يَا أَحْمَدَ الخَيْرِ يَا مَنْ

يَا أَحْمَدَ الخَيْرِ يَا مَنْ

أَسْدَى وَأَجْزَلَ عُرْفَهْ

أَسْدَى وَأَجْزَلَ عُرْفَهْ

O Ahmad, man of goodness—O you who

have bestowed and lavished your bounty,

مَا كَانَ رَأْيُكَ أَدْنَى

مَا كَانَ رَأْيُكَ أَدْنَى

مِنْ بَذْلِكَ المَالَ سُلْفَهْ

مِنْ بَذْلِكَ المَالَ سُلْفَهْ

your counsel was no less a gift

than the money you advanced as a loan.

حُيِّيْتَ مِنْ لَوْذَعِيٍّ

حُيِّيْتَ مِنْ لَوْذَعِيٍّ

وَقَارُهُ زَادَ لُطْفَهْ

وَقَارُهُ زَادَ لُطْفَهْ

Greetings to you from a discerning man,

whose dignity has deepened his grace—

فَتىً كَهَمِّ المَعَالِي

فَتىً كَهَمِّ المَعَالِي

عِلْماً وَبَأْساً وَرَأْفَهْ

عِلْماً وَبَأْساً وَرَأْفَهْ

a youth like lofty aspiration itself

in learning, valor, and compassion.

سَمْحُ السَّجِيَّةِ لا تَعْـ

سَمْحُ السَّجِيَّةِ لا تَعْـ

ـدَمُ المَرَافِق عَطْفَهْ

ـدَمُ المَرَافِق عَطْفَهْ

Generous by nature—never does

a companion go without his kindness.

كَالنِّيلِ مَدَّ فُرُوعاً

كَالنِّيلِ مَدَّ فُرُوعاً

وَكُلُّ فَرْعٍ لِضِفَّهْ

وَكُلُّ فَرْعٍ لِضِفَّهْ

Like the Nile, he has stretched forth branches,

each branch reaching toward its bank.