طَفَحَ الأنسُ فوقَ ساحاتِ جِلَّقْ

طَفَحَ الأنسُ فوقَ ساحاتِ جِلَّقْ

فتغنَّى الهَزارُ والدَّوحُ صَفَّقْ

فتغنَّى الهَزارُ والدَّوحُ صَفَّقْ

Delight overflowed across the squares of Jillaq;

Joy has overflowed the courtyards of Jilq

So the nightingale sang, and the great trees clapped.

The grove and the sand dunes are chirping

صارَ فيها نهرٌ من الماءِ يجري

صارَ فيها نهرٌ من الماءِ يجري

وخليجٌ من السُّرورِ تَدفَّقْ

وخليجٌ من السُّرورِ تَدفَّقْ

There came to be a river of water flowing through it,

A river of water flows in it

And a gulf of joy gushed forth.

And a gulf of bliss gushed forth

يُخلَقُ السَّعدُ في العِبادِ لبعضٍ

يُخلَقُ السَّعدُ في العِبادِ لبعضٍ

بعدَ حينٍ والبعضُ في السَّعد يُخلَقْ

بعدَ حينٍ والبعضُ في السَّعد يُخلَقْ

Good fortune is created for some among humankind

Good fortune is created for some of the servants

After a time, while others are born into good fortune.

After a while, and some in good fortune are created

إنَّ من كان للمواهبِ أهلاً

إنَّ من كان للمواهبِ أهلاً

عند مَوْلاهُ فهوَ يُعطَى ويُرزَقْ

عند مَوْلاهُ فهوَ يُعطَى ويُرزَقْ

Indeed, whoever is worthy of gifts

Indeed, whoever is worthy of gifts

In his master's eyes is given gifts and provided for.

His Master gives him and provides for him

ومَجالُ الأرزاقِ كالبحر من خا

ومَجالُ الأرزاقِ كالبحر من خا

ضَ ولم يعرِفِ السِباحةَ يَغرَقْ

ضَ ولم يعرِفِ السِباحةَ يَغرَقْ

And the realm of livelihoods is like the sea: whoever wades

And the realm of provisions is like the sea

In without knowing how to swim will drown.

Whoever does not know swimming, drowns

لو تساوت خلائقُ اللهِ طرّاً

لو تساوت خلائقُ اللهِ طرّاً

لم يكن بعضُها عن البعضِ يُفرَقْ

لم يكن بعضُها عن البعضِ يُفرَقْ

If all God's creatures were equal,

If the creations of God were equal in esteem

None would be distinguished from another.

Some would not be distinguished from others

رُبَّ فَرْدٍ منها يفوقُ أُلوفاً

رُبَّ فَرْدٍ منها يفوقُ أُلوفاً

وأُلوفٍ بواحدٍ ليسَ تَلحَقْ

وأُلوفٍ بواحدٍ ليسَ تَلحَقْ

Many a single one among them surpasses thousands,

Many individuals surpass thousands

And thousands cannot catch up with one.

And thousands cannot catch up with one

والكريمُ الذي يُجدِّدُ مجداً

والكريمُ الذي يُجدِّدُ مجداً

ليسَ من مجدهِ بإرثٍ تعلَّقْ

ليسَ من مجدهِ بإرثٍ تعلَّقْ

And the noble man is he who renews glory,

And the generous one who renews glory

Not one whose glory is bound to inheritance,

Is not connected through inheritance to his glory

والذي مجده يزيد جديداً

والذي مجده يزيد جديداً

كلما زاد عمرهُ وتَعتَّقْ

كلما زاد عمرهُ وتَعتَّقْ

And whose glory grows ever fresher

And the one whose glory increases anew

As his years increase and he matures.

The more his life grows and ripens

أنتَ يا رُكنَ قومِنا أهلُ هذا

أنتَ يا رُكنَ قومِنا أهلُ هذا

وهْوَ من بينِ أهلهِ بكَ أليَقْ

وهْوَ من بينِ أهلهِ بكَ أليَقْ

You, O pillar of our people, are worthy of this,

You, O pillar of our people, deserve this

And among all who merit it, it befits you most.

And you are most befitting among your people

كلُّ نفسٍ تهواكَ عن خَبَرٍ وال

كلُّ نفسٍ تهواكَ عن خَبَرٍ وال

أُذنُ من قبل نظرةِ العين تَعشَقْ

أُذنُ من قبل نظرةِ العين تَعشَقْ

Every soul loves you from what it hears, and the

Every soul that loves you is out of insight, not

Ear falls in love before the eye has looked.

An ear falls in love before the gaze of an eye

نَظَرتْ مقلةُ الخليفةِ يوماً

نَظَرتْ مقلةُ الخليفةِ يوماً

نَظْرةً في الصَّوابِ أجلَى وأصدقْ

نَظْرةً في الصَّوابِ أجلَى وأصدقْ

One day the caliph's eye cast

The pupil of the Caliph looked one day

A gaze most clear and true in its judgment;

A look of utmost sincerity and truth

فأفادَتْكَ رُتبةً في المعالي

فأفادَتْكَ رُتبةً في المعالي

أنتَ أولى بها وأوفَى وأوفَقْ

أنتَ أولى بها وأوفَى وأوفَقْ

And it bestowed on you a rank in high honor,

Bestowing upon you a rank in the heights

You are most worthy of it, most faithful, and best suited.

You are most deserving of it, most faithful, and most apt

ليسَ أهلاً لزينةٍ كلُّ شخصٍ

ليسَ أهلاً لزينةٍ كلُّ شخصٍ

لَبِسَ الثَّوْبَ والحِلَى وتَمنطَقْ

لَبِسَ الثَّوْبَ والحِلَى وتَمنطَقْ

Not every person is worthy of adornment

Not everyone who wore a garb and jewelry is worthy

Who wears a robe and jewels and girds himself.

Of adornment, some are torn apart in disgrace

والمعالي تَزينُ بعضاً وبعضٌ

والمعالي تَزينُ بعضاً وبعضٌ

تقتضي شَيْنَ عِرضِهِ فيُمزَّقْ

تقتضي شَيْنَ عِرضِهِ فيُمزَّقْ

And high honors adorn some, while for others

Sublimity adorns some, and some

They bring shame upon their good name, which is torn apart.

Their villainy necessitates their garment be ripped

أيُّها الكاملُ الصّفِاتِ اللَّواتي

أيُّها الكاملُ الصّفِاتِ اللَّواتي

جَمَعت من لطائفٍ ما تفرَّقْ

جَمَعت من لطائفٍ ما تفرَّقْ

O you, perfect in those qualities that

O you whose complete traits are soft

Have gathered fine virtues otherwise scattered:

Bringing together refined qualities not dispersed

لكَ سِرٌّ مقيَّدٌ وثناءٌ

لكَ سِرٌّ مقيَّدٌ وثناءٌ

سائرٌ في جَوانبِ الأرضِ مُطلَقْ

سائرٌ في جَوانبِ الأرضِ مُطلَقْ

Yours is a secret kept bound, and praise

You have a secret bound to you and praise

Roaming unfettered through the corners of the earth.

Flowing in every corner of the earth untethered

ولِسانٌ يجري على منهَجِ الصِدْ

ولِسانٌ يجري على منهَجِ الصِدْ

قِ ومالٌ في طاعةِ اللهِ يُنفَقْ

قِ ومالٌ في طاعةِ اللهِ يُنفَقْ

And a tongue that follows the path of

And a tongue that runs on the path of truth

Truth, and wealth spent in obedience to God.

And wealth spent in the obedience of God

ولكَ الهِمَّةُ التِّي حينَ تَمضي

ولكَ الهِمَّةُ التِّي حينَ تَمضي

ليسَ يَعصِي عن فتحها كلُّ مُغلَقْ

ليسَ يَعصِي عن فتحها كلُّ مُغلَقْ

And yours is resolve: when it advances,

And you have the ambition which when resolved

No locked thing resists being opened by it.

No closed door disobeys its opening

هِيَ نارٌ ليست تصيرُ رَماداً

هِيَ نارٌ ليست تصيرُ رَماداً

وهْيَ سيفٌ بهِ الصَّدا ليسَ يَعلَقْ

وهْيَ سيفٌ بهِ الصَّدا ليسَ يَعلَقْ

It is a fire that never turns to ash,

It is a fire that does not turn to ashes

And a sword to which rust never clings.

And it is a sword by which firmness does not waver

ولقد قُلتُ للذي رامَ مدحاً

ولقد قُلتُ للذي رامَ مدحاً

لكريمٍ يُرضى بهِ ويُصدَّقْ

لكريمٍ يُرضى بهِ ويُصدَّقْ

And indeed I said to one who sought praise

And I have said to one who intended praise

For a noble man who is esteemed and trusted:

To please a noble soul and believed

هاكَ مْن بالمديحِ وضعاً وطبعاً

هاكَ مْن بالمديحِ وضعاً وطبعاً

قد تَحلَّى مثلَ الحمامِ المُطوَّقْ

قد تَحلَّى مثلَ الحمامِ المُطوَّقْ

Here is one who, with praise in name and nature,

Adorned like a ringed dove

Is adorned like the ring-necked dove.

It saddened the horizon when he was absent but

أوحشَ القُطرَ حينما غابَ لكن

أوحشَ القُطرَ حينما غابَ لكن

مَوكِبُ الأُنسِ حينما عادَ أطبَقْ

مَوكِبُ الأُنسِ حينما عادَ أطبَقْ

He left the land desolate when he was absent, but

The caravan of company when he returned was plenty

Delight's procession spread over it when he returned.

Eyes in Damascus saw him when

فرأتهُ العيونُ في الشَّامِ لمَّا

فرأتهُ العيونُ في الشَّامِ لمَّا

أرَّخُوهُ كالبدرِ غابَ وأشرَقْ

أرَّخُوهُ كالبدرِ غابَ وأشرَقْ

Then the eyes beheld him in al-Sham when

Like the full moon he disappeared and rose

They dated his return: 'Like the full moon, he vanished and shone.'