يَدُ الأَمِيرِ وَقَدْ أَوْلاَكَ نِعْمَتَهُ

يَدُ الأَمِيرِ وَقَدْ أَوْلاَكَ نِعْمَتَهُ

عِنْدَ الفَضَائِلِ وَالأَخْلاَقِ وَالأَدَبِ

عِنْدَ الفَضَائِلِ وَالأَخْلاَقِ وَالأَدَبِ

The prince's hand, having bestowed his favor on you,

The hand of the prince has bestowed upon you his favor

in the realm of virtue, character, and letters,

Among virtues, morals, and refinement

زَكَّى لَدَى الْخَافِقَيْنِ العَارِفَيْنِ بِهِ

زَكَّى لَدَى الْخَافِقَيْنِ العَارِفَيْنِ بِهِ

مَكَانَ فَضْلِكَ بَيْنَ الْجِلَّةِ النُّخَبِ

مَكَانَ فَضْلِكَ بَيْنَ الْجِلَّةِ النُّخَبِ

affirmed before East and West, who know him,

Has purified, in the eyes of the enlightened and knowing hearts

the standing of your merit among the eminent elite.

The place of your merit among the elite of the elite

وَكَانَ َأجْمَلَ مِصْدَاقٍ لِحَمْدِهَما

وَكَانَ َأجْمَلَ مِصْدَاقٍ لِحَمْدِهَما

إِيَّاكَ مَا نِلْتَ مِنْ مُمْتَازَةِ الرُّتَبِ

إِيَّاكَ مَا نِلْتَ مِنْ مُمْتَازَةِ الرُّتَبِ

And the finest confirmation of their praise

And it was the most beautiful fulfillment of their praise of you

of you was the distinguished ranks you attained.

For what you have attained in the excellence of ranks

يَا سَاهِرَ اللَّيْلِ وَالْمِشْكَاةُ في يَدِهِ

يَا سَاهِرَ اللَّيْلِ وَالْمِشْكَاةُ في يَدِهِ

مُسْتَطْلِعاً مَا انْطَوَى في ظُلْمَةِ الْحِقَبِ

مُسْتَطْلِعاً مَا انْطَوَى في ظُلْمَةِ الْحِقَبِ

O night watcher, with the lamp in his hand,

O vigilant by night, lamp in hand

seeking what lay hidden in the darkness of the ages.

Seeking to uncover what is concealed in the darkness of eras

يَظَلُّ يَرْجِعُ َأدْرَاجَ العُصُورِ إلى أَقْ

يَظَلُّ يَرْجِعُ َأدْرَاجَ العُصُورِ إلى أَقْ

صَى الدُّهُورِ وَيُنْضِي مُسْبَلَ الْحُجُبِ

صَى الدُّهُورِ وَيُنْضِي مُسْبَلَ الْحُجُبِ

He keeps retracing the steps of the ages to the remotest

He continues turning back the steps of time to the farthest

eons, and strips away the hanging veils.

Horizons of times, unveiling the curtains of mystery

يَجْلُو لَنَا مَا تَوَارَى مِنْ مَفَاخِرِنَا

يَجْلُو لَنَا مَا تَوَارَى مِنْ مَفَاخِرِنَا

ويَجْمَعُ المَجْدَ أَشْتَاتَاً مِنَ الكُتُبِ

ويَجْمَعُ المَجْدَ أَشْتَاتَاً مِنَ الكُتُبِ

He reveals to us our glories that lay hidden,

Making clear to us the glories of our past concealed

and gathers glory's scattered fragments from books.

And gathering scattered fragments of glory from books

فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ لَهُ بَحْثٌ يُجَدِّدُهُ

فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ لَهُ بَحْثٌ يُجَدِّدُهُ

مُقَوَّماً في قِوَامٍ غَيْرِ مُضْطَرِبِ

مُقَوَّماً في قِوَامٍ غَيْرِ مُضْطَرِبِ

Each year he has a study that he renews,

Each year he renews with a research of his own

well ordered in a structure free of disorder.

Set right, in a balance not chaotic or confused

يُعِيدُ عَهْداً قَدِيماً مَنْ تَصَفَّحَهُ

يُعِيدُ عَهْداً قَدِيماً مَنْ تَصَفَّحَهُ

رَأَى الْبَعِيدَ مِنَ الأَحْدَاثِ عَنْ كَثَبِ

رَأَى الْبَعِيدَ مِنَ الأَحْدَاثِ عَنْ كَثَبِ

It revives an ancient era; whoever peruses it

He renews an ancient covenant, he who peruses it

sees distant events close at hand.

Sees the distant events up close

وَيُوشِكُ المَرْءُ إِذْ يَتْلُو صَحَائِفَهُ

وَيُوشِكُ المَرْءُ إِذْ يَتْلُو صَحَائِفَهُ

أَنْ يُبْصِرَ الْغَيْبَ حَيّاً غَيْرَ مُنْتَقِبِ

أَنْ يُبْصِرَ الْغَيْبَ حَيّاً غَيْرَ مُنْتَقِبِ

And when one reads his pages, one almost

And one is about to, reciting his pages

sees the unseen, alive and unveiled.

See the unseen alive, without searching

ويَعْرِفُ الْحَالَ مِمَّا قَبلَهُ فَيَرَى

ويَعْرِفُ الْحَالَ مِمَّا قَبلَهُ فَيَرَى

لِكُلِّ طَارِئَةٍ عُوْداً إلى سَبَبِ

لِكُلِّ طَارِئَةٍ عُوْداً إلى سَبَبِ

And understands the present through what came before it, and sees

And know the present from the past, thus seeing

each new occurrence lead back to a cause.

For each incident, a return to its cause

أَحْسَنْتَ أَحْسَنْتَ يَا أُسْتَاذَ كُلِّ فُتىً

أَحْسَنْتَ أَحْسَنْتَ يَا أُسْتَاذَ كُلِّ فُتىً

عَفِّ السُّهَادِ شَرِيفَ الْهَمِّ وَالطَّلَبِ

عَفِّ السُّهَادِ شَرِيفَ الْهَمِّ وَالطَّلَبِ

Well done, well done, O teacher of every youth

You have done well, O teacher of every youth

pure in his vigils, noble in purpose and pursuit.

Noble of ambition and purpose

عَلَّمْتَنَا كَيْفَ تَكْفِي المَرْءَ هَمَّتُهُ

عَلَّمْتَنَا كَيْفَ تَكْفِي المَرْءَ هَمَّتُهُ

لِيَبْلُغَ الْغَايَةَ الْعُلْيَا مِنَ الأَدَبِ

لِيَبْلُغَ الْغَايَةَ الْعُلْيَا مِنَ الأَدَبِ

You taught us how one's resolve is enough

You have taught us how a man's resolve can suffice him

to reach the highest goal in letters.

To attain the highest point of refinement

جَدَّدْتَ قِسْماً مِنَ التَّارِيخَ دَارِسَةً

جَدَّدْتَ قِسْماً مِنَ التَّارِيخَ دَارِسَةً

آثَارُهُ في بِنَاءِ جَامِعٍ عَجَبِ

آثَارُهُ في بِنَاءِ جَامِعٍ عَجَبِ

You revived a part of history with faded

You have renewed a portion of history, studying

traces, in a wondrous, all-embracing edifice,

Its traces in building a wondrous mosque

مُتَمَّمٍ يَمْلأُ الأَلْبَابَ رَوْنَقُه

مُتَمَّمٍ يَمْلأُ الأَلْبَابَ رَوْنَقُه

ثَبْتِ الأَسَاسِ لَهُ تَاجٌ مِنَ الشُّهُبِ

ثَبْتِ الأَسَاسِ لَهُ تَاجٌ مِنَ الشُّهُبِ

complete, its splendor filling minds,

Complete, its beauty filling minds

firm-founded, with a crown of shooting stars,

Its firm foundation crowned with gray hairs

وَافِي الْجَلاَلَةِ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَرَى هَنَةً

وَافِي الْجَلاَلَةِ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَرَى هَنَةً

فِي بَعْضِ أَجْزَائِهِ تَعْنِيتُ مُرْتَقِبِ

فِي بَعْضِ أَجْزَائِهِ تَعْنِيتُ مُرْتَقِبِ

full of majesty, save that a small flaw is found

Meeting fully glory, unless one sees negligence

in some of its parts by a watchful observer's fault-finding.

In some parts, expected anxiety

لاً حُسْنَ يَسْلَمُ مِنْ نَقْصٍ وَأَحْسَبَهُ

لاً حُسْنَ يَسْلَمُ مِنْ نَقْصٍ وَأَحْسَبَهُ

إِنْ فَاتَهُ النَّقْصَ لَمْ يَجْمُلْ وَلَمْ يَطِبِ

إِنْ فَاتَهُ النَّقْصَ لَمْ يَجْمُلْ وَلَمْ يَطِبِ

No beauty escapes imperfection; and I think that

No beauty is free of flaws, and I reckon

if imperfection passed it by, it would be neither beautiful nor pleasing.

If free of flaws, it would not be beautiful

هَلْ بَعْدَ رَائِعَةِ الأَهْرَامِ رَائِعَةٌ

هَلْ بَعْدَ رَائِعَةِ الأَهْرَامِ رَائِعَةٌ

فَمَنْ يَعِبْهَا لِبَعْضِ الشَّيْءِ فَلْيَعِبِ

فَمَنْ يَعِبْهَا لِبَعْضِ الشَّيْءِ فَلْيَعِبِ

Is there any marvel beyond the marvel of the pyramids?

After the wonders of the pyramids, is there a wonder?

So whoever faults it for some detail, let him find fault.

So whoever finds fault in some part, let him find fault

هَذَا الَّذِي لَمْ يَجِئْهُ سَابِقُوكَ فَكُنْ

هَذَا الَّذِي لَمْ يَجِئْهُ سَابِقُوكَ فَكُنْ

رَغْمَ الزَّمَانِ أَبَا التَّارِيخِ في الْعَرَبِ

رَغْمَ الزَّمَانِ أَبَا التَّارِيخِ في الْعَرَبِ

This is what your predecessors never attained; so be

This which your predecessors did not achieve, so be

in defiance of time, the father of history among the Arabs.

Despite time, father of history among the Arabs