مهما وَصَفتَ فَدَتك النفسُ من حسنٍ

مهما وَصَفتَ فَدَتك النفسُ من حسنٍ

فأنت أولى أبا عمروٍ بما تَصِفُ

فأنت أولى أبا عمروٍ بما تَصِفُ

Whatever excellence you describe—may my soul be your ransom—

No matter how your soul extols your virtues,

For you, Abu Amr, are more deserving of what you describe.

You, Abu Amr, are worthier of what it describes.

يا فيلسوفاً يُقرُّ الفيلسوفُ له

يا فيلسوفاً يُقرُّ الفيلسوفُ له

ولابساً شرفاً ما مثلُه شرَف

ولابساً شرفاً ما مثلُه شرَف

O philosopher to whom the philosopher defers,

O philosopher, the philosopher acknowledges him,

And wearer of honor that no honor can match.

Wearing unmatched honor and nobility.

ما بحرُ بقراطَ إلا غَرفةٌ بيدٍ

ما بحرُ بقراطَ إلا غَرفةٌ بيدٍ

من بحركَ الصَّخِبِ التيار يُغتَرف

من بحركَ الصَّخِبِ التيار يُغتَرف

Hippocrates' sea is but a scoop taken by hand,

Hippocrates’ sea is but a handful drawn

Drawn from your sea with its roaring current.

From your tumultuous, boundless sea.

لا تصرفنَّ إلى الداءِ الدواءَ بلى

لا تصرفنَّ إلى الداءِ الدواءَ بلى

أَشِر إليه فإن الداءَ يَنصرف

أَشِر إليه فإن الداءَ يَنصرف

Do not direct medicine toward the illness; rather,

Divert not the cure to the disease, but

Point to it, for the illness will depart.

Point to it, and the disease will be diverted.

كم مُدنَفٍ جُلْتَ في أوهامِه فغدا

كم مُدنَفٍ جُلْتَ في أوهامِه فغدا

كأنه ما درى مذ كان ما الدَّنَف

كأنه ما درى مذ كان ما الدَّنَف

Through many a gravely ill man's thoughts you roamed, and he became

How many deluded ones have you guided,

As though he had never known, in all his life, what wasting illness was.

As though unaware since creation of delusion.

وخائفٍ تلَفاً ما زلتَ توسِعُهُ

وخائفٍ تلَفاً ما زلتَ توسِعُهُ

نصراً فأمّته من خوفه التلف

نصراً فأمّته من خوفه التلف

And many a man fearing death—you kept showering him with

And a fearful one, whom you never cease to console,

Aid, and so allayed his fear of death.

His nation consoled, freed from all fear.

أنت امرؤٌ شيمةُ الإنسان شيمتُهُ

أنت امرؤٌ شيمةُ الإنسان شيمتُهُ

لم تعدُهُ تُحَفُ الإحسان والطرف

لم تعدُهُ تُحَفُ الإحسان والطرف

You are a man whose character is the character of humankind;

You are the epitome of human virtue and nobility,

Gifts of kindness and rare delights have not passed him by.

Graced not by generosity and clemency alone.

في كلِّ يوم هدايا منك تُسرفُ في

في كلِّ يوم هدايا منك تُسرفُ في

إِهادئها هكذا يُستحسَن السَّرف

إِهادئها هكذا يُستحسَن السَّرف

Each day brings gifts from you; you are extravagant in

Every day you excessively bestow gifts,

Bestowing them—such extravagance is deemed good.

Generously - thus generosity is deemed finest.

وبعد هذا فقد أَلْبَسْتَني نعماً

وبعد هذا فقد أَلْبَسْتَني نعماً

فلا تزد قد كفاني ذلك السَّلَف

فلا تزد قد كفاني ذلك السَّلَف

And beyond this, you have clothed me in favors;

After this, you have clad me in blessings,

So add no more; that earlier bounty has sufficed me.

So add no more, what I have is enough.