لك الخير فامدد كف جودك بالبذل

لك الخير فامدد كف جودك بالبذل

واكفف بكف البذل عنى يد المطل

واكفف بكف البذل عنى يد المطل

May good be yours; so stretch out your generous palm in giving,

You are generous, so extend your hand of generosity in giving

And with the palm of giving, ward off from me the hand of delay.

And refrain your hand of giving from me, O asking hand

واجزل لمثلى فى مهم يهمه

واجزل لمثلى فى مهم يهمه

عطاك فلا عذر لمثلك عن مثلى

عطاك فلا عذر لمثلك عن مثلى

And lavish upon one like me, in a pressing matter that concerns him,

And give abundantly to my like in an important matter that concerns him

Your bounty; one like you has no excuse for turning away from one like me.

Your gift, so you have no excuse to refrain from my like

وإياك أن تضطرنى فى لبانة

وإياك أن تضطرنى فى لبانة

فلست أرى للفضل غيرك من أهلى

فلست أرى للفضل غيرك من أهلى

And beware of putting me in straits over a need,

And beware of forcing me to ask

For among my people, I see none but you to turn to for bounty.

For I see none deserving of merit other than you among my people

فقد كورت شمس المكارم وانمحت

فقد كورت شمس المكارم وانمحت

معالم أرباب الفضائل والفضل

معالم أرباب الفضائل والفضل

For the sun of noble deeds has been rolled up, and effaced are

You have folded the sun of virtues and erased

The landmarks of the masters of virtue and bounty.

The features of the virtuous and the meritorious

وودع من قد يدعى الفضل فضله

وودع من قد يدعى الفضل فضله

وشد نطاق الدهر بالبخل والجهل

وشد نطاق الدهر بالبخل والجهل

And he who claims virtue has bidden his virtue farewell,

And farewell to one who claims his merit while his merit has departed

And time's girdle has been tightened with miserliness and ignorance.

And the age has girded itself with stinginess and ignorance

فكن لى معينا بالذى أنت أهله

فكن لى معينا بالذى أنت أهله

من الفضل واستصحاب قولك بالفعل

من الفضل واستصحاب قولك بالفعل

So be my helper through what befits you:

So be my helper in what you deserve

Generosity, and backing your words with deeds.

Of merit and upholding your word with action

فكن لى معينا الفكر فى كل لفظة

فكن لى معينا الفكر فى كل لفظة

تريك بمرآة الذكا صورة العقل

تريك بمرآة الذكا صورة العقل

So be an aid to my thought in every utterance

So be my helper in thinking through every word

That shows you, in the mirror of intelligence, the image of reason.

That shows you in the mirror of wisdom the image of reason

نظام أتى كالدر من خالص القول

نظام أتى كالدر من خالص القول

وكالصبح ضاهى فى المقالة والفعل

وكالصبح ضاهى فى المقالة والفعل

A string of verse came, like pearls, from pure speech,

A systematically composed poem like a pearl of pure words

And matched the dawn in speech and deed.

And like the dawn, equally lucid in speech and deed

بدا من لبيب لوذعى مهذب

بدا من لبيب لوذعى مهذب

وفرع زكا أنعم به طاب من نجل

وفرع زكا أنعم به طاب من نجل

It emerged from a discerning, quick-witted, refined man,

Issuing from an eloquent one, well-mannered, if he claimed it

And a branch that flourished—how fine he is, how good an offspring!

A pure scion, graced with it, of good stock

سمىُّ الخليل العابد الورع الذى

سمىُّ الخليل العابد الورع الذى

تميز بالتقوى وناهيك بالعقل

تميز بالتقوى وناهيك بالعقل

Al-Khalil's namesake, the devout, pious man who

Named the Friend of God, the devout, the pious, who

Was distinguished by piety—and his intellect is praise enough.

Was distinguished by his devotion, and needless to mention, his reason

وضحت لنا من غامض الحال ما خفى

وضحت لنا من غامض الحال ما خفى

وأبديت عنوانا يدل على الفضل

وأبديت عنوانا يدل على الفضل

You made clear to us what was hidden in the obscurity of the situation,

You have clarified for us from the ambiguous situation what was hidden

And you revealed a sign that points to excellence.

And shown a title that indicates merit

وبالعقل يسمو من سما لا بصورة

وبالعقل يسمو من سما لا بصورة

وبالعفة البيضاء يزكو على المثل

وبالعفة البيضاء يزكو على المثل

And whoever rises does so through intellect, not appearance;

By reason one excels, not by appearance

And through white chastity he flourishes above his peers.

And by pure virtue becomes excellent as an ideal

وعقدك للآمال فينا محقق

وعقدك للآمال فينا محقق

بحسن اختيار صح عندى بلا نقل

بحسن اختيار صح عندى بلا نقل

And the hopes you have bound to us are assured,

Your stringing hopes in us is guaranteed

Through a sound choice, proven right to me without hearsay.

By excellent choice, confirmed in my view without transmission

فقر بنا عينا سنوليك بالرضى

فقر بنا عينا سنوليك بالرضى

لما رمته نوعا من البر والوصل

لما رمته نوعا من البر والوصل

So let your eye be cooled by us; we shall gladly bestow on you,

We have become poor, so favor us with acceptance

For what you sought, a form of kindness and fellowship,

For an aspect of righteousness and connection you have aimed

بحال وفيما بعد لست بغافل

بحال وفيما بعد لست بغافل

وحسبك انجاح الامور على مهل

وحسبك انجاح الامور على مهل

At present; and hereafter I shall not be heedless,

For now and hereafter, I will not be heedless

And bringing affairs to success, without haste, is enough for you.

And success in matters is enough for you gradually