قُل لِلأَمير أَدامَ اللَه نعمتَهُ

قُل لِلأَمير أَدامَ اللَه نعمتَهُ

طُولَ المَدى وَكَساهُ أَبهَجَ الحللِ

طُولَ المَدى وَكَساهُ أَبهَجَ الحللِ

Say to the prince—may God preserve his good fortune

Tell the ruler, may God prolong his bounty

For all time, and clothe him in the most splendid robes—

Of long duration and cloak him in splendid robes,

يا اِبن المبارك يا خَير الأَنام أَباً

يا اِبن المبارك يا خَير الأَنام أَباً

وَيا أَجلّ وَزير بِالسداد عَلي

وَيا أَجلّ وَزير بِالسداد عَلي

O son of al-Mubarak, O best of men in paternal lineage,

O son of the blessed, O best of men as a father

And O Ali, most august minister in sound judgment.

And O most venerable minister of integrity,

عشرون حولاً وخمسٌ بعدها نفدت

عشرون حولاً وخمسٌ بعدها نفدت

في خدمة لك بالإخلاص في العمل

في خدمة لك بالإخلاص في العمل

Twenty years, and five more after them, have been spent

Twenty years have passed and five more after them

In your service, with devotion to the work.

Spent in your service with sincerity in deed,

عرَّبتُ فيها مِن الأَسفار ما عجزت

عرَّبتُ فيها مِن الأَسفار ما عجزت

عَنهُ الأَواخر بَعدَ السادة الأَول

عَنهُ الأَواخر بَعدَ السادة الأَول

In those years I translated into Arabic books that had defeated

In which I have translated from books what stumped

Later generations, after the earliest masters.

The later ones after the earlier masters,

وَلَم أَدَع لَحظةً تَمضي بِلا تَعبٍ

وَلَم أَدَع لَحظةً تَمضي بِلا تَعبٍ

يَعود بِالنَفع لِلأَوطان مِن قِبَلي

يَعود بِالنَفع لِلأَوطان مِن قِبَلي

And I let no moment pass without toil

And I have not let a moment pass without toil

Bringing benefit to the homelands through me.

That benefits the homelands because of me,

وَهاكَ ستّينَ سَفراً كُلُّها ظَهرت

وَهاكَ ستّينَ سَفراً كُلُّها ظَهرت

لِلناس فَاِنتَفَعوا مِنها بِكُلِّ جلي

لِلناس فَاِنتَفَعوا مِنها بِكُلِّ جلي

And here are sixty volumes, all of which appeared

And here are sixty books all of which appeared

For the people, who drew every clear benefit from them.

To the people who benefited fully from them,

وَكُلُّ مجتهدٍ عانى تلاوتها

وَكُلُّ مجتهدٍ عانى تلاوتها

وَحفظَها فازَ في دُنياه بِالأَمل

وَحفظَها فازَ في دُنياه بِالأَمل

And every diligent person who labored to read them

And every diligent one who recited them

And memorized them attained his hopes in this world.

And memorized them succeeded in his life's hope,

وَكَيفَ لا وَهيَ بَعدَ الطَيّ قَد نشرت

وَكَيفَ لا وَهيَ بَعدَ الطَيّ قَد نشرت

وَشَمسُها لَم تَزَل في دارة الحمل

وَشَمسُها لَم تَزَل في دارة الحمل

And why not, when, after being folded away, they have been spread abroad,

How not when they have after goodness spread

And their sun remains in the circle of Aries?

And their sun continues in the circle of Aries,

مِنها فُروع الرِياضيات أَجمعها

مِنها فُروع الرِياضيات أَجمعها

وَالعَسكرية بِالتَفصيل وَالجمل

وَالعَسكرية بِالتَفصيل وَالجمل

Among them are all the branches of mathematics,

From them are branches of all mathematics

And military science, in detail and in outline.

And military science in detail and in summary,

وَأَنتَ أَدرى بأَشغالي وَدقَّتها

وَأَنتَ أَدرى بأَشغالي وَدقَّتها

وَما أُلاقيهِ مِن كدٍّ بِلا مَلل

وَما أُلاقيهِ مِن كدٍّ بِلا مَلل

And you are best acquainted with my tasks and their precision,

And you know best my works and their precision

And the toil I endure without tiring of it.

And what I face of toil without boredom,

وَاللَيل أَطويه في تَنميق ما سمحت

وَاللَيل أَطويه في تَنميق ما سمحت

بِهِ القَريحة مِن آداب محتفل

بِهِ القَريحة مِن آداب محتفل

And I fold away the night, polishing what

And the night I spend embellishing what you allowed

My inspiration has yielded in a painstaking author's literary works.

Of literature from celebrated compositions,

وَالآن أَوليتَني مَربوط ثانية

وَالآن أَوليتَني مَربوط ثانية

بِعدَ العَبوس بِها دَهري تبسم لي

بِعدَ العَبوس بِها دَهري تبسم لي

And now you have granted me a second-grade stipend;

And now you have engaged me a second time

After its frown, my fortune smiled upon me through it.

After frowning at me, my days smiled at me,

وَقَد حظيت بِما أُوتيت في صفرٍ

وَقَد حظيت بِما أُوتيت في صفرٍ

مِن عام ستٍّ بِأَمر النائب البَطَل

مِن عام ستٍّ بِأَمر النائب البَطَل

And I was favored with what I was given in Safar,

And I was granted what I was given in Safar

Of the year six, by order of the valiant deputy.

Of a year six with the order of the brave deputy,

وَحَيث لَم يَبقَ للفرمان عَن ثقة

وَحَيث لَم يَبقَ للفرمان عَن ثقة

إِلّا كِتابةُ تَوقيعٍ بِلا مهل

إِلّا كِتابةُ تَوقيعٍ بِلا مهل

And since, assuredly, nothing remains for the decree

And where nothing remained of the decree except trust

But the writing of a signature, without delay,

Except writing a signature without delay,

فَامنن بِهِ إِن خَير البرِّ عاجلُه

فَامنن بِهِ إِن خَير البرِّ عاجلُه

وَلا تَقُل خُلِقَ الإِنسانُ مِن عجل

وَلا تَقُل خُلِقَ الإِنسانُ مِن عجل

Then grant it: the best kindness is promptly given.

So favor me with it, for the best of righteousness is its urgency,

And do not say, 'Man was created of haste.'

And do not say man was created of haste,

وَلا تَلمني عَلى التَأكيد في طَلبٍ

وَلا تَلمني عَلى التَأكيد في طَلبٍ

فيهِ الشِفاء مِن الأَمراض وَالعلل

فيهِ الشِفاء مِن الأَمراض وَالعلل

And do not blame me for insisting on a request

And do not blame me for insisting on a request

In which lies healing from diseases and ailments.

In which is the cure for illnesses and pains,

وَلا تكلني بِتسويف إِلى فرصٍ

وَلا تكلني بِتسويف إِلى فرصٍ

فَإِنَّني عَن نجاز الوعد لَم أَحُل

فَإِنَّني عَن نجاز الوعد لَم أَحُل

And do not, by delaying, leave me waiting for opportunities;

And do not burden me with procrastination until chances

For I have not turned aside from fulfillment of the promise.

For I do not replace fulfilling a promise with anything,

وَقَد شرحت إِلى عَلياك ما طمحت

وَقَد شرحت إِلى عَلياك ما طمحت

إِلَيهِ نَفسي فَقابل بِالرضا وَصِل

إِلَيهِ نَفسي فَقابل بِالرضا وَصِل

And I have explained to Your Excellency the aspiration

And I have explained to your excellency what my soul aspires

Of my soul; receive it with favor, and grant your bounty.

To, so meet it with acceptance and join,

فَما الوَظائف إِلّا لِلذين لَهُم

فَما الوَظائف إِلّا لِلذين لَهُم

ميلٌ إِلى راحة الأَبدان وَالكَسَل

ميلٌ إِلى راحة الأَبدان وَالكَسَل

For official posts are only for those who have

For positions are only for those who have

An inclination toward bodily ease and idleness,

An inclination for the rest of bodies and laziness,

لا للذين لَهُم بَينَ الوَرى شَغَفٌ

لا للذين لَهُم بَينَ الوَرى شَغَفٌ

بِحُبِّ حكمةِ إِن العزَّ في النَقل

بِحُبِّ حكمةِ إِن العزَّ في النَقل

Not for those who, among humankind, have a passion

Not for those who have among people a passion

For the love of wisdom; indeed, honor lies in translation.

For love of the wisdom that honor is in transmitting,

وَتِلكَ نفثة مصدور عرضتُ بِها

وَتِلكَ نفثة مصدور عرضتُ بِها

حالي عَلَيك بِلا رَوعٍ وَلا وَجَل

حالي عَلَيك بِلا رَوعٍ وَلا وَجَل

And that is a sigh from an afflicted breast, through which I laid

And that is an outpouring I have presented

My condition before you, without alarm or fear.

My state to you without fear or dread,

لِأَنني صرتُ مَحسوباً عَلَيكَ وَلا

لِأَنني صرتُ مَحسوباً عَلَيكَ وَلا

أَنفكُّ عَنكَ إِلى أَن يَنتَهي أَجَلي

أَنفكُّ عَنكَ إِلى أَن يَنتَهي أَجَلي

Because I am now counted as yours, and I shall not

Because I have become affiliated with you and do not

Part from you until my allotted span comes to an end.

Cease from you until my term ends,

لا زالَ سَعيُك مَشكوراً وَلا برحت

لا زالَ سَعيُك مَشكوراً وَلا برحت

تُثني عَلَيك بِخَيرٍ سائرُ الملل

تُثني عَلَيك بِخَيرٍ سائرُ الملل

May your striving ever be appreciated, and may there always be

Your efforts are still appreciated and you have not stopped

Good words in your praise from all religious communities.

Praising you with good, the rest of the nations,