أَلا حَدِّثا مَولاي ذا المَنزل الرَحبِ

أَلا حَدِّثا مَولاي ذا المَنزل الرَحبِ

بِأَنّي وَأَعوان الزَمان عَلى حَربِ

بِأَنّي وَأَعوان الزَمان عَلى حَربِ

Come, you two, tell my master, lord of the spacious dwelling,

Oh, speak to me, my master of abundant grace,

that I am at war with the allies of Time.

Of how I and allies of time wage war

وَبُثّا لَهُ ما بي عَسى تَستميله

وَبُثّا لَهُ ما بي عَسى تَستميله

عَواطفه اللاتي بِها الفَوز للصحبِ

عَواطفه اللاتي بِها الفَوز للصحبِ

And pour out to him what ails me; perhaps he will be moved

And relay to him what is within me, hoping to win him over

by his affections, through which his companions find success.

With affections through which the comrades triumph

أَخو الهمّة العليا إِذا ما ندبته

أَخو الهمّة العليا إِذا ما ندبته

لِنَصري يَقول النَصر إِنّي ابن ذا النَدبِ

لِنَصري يَقول النَصر إِنّي ابن ذا النَدبِ

A man of lofty resolve: whenever I call upon him

Brother of lofty ambition - if I call on him

to aid me, Victory says, 'I am this gallant man's son.'

For my aid, he says: “Victory, I am the son of that call!”

وَما زالَ لي كَالوالد البرّ رَأفةً

وَما زالَ لي كَالوالد البرّ رَأفةً

إِذ الوَلَد القَلبيُّ كَالوَلَد الصلبي

إِذ الوَلَد القَلبيُّ كَالوَلَد الصلبي

He has always been as tender to me as a kindly father,

And he has not ceased to be as a kindly father to me

for a child of the heart is like a child of the loins.

When a son of the heart is like a son of lineage

وَمَولىً حَباه اللَه أَسرار حِكمَةٍ

وَمَولىً حَباه اللَه أَسرار حِكمَةٍ

بِه اِعتَزَّ عَن جَمع الكَتائب وَالكُتبِ

بِه اِعتَزَّ عَن جَمع الكَتائب وَالكُتبِ

And a master whom God has endowed with secrets of wisdom:

And a master God has gifted with wisdom’s secrets

in Him he finds strength, without amassing battalions or books.

With it he was too proud for hoarding books and tomes

لِسان يُفيد العلم وَالحلم وَالهُدى

لِسان يُفيد العلم وَالحلم وَالهُدى

وَوَجهٌ يريك الخَصب في سنة الجدبِ

وَوَجهٌ يريك الخَصب في سنة الجدبِ

A tongue that imparts knowledge, forbearance, and guidance,

A tongue imparting knowledge, patience and guidance

and a face that shows you plenty in a year of drought.

A face showing you fertility in a year of drought

لَهُ الفَضل إِرث عَن أَبيه فَإِنَّهُ

لَهُ الفَضل إِرث عَن أَبيه فَإِنَّهُ

تَلقّاه بِالتَعصيب وَالفَرض وَالحجبِ

تَلقّاه بِالتَعصيب وَالفَرض وَالحجبِ

Excellence is his inheritance from his father, for he

To him belongs the merit - inheritance from his father

received it through residuary succession, fixed shares, and exclusion of other heirs.

For he received it with coronation, obligation and exclusion

مَكارم أَخلاق صَفَت عَن شَوائب

مَكارم أَخلاق صَفَت عَن شَوائب

فَكانَ هَنيأً وردها لِذَوي اللبِّ

فَكانَ هَنيأً وردها لِذَوي اللبِّ

Noble qualities of character, cleansed of blemishes,

Virtues of character cleansed of blemishes

so their draught was wholesome for those of understanding.

Thus he was blessed, and brought them to the sound of mind

فَلاذُوا بِقطب المَجد في فلك التُقى

فَلاذُوا بِقطب المَجد في فلك التُقى

وَهَل فلك إِلّا وَدار عَلى قطبِ

وَهَل فلك إِلّا وَدار عَلى قطبِ

So they sought refuge with glory's pole in piety's sphere;

So take refuge in the axis of glory in the orbit of piety

and is there a sphere that does not turn about a pole?

Does any orbit but revolve around an axis?

لَكَ الحَمد مِنّي يا سميَّ محمّد

لَكَ الحَمد مِنّي يا سميَّ محمّد

يَسرّك نَظماً فَهوَ كَاللؤلؤ الرَطبِ

يَسرّك نَظماً فَهوَ كَاللؤلؤ الرَطبِ

My praise is yours, O namesake of Muhammad;

To you be thanks from me, O sublime Muhammed

it delights you in verse, for it is like moist pearls.

Whatever verse delights you is like moistened pearls

وَحَسبك كسب الحَمد في الناس وَالثَنا

وَحَسبك كسب الحَمد في الناس وَالثَنا

فَذاكَ وأيم اللَه مِن أَشرَف الكسبِ

فَذاكَ وأيم اللَه مِن أَشرَف الكسبِ

Enough for you is earning praise and acclaim among people,

And your earning praise among people and eulogy suffices you

for that, by God, is among the noblest gains.

For that is, by God, among the most noble gains

وَيا أَيُّها المَولى الَّذي نور قَلبه

وَيا أَيُّها المَولى الَّذي نور قَلبه

فِراستهُ عَمّا بِقَلبي لَهُ تنبي

فِراستهُ عَمّا بِقَلبي لَهُ تنبي

And O master, the light of whose heart

And O master whose insight, his perception

is his discernment, revealing to him what is in my heart:

Informs him of what is in my heart, it reveals to him

أَرى حزبكم بِالقُرب قَد بَلغ المُنى

أَرى حزبكم بِالقُرب قَد بَلغ المُنى

وَلَم يَك حَظّي بَعدَ فَرضي سِوى النَدبِ

وَلَم يَك حَظّي بَعدَ فَرضي سِوى النَدبِ

I see your company, through nearness to you, has attained its wishes,

I see your party has reached its purpose

yet, after my prescribed due, my lot has been only what is optional.

While my share was no more than being called

فَيا لَيت شِعري ما الَّذي ميزوا بِهِ

فَيا لَيت شِعري ما الَّذي ميزوا بِهِ

أَما أَنا يا مَولاي مِن ذَلك الحزبِ

أَما أَنا يا مَولاي مِن ذَلك الحزبِ

Oh, would that I knew what set them apart!

So would that I knew what distinguished them

Am I not, my master, of that company?

Am I not, my master, of that party?

ألستَ مَلاذي في الأَنام وَعُمدَتي

ألستَ مَلاذي في الأَنام وَعُمدَتي

وَمُعتَمدي يا عُمدة السادة النُجبِ

وَمُعتَمدي يا عُمدة السادة النُجبِ

Are you not my refuge among humankind, and my support,

Are you not my refuge among men, and my pillar,

and my reliance, O mainstay of the noble lords?

My reliance, O pillar of worthy nobles?

لِمَن أَلتَجي إِن ضاقَ صَدري وَأرتَجي

لِمَن أَلتَجي إِن ضاقَ صَدري وَأرتَجي

بِهِ فَرَجاً إِلّا إِلى صَدرك الرَحبِ

بِهِ فَرَجاً إِلّا إِلى صَدرك الرَحبِ

To whom can I turn if my breast grows tight, and hope

To whom do I flee if my patience wears thin,

for relief through him, if not to your spacious breast?

Hoping through him for relief but your abundant grace?

إِذا لَمحتني مِنكَ عَين عِنايةٍ

إِذا لَمحتني مِنكَ عَين عِنايةٍ

بَلَغت المُنى وَاللَه يا سَيّدي حَسبي

بَلَغت المُنى وَاللَه يا سَيّدي حَسبي

If a caring eye of yours glances at me,

If an eye of your care glimpses me

I shall attain my wishes—and God, O my master, is enough for me.

By God, my master, I will have attained my hope!