بَلَغتُكَ لَم أَنسُب وَلَم أَتَغَزَّلِ

بَلَغتُكَ لَم أَنسُب وَلَم أَتَغَزَّلِ

وَلَمّا أَقِف بَينَ الهَوى وَالتَذَلُّلِ

وَلَمّا أَقِف بَينَ الهَوى وَالتَذَلُّلِ

I reached you without composing a love prelude or singing of love.

I have not indulged in praise or flirtation,

Nor have I yet stood between passion and self-abasement.

Nor have I wavered between passion and humiliation,

وَلَمّا أَصِف كَأساً وَلَم أَبكِ مَنزِلاً

وَلَمّا أَصِف كَأساً وَلَم أَبكِ مَنزِلاً

وَلَم أَنتَحِل فَخراً وَلَم أَتَنَبَّلِ

وَلَم أَنتَحِل فَخراً وَلَم أَتَنَبَّلِ

Nor have I yet described a cup or wept over a dwelling.

I have not described a cup, nor wept over an abode,

Nor claimed glory for myself or affected nobility.

I have not claimed glory or dressed with affectation,

فَلَم يُبقِ في قَلبي مَديحُكَ مَوضِعاً

فَلَم يُبقِ في قَلبي مَديحُكَ مَوضِعاً

تَجولُ بِهِ ذِكرى حَبيبٍ وَمَنزِلِ

تَجولُ بِهِ ذِكرى حَبيبٍ وَمَنزِلِ

For praise of you has left no room in my heart

So there was no room left in my heart for your praise

Where the memory of a beloved and a dwelling might wander.

Where memories of a beloved and home might wander.

رَأَيتُكَ وَالأَبصارُ حَولَكَ خُشَّعٌ

رَأَيتُكَ وَالأَبصارُ حَولَكَ خُشَّعٌ

فَقُلتُ أَبو حَفصٍ بِبُردَيكَ أَم عَلي

فَقُلتُ أَبو حَفصٍ بِبُردَيكَ أَم عَلي

I saw you, with the eyes around you lowered in reverence,

I saw you while eyes around you were downcast

So I said: 'Is it Abu Hafs in your two cloaks, or Ali?'

So I said: "Is that Abu Hafs or is it Ali?"

وَخَفَّضتُ مِن حُزني عَلى مَجدِ أُمَّةٍ

وَخَفَّضتُ مِن حُزني عَلى مَجدِ أُمَّةٍ

تَدارَكتَها وَالخَطبُ لِلخَطبِ يَعتَلي

تَدارَكتَها وَالخَطبُ لِلخَطبِ يَعتَلي

And I lessened my grief over the glory of a nation

And I lowered my sadness for the glory of a nation

You rescued as calamity mounted upon calamity.

You saved when misfortune climbed and took hold,

طَلَعتَ بِها بِاليُمنِ مِن خَيرِ مَطلَعٍ

طَلَعتَ بِها بِاليُمنِ مِن خَيرِ مَطلَعٍ

وَكُنتَ لَها في الفَوزِ قِدحَ اِبنِ مُقبِلِ

وَكُنتَ لَها في الفَوزِ قِدحَ اِبنِ مُقبِلِ

You rose within it with good fortune from the finest horizon,

You rose with it in blessing from the best of dawns

And for its victory you were Ibn Muqbil's gaming arrow.

And for its triumph you were like Ibn Muqbil’s wine cup.

وَجَرَّدتَ لِلفُتيا حُسامَ عَزيمَةٍ

وَجَرَّدتَ لِلفُتيا حُسامَ عَزيمَةٍ

بِحَدَّيهِ آياتُ الكِتابِ المُنَزَّلِ

بِحَدَّيهِ آياتُ الكِتابِ المُنَزَّلِ

And for issuing religious rulings you unsheathed a keen sword of resolve,

You unsheathed for the youths a sword of resolve

Upon whose two edges were the verses of the revealed Book.

With two edges: Quranic signs, a revelation descended!

مَحَوتَ بِهِ في الدينِ كُلَّ ضَلالَةٍ

مَحَوتَ بِهِ في الدينِ كُلَّ ضَلالَةٍ

وَأَثبَتَّ ما أَثبَتَّ غَيرَ مُضَلَّلِ

وَأَثبَتَّ ما أَثبَتَّ غَيرَ مُضَلَّلِ

With it you erased every error in religion,

With it you erased in religion every misguidance

And affirmed what you affirmed, without being misled.

And affirmed what no one astray could make firm.

لَئِن ظَفِرَ الإِفتاءُ مِنكَ بِفاضِلٍ

لَئِن ظَفِرَ الإِفتاءُ مِنكَ بِفاضِلٍ

لَقَد ظَفِرَ الإِسلامُ مِنكَ بِأَفضَلِ

لَقَد ظَفِرَ الإِسلامُ مِنكَ بِأَفضَلِ

If the issuing of religious rulings has gained in you a man of merit,

If jurisprudence is blessed by an exceptional one through you,

Islam has surely gained in you one of greater merit.

Islam is blessed by the best one through you!

فَما حَلَّ عَقدَ المُشكِلاتِ بِحِكمَةٍ

فَما حَلَّ عَقدَ المُشكِلاتِ بِحِكمَةٍ

سِواكَ وَلا أَربى عَلى كُلِّ حُوَّلِ

سِواكَ وَلا أَربى عَلى كُلِّ حُوَّلِ

For none has wisely untied the knots of difficult questions

No one has untied tangled problems with wisdom

Save you, nor surpassed every master of resourcefulness.

But you, no one more fitting for each twisted turn!