جَمعْتَ من أفضَل الأسماءِ في القِدَمِ

جَمعْتَ من أفضَل الأسماءِ في القِدَمِ

بينَ الخليلِ وأيُّوبٍ لدى الأُمَمِ

بينَ الخليلِ وأيُّوبٍ لدى الأُمَمِ

You have brought together two of the finest names of old:

You have gathered the best of ancient names

Khalil and Ayyub among the nations.

Between Khalil and Ayyub among the nations

ونِلتَ في اللُّطفِ سِرّاً طابَ عُنصُرُهُ

ونِلتَ في اللُّطفِ سِرّاً طابَ عُنصُرُهُ

فكانَ من حاسدِيهِ ألطَفُ النَسَمِ

فكانَ من حاسدِيهِ ألطَفُ النَسَمِ

And in graciousness you gained a secret of pure essence,

And you attained a secret gentleness, pure in composition

So even the most delicate souls were among its enviers.

So that even your enviers were like a soft breeze

هذا اليَراعُ الذي استخدَمتَ عامِلَهُ

هذا اليَراعُ الذي استخدَمتَ عامِلَهُ

قامَتْ لَدَيهِ سُيوفُ الهِندِ كالخَدَمِ

قامَتْ لَدَيهِ سُيوفُ الهِندِ كالخَدَمِ

This reed pen, whose wielder you employed—

This foundation you have laid using its tools

The swords of India stood before it like servants.

Before which the swords of India stood like servants

لَوِ ابتغَى لكَ ياقوتٌ مُفاخرةً

لَوِ ابتغَى لكَ ياقوتٌ مُفاخرةً

لكذَّبَتْهُ شُهُودُ النُّونِ والقَلَمِ

لكذَّبَتْهُ شُهُودُ النُّونِ والقَلَمِ

Had Yaqut sought a contest of glory with you,

If ruby sought to boast over you

The witnesses of Nūn and the pen would surely have refuted him.

It would be denied by the witnesses of N and Q

قَدِ اصطَفاكَ فُؤادُ المُلكِ مُنتخِباً

قَدِ اصطَفاكَ فُؤادُ المُلكِ مُنتخِباً

وَهْوَ الدليلُ على ما فيكَ من شِيمَ

وَهْوَ الدليلُ على ما فيكَ من شِيمَ

Fuad, the realm's heart, has singled you out, choosing you,

The heart of the king has chosen you as its beloved

And that is proof of the noble traits within you.

Which is proof of your noble traits

وظاهرُ الفِعلِ بُرهانٌ لصاحِبهِ

وظاهرُ الفِعلِ بُرهانٌ لصاحِبهِ

أقوَى وأجلَى من البُرهانِ في الكَلِمِ

أقوَى وأجلَى من البُرهانِ في الكَلِمِ

And a manifest deed is proof for its doer,

And the obvious deed is proof of its doer

Stronger and clearer than proof in words.

Stronger and clearer than proof in words

أعطاكَ رُتبةَ فخرٍ أنتَ مَوضِعُها

أعطاكَ رُتبةَ فخرٍ أنتَ مَوضِعُها

إنَّ الكريمَ لَيدري مَوضِعَ الكَرَمِ

إنَّ الكريمَ لَيدري مَوضِعَ الكَرَمِ

He granted you a rank of honor of which you are worthy;

He gave you a rank of pride that suits you

Indeed, the generous know where generosity belongs.

For the generous know the place of generosity

عظيمةٌ من عظيمٍ كانَ مَصدَرُها

عظيمةٌ من عظيمٍ كانَ مَصدَرُها

إلى عظيمٍ فكانَتْ مَجْمَعَ العِظَمِ

إلى عظيمٍ فكانَتْ مَجْمَعَ العِظَمِ

Great was it, with a great man as its source,

Greatness from a great one was its source

Passing to a great man, it became a meeting place of greatness.

To a great one, so it was a gathering of grandeur

يا مَن يَليقُ بهِ مِنَّا الثَّناءُ كما

يا مَن يَليقُ بهِ مِنَّا الثَّناءُ كما

للهِ لاقَ بهِ شُكرٌ على النِعَمِ

للهِ لاقَ بهِ شُكرٌ على النِعَمِ

O you to whom our praise is fitting, just as

O you who deserves our praise as

Thanks are due to God for His blessings.

Allah deserves thanks for blessings

لم أمتدِحْ لكَ فضلاً قَصدَ شُهرتِهِ

لم أمتدِحْ لكَ فضلاً قَصدَ شُهرتِهِ

فذاكَ أشهَرُ من نارٍ على عَلَمِ

فذاكَ أشهَرُ من نارٍ على عَلَمِ

I did not extol your merit to make it known,

I do not praise you seeking fame

For it is more renowned than a fire on a hilltop.

For that is more renowned than fire on a flag

أُهدِي لكَ ابنةَ فِكرٍ بنتَ ليلتِها

أُهدِي لكَ ابنةَ فِكرٍ بنتَ ليلتِها

فإنْ وَجَدْتَ بها قِصَراً فلا تَلُمِ

فإنْ وَجَدْتَ بها قِصَراً فلا تَلُمِ

I offer you a daughter of thought, born in a single night;

I gift to you a daughter of my thoughts born in the night

So if you find her brief, do not reproach me.

If you find any inadequacy in her, do not blame

تَضمَّنتْ من صِفاتِ المدحِ أفضَلَها

تَضمَّنتْ من صِفاتِ المدحِ أفضَلَها

إذ قالتِ الحقَّ واستَغْنَت عَنِ التُهَمِ

إذ قالتِ الحقَّ واستَغْنَت عَنِ التُهَمِ

She contains the finest qualities of praise,

She contains the best traits of praise

For she spoke the truth and was beyond suspicion.

For she spoke the truth and avoided accusations