سَبَرْتُ نِهَايَةَ الإِخْلاصِ خُوْفاً

سَبَرْتُ نِهَايَةَ الإِخْلاصِ خُوْفاً

عَلَى ابْنِ جَمِيلٍ زَيْنِ الشَّبَابِ

عَلَى ابْنِ جَمِيلٍ زَيْنِ الشَّبَابِ

I have sounded devotion to its furthest depth, in fear

I probed the furthest reach of devotion, fearing

For Ibn Jamil, the adornment of youth—

For Ibn Jamil, the ornament of youth,

أَخِي العُرْفَانِ وَالأَدَبِ الْمُذَكِّي

أَخِي العُرْفَانِ وَالأَدَبِ الْمُذَكِّي

فَتَى الفِتْيَانِ بِالْخُلُقِ العُجَابِ

فَتَى الفِتْيَانِ بِالْخُلُقِ العُجَابِ

My brother in insight and mind-quickening literature,

A brother to knowledge and enlivening letters,

Foremost among young men in wondrous character;

The youth of youths, with wondrous character,

مُجِيدُ النَّثْرِ نَقَّادُ الْقَوَافِي

مُجِيدُ النَّثْرِ نَقَّادُ الْقَوَافِي

سَدِيدُ الْفِكْرِ رُوَّادُ الْصَّوَابِ

سَدِيدُ الْفِكْرِ رُوَّادُ الْصَّوَابِ

A master of prose, a discerning critic of rhymes,

A master of prose, a discerning critic of rhymes,

Sound in thought, ever seeking what is right.

Sound in thought, a pioneer of what is right.

شَفَاهُ اللهُ أَوْ يَقْضِي قَضَاءً

شَفَاهُ اللهُ أَوْ يَقْضِي قَضَاءً

لإِحْيَاءِ الْقُشُورِ عَلَى اللُّبَابِ

لإِحْيَاءِ الْقُشُورِ عَلَى اللُّبَابِ

May God heal him—or else pass a decree

May God heal him—or will He issue a decree

That keeps the husks alive at the kernels’ expense.

To give life to the husks at the kernels' expense?

أَلاَ يَا رَبُّ إِعْف الشَّرْقَ مِمَّا

أَلاَ يَا رَبُّ إِعْف الشَّرْقَ مِمَّا

بِهِ جَدَّ الْوَعِيدُ مِنَ الْمُصَاب

بِهِ جَدَّ الْوَعِيدُ مِنَ الْمُصَاب

O Lord, spare the East from that by which

Ah, O Lord, spare the East from what

The threat of calamity has grown dire.

Has made the threat of calamity so grave.

فَكَمْ يا رَبُّ فِيهِ مِنْ نُبُوغٍ

فَكَمْ يا رَبُّ فِيهِ مِنْ نُبُوغٍ

فَتُخْتَرَمُ النُّبُوغَ بِلا حِسَابِ

فَتُخْتَرَمُ النُّبُوغَ بِلا حِسَابِ

How much genius there is in it, O Lord—

For how much genius, O Lord, it holds—

Yet calamity cuts genius down without reckoning.

Yet genius is cut down without reckoning!