لَو اِستَطعتُ جعلتُ البَرقَ لي قلما

لَو اِستَطعتُ جعلتُ البَرقَ لي قلما

وَالجوَّ طرساً وحبري الغيثَ همى

وَالجوَّ طرساً وحبري الغيثَ همى

If I could, I would make lightning my pen,

If I could, I would make lightning my pen

and the sky my parchment, and pouring rain my ink,

And the sky my paper and rain my ink

وَرحتُ املأُ آفاق السماءِ ثناً

وَرحتُ املأُ آفاق السماءِ ثناً

عليكَ منتثراً طوراً ومنتظما

عليكَ منتثراً طوراً ومنتظما

and set about filling the heavens' horizons with praise

And I would fill the horizons with praise

of you, now in prose, now in ordered verse.

Scattered for you, arranged and composed

وقلَّ ذاك لدى فضلٍ غدوتَ بِهِ

وقلَّ ذاك لدى فضلٍ غدوتَ بِهِ

ناراً على الطَودِ او نوراً باوج سَما

ناراً على الطَودِ او نوراً باوج سَما

And even that would be little beside the excellence through which you have become

And that would still fall short of the merit you gained

a fire upon the mountain, or a light at heaven's zenith.

Becoming a fire on the hills or a light with sublime beauty

يا كنز فضلٍ وعلم لا نفادَ لَهُ

يا كنز فضلٍ وعلم لا نفادَ لَهُ

مَع أَنَّهُ لَزِمَ الإِنفاق والكَرَما

مَع أَنَّهُ لَزِمَ الإِنفاق والكَرَما

O treasure of excellence and knowledge, never exhausted,

O treasure of endless merit and knowledge

though it has kept to giving and generosity.

That is spent and generous despite its continuance

إن النَفيسَ عَزيزٌ أَن يُنالَ وَقَد

إن النَفيسَ عَزيزٌ أَن يُنالَ وَقَد

بذلتَهُ بيننا غُنماً لمن غنِما

بذلتَهُ بيننا غُنماً لمن غنِما

What is precious is hard to attain, yet

The precious is hard to attain once

you have bestowed it among us, a bounty for whoever gains it.

You have given it to us as spoils for whoever wins spoils

كالشَمس تُعطي سناها كلَّ ذي بصرٍ

كالشَمس تُعطي سناها كلَّ ذي بصرٍ

وَربَّما كان لا يدري لهُ قيما

وَربَّما كان لا يدري لهُ قيما

Like the sun, which gives its radiance to everyone with sight,

Like the sun who gives her brilliance to all who can see

and perhaps he does not know its worth.

Though some may not know her value

يا روضةَ الفضل منزَهرٍ ومن ثمرٍ

يا روضةَ الفضل منزَهرٍ ومن ثمرٍ

كأَنَّ للعقل اذ يَجني جَناهُ فَما

كأَنَّ للعقل اذ يَجني جَناهُ فَما

O garden of excellence, of blossoms and fruit,

O garden of merit, flowering and fruiting

as though the mind, when gathering its fruit, had a mouth.

As if the mind in plucking its fruits

ظِلالُها وارفاتٌ في نضارتها

ظِلالُها وارفاتٌ في نضارتها

وَقَد زَكا غَرسُها في طيبهِ وَنَما

وَقَد زَكا غَرسُها في طيبهِ وَنَما

Its shade is ample in its freshness,

Its shade and boughs in their freshness

and its plants have flourished in their goodness and grown.

And its tree grown healthy in its goodness and growth

نبغي مبالغةً في الشعر فيك فلا

نبغي مبالغةً في الشعر فيك فلا

نَسطيعُ ذاك ولا نقضي الَّذي لَزِما

نَسطيعُ ذاك ولا نقضي الَّذي لَزِما

We seek exaggeration in verse about you, but

We wish to exaggerate in poetry about you but

we cannot achieve it, nor fulfill what is owed.

Cannot do so or fulfill what is required

وَالشعرُ لا بدَّ فيهِ من مُبالغةٍ

وَالشعرُ لا بدَّ فيهِ من مُبالغةٍ

الّا بوصفك فهوَ الغالِبُ الكَلِما

الّا بوصفك فهوَ الغالِبُ الكَلِما

And poetry cannot do without exaggeration,

Poetry necessarily requires exaggeration

except in describing you, for that outstrips words.

Except in describing you, for it is overwhelmed by words

انتَ الطَبيبُ لأَجساد العباد ولل

انتَ الطَبيبُ لأَجساد العباد ولل

عقول والأَنفُس اللاتي اشتكت سَقَما

عقول والأَنفُس اللاتي اشتكت سَقَما

You are the physician of people's bodies, and of their

You are the healer for the bodies of people and the

minds and souls that have complained of sickness.

Minds and souls who have fallen ill

وَالفَيلَسوف الَّذي أَحصى العلوم وَقَد

وَالفَيلَسوف الَّذي أَحصى العلوم وَقَد

أَسالَها مَنهَلاً للمشتكين ظَما

أَسالَها مَنهَلاً للمشتكين ظَما

And the philosopher who has encompassed the sciences, and

The philosopher who compiled the sciences and made

made them flow as a watering place for those suffering thirst.

Them a fountain for the suffering, a shelter

وانما العالِمُ المفضال عن ثِقةٍ

وانما العالِمُ المفضال عن ثِقةٍ

مَن علَّم الناسَ لا مَن وحدَهُ عَلِما

مَن علَّم الناسَ لا مَن وحدَهُ عَلِما

And the generous scholar is, beyond doubt, only

But the preferred learned man is one of confidence

one who teaches people, not one who alone knows.

Who taught people, not one who kept the knowledge for himself

تُدعى الحكيمَ وان نَعنِ الطَبيبَ وان

تُدعى الحكيمَ وان نَعنِ الطَبيبَ وان

لا نَعنِهِ فَصَحيحٌ فيك كلُّهما

لا نَعنِهِ فَصَحيحٌ فيك كلُّهما

You are called 'the sage', whether we mean 'the physician' or

You are called the wise man and if we do not call you that

not: both meanings are true of you.

Then healer is valid for you, and both are correct

وَمَن يقُلهُ اكتَفي عن ذكر تسميةٍ

وَمَن يقُلهُ اكتَفي عن ذكر تسميةٍ

اذ قد غدا لك في تعريفِهِ عَلَما

اذ قد غدا لك في تعريفِهِ عَلَما

And whoever says it has no need to mention a name,

And whoever says it has dispensed with mentioning a name

for it has become a proper name by which you are known.

For your reputation has become a sign for you

يا مُغفِلاً نفسَهُ في جَنب منفعةٍ

يا مُغفِلاً نفسَهُ في جَنب منفعةٍ

للآخرين جُزيتَ الخيرَ والنِعَما

للآخرين جُزيتَ الخيرَ والنِعَما

O you who neglect yourself for the good

O you who neglect yourself for the benefit

of others, may you be rewarded with goodness and blessings.

Of others, may you be rewarded with good and bounty

كأَنَّما الناسُ طَرّا عَيلةٌ لكَ من

كأَنَّما الناسُ طَرّا عَيلةٌ لكَ من

شَكا فانَّك معهُ تَشتَكي أَلَما

شَكا فانَّك معهُ تَشتَكي أَلَما

It is as though all people were your family: whoever

It is as if people are your wards, for if

complains, you suffer pain with him.

One complains, you share his pain

كُلٌّ يُحاول في الدنيا منافعهُ

كُلٌّ يُحاول في الدنيا منافعهُ

يا طالِباً قبل ذا أَن ينفع الأُمَما

يا طالِباً قبل ذا أَن ينفع الأُمَما

Everyone seeks his own advantage in this world,

All try in this life to serve themselves

O you who seek, before that, to benefit the nations.

O you who sought, before that, to benefit the nations

ولَيسَ تقصد في فعل الجميلِ سوى

ولَيسَ تقصد في فعل الجميلِ سوى

وجه المُهَيمِن جلَّت ذاتهُ وَسَما

وجه المُهَيمِن جلَّت ذاتهُ وَسَما

And in doing good, you seek nothing but

You intend only, by doing good, the face

the face of the Guardian—exalted is His essence, and sublime is He—

Of the Guardian, glorified is His essence and His loftiness

ورحمةً لِعبادِ اللَه تحسبها

ورحمةً لِعبادِ اللَه تحسبها

فرضاً عليك من الرحمن قد حتُما

فرضاً عليك من الرحمن قد حتُما

and compassion for God's servants, which you deem

And mercy for the servants of God, which you consider

a duty upon you, ordained by the All-Merciful,

An obligation from the Merciful that is binding

وَخدمةً لبني الانسان صادرةً

وَخدمةً لبني الانسان صادرةً

عَنمحض طبعٍ يراها عندهُ ذِمما

عَنمحض طبعٍ يراها عندهُ ذِمما

and service to humankind, springing

And service to humankind stemming

from sheer natural disposition, which regards it as duties owed.

From pure nature, which you see as a duty

لَم تُعفِ نفسَك مِمّا الدَهرُ منهُ لَقَد

لَم تُعفِ نفسَك مِمّا الدَهرُ منهُ لَقَد

أَعفاك مستنزفاً من دونهِ الهِمَما

أَعفاك مستنزفاً من دونهِ الهِمَما

You have not spared yourself from what time has indeed

You did not excuse yourself from what fate demands

spared you, exhausting resolve in its pursuit.

Rather, fate excused you, taking from others the resolves

أَخلِق بِمَن طبعُهُ للامر يدفعُهُ

أَخلِق بِمَن طبعُهُ للامر يدفعُهُ

ان لا يصادفَ في أَعمالهِ سأما

ان لا يصادفَ في أَعمالهِ سأما

How fitting that one whose nature drives him to the task

You were created with a nature that drives you

should encounter no tedium in his work!

To never encounter boredom in your deeds

فَلَو تشآءُ مَعاذَ اللَه في أَحدٍ

فَلَو تشآءُ مَعاذَ اللَه في أَحدٍ

ضَرّا تحوَّلَ نفعاً واِقتَفى الشيما

ضَرّا تحوَّلَ نفعاً واِقتَفى الشيما

So if you wished—God forbid—for anyone

For if you wished - God forbid - harm upon someone

harm, it would turn to benefit and follow your character.

It would change into benefit, and good traits would ensue

يا ناقلَ السُقم من جسم السَقيم الى

يا ناقلَ السُقم من جسم السَقيم الى

جسم السقام فيُمسي وهو قد سَلِما

جسم السقام فيُمسي وهو قد سَلِما

O you who transfer illness from the sick person's body to

O you who transfers illnesses from the body of the sick

the body of disease, so he becomes safe and sound.

To your body, so he awakens cured

ان كانَ غيري يَشكو في ثناكَ بِهِ

ان كانَ غيري يَشكو في ثناكَ بِهِ

قِصرَ اللسان فاني أَشتَكي بكَما

قِصرَ اللسان فاني أَشتَكي بكَما

If another complains, in praising you, of

If others complain of your praise falling

the shortness of his tongue, I complain of muteness.

Short, my tongue complains of still more