حماكُم إِلهُ العرشِ من كل نبْوةٍ

حماكُم إِلهُ العرشِ من كل نبْوةٍ

وصانكُمْ ما ساعد السَّاعد النَّصْلُ

وصانكُمْ ما ساعد السَّاعد النَّصْلُ

May the God of the Throne protect you from every setback,

God protects you from all harm

and safeguard you as long as the blade aids the arm.

And has shielded you when the helping hand grew weak

فأنتُم ربيعٌ رَوْحُهُ ونَوالُهُ

فأنتُم ربيعٌ رَوْحُهُ ونَوالُهُ

به يُطْردُ الهَمُّ المُبرِّحُ والمَحْل

به يُطْردُ الهَمُّ المُبرِّحُ والمَحْل

For you are springtime, whose solace and bounty

So you are a spring whose spirit and bounty

banish tormenting grief and drought.

Dispels depressing sorrows and heavy burdens

جرَتْ أدْمُعي فيضاً فكفَّ غروبها

جرَتْ أدْمُعي فيضاً فكفَّ غروبها

بقاء ليوث الغاب إذْ فُقد الشِّبْلُ

بقاء ليوث الغاب إذْ فُقد الشِّبْلُ

My tears flowed in a flood, but their flow was checked

My tears flowed copiously but were stemmed

by the woodland lions’ survival when the cub was lost.

When the forest lions remained though the cubs were lost

وباريْتُ أخلاقَ النساءِ بلوْعَةٍ

وباريْتُ أخلاقَ النساءِ بلوْعَةٍ

يعود لها الصَّفْوان وهو ثرىً سهل

يعود لها الصَّفْوان وهو ثرىً سهل

And I rivaled women’s ways in a burning anguish

And I lamented the morals of women bitterly

that turns smooth stone into soft earth.

To whom perfume and silk would now seem but dust

ولو أنه يُفْدى فَدَتْهُ وشيكَةً

ولو أنه يُفْدى فَدَتْهُ وشيكَةً

نفوسٌ غذاها منكم الطَّوْل والفضل

نفوسٌ غذاها منكم الطَّوْل والفضل

And if he could have been ransomed, he would have been ransomed at once

Had he been ransomable, ransomed right away

by souls nourished by your bounty and generosity.

By souls nourished by your greatness and merit

يَهونُ عليها فقْدُها وبَقاكُمُ

يَهونُ عليها فقْدُها وبَقاكُمُ

ولا عجبٌ أن يفتدي الخِضْرِمَ الضَّحل

ولا عجبٌ أن يفتدي الخِضْرِمَ الضَّحل

Their own loss would be light to them, so long as you survived;

They would find losing life trivial if you lived

nor is it strange that shallow water should ransom the vast sea.

No wonder the insignificant pays to spare the noble

وقد كُنتُ أرجو أنْ أراهُ كقومه

وقد كُنتُ أرجو أنْ أراهُ كقومه

يجلُّ به النادي ويفتخرُ الحفْلُ

يجلُّ به النادي ويفتخرُ الحفْلُ

And I had hoped to see him, like his kin,

I hoped to see him like his people

bringing honor to the assembly and pride to the gathering,

Glorified in the club and prided at the feast

فأزْدادُ من نوْءِ المكارمِ دِيمَةً

فأزْدادُ من نوْءِ المكارمِ دِيمَةً

بُحورُ الأيادي الزَّخرات لها أصل

بُحورُ الأيادي الزَّخرات لها أصل

so I might gain more steady rain from the rain-star of noble deeds.

So I increasingly gained from the great virtues

The overflowing seas of benefaction have a source.

The generous hands have roots that go deep

فإنْ أخلفتْ ظَني اللياليِ فسلوةً

فإنْ أخلفتْ ظَني اللياليِ فسلوةً

بأروعَ مَعْسولٍ شمائلُهُ تَحْلو

بأروعَ مَعْسولٍ شمائلُهُ تَحْلو

So if the nights have belied my hope, then let there be solace

If the nights have belied my hopes for consolation

in an awe-inspiring, honey-sweet man whose character delights.

In the most euphonious and sweetest of speech

حوى لبهاءِ الدين كُلَّ شَريدَةٍ

حوى لبهاءِ الدين كُلَّ شَريدَةٍ

من المجد شأناهُ الحميَّةُ والبَذْلُ

من المجد شأناهُ الحميَّةُ والبَذْلُ

He has gathered for Baha al-Din every elusive distinction

It has succored every desolate one in splendor

of glory; his twin concerns are honor and generosity.

Whose glory zeal and sacrifice have built

فجاء صبوراً لا تطيشُ لحادِثٍ

فجاء صبوراً لا تطيشُ لحادِثٍ

حُباهُ وتنْبو عن معاجمهِ العُصْل

حُباهُ وتنْبو عن معاجمهِ العُصْل

Thus he proved steadfast: no calamity loosens

So he came patient, not shaken by any misfortune

his knee-bands, and hooked fangs recoil from his tested mettle.

Gifted yet aloof from the knots of attachment