جِدَّ وَاِطلُبْ مِنَ الزَّمانِ كِرامَهْ

جِدَّ وَاِطلُبْ مِنَ الزَّمانِ كِرامَهْ

وَتَجنَّبْ مِنَ الزَّمانِ لِئامَهْ

وَتَجنَّبْ مِنَ الزَّمانِ لِئامَهْ

Strive, and seek from the age its noble men;

Strive, and seek from time its noble people;

and shun the age’s base men.

and shun time's ignoble people.

إِنَّ فَضلَ الكرامِ كَالشّمسِ يَبدو

إِنَّ فَضلَ الكرامِ كَالشّمسِ يَبدو

لَيسَ يَغشاهُ في الزّمانِ غَمامه

لَيسَ يَغشاهُ في الزّمانِ غَمامه

The virtue of the noble shines forth like the sun;

Indeed, the excellence of the noble shines like the sun;

no cloud in all of time ever veils it.

no cloud ever veils it.

مَن يُلازِمْ مِنَ الكِرامِ كَريماً

مَن يُلازِمْ مِنَ الكِرامِ كَريماً

يَكسَبُ المَجدَ في طَريقِ السّلامَه

يَكسَبُ المَجدَ في طَريقِ السّلامَه

Whoever keeps close company with a noble man among the noble

Whoever keeps company with one of the noble

wins glory upon the path of safety.

wins glory on the path of safety.

قَد طَلبتَ الكِرامَ في حُسْن جَدٍّ

قَد طَلبتَ الكِرامَ في حُسْن جَدٍّ

فَوَجَدت الكِرامَ في اِبنِ كَرامَه

فَوَجَدت الكِرامَ في اِبنِ كَرامَه

I sought the noble with admirable earnestness,

You have sought the noble with good fortune,

and found the noble, all of them, in Ibn Karāmah.

and found the noble in Ibn Karamah.

فَهوَ نَدْبٌ وَجهبَذٌ وَإِمامٌ

فَهوَ نَدْبٌ وَجهبَذٌ وَإِمامٌ

عَلم الفَضلِ عارِفٌ عَلّامَه

عَلم الفَضلِ عارِفٌ عَلّامَه

For he is a man of mettle, a discerning master, and a leader—

For he is a gallant man, a discerning scholar, and a leader;

a paragon of excellence, learned, a great scholar.

a beacon of excellence, a learned man, a great scholar.

حَسنُ الذّاتِ وَالصّفاتِ جَميعاً

حَسنُ الذّاتِ وَالصّفاتِ جَميعاً

حَسنُ الخلقِ في حَميدِ اِستِقامَه

حَسنُ الخلقِ في حَميدِ اِستِقامَه

Fine in himself and in every quality,

Good in his essence and in all his qualities,

fine in character, with praiseworthy rectitude.

good in character, with praiseworthy uprightness.

لا يَزالُ الزّمانَ مَحمودَ فِعلٍ

لا يَزالُ الزّمانَ مَحمودَ فِعلٍ

وَيرى الخَيرَ خَلفَه وَأَمامَه

وَيرى الخَيرَ خَلفَه وَأَمامَه

Time shall never cease to be praiseworthy in deed,

May he remain forever praiseworthy in deed,

and goodness shall be seen behind it and before it,

and see goodness behind him and before him,

ما غَدا الفتحُ ناظِماً فيهِ مَدحاً

ما غَدا الفتحُ ناظِماً فيهِ مَدحاً

أَحسَنَ اللَّهُ بَدأَهُ وَخِتامَه

أَحسَنَ اللَّهُ بَدأَهُ وَخِتامَه

so long as al-Fatḥ goes on composing praise of him.

as long as al-Fath composes verse in his praise;

May God make fair its beginning and its close.

may God bless his beginning and his end.