يا واحِدَ الدّهْرِ في عِلْمٍ وفي عمَلِ

يا واحِدَ الدّهْرِ في عِلْمٍ وفي عمَلِ

وعُمْدَةَ المُلْكِ في وِرْدٍ وفي صَدَرِ

وعُمْدَةَ المُلْكِ في وِرْدٍ وفي صَدَرِ

O peerless one of the age in knowledge and in deeds,

O you who are unique in knowledge and deed

and mainstay of the realm in coming and in going,

And the pillar of the kingdom in recitation and in chest

يا صاحِبَ القَلَمِ الأعْلى الذي نسخَتْ

يا صاحِبَ القَلَمِ الأعْلى الذي نسخَتْ

يَراعُهُ الصُّفْرُ حُكْمَ الصّارِمِ الذّكَرِ

يَراعُهُ الصُّفْرُ حُكْمَ الصّارِمِ الذّكَرِ

O master of the supreme pen, whose

O owner of the supreme pen that transcribed

yellow reeds have annulled the rule of the keen, hard-steeled sword.

Observed by the yellow pages the rule of the stern reminder

ما مِثْلُ قوْلي لكَ انْظُرْ كِسْوَةً حسُنَتْ

ما مِثْلُ قوْلي لكَ انْظُرْ كِسْوَةً حسُنَتْ

أو مثْلُ قولي لكَ اذْكُرْ راويَ السِّيَرِ

أو مثْلُ قولي لكَ اذْكُرْ راويَ السِّيَرِ

What is the equivalent of my saying to you, 'Look at a beautiful garment,'

No words of mine to you are like “Look, a dress beautifully made”

or the equivalent of my saying to you, 'Name the narrator of biographies'?

Or like my words to you “Remember the narrator of history”

وما اسْمُ شيءٍ إذا صحّفْتَ ثانيَهُ

وما اسْمُ شيءٍ إذا صحّفْتَ ثانيَهُ

فاذْكُرْ بهِ رجُلاً قد طالَ في ضجَرِ

فاذْكُرْ بهِ رجُلاً قد طالَ في ضجَرِ

And what is the name of a thing? If you change the dots of its second letter,

And no name of a thing if you mispronounce the second part

then use it to name a man who has long languished in vexation.

Can make you recall a man who lingered long in discontent

يأتي مع النّجْمِ في تعْديلِ جدْوَلِهِ

يأتي مع النّجْمِ في تعْديلِ جدْوَلِهِ

حِيناً وإنْ كانَ معْدوداً منَ الشّجَرِ

حِيناً وإنْ كانَ معْدوداً منَ الشّجَرِ

It appears with the star in the adjustment of its table,

He comes with the star in regulating its orbit

at times, though it is counted among the trees.

Though he is counted among the trees

لازالَتِ العيسُ ترْوي كلَّ شارِدَةٍ

لازالَتِ العيسُ ترْوي كلَّ شارِدَةٍ

عنْ مُنْتداكَ بمِلْءِ السّمْعِ والبصَرِ

عنْ مُنْتداكَ بمِلْءِ السّمْعِ والبصَرِ

May the pale camels never cease to recount every far-ranging tale

The doe goes on watering every distracted one

from your assembly, filling both hearing and sight.

From your assembly with hearing and sight filled up

فكلّما رُدِّدَتْ عُلْياكَ قيلَ لها

فكلّما رُدِّدَتْ عُلْياكَ قيلَ لها

باللّهِ قلْ وأعِدْ يا طيِّبَ الخبَرِ

باللّهِ قلْ وأعِدْ يا طيِّبَ الخبَرِ

So whenever your lofty glory is recounted, they are told:

So whenever she is made to repeat to you, she is told

'By God, speak and repeat, O bearer of sweet tidings!'

“For God’s sake, speak and give the good news”