أَلا إِنّ لِلأُستاذِ ذي النَّفعِ شاكرٍ

أَلا إِنّ لِلأُستاذِ ذي النَّفعِ شاكرٍ

كَرايِمُ أَوصافٍ تَجِلُّ عَنِ الحَصْرِ

كَرايِمُ أَوصافٍ تَجِلُّ عَنِ الحَصْرِ

Behold, the beneficent teacher Shakir has

Behold, the learned mentor of benefit deserves praise

noble qualities too great to be counted.

With noble traits beyond all measure

تَقاصَرت عَن شُكري حِسان طِباعِهِ

تَقاصَرت عَن شُكري حِسان طِباعِهِ

لِعَجزي عَنِ الإِتيانِ في لائِقِ الشكرِ

لِعَجزي عَنِ الإِتيانِ في لائِقِ الشكرِ

I have fallen short in thanking him for the fine qualities of his nature,

My gratitude falls short of his kind nature

because I am unable to offer fitting thanks.

For my incapacity to properly give thanks

فَهاتيكَ مِنها النَّفعُ وَهوَ أَقلُّها

فَهاتيكَ مِنها النَّفعُ وَهوَ أَقلُّها

وَقَد ضاقَ عَنهُ اللَّفظُ في النَّظمِ وَالنثرِ

وَقَد ضاقَ عَنهُ اللَّفظُ في النَّظمِ وَالنثرِ

So among those qualities is the benefit he brings, and it is the least of them;

Yet herein is the gain, though least of all

yet language, in verse and prose, has proved too narrow to contain it.

The words in prose or verse cannot suffice

فَلازِمْه يا ذا اللُبِّ وَاِلْزَمْ دُروسَهُ

فَلازِمْه يا ذا اللُبِّ وَاِلْزَمْ دُروسَهُ

إِذا رُمتَ نَيلَ النَّفعِ مِن عالَمِ السرِّ

إِذا رُمتَ نَيلَ النَّفعِ مِن عالَمِ السرِّ

So keep his company, O discerning one, and attend his lessons,

So cling, O keen of mind, to his lessons

if you seek to gain benefit from the realm of mystery.

If you wish to gain from the world of mysteries

فَتَقريرُهُ سِرٌّ بِأَرواحِنا سَرى

فَتَقريرُهُ سِرٌّ بِأَرواحِنا سَرى

كَما ماءُ حَبِّ الآسِ في الجِسمِ إِذْ يَسْري

كَما ماءُ حَبِّ الآسِ في الجِسمِ إِذْ يَسْري

For his exposition is a mystery that has coursed through our souls,

For his teaching mysteriously blends with our souls

as myrtle-berry water does when it flows through the body.

As water of barleycorn flows inside the body