بقيتَ بهاء الدينِ ما وضح الضحى

بقيتَ بهاء الدينِ ما وضح الضحى

وما غردت فوق الغصون السواجعُ

وما غردت فوق الغصون السواجعُ

May you endure, Baha al-Din, as long as the morning shines,

You remained the splendor of faith when dawn had not yet brightened,

and as long as cooing birds sing above the branches,

Nor had the nightingales trilled above the branches.

وما أنشأت ريحُ الجنوب سحابةً

وما أنشأت ريحُ الجنوب سحابةً

ومدَّ أتيٌّ بالمذانبِ دافِعُ

ومدَّ أتيٌّ بالمذانبِ دافِعُ

and as long as the south wind raises a cloud,

The southern breeze had not yet formed a cloud,

and a surging torrent swells through the watercourses,

Nor had a downpour driven the torrents on.

لثروةِ مِعْدامٍ ونُصْرة خائفٍ

لثروةِ مِعْدامٍ ونُصْرة خائفٍ

وزيْنِ نديٍّ أتْمكَتْهُ المجامعُ

وزيْنِ نديٍّ أتْمكَتْهُ المجامعُ

to enrich the destitute and aid the fearful,

For the wealth of the destitute and the aid of the fearful,

and to grace a council exalted by its gatherings.

And the beauty of the supple whom assemblies had flexed.

فنِعم مُناخُ الطَّارقينَ عشيَّةً

فنِعم مُناخُ الطَّارقينَ عشيَّةً

اذا أخمدتْ نار اليَفاع الزعازعُ

اذا أخمدتْ نار اليَفاع الزعازعُ

What a fine haven you are for night visitors at dusk,

So excellent is the climate of the night visitors in the evening

when gales extinguish the fire on the heights!

When the flames of panic and tremors are extinguished.

يوَدُّ الكثيفُ الجونُ جاد مسفُّه

يوَدُّ الكثيفُ الجونُ جاد مسفُّه

نداكَ ولم تُنْصبْ اليه الذرائعُ

نداكَ ولم تُنْصبْ اليه الذرائعُ

The dense, dark cloud, its low-hanging part pouring, longs for

The dense, abundant cloud desires to rain its downpour on you,

your bounty, though no means have been contrived to obtain it.

And you did not set up means to it.

وتخشى الخفاف البيض بأسك والقنا

وتخشى الخفاف البيض بأسك والقنا

اِذ الذمر نِكس والمشيَّعُ كانِعُ

اِذ الذمر نِكس والمشيَّعُ كانِعُ

And the light, gleaming swords and the spears fear your might,

And the pure white doves fear your might and prowess

when the valiant is a weakling and the stouthearted cowers.

When the predators slink away diminished and the defenders tower.

أراك أبا الفضلين لا الفَضلِ وحده

أراك أبا الفضلين لا الفَضلِ وحده

فعلمك فيَّاضٌ وجودكَ واسعُ

فعلمك فيَّاضٌ وجودكَ واسعُ

I see you as father of two excellences, not of one alone:

I see you, Abu al-Fadl, not just Fadl alone,

for your knowledge overflows, and your generosity is vast.

For your knowledge is overflowing and your generosity spacious.

هزيمان منك الفقرُ والجبر حجةً

هزيمان منك الفقرُ والجبر حجةً

وجوداً فسهْلٌ مستريحٌ وناصعُ

وجوداً فسهْلٌ مستريحٌ وناصعُ

Poverty and determinism are routed by you, through argument

Defeat at your hands is the lot of poverty and destiny the proof,

and generosity—your giving easy and untroubled, your proof lucid.

Present and at ease, smooth and gleaming.

فلا الجودُ اِلا والتبرُّعُ جلُّهُ

فلا الجودُ اِلا والتبرُّعُ جلُّهُ

ولا قطْعَ اِلا والمُجادلُ بارعُ

ولا قطْعَ اِلا والمُجادلُ بارعُ

So there is no generosity unless most of it is freely given,

So generosity is nothing but voluntary giving in its entirety,

and no decisive refutation unless the disputant is masterful.

And severance is naught but the disputant is clever.

يُقرِّبُ منه عزمهُ كلَّ نازحٍ

يُقرِّبُ منه عزمهُ كلَّ نازحٍ

فتدنو له الآرابُ وهي شواسِعُ

فتدنو له الآرابُ وهي شواسِعُ

His resolve brings every far-off thing close to him,

His resolve brings every émigré near,

so his aims draw near to him, though they are far away.

So the vast deserts approach him.

اذا شطَّ مأثور الأماني وأصبحتْ

اذا شطَّ مأثور الأماني وأصبحتْ

شماليلُهُ في الأمرِ وهي طوالعُ

شماليلُهُ في الأمرِ وهي طوالعُ

When the cherished object of hope lies far away, and

When the traditions of wishes flood forth

its scattered traces in the undertaking are just emerging,

And its rising signs at your command emerge.

نَضا للمباغي صارماً من نَفاذهِ

نَضا للمباغي صارماً من نَفاذهِ

تودُّ مضاهُ المُرهفاتُ القواطِعُ

تودُّ مضاهُ المُرهفاتُ القواطِعُ

he unsheathes for his aims a keen blade of his incisive power,

Keen against the covetous, sharp from his penetration,

whose sharpness the honed, cleaving swords covet.

The discerning blades desire his edge.

فهُنِّئَتِ الأعياد منه بمثلها

فهُنِّئَتِ الأعياد منه بمثلها

مواسمهُ في الخير عوجٌ رَواجعُ

مواسمهُ في الخير عوجٌ رَواجعُ

So the feast days are congratulated on their counterparts from him—

The holidays through him were congratulated with their like,

his seasons of goodness, circling back and returning.

His seasons of good persist inclining and returning.