يا قرّة العينِ وقيتَ الأسى

يا قرّة العينِ وقيتَ الأسى

وَدمتَ في عزّ صباحَ مسا

وَدمتَ في عزّ صباحَ مسا

O delight of the eye, may you be spared sorrow,

O solace of my eyes, may you dispel sorrow,

And may you remain in honor, morning and evening.

And live gloriously like a radiant morn,

إِنّ اِبنيَ المختار لم يقتنع

إِنّ اِبنيَ المختار لم يقتنع

بِالأرضِ حتّى بَلَغَ الأطلسا

بِالأرضِ حتّى بَلَغَ الأطلسا

Indeed, my son al-Mukhtar was not content

My chosen son is not content with land alone,

With the earth, until he reached the starless sphere.

Until he reaches sky’s celestial dome,

فَرامَ بالعُقباني جوّ السما

فَرامَ بالعُقباني جوّ السما

ثُمّت أحياناً بإِقليدسا

ثُمّت أحياناً بإِقليدسا

So through al-ʿUqbānī he sought the expanse of heaven,

So he aspires to soar in space like Ibn Firnas,

Then, at times, through Euclid.

Or sometimes to geometrize like Euclid,

وَإن يَستَعِن بكَ من قصدهِ

وَإن يَستَعِن بكَ من قصدهِ

إِحياءُ علمٍ كادَ أَن يدرُسا

إِحياءُ علمٍ كادَ أَن يدرُسا

And if one seeks your help, his purpose being

If he seeks help from you to revive

To revive a science that had nearly faded away,

A science that was nearly lost,

لا سيّما منكُم لأمثالهِ

لا سيّما منكُم لأمثالهِ

فلا تُماطله بِما هَندسا

فلا تُماطله بِما هَندسا

Especially from you, for those like him,

Especially from ones like you, do not delay,

So do not keep him waiting over his geometrical work.

And share with him all you have compassed.