ومُسنتِ حيٍّ يُنكر الإِنسُ آلَهُ

ومُسنتِ حيٍّ يُنكر الإِنسُ آلَهُ

عريقٍ كرثِّ الأصبَحيِّ المُسرَّد

عريقٍ كرثِّ الأصبَحيِّ المُسرَّد

And a famine-stricken living soul, whose form men fail to recognize,

A living man whose divinity people deny

gaunt as a worn, stitched Asbahi whip,

Ancient like the abundant flow of dawn orators

ينوسُ بأجْوازِ المُروتِ كأنهُ

ينوسُ بأجْوازِ المُروتِ كأنهُ

نَزيفٌ حسا الصهباء من خمر صَرْخد

نَزيفٌ حسا الصهباء من خمر صَرْخد

sways through the heart of barren wastes, as though he were

He roams with the permits of manliness as if he were

a drunkard who has sipped the tawny wine of Sarkhad.

A bleeding of Suhban from the wine of Sarkhad

سرى مُفعماً بالهم صفراً من الغِنى

سرى مُفعماً بالهم صفراً من الغِنى

يخوض الردى من ضعفه والتجلُّدِ

يخوض الردى من ضعفه والتجلُّدِ

He journeyed by night, brimming with worry and empty of wealth,

He walked full of worries, empty of riches

wading into death through his weakness and his struggle to endure.

Enduring weakness and pretending patience

يجاذب ظُلِمان المَوامي من الطَّوى

يجاذب ظُلِمان المَوامي من الطَّوى

جنى الشري والخُطْبانِ في كل فدفدِ

جنى الشري والخُطْبانِ في كل فدفدِ

Starving, he vies with the deserts' male ostriches for

He contends with the darkness of the dunes in the valleys

the fruit of colocynth and striped bitter gourds in every barren tract.

Reaping ill-omen and misfortune at every turn

تذكَّر نُعمى الريفِ فانبعثتْ به

تذكَّر نُعمى الريفِ فانبعثتْ به

رَواتِك أدناها نَجاءُ الخفَيْدَدِ

رَواتِك أدناها نَجاءُ الخفَيْدَدِ

He recalled the bounty of fertile country and was borne onward

He remembered the bliss of the countryside, so

by swift strides, the slowest matching a fleet ostrich's speed.

Your meadows were awakened, the nearest being Khafayyad

إذا لاحَ ضوء الكوكب الفرد خاله

إذا لاحَ ضوء الكوكب الفرد خاله

رجاء القِرى والأمن لمعةَ موقد

رجاء القِرى والأمن لمعةَ موقد

Whenever a lone star's light appeared, he took it,

When the light of the single planet appeared, it was

hoping for hospitality and safety, for a kindled fire's gleam.

The hope of villages and safety, the glimmer of a fire

نحا عضُدَ الدين الجواد فَانْجحتْ

نحا عضُدَ الدين الجواد فَانْجحتْ

مَباغيهِ والآمالُ عند مُحمَّدِ

مَباغيهِ والآمالُ عند مُحمَّدِ

He made for generous Adud al-Din, and success attended

The pillar of religion, the generous, leaned

his pursuits; hopes rest with Muhammad.

And his pursuits and hopes succeeded through Muhammad

فبدَّل جَدْباً من مقامٍ بمُخصبٍ

فبدَّل جَدْباً من مقامٍ بمُخصبٍ

نَضيرٍ ونَحْساً من شقاءٍ بأسْعدِ

نَضيرٍ ونَحْساً من شقاءٍ بأسْعدِ

He exchanged a barren dwelling for one fertile

So he changed infertility at a place into fertility

and verdant, and misery's ill fortune for happier luck.

And harm from misery into greater joy

لدى حَرمٍ لا جارُه بمُرَوَّعٍ

لدى حَرمٍ لا جارُه بمُرَوَّعٍ

يُساءُ ولا معروفُهُ بمُصَرَّدِ

يُساءُ ولا معروفُهُ بمُصَرَّدِ

Within a sanctuary whose protected neighbor is never terrorized

With a protected sanctuary, whose neighbor is not frightened

or mistreated, and whose bounty is never stinted.

Or whose good deed is not rejected

يحصِّنُه غيْرانُ للمجد مرهف ال

يحصِّنُه غيْرانُ للمجد مرهف ال

عزائمِ غَمْرُ الجودِ طلاَّعُ أنجد

عزائمِ غَمْرُ الجودِ طلاَّعُ أنجد

It is guarded by one jealous for glory, with honed

Zeal for glory fortifies him, his determination

resolve, overflowing in bounty, a scaler of heights.

Is immersion in generosity and the rising of the valiant

تجمَّع من عِدَّيْ سخاءٍ ونجْدةٍ

تجمَّع من عِدَّيْ سخاءٍ ونجْدةٍ

أبرّا على صوْب الحَيا والمُهَنَّدِ

أبرّا على صوْب الحَيا والمُهَنَّدِ

He was formed from twin wellsprings of generosity and valor,

He gathered from abundant generosity and aid

which surpassed the rain's downpour and the Indian blade.

The dutiful toward the right course of life and the subservient

فللضَّيف بذل الجود في كل أزمةٍ

فللضَّيف بذل الجود في كل أزمةٍ

وللقرن ضرب الهامِ في كل مشهد

وللقرن ضرب الهامِ في كل مشهد

So for the guest, lavish bounty in every hardship;

For the guest is the generosity in every crisis

and for the foe, blows upon heads in every battle.

And for the epoch is striking the protector at every scene

هُمامٌ إذا شاهدتَه في نَديِّةِ

هُمامٌ إذا شاهدتَه في نَديِّةِ

رأيت سناءً منْ فَخارٍ وسُؤدَدِ

رأيت سناءً منْ فَخارٍ وسُؤدَدِ

A noble lord: when you behold him in the assembly,

High minded, when you see him in an intimate gathering

you see splendor born of glory and lordship.

You see glory and high status

إذا ناضَ برْقُ البِشر من قَسماته

إذا ناضَ برْقُ البِشر من قَسماته

فجائرُ ليل الحَظِّ والليل مُهتَدِ

فجائرُ ليل الحَظِّ والليل مُهتَدِ

When the lightning of cheer flashes from his features,

When the lightning of good tidings flashes from his features

one astray in fortune's night and in night itself finds his way.

The injustice of fate and the night are guided

سَماح الحَيا بالمالِ لكن بعرضهِ

سَماح الحَيا بالمالِ لكن بعرضهِ

وبالجار إذ يحميه بُخل العَلَنْدَدِ

وبالجار إذ يحميه بُخل العَلَنْدَدِ

He has rain's liberality with wealth, but toward his honor

Life is easy with money but with honor

and the neighbor he protects, a stalwart's jealous stinginess.

And the neighbor when he protects him from the stinginess of the hot-tempered

ولُطْفُ زُلالِ الماءِ عند ودادهِ

ولُطْفُ زُلالِ الماءِ عند ودادهِ

وفي الروع والأعداء قسوةُ جلْمدِ

وفي الروع والأعداء قسوةُ جلْمدِ

And clear water's gentleness in his friendship,

And the gentleness of the water's flow in his affection

and amid battle's terror and enemies, a boulder's hardness.

And in fear and enemies the hardness of ice

تُناطُ حُباهُ في النَّديِّ بفارعٍ

تُناطُ حُباهُ في النَّديِّ بفارعٍ

مُنيفٍ ويَمٍّ زاخرِ اللُّجِّ مُزْبد

مُنيفٍ ويَمٍّ زاخرِ اللُّجِّ مُزْبد

His knee-bands in the assembly encircle a lofty figure,

His gifts in intimacy are tied to a prominent

towering—and a sea with surging, foaming depths.

And noble man of abundant generosity

من النَّفَر الغُرِّ الذينَ توقَّلوا

من النَّفَر الغُرِّ الذينَ توقَّلوا

قِنانَ المعالي سيداً بعد سيدِ

قِنانَ المعالي سيداً بعد سيدِ

From the illustrious company of those who scaled

Of the elite men who inherited

the summits of eminence, lord after lord.

The vessels of glory, a master after master

نموْه فكان الصُّبحَ من شمس مفخرٍ

نموْه فكان الصُّبحَ من شمس مفخرٍ

وصوب الحيا الهطَّال من حافلٍ نَدِ

وصوب الحيا الهطَّال من حافلٍ نَدِ

They brought him forth: he was dawn from a sun of glory,

His growth made the dawn from a glorious sun

and pouring rain from a laden, bountiful cloud.

And the course of life an abundant torrent

فهُنِّيَ شهر الصَّوم طولَ بَقائهِ

فهُنِّيَ شهر الصَّوم طولَ بَقائهِ

ولا زالَ مبسوطَ المكارمِ واليَدِ

ولا زالَ مبسوطَ المكارمِ واليَدِ

So may the month of fasting be congratulated on his long life,

So Ramadan was congratulated for its long duration

and may he remain lavish in noble deeds and open-handed.

And its generous acts and hand are still outstretched