أَخْلاقُهُ أَحْلى مِنَ الأَمْنِ

أَخْلاقُهُ أَحْلى مِنَ الأَمْنِ

وَكَفُّهُ أَنْدى مِنَ الْمُزْنِ

وَكَفُّهُ أَنْدى مِنَ الْمُزْنِ

His character is sweeter than security,

His morals are sweeter than safety

and his hand more bountiful than the rain clouds.

And his palm more dewy than crystal

إِذا وَصَفْناهُ وَلَمْ نُسْمِهِ

إِذا وَصَفْناهُ وَلَمْ نُسْمِهِ

قَالَ الْوَرى ذاكَ أَبُو الْيُمْنِ

قَالَ الْوَرى ذاكَ أَبُو الْيُمْنِ

When we describe him without naming him,

If we describe him without naming him

people say, "That is Abu al-Yumn."

People will say, that’s Abu Al-Yumn

ذاكَ الَّذِي لَوْ لَمْ نَبُحْ بِاسْمِهِ

ذاكَ الَّذِي لَوْ لَمْ نَبُحْ بِاسْمِهِ

لَمْ يَجْهَلِ الْعالَمُ مَنْ نَعْنِي

لَمْ يَجْهَلِ الْعالَمُ مَنْ نَعْنِي

That is the one: even if we did not reveal his name,

He whom even if we didn’t call his name

the world would still know whom we mean.

The world wouldn’t be ignorant of whom we mean

رَأَيْتُكَ تَقْتَضِي شُكْرَ الرِّجالِ

رَأَيْتُكَ تَقْتَضِي شُكْرَ الرِّجالِ

وَلَسْتَ بِمُقْتَضى بَذْلِ النَّوالِ

وَلَسْتَ بِمُقْتَضى بَذْلِ النَّوالِ

I have seen you elicit men's gratitude,

I saw you demanding people’s gratitude

yet you need no prompting to bestow bounty,

Yet you don’t demand reward

غَراماً بِالْمَحامِدِ وَالْمَساعِي

غَراماً بِالْمَحامِدِ وَالْمَساعِي

وَوَجْداً بِالْمَكارِمِ وَالْمَعالِي

وَوَجْداً بِالْمَكارِمِ وَالْمَعالِي

out of passionate love for praiseworthy deeds and endeavors,

Passionate for praise and good deeds

and out of ardor for noble virtues and lofty attainments.

And affectionate of virtues and sublimities

وَلَسْتَ بِعاطِلٍ مِنْ حَلْيِ حَمْدٍ

وَلَسْتَ بِعاطِلٍ مِنْ حَلْيِ حَمْدٍ

وَكُلُّ مُؤَمِّلٍ بِنَداكَ حالِ

وَكُلُّ مُؤَمِّلٍ بِنَداكَ حالِ

Nor are you bereft of praise's adornment,

You are no idle recipient of praise

and every hopeful person is adorned with your bounty.

And every hopeful relies on your generosity

وَلَيسَ الشُّكْرُ بَعْدَ الْجُودِ إِلاّ

وَلَيسَ الشُّكْرُ بَعْدَ الْجُودِ إِلاّ

أَسِيرَ الْجُودِ مِنْ قَبْلِ السُّؤالِ

أَسِيرَ الْجُودِ مِنْ قَبْلِ السُّؤالِ

And gratitude after generosity is nothing but

Gratitude after generosity is but

the captive of generosity bestowed before the asking.

A prisoner of generosity before asking

عَلَوْتَ عَنِ الثَّناءِ وَأَيُّ خِرْقٍ

عَلَوْتَ عَنِ الثَّناءِ وَأَيُّ خِرْقٍ

سِواكَ عَنِ الثَّناءِ الْمَحْضِ عالِ

سِواكَ عَنِ الثَّناءِ الْمَحْضِ عالِ

You have risen above praise—and what generous man

You are above praise, and who else

other than you rises above unalloyed praise?

Is above sincere praise but you?

وَأَيْنَ الشُّكْرُ مِنْ هذِي الْعَطايا

وَأَيْنَ الشُّكْرُ مِنْ هذِي الْعَطايا

وَأَيْنَ الْحَمْدُ مِنْ هذا الْجَلالِ

وَأَيْنَ الْحَمْدُ مِنْ هذا الْجَلالِ

And where does gratitude stand beside these gifts?

And where is gratitude from these grants?

And where does praise stand beside this majesty?

And where is praise from this majesty?

سَلا الْعُذْرِيُّ عَمَّنْ باتَ يَهْوى

سَلا الْعُذْرِيُّ عَمَّنْ باتَ يَهْوى

وَلَسْتَ عَنِ النَّدى يَوْماً بِسالِ

وَلَسْتَ عَنِ النَّدى يَوْماً بِسالِ

The ʿUdhri lover forgot the one he loved through the night,

Al-Udhri asked about one who spent the night passionate with love

yet never for a day do you forget generosity.

And you have never been devoid of dew

بَقِيتَ مُمَلأً غَفَلاتِ عَيْشٍ

بَقِيتَ مُمَلأً غَفَلاتِ عَيْشٍ

نَمِيرِ الْوِرْدِ مَمْدُودِ الظِّلالِ

نَمِيرِ الْوِرْدِ مَمْدُودِ الظِّلالِ

May you live on, filled with life's carefree moments,

You remained filled with the heedlessness of life

with sweet drinking water and shade spread wide.

A slumbering meadow with outstretched shadows

تُعَمَّرُ وَالْمُيَسَّرَ فِيهِ عُمْراً

تُعَمَّرُ وَالْمُيَسَّرَ فِيهِ عُمْراً

جَدِيداً ثَوْبُهُ وَالدَّهْرُ بالِ

جَدِيداً ثَوْبُهُ وَالدَّهْرُ بالِ

May you, with al-Muyassar, be granted in it a lifetime

You live on and facilitation is granted for you to live

whose robe is new while time is threadbare.

With renewed attire while time wears out

تُسَرُّ بِهِ وَتُمْنَحُهُ أَمِينَ الْ

تُسَرُّ بِهِ وَتُمْنَحُهُ أَمِينَ الْ

فِطامِ حَمِيدَ عاقِبَةِ الْفِصالِ

فِطامِ حَمِيدَ عاقِبَةِ الْفِصالِ

May you rejoice in him and be granted him, safe through

You rejoice in it and its faithful guardian grants you

weaning, with a happy outcome to his leaving the breast.

Praiseworthy consequences at the end of times

بِيُمْنِكَ يا أَبا الْيُمْنِ اسْتَطَلْنا

بِيُمْنِكَ يا أَبا الْيُمْنِ اسْتَطَلْنا

إِلى الْعَلْياءِ مِنْ كَرَمِ الْخِلالِ

إِلى الْعَلْياءِ مِنْ كَرَمِ الْخِلالِ

Through your good fortune, O Abu al-Yumn, we have risen

With your blessings, O Father of Blessings, we reached

to the heights through the nobility of your character.

The lofty summits of generous traits

سَعِيداً يا سَعِيدُ تَفُوزُ مِنْهُ

سَعِيداً يا سَعِيدُ تَفُوزُ مِنْهُ

بِأَيّامٍ كَأَيّامِ الْوِصالِ

بِأَيّامٍ كَأَيّامِ الْوِصالِ

Happily, O Saʿid, may you gain from it

Happy you are, Happy One, to gain

days like the days of union.

Days like the days of union

لَقَدْ شَرُفَتْ بِكَ الدُّنْيا وَطالَتْ

لَقَدْ شَرُفَتْ بِكَ الدُّنْيا وَطالَتْ

بِكَ الأَيّامُ فَخْراً وَاللَّيالِي

بِكَ الأَيّامُ فَخْراً وَاللَّيالِي

Indeed, the world has been ennobled by you, and tall have grown

The world has indeed become noble through you and days

through you, in pride, the days and nights.

Have become proud and nights boastful through you

فَعِشْتَ بِها تُسَرْبَلُ مِنْكَ فَخْراً

فَعِشْتَ بِها تُسَرْبَلُ مِنْكَ فَخْراً

وَتَلْبَسُ مِنْكَ أَثْوابَ الْجَمالِ

وَتَلْبَسُ مِنْكَ أَثْوابَ الْجَمالِ

So may you live within it, as it is robed through you in pride,

So you lived in them donning pride from you

and wears through you the garments of beauty.

And wearing attire of beauty from you