عَهِدْتُكَ لاَ تَهْوَى ثَنَاءً لِقَائِلِ

وَتؤْثِرُ فِي صَمْتِ ثَنَاءَ الفَضَائِلِ

I entrusted you not to desire praise from a speaker,

And to prefer in silent praise, praise of virtues.

لَقَدْ قَلَّ مَنْ يُؤْتِيهِ مَوْلاَهْ نِعْمَةً

وَيَقْدُرُهَا القَدْرَ الجَدِيرَ بِعَاقِلِ

Indeed those decreased who are granted favor from their Master,

And appreciate it with appreciation appropriate for the reasonable.

فَلاَ هُوَ تَيَّاهٌ عَلَى نُظَرَائِهِ

وَلاَ هُوَ نَاسٍ حَقَّ عَافٍ وَسَائِلِ

So he is neither boastful over his peers,

Nor harming the rights of the meek and questioners.

وَجِيهٌ وَمَا أَحْلَى الوَجَاهَةَ فِي أَمْرِىءٍ

رَقِيقِ حَوَاشِي الطَّبْعِ عَذْبِ الشَّمَائِل

Honorable, and how beautiful is honor in a man

Of gentle nature, sweet traits.

بِنَائِلِهِ يُؤْتِي الجَّميلَ مِنَ النَّدَى

وَلَيْسَ جَمِيلاً فِي النَّدَى كُلُّ نَائِلِ

With his attainments he brings beauty from the dew,

And not all who attain from the dew are beautiful.

لَكَ اللهُ يَا مَنْ حَلَّ بِالجّاهِ وَالحِجَى

مَكَانَتَهُ بَينَ السَّراةِ الأمَاثلِ

May Allah grant you, oh you who settled with glory and reverence,

His standing between the noble peers.

فَمَا فِي الأُولَى خَالَطْتَ إِلاَّ مَنِ اجْتَلَى

بِمَسْرَاكَ مَسْرَى الْكَوْكَبِ المُتَكَامِلِ

So of the first, you have not accompanied except one who attained

The path of the accomplished star.

وَأَكْبَرَ ذَاكَ الحَزْمَ وَالعَزْمَ فِي فَتًى

تَخَطَّى حِجَاهُ سِنَّهُ بِمَرَاحِلِ

And greatest in that resolve and determination in a youth

Whose glory transcended the stages of his age.

فَادْرَكَ مَجْداً كَانَ دُونَ بُلُوغِهِ

توَقَّى مُلِمَّاتِ وَحَلَّ مَعَاضِلِ

So he attained glory that was beyond his reaching,

Avoided pitfalls and reached summits.

وَلَمْ يَبْلُ مِنْهُ النَّاسُ إِلاَّ مُهَذَّباً

حَمِيدَ الطَّوَايَا وَالمُنَى وَالوَسَائِلِ

And people did not know from him except refined,

Praiseworthy in yearning, purpose, and means.

بُرَبِّي بَنِيهِ بِالحَصَافَةِ وَالهُدَى

وَتسْعِدُه أَوفَى وَأَكْفَى العَقَائِلِ

Educating his sons with virtue and guidance,

And his most loyal and sufficient clans make him happy.

عَقِيلَةُ بَيْتٍ بَارَكَ اللهُ حَوْلَه

فَمَا مِنْ وَشَايَاتٍ وَمَا مِنْ عَوَاذِلِ

The protector of a house Allah has blessed around it,

So there is no slander and no faults.

بِغَيْرِ الَّذِي يُرْضِي الضَّمِيرَ وَرَبَّهَا

وَوَاليَهَا لَيْسَتْ بِذَاتِ شَوَاغِلِ

Without that which satisfies her conscience and her Lord,

She is not one who is busy with frivolities.

فَبَشِّر بِسَعْدٍ أُمةً كَثُرَتْ بِهَا

مَنَازِلُ أَبْرَارٍ كَهَذِي المَنَازِلِ

So give glad tidings of happiness to a nation abundant in it

Homes of the righteous like these homes.

يُشَرِّفُ أَرْبَابُ البُيُوتَاتِ قَوْمَهُمْ

وَيَبْنُونَ لِلْمُسْتَقْبَلِ المُتَطَاوِلِ

Nobles of houses ennoble their people,

And they build for the ambitious future.

فَذَاكَ هُوَ العُمْرَانُ وَالفَوْزُ لِلْحِجَى

بِإِعلاءِ حَقٍّ أَوْ بِإِزهَاقِ بَاطِلِ

That is civilization and success for reverence,

By establishing truth or abolishing falsehood.

صَدِيقِيَ هَذَا وَصْفُ حَالٍ شَهِدْتهَا

وَوَصْفِيَ لاَ يَعْدُو شَهَادَةَ عَادِلِ

My friend this is a description of a state I witnessed,

And my description does not exceed the testimony of a just one.

بَنَيْتَ بِإِقْدَامٍ وَصِدْقٍ كَما بَنَى

أَبُوكَ وَأَي الفَضَّلِ فُضْلُ الأوَائِل

You have built with determination and sincerity as

Your father built, and what virtue above the virtues of the predecessors?