على قَدَرٍ وَافَتْكَ عَالِيَةَ القَدْرِ

على قَدَرٍ وَافَتْكَ عَالِيَةَ القَدْرِ

ويا طالما حنّت إلى وجهك البدري

ويا طالما حنّت إلى وجهك البدري

By destiny she came to you, lofty in rank,

According to your worth that reached high esteem

and oh, how long she yearned for your full-moon face!

And for long has the full moon yearned for your radiant face

وساعدها بَخْتٌ ولولاه ما اهتدت

وساعدها بَخْتٌ ولولاه ما اهتدت

إلى أن ترى شمسا على صفحة الدّهرِ

إلى أن ترى شمسا على صفحة الدّهرِ

Good fortune aided her; without it she would not have found her way

Good fortune helped her and without it she wouldn’t have found

to behold a sun upon the page of time.

A sun that shines on the page of time

وذلك لمّا آن للحقّ نُجْحُه

وذلك لمّا آن للحقّ نُجْحُه

وللدّين من صَدْعٍ له أيّما جَبْرِ

وللدّين من صَدْعٍ له أيّما جَبْرِ

And that was when the time came for truth to triumph,

And that’s because truth’s success was eminent

and for religion's breach to receive a mighty mending,

And for religion a mending from its ruin

وللعدل إسعادٌ وللعلم دَوْلَةٌ

وللعدل إسعادٌ وللعلم دَوْلَةٌ

وللشّرع إعزازٌ تَيَسَّرَ مِنْ عُسْرِ

وللشّرع إعزازٌ تَيَسَّرَ مِنْ عُسْرِ

and for justice to be aided and knowledge to have its reign,

And for justice, prosperity, and for knowledge, authority

and for sacred law, exaltation made possible after hardship;

And for religious law, honor made easy from hardship

وللخطّة الشمّا خلافة أحمد

وللخطّة الشمّا خلافة أحمد

مسير على حمدٍ ووقف على شكر

مسير على حمدٍ ووقف على شكر

and for the lofty office of succession to Ahmad,

And for the plan, the auspicious caliphate of Ahmad

a journey in praise and a halt in gratitude.

Proceeding with praise and pausing with gratitude

أليست من الشيخ الإِمام تمسّكَتْ

أليست من الشيخ الإِمام تمسّكَتْ

بعُروته الوثقى ومعقِله الوَعْرِ

بعُروته الوثقى ومعقِله الوَعْرِ

Has she not clung to the shaykh, the imam,

Is she not held fast to the sheikh, the imam’s strongholds

to his firmest handhold and his rugged stronghold?

And his rugged fortress?

أَلَمْ تَأْوِ من دون الأنام إلى حِمَى

أَلَمْ تَأْوِ من دون الأنام إلى حِمَى

أبي حَفْصٍ المحجوبِ ذي العزّ والفخر

أبي حَفْصٍ المحجوبِ ذي العزّ والفخر

Has she not, passing all others by, sought refuge in the sanctuary

Did she not seek refuge from other than people in the sanctuary

of Abu Hafs al-Mahjub, possessed of honor and glory?

Of Abu Hafs, the veiled one of might and pride?

إلى عُمَرَ الأزكى فِعَالاً ومحتِداً

إلى عُمَرَ الأزكى فِعَالاً ومحتِداً

إلى واحد الدّنيا جميعا بلا نُكْرِ

إلى واحد الدّنيا جميعا بلا نُكْرِ

To Umar, purest in deeds and lineage,

To the most virtuous Umar in deeds and resolve

to the peerless one in all the world, beyond denial.

To the singular of the world, undisputed

أَمَا إنّه النِّحريرُ والجهبذُ الذي

أَمَا إنّه النِّحريرُ والجهبذُ الذي

به عَجُزُ الأَعْصَارِ رُدَّ إلى الصّدر

به عَجُزُ الأَعْصَارِ رُدَّ إلى الصّدر

Surely he is the consummate scholar and discerning master,

Indeed, it is he the intrepid, the formidable one

through whom the latter ages were restored to the first.

By whom the incapacities of eras were turned back to the chest

معاليه في نحر الزمان قلائدٌ

معاليه في نحر الزمان قلائدٌ

معانيه أزهارٌ على أوجه الزهر

معانيه أزهارٌ على أوجه الزهر

His lofty merits are necklaces upon the neck of time;

His excellences in the throat of time are necklaces

his inner qualities are blossoms upon the faces of flowers.

His meanings are flowers on the cheeks of splendor

فلا نُورَ إلاّ من مصابيح علمه

فلا نُورَ إلاّ من مصابيح علمه

ولا نَوْرَ إلاّ من سحائبه الغُرّ

ولا نَوْرَ إلاّ من سحائبه الغُرّ

So no light exists except from the lamps of his knowledge,

So no light but from the lamps of his knowledge

and no blossom except from his radiant clouds.

Nor brilliance but from his abundant clouds

شمائِلُ آباءٍ كِرَامٍ وإخوةٍ

شمائِلُ آباءٍ كِرَامٍ وإخوةٍ

فِخَامٍ فَيَا فَخْراً أُضِيفَ إلى فخر

فِخَامٍ فَيَا فَخْراً أُضِيفَ إلى فخر

Traits of noble forefathers and brothers

The qualities of honorable, magnanimous fathers and brothers

illustrious—oh, what glory added to glory!

So O pride compounded with more pride

خِلاَلٌ تخيّرت الأمْجَاد مَوضعا

خِلاَلٌ تخيّرت الأمْجَاد مَوضعا

فكانوا لها دُرّاً على وجهها الدرّيّ

فكانوا لها دُرّاً على وجهها الدرّيّ

Virtues that chose the illustrious as their dwelling,

Traits that glories chose as their abode

so they became her pearls upon her pearl-bright face.

And so became pearls on its pearl-like face

خلائِقُ في سود اللّيالي تبلّجت

خلائِقُ في سود اللّيالي تبلّجت

به الملّةُ البيضاءُ باسمةَ الثّغر

به الملّةُ البيضاءُ باسمةَ الثّغر

Virtues: in the blackness of nights there shone forth

Natures that in the dark nights were illuminated

through him the white faith, with smiling lips.

By which the white nation was resplendent by his radiant name

تَوَارَثَها منهم وليدٌ وَوَالِدٌ

تَوَارَثَها منهم وليدٌ وَوَالِدٌ

عن الوالِدِ المبرور والوَلَدِ البَرِّ

عن الوالِدِ المبرور والوَلَدِ البَرِّ

Child and father inherited them in turn from those men,

Inherited from them, by a son from a father

from the honored father and the dutiful son;

From the blessed father and dutiful son

عن الدّوحة العلياء والسّرحة التي

عن الدّوحة العلياء والسّرحة التي

تنسّم رِيُّ الفتح عن زهرها العطري

تنسّم رِيُّ الفتح عن زهرها العطري

from the lofty tree and the spreading tree whose

From the lofty faction and the nobility whose

fragrant blossoms breathed forth the refreshment of victory;

Sweet scent of victory was inhaled by its fragrant blossoms

عن المصطفى المختار أكرم والد

عن المصطفى المختار أكرم والد

حباهم بما معناه لم يَجْرِ في فِكْرِ

حباهم بما معناه لم يَجْرِ في فِكْرِ

from al-Mustafa, the chosen one, the noblest father,

From the chosen Mustafa, most generous father

who granted them gifts whose meaning no mind had ever conceived.

Endowed with that which in meaning was never conceived

وحسبك ما قد ذاع من عِلْمِ قاسم

وحسبك ما قد ذاع من عِلْمِ قاسم

وقُلِّدَ من فخر وفُجِّرَ من بَحْرِ

وقُلِّدَ من فخر وفُجِّرَ من بَحْرِ

And enough for you is what has spread of Qasim's knowledge,

And suffice it what of Qasim’s knowledge has spread

and the glory with which he was adorned, and the ocean made to gush forth;

And the pride conferred and ocean unleashed

ومهّد مِنْ مَجْدٍ وجدّد مِنْ هُدًى

ومهّد مِنْ مَجْدٍ وجدّد مِنْ هُدًى

وأوْسَعَ من فضلٍ وأورث من ذكر

وأوْسَعَ من فضلٍ وأورث من ذكر

and the glory he established and the guidance he renewed,

The glory prepared, guidance renewed

and the bounty he enlarged and the renown he bequeathed.

Goodness expanded, and remembrance bequeathed

فمن كان مرتاباً فهذا محمّد

فمن كان مرتاباً فهذا محمّد

إلى ضوءه تعشو البدور إذا تسري

إلى ضوءه تعشو البدور إذا تسري

So if anyone is doubtful, here then is Muhammad:

So whoever doubts, this is Muhammad

toward his light the full moons grope when they travel by night.

To whose light the full moons wander when they rise

ويُشْرِقُ في وجه الشريعه نُورُه

ويُشْرِقُ في وجه الشريعه نُورُه

ويُغْنِي ظلامَ اللَيل عن طلعة الفجر

ويُغْنِي ظلامَ اللَيل عن طلعة الفجر

And his light shines upon the face of sacred law,

And his light shines in the face of religious law

and leaves the darkness of night with no need for dawn to rise.

And enriches the night’s darkness without the dawn’s emergence

ويمسح أجفاناً مِنَ الحيف جُرِّحت

ويمسح أجفاناً مِنَ الحيف جُرِّحت

ويكشف عن حقٍّ من الجهل في سَتْرِ

ويكشف عن حقٍّ من الجهل في سَتْرِ

And he wipes eyelids wounded by injustice,

And he wipes eyes that from injustice were wounded

and unveils truth concealed by ignorance.

And unveils a truth from the ignorance of its veil

إلى مَالَهُ ممّا لَوِ الدّهرُ حاسبٌ

إلى مَالَهُ ممّا لَوِ الدّهرُ حاسبٌ

وقد رام إحصاءً لما جاء من نزر

وقد رام إحصاءً لما جاء من نزر

Besides his other merits—were Time itself to reckon them,

Of his assets, if life were to take account

and attempt a tally, it could not count even a scant portion.

And attempted a tally of what little came

كَمَالُكَ يا معنى المديح وقصدَه

كَمَالُكَ يا معنى المديح وقصدَه

ومَنْ وَصْفُهُ يُهْدَى إلى الشّعر والنّثر

ومَنْ وَصْفُهُ يُهْدَى إلى الشّعر والنّثر

Such is your perfection, O essence and aim of praise,

Your perfection, O object of praise and its purpose

and the one whose description is offered to poetry and prose;

And one whose description guides to poetry and prose

وَمَنْ بَارَكَ المولى على الدّهر كُلِّهِ

وَمَنْ بَارَكَ المولى على الدّهر كُلِّهِ

بخطّته الميمونة السرِّ والجهرِ

بخطّته الميمونة السرِّ والجهرِ

and the one through whom the Lord blessed all of time,

And one whom the Almighty blessed the ages all

through his office, auspicious in secret and in public;

With his auspicious plan openly and discretely

ومَنْ نشرَ الرّحمانُ من رحماته

ومَنْ نشرَ الرّحمانُ من رحماته

علينا به ما لم يكن قَبْلُ في نشر

علينا به ما لم يكن قَبْلُ في نشر

and the one through whom the All-Merciful spread His mercies

And one whom the Merciful spread of His mercy upon us

upon us as they had never been spread before;

What did not exist before in proliferation

ومَنْ سطعت بَيْضا دلائلُ يُمنه

ومَنْ سطعت بَيْضا دلائلُ يُمنه

فأصبحتِ الغبراءُ في حُلَلٍ خُضْر

فأصبحتِ الغبراءُ في حُلَلٍ خُضْر

and the one whose signs of good fortune shone white,

And one whose tokens of blessing shone white

so the dusty earth became clothed in green robes.

And the dusty became clad in green

فَيَهْنِي الورى عَيْشٌ بعيشك أَرْغَدٌ

فَيَهْنِي الورى عَيْشٌ بعيشك أَرْغَدٌ

وإسْعَادُ دَهْرٍ عن سعودك مفترِّ

وإسْعَادُ دَهْرٍ عن سعودك مفترِّ

So may humankind enjoy a life more abundant through your life,

So lives prosper in your prosperous life

and the favor of an age smiling from your good fortune,

And life is gladdened beyond your bliss

وعِزٌّ وتأييدٌ بكلّ عناية

وعِزٌّ وتأييدٌ بكلّ عناية

وَأَمْرُكَ مَسْمُوعٌ وَعِزُّكَ في نصر

وَأَمْرُكَ مَسْمُوعٌ وَعِزُّكَ في نصر

and honor and support, with every care;

And power and victory assist with every concern

and may your command be heeded, and your might be victorious.

And your command is heard and your might in victory