ

زَهْراءَ تُحْيى أمَلَ الآمِل

زَهْراءَ تُحْيى أمَلَ الآمِل

while from the splendor of your brow you unveil

while you unveil the radiance of a brow,

a radiant light that revives the hopeful one’s hope.

bright, reviving the hopeful one’s hope.

بوركْتَ من غَيثِ ندىً هاطِلٍ

بوركْتَ من غَيثِ ندىً هاطِلٍ

أصبحَ حَلْيَ الزَّمَنِ العاطل

أصبحَ حَلْيَ الزَّمَنِ العاطل

Blessed are you, a pouring rain of generosity;

Blessed are you, a pouring rain of generosity,

you have become the ornament of an unadorned age:

now the ornament of an unadorned age;

بَحْرٍ ولكنْ باللُّها زاخِرٍ

بَحْرٍ ولكنْ باللُّها زاخِرٍ

بدْرٍ ولكنْ بالنُّهَى كامل

بدْرٍ ولكنْ بالنُّهَى كامل

an ocean, yet one brimming with largesse;

an ocean, but brimming with gifts;

a full moon, yet one complete in wisdom.

a full moon, but complete in wisdom.

يَدفَعُ ظُلْمَ الدّهْرِ عن أهلِه

يَدفَعُ ظُلْمَ الدّهْرِ عن أهلِه

فهْو سَمِيُّ المَلِكِ العَادل

فهْو سَمِيُّ المَلِكِ العَادل

He wards off Time’s injustice from his people;

He wards off time’s injustice from his people,

thus he is the namesake of the Just King.

for he is the just king’s namesake.

ما عَيبُ جَدْواهُ سوى أنّه

ما عَيبُ جَدْواهُ سوى أنّه

بَعدَها عن حَمْدِها شاغلي

بَعدَها عن حَمْدِها شاغلي

His bounty has no fault but this:

His bounty has no fault except that he

once bestowed, it keeps me from praising it.

keeps me busy counting it rather than praising it.

يا مَنْ لنا مِن عندهِ كُلُّ ما

يا مَنْ لنا مِن عندهِ كُلُّ ما

نَهوَى برَغْمِ المانعِ الباخل

نَهوَى برَغْمِ المانعِ الباخل

O you, from whom we receive all

O you, from whom we have all that

we desire, despite the withholding miser—

we desire, despite the withholding miser,

مَن وَجْهُه شمسٌ ومَن جاهُه

مَن وَجْهُه شمسٌ ومَن جاهُه

ظِلٌّ ولكنْ ليس بالزّائل

ظِلٌّ ولكنْ ليس بالزّائل

from your face comes a sun, and from your eminence

you whose face is a sun, and whose eminence

a shade—but one that never passes away.

is shade, but shade that never vanishes:

قد خَفّفَتْ نُعماكَ عن خاطري

قد خَفّفَتْ نُعماكَ عن خاطري

لكنّها قد أثقلَتْ كاهلي

لكنّها قد أثقلَتْ كاهلي

Your bounty has lightened my troubled mind,

Your favors have eased my mind,

but it has indeed weighed heavily upon my shoulders.

yet they have weighed down my shoulders.

لا زلتَ فينا كَعبةً للنّدى

لا زلتَ فينا كَعبةً للنّدى

نُثْني على إحسانكِ الشّامل

نُثْني على إحسانكِ الشّامل

May you ever remain among us a Kaaba of generosity,

May you ever remain among us a Kaaba of generosity;

while we extol your all-embracing beneficence.

we praise your all-embracing kindness.

ولا تَزلْ تَخطِرُ عن خاطري

ولا تَزلْ تَخطِرُ عن خاطري

في بُرْدِ مَدْحٍ سابِغٍ ذائل

في بُرْدِ مَدْحٍ سابِغٍ ذائل

And may you ever stride forth from my thoughts

And may you ever stride forth from my thoughts

in a mantle of praise, ample and trailing;

in an ample, trailing cloak of praise,

له بأَوصافِك عِطرِيّةٌ

له بأَوصافِك عِطرِيّةٌ

تَعبَقُ بالسّامعِ والقائل

تَعبَقُ بالسّامعِ والقائل

through your virtues it carries a fragrance

which, through your qualities, has a fragrance

that perfumes listener and speaker alike.

that perfumes listener and speaker alike.

عِنديَ ما شِئْتَ منَ الشّكْرِ إذ

عِنديَ ما شِئْتَ منَ الشّكْرِ إذ

عندَك ما شِئْتُ منَ النّائل

عندَك ما شِئْتُ منَ النّائل

I have as much gratitude as you wish, since

I have whatever thanks you wish, since

you have as much bounty as I wish.

you have whatever bounty I wish.