أيَّامُنا بكَ بيضٌ كلُّها غررُ

أيَّامُنا بكَ بيضٌ كلُّها غررُ

وعيشُنا بك غضٌّ مونقٌ نضِرُ

وعيشُنا بك غضٌّ مونقٌ نضِرُ

Our days through you are white, every one radiant;

Our days with you are all radiant pearls

And our life through you is fresh, delightful, radiant.

And our life with you is fresh, verdant

ووجهُك المتجلّي للندى مَرحاً

ووجهُك المتجلّي للندى مَرحاً

من نوره تستمدُ الشمسُ والقمرُ

من نوره تستمدُ الشمسُ والقمرُ

And your face, shining joyfully with generosity—

Your face shining towards the dew playfully

From its light the sun and moon draw their light.

The sun and moon draw light from its glow

يا شمسَ دارةِ أُفق المجد كم لك من

يا شمسَ دارةِ أُفق المجد كم لك من

صنايعٍ لم تكن بالعدِّ تنحصرُ

صنايعٍ لم تكن بالعدِّ تنحصرُ

O sun of the circle of glory's horizon, how many are your

O sun of the horizon of glory, your

Benefactions beyond the bounds of counting!

Creations are beyond counting or measure

لله كم لك من معنىً تحيّر في

لله كم لك من معنىً تحيّر في

إدراكه العقلُ والأوهامُ والفكر

إدراكه العقلُ والأوهامُ والفكر

God be praised! How many qualities of yours have bewildered

My God, your meanings leave intellect, imagination and thought perplexed

Reason, imagination, and thought in grasping them!

In comprehending them fully

قد قلتُ للمبتغي جهلاً عُلاك لقد

قد قلتُ للمبتغي جهلاً عُلاك لقد

جريتَ لكنَّ عنها شأنك القِصر

جريتَ لكنَّ عنها شأنك القِصر

I have said to the one who ignorantly seeks your eminence: indeed,

I said to the ignorant seeker, your seeking his loftiness was in vain

You have raced, but your lot is to fall short of it.

Yet from it, your nobility still fell short

تبغي على ماجدٍ ما رامه أحدٌ

تبغي على ماجدٍ ما رامه أحدٌ

إلاَّ وعادَ بطرفٍ عنه ينحسر

إلاَّ وعادَ بطرفٍ عنه ينحسر

You assail a noble man whom none has sought to rival

You desire from the glorious what no other has sought

Without returning with a gaze that recoils from him.

Except to retreat from it, eyes downcast

ذاك الذي ما جرى يوماً لنيلِ عُلىً

ذاك الذي ما جرى يوماً لنيلِ عُلىً

إلاَّ وقصَّر عن إدراكه البصر

إلاَّ وقصَّر عن إدراكه البصر

That is he who never raced to attain heights of honor

He whom the attainment of glory never eluded

Without sight falling short of catching him.

Save that sights fell short before his vision

كم زُرتُه فرأيت الأرضَ قد جُمعت

كم زُرتُه فرأيت الأرضَ قد جُمعت

في مجلسٍ لفتىً في استوى البَشر

في مجلسٍ لفتىً في استوى البَشر

How often I visited him and saw the earth gathered

How often I visited him, and saw the earth

In a young man's gathering, where all people were equal.

Brought together in one circle for a youth among men

في العسرِ واليسرِ فيه لَم يخِب أملٌ

في العسرِ واليسرِ فيه لَم يخِب أملٌ

ولا تُغيّر من أخلاقه الغِير

ولا تُغيّر من أخلاقه الغِير

In hardship and ease, no hope placed in him was disappointed,

In ease and unease, no hope in him was ever dashed

Nor do reversals of fortune alter his character.

Nor his noble manners changed by others

كأنَّما صِلةُ الوفّاد واجبةٌ

كأنَّما صِلةُ الوفّاد واجبةٌ

عليه نصَّت به الآياتُ والسور

عليه نصَّت به الآياتُ والسور

As though giving to visitors were obligatory

As if keeping faith with him were a duty

Upon him, expressly decreed by the verses and surahs.

Enjoined in verses and chapters of scripture

لولاهُ أصبحت الدنيا بأجمعها

لولاهُ أصبحت الدنيا بأجمعها

ما للسماحِ بها عينٌ ولا أثر

ما للسماحِ بها عينٌ ولا أثر

Were it not for him, the world in its entirety would have become

Without him, the world entire would lack

A place with neither a sign nor a trace of generosity.

Generosity, without a trace remaining

وليس بالسحب من بخلٍ إذا انقشعت

وليس بالسحب من بخلٍ إذا انقشعت

لكنَّها لحياءٍ منه تستَتر

لكنَّها لحياءٍ منه تستَتر

And there is no stinginess in the clouds when they disperse;

When the clouds disperse, it is not from stinginess

But they hide out of shame before him.

But shyness before his radiance they withdraw