شِيَمٌ قدْ عَرِفْتُهَا

شِيَمٌ قدْ عَرِفْتُهَا

يُقَدِّرُ الشَّيءَ مَنْ عَرِفْ

يُقَدِّرُ الشَّيءَ مَنْ عَرِفْ

Qualities I have known:

One who knows a thing can judge its worth.

وَكَثِيرٌ مِنَ الخِلاَ

وَكَثِيرٌ مِنَ الخِلاَ

لِ إِذَا حُقِّق اخْتَلَفْ

لِ إِذَا حُقِّق اخْتَلَفْ

And many a character trait,

when scrutinized, proves otherwise.

لَيْسَ درّاً وَإِنْ بَدَا

لَيْسَ درّاً وَإِنْ بَدَا

لاَمِعاً بَاطِنَ الصَّدَفْ

لاَمِعاً بَاطِنَ الصَّدَفْ

It is no pearl, though it appears

gleaming within the shell.

لابْنِ مَعْتُوقِ عِزَّةٌ

لابْنِ مَعْتُوقِ عِزَّةٌ

إِنَّه بِاسْمِهِ اتَّصفْ

إِنَّه بِاسْمِهِ اتَّصفْ

Ibn Ma'tuq possesses dignity;

indeed, he lives up to his name.

مَنْ دعَاهُ بِشارَةً

مَنْ دعَاهُ بِشارَةً

لَمَحَ الْغَيْبَ وَاسْتَشَفْ

لَمَحَ الْغَيْبَ وَاسْتَشَفْ

Whoever named him Bishara

glimpsed the unseen and divined it.

رَجُلٌ رَاسِخ الحِجى

رَجُلٌ رَاسِخ الحِجى

إن دَعَاهُ الحِفَاظ خَف

إن دَعَاهُ الحِفَاظ خَف

A man of steadfast reason,

he hastens when honor calls him.

أَقْوَمُ النَّهجِ نَهْجُهُ

أَقْوَمُ النَّهجِ نَهْجُهُ

فِي التِّجَارَاتِ وَالحِرَفْ

فِي التِّجَارَاتِ وَالحِرَفْ

His is the most upright course

in commerce and crafts.

يَطْلبُ الجَاهَ بِالْحَلاَلِ

يَطْلبُ الجَاهَ بِالْحَلاَلِ

فَإِنْ لَمْ يَحُلْ عَفّْ

فَإِنْ لَمْ يَحُلْ عَفّْ

He seeks distinction by lawful means;

but if it is not lawful, he abstains.

كُلَّمَا جَازَ غَايَةً

كُلَّمَا جَازَ غَايَةً

رَامَ أُخْرَى بِلاَ صَلَفْ

رَامَ أُخْرَى بِلاَ صَلَفْ

Whenever he passes beyond one goal,

he seeks another without conceit.

صَادِقٌ فِي حِسابِهِ

صَادِقٌ فِي حِسابِهِ

دُونَ زِيغٍ وَلاَ جَنَفْ

دُونَ زِيغٍ وَلاَ جَنَفْ

Honest in his accounts,

without crookedness or bias.

قَاصِدٌ فِي سَبِيِلهِ

قَاصِدٌ فِي سَبِيِلهِ

ما تَعَدَّى وَلاَ انْحَرَفْ

ما تَعَدَّى وَلاَ انْحَرَفْ

Measured in his course,

he has neither transgressed nor strayed.

غَيْرُ نَاسٍ لِربِّهِ

غَيْرُ نَاسٍ لِربِّهِ

ما عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْكَلِفْ

ما عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْكَلِفْ

Never forgetting, toward his Lord,

the duties laid upon him.

كُلَّ رَأْيٍ يَقِرُّهُ

كُلَّ رَأْيٍ يَقِرُّهُ

لَيْسَ فِي غبِّه أَسِفْ

لَيْسَ فِي غبِّه أَسِفْ

Whatever judgment he endorses,

he feels no regret in its wake.

وَلَهُ فِي بَيَانِهِ

وَلَهُ فِي بَيَانِهِ

غِرَر كلهَا طُرُفْ

غِرَر كلهَا طُرُفْ

And in his eloquence he has

gems, all of them delightful rarities.

آيَةُ الْفَن ذَوْقُه

آيَةُ الْفَن ذَوْقُه

فِي الأَفَانِينِ وَالتُّحَفْ

فِي الأَفَانِينِ وَالتُّحَفْ

His taste is a marvel of art

in varied arts and precious objects.

يا سَريّاً بِمَدْحِهِ

يا سَريّاً بِمَدْحِهِ

يأمَنُ المَادِحُ السَّرِفْ

يأمَنُ المَادِحُ السَّرِفْ

O noble man, in whose praise

the praiser need fear no excess;

وأَخاً فِي وَدَادِهِ

وأَخاً فِي وَدَادِهِ

رَأَى إِخْوَانَهُ ائْتَلَفْ

رَأَى إِخْوَانَهُ ائْتَلَفْ

and a brother who, in his affection,

saw his brothers and joined them in harmony.

رَأْسُ أَرْقَى حُكُومَةٍ

رَأْسُ أَرْقَى حُكُومَةٍ

بِالْمَزَايَا لَكَ اعْتَرف

بِالْمَزَايَا لَكَ اعْتَرف

The head of the most advanced government

has acknowledged your merits.

حَبَّذَا ذلِك الوِسَا

حَبَّذَا ذلِك الوِسَا

مُ وَيَا صِدْقُ مَا وَصَفْ

مُ وَيَا صِدْقُ مَا وَصَفْ

How splendid that decoration,

and how truly it describes you!

دُمْ ففِي كُلِّ حالَةٍ

دُمْ ففِي كُلِّ حالَةٍ

أَنْتَ مِنْ فِرْقَةِ الشَّرفْ

أَنْتَ مِنْ فِرْقَةِ الشَّرفْ

May you endure, for in every circumstance

you belong to the company of honor.