أَشَمسٌ ما رَأَيت بِلا كُسوفِ

أَشَمسٌ ما رَأَيت بِلا كُسوفِ

أَمِ البدرُ المَصونُ عَنِ الخُسوفِ

أَمِ البدرُ المَصونُ عَنِ الخُسوفِ

Is what I saw a sun without eclipse,

Suns that I have not seen without eclipse,

Or the full moon, protected from eclipse,

Nor the protected full moon without waning,

أَمِ الدرُّ المنظّمُ في عُقودٍ

أَمِ الدرُّ المنظّمُ في عُقودٍ

بِها اِزدانَ النحورَ مِنَ الخشوفِ

بِها اِزدانَ النحورَ مِنَ الخشوفِ

Or pearls strung into necklaces,

Nor the threaded pearls in necklaces

With which the necks of young gazelles are adorned?

With which the slender necks were adorned,

أَجَل غَيداءُ بِكر بِنتُ فكرٍ

أَجَل غَيداءُ بِكر بِنتُ فكرٍ

تَقَرطَقُ بِالثّمينِ مِن الشنوفِ

تَقَرطَقُ بِالثّمينِ مِن الشنوفِ

Yes—a graceful virgin, a daughter of thought,

But Ghayda', the virgin daughter of Fikr,

She arrays herself in precious earrings.

Who shakes her bracelets set with costly gems,

كَخوطَةِ بانَةٍ ماسَت دَلالاً

كَخوطَةِ بانَةٍ ماسَت دَلالاً

بِلَيِّن عِطفِها الحَسنِ القضيفِ

بِلَيِّن عِطفِها الحَسنِ القضيفِ

Like a bān-tree twig, she swayed coquettishly,

Like a gazelle marked with musk for gracefulness

With her supple, lovely, slender flank.

With the softness of its slender, elegant turning,

تَخدّرُ بِالغَريبِ مِنَ المَعاني

تَخدّرُ بِالغَريبِ مِنَ المَعاني

وَتَبرزُ بِالبَديعِ وَبِاللّطيفِ

وَتَبرزُ بِالبَديعِ وَبِاللّطيفِ

She veils herself in unusual meanings,

She uses strange metaphors

And emerges with the exquisite and the subtle.

And produces novelty and refinement,

وَلَكِن خُطِّبت مِن غَيرِ كُفؤٍ

وَلَكِن خُطِّبت مِن غَيرِ كُفؤٍ

وَضيعٍ في البريَّةِ لا شَريفِ

وَضيعٍ في البريَّةِ لا شَريفِ

But she was wooed by one unworthy of her,

But she was betrothed to one not her equal,

A lowly man among mankind, not a noble one.

An undistinguished man in the wilderness, no nobleman,

هِيَ الحَسناءُ لَيسَ بِحاجِبٍ حس

هِيَ الحَسناءُ لَيسَ بِحاجِبٍ حس

نِها لِبسُ الغَليظِ وَلا الشّفوفِ

نِها لِبسُ الغَليظِ وَلا الشّفوفِ

She is the fair one; her beauty is not concealed

She is the beauty who has no frown of disdain

By coarse clothing or sheer fabric.

For her no thick veils or light wraps,

وَليدةُ فِكرِ مَن أَضحى خَطيباً

وَليدةُ فِكرِ مَن أَضحى خَطيباً

بَليغاً بِالبَيانِ وَخير موفِ

بَليغاً بِالبَيانِ وَخير موفِ

Born of the thought of one who became an orator,

Born to the mind that has become the suitor

Eloquent in expression, and the finest keeper of his word;

Eloquent in rhetoric and most trustworthy,

فَصيحاً لا يُعبِّرُ عَن مَعانٍ

فَصيحاً لا يُعبِّرُ عَن مَعانٍ

إِذا ما قالَ إِلّا بِالطّريفِ

إِذا ما قالَ إِلّا بِالطّريفِ

Fluent of tongue, he conveys no meanings,

Articulate, expressing meanings

When he speaks, except in fresh expression.

Only in the most excellent style,

وَلا يَهوى بِتَركيبِ المَباني

وَلا يَهوى بِتَركيبِ المَباني

سِوى المَبنى البَديعِ مَعَ الطّريفِ

سِوى المَبنى البَديعِ مَعَ الطّريفِ

Nor, in arranging words, does he favor

And he desires in combining themes

Anything but exquisite phrasing joined with freshness.

Only the most excellent structure with the most excellent style,

هُمامٌ في الوَرى فَردٌ وَجيهٌ

هُمامٌ في الوَرى فَردٌ وَجيهٌ

يُعَدُّ مِنَ الأفاضِلِ بِالأُلوفِ

يُعَدُّ مِنَ الأفاضِلِ بِالأُلوفِ

A noble-spirited man, unique and eminent among mankind,

A man of great distinction in the world, unique

He is reckoned worth thousands of the excellent.

Counted among the most excellent by thousands,

تُطَأطِئ رَأسها أَهلُ المَعالي

تُطَأطِئ رَأسها أَهلُ المَعالي

وَتَخضَعُ عِندَهُ شُمُّ الأُنوفِ

وَتَخضَعُ عِندَهُ شُمُّ الأُنوفِ

People of lofty rank lower their heads,

Before him the people of rank bow their heads

And proud noses bow before him.

And in his presence the haughtiest are humble,

إِمامٌ في العُلومِ بِلا نَظيرٍ

إِمامٌ في العُلومِ بِلا نَظيرٍ

فَقيهٌ عارِفٌ بِاللَّهِ صوفي

فَقيهٌ عارِفٌ بِاللَّهِ صوفي

An authority in the sciences, without a peer,

Without peer in the sciences, jurist, gnostic of God, Sufi,

A jurist, a knower of God, a Sufi.

He is the all-encompassing ocean while every sea

هُوَ البحرُ المُحيطُ فكلُّ بَحرٍ

هُوَ البحرُ المُحيطُ فكلُّ بَحرٍ

بِنِسبَتِهِ لَهُ دونَ الطّفيفِ

بِنِسبَتِهِ لَهُ دونَ الطّفيفِ

He is the encompassing ocean; so every sea,

Compared to him is less than paltry,

Compared with him, is less than a trifle.

The renewer of this age, undoubtedly

مُجدِّد ذا الزّمانِ بِلا اِرتِيابٍ

مُجدِّد ذا الزّمانِ بِلا اِرتِيابٍ

هوَ المَهدي بِذا الزّمَنِ النّحيفِ

هوَ المَهدي بِذا الزّمَنِ النّحيفِ

The renewer of this age, without a doubt,

He is the rightly-guided one of this fragile time,

He is the Mahdi in this feeble age.

He built the way of the chosen (Prophet) Ta Ha (Muhammad)

وَشَيَّدَ سُنَّةَ المُختارِ طَهَ

وَشَيَّدَ سُنَّةَ المُختارِ طَهَ

كَما قَد شَيَّدَ الدّينَ الحنيفي

كَما قَد شَيَّدَ الدّينَ الحنيفي

And he strengthened the Sunna of the Chosen One, Taha,

As he built the upright religion,

Just as he has strengthened the upright faith.

By transmission and reason he dispelled

وَبِالمَنقولِ وَالمَعقولِ أَضحى

وَبِالمَنقولِ وَالمَعقولِ أَضحى

يُزيحُ ظَلامَ زَيغِ الفَيلَسوفِ

يُزيحُ ظَلامَ زَيغِ الفَيلَسوفِ

And through transmitted and rational knowledge, he came

The darkness of the misguided philosopher,

To dispel the darkness of the philosopher's error.

And from him flourished Al Azhar of Egypt in knowledge

وَأَزهَرَ مِنهُ أَزهَرُ مِصرَ عِلماً

وَأَزهَرَ مِنهُ أَزهَرُ مِصرَ عِلماً

فَفاقَ الأَرضَ بِالفَخرِ المنيفِ

فَفاقَ الأَرضَ بِالفَخرِ المنيفِ

And through him Egypt's Azhar shone with learning,

Excelling the earth in glorious splendor,

Thus it surpassed the world in lofty glory.

He brought it alive through teaching, revived it,

وَبالتدريسِ قَد أَحياهُ قَلباً

وَبالتدريسِ قَد أَحياهُ قَلباً

وَبِالتقريرِ بِالوجهِ الرّصيفِ

وَبِالتقريرِ بِالوجهِ الرّصيفِ

And through teaching, he revived its heart,

Through lecture in the proper methodical way,

And through exposition in a sound manner.

Through writing and editing he revived

وَبِالتصنيفِ وَالتحريرِ أَحيا

وَبِالتصنيفِ وَالتحريرِ أَحيا

رُسومَ العِلمِ مِن كلِّ الصنوفِ

رُسومَ العِلمِ مِن كلِّ الصنوفِ

And through authorship and careful editing, he revived

The features of science of every kind,

The traces of learning in all its forms.

May my Lord reward him well for every good

جَزاهُ اللَّهُ رَبّي كُلَّ خَيرٍ

جَزاهُ اللَّهُ رَبّي كُلَّ خَيرٍ

وَسَلَّمهُ مِنَ الهَولِ المُخيفِ

وَسَلَّمهُ مِنَ الهَولِ المُخيفِ

May God, my Lord, reward him with every good thing,

And save him from fearful adversity,

And keep him safe from terrifying dread.

And maintain him as a cave for those hoping in him

وَأَبقاهُ لِمَن يَرجوهُ كَهفاً

وَأَبقاهُ لِمَن يَرجوهُ كَهفاً

وَغَوثاً لِلعُفاةِ وَلِلضعيفِ

وَغَوثاً لِلعُفاةِ وَلِلضعيفِ

And preserve him as a refuge for those who look to him,

And a relief for the weak and the impoverished

And succor to petitioners and to the weak,

For many days, however much thousands sing,

مَدى الأَيّامِ ما غَنَّى هَزارٌ

مَدى الأَيّامِ ما غَنَّى هَزارٌ

وَمالَ الغصنُ بِالرّيحِ العَصوفِ

وَمالَ الغصنُ بِالرّيحِ العَصوفِ

Throughout the days, as long as a nightingale sings,

And the branch sways in the whistling wind.

And the branch bends in the tempestuous wind.