أَقولُ لَهُ وَقَد عايَنتُ مِنهُ

أَقولُ لَهُ وَقَد عايَنتُ مِنهُ

مَخايِلَ سودد أَهلا وَسَهلا

مَخايِلَ سودد أَهلا وَسَهلا

I say to him, having seen in him

I say to him, having seen in him

the signs of eminence: “A warm welcome!”

signs of eminence: "Welcome, and be at ease!"

تَوالَت عِندَكَ الاِفراحُ لما

تَوالَت عِندَكَ الاِفراحُ لما

أَتى عمر وَجَيشُ البُعدِ وَلى

أَتى عمر وَجَيشُ البُعدِ وَلى

Joys came one upon another to you when

Joys came to you in succession when

ʿUmar arrived, having tried absence and turned his back on it.

Umar arrived and the army of separation fled.

فَطب نَفساً بمجدِهِما وَأَرّخ

فَطب نَفساً بمجدِهِما وَأَرّخ

أَدامَ اللَهُ فَخرَهُما وَأَعلا

أَدامَ اللَهُ فَخرَهُما وَأَعلا

So rejoice in their glory, and mark its date:

So rejoice in their glory, and record the date:

“May God perpetuate their pride and raise it high.”

"May God perpetuate their honor and exalt it."

هما قَد حَدّثا في المَهد عما

هما قَد حَدّثا في المَهد عما

لاصلهما مِنَ المَجدِ المعلى

لاصلهما مِنَ المَجدِ المعلى

Already, in the cradle, the two declared

The two have already spoken in the cradle of

what exalted glory belongs to their stock.

the exalted glory belonging to their lineage.

هما قَد شمرا لِلمَجد باعا

هما قَد شمرا لِلمَجد باعا

لِيَكتَسِبا بِذاكَ الباعِ فَضلا

لِيَكتَسِبا بِذاكَ الباعِ فَضلا

They have strained their reach toward glory,

They have already bared their arms for glory,

to gain distinction with that reach.

to gain distinction with that reach.

فَقُل لَهُما أَقلا وَاِستَريحا

فَقُل لَهُما أَقلا وَاِستَريحا

هما من بيته وَان اِستَقلا

هما من بيته وَان اِستَقلا

Then tell the two, “Do less now, and rest”—

So say to them both: "Ease your efforts and rest."

they are of his house, even if they achieve but little.

They belong to glory's house, even if they stand on their own.

وَلَو لَم يَكسِبا مَجدا سِواهُ

وَلَو لَم يَكسِبا مَجدا سِواهُ

لما وَجدا لذاكَ المَجد مَثلا

لما وَجدا لذاكَ المَجد مَثلا

Even had they gained no glory besides him,

And even if they gained no glory besides it,

they would have found no equal to that glory.

they would find no equal to that glory.

هما فرعان طابا حينَ طابَت

هما فرعان طابا حينَ طابَت

أُصولُهُما وَجلا حينَ جَلا

أُصولُهُما وَجلا حينَ جَلا

They are two branches that flourished when their roots

They are two branches that flourished as

were sound, and shone when their source shone.

their roots flourished, and grew great as their stock grew great.

وَكَم لَهُما من الاسلافِ مَجد

وَكَم لَهُما من الاسلافِ مَجد

وَحسن ثَنا عَلى الاِيّامِ يتلى

وَحسن ثَنا عَلى الاِيّامِ يتلى

How much ancestral glory is theirs,

And how much glory they have from their forebears,

and fair praise recited through the ages!

and fair praise recited through the days.

مخايل نور وجهِهِما ترينا

مخايل نور وجهِهِما ترينا

بَراهينَ النَجابَة حينَ تجلى

بَراهينَ النَجابَة حينَ تجلى

Their luminous faces show us signs—

Signs of radiance in their faces show us

proofs of nobility as their light shines forth.

proofs of nobility when it shines forth.

رَضيعا سودد شبلا فخار

رَضيعا سودد شبلا فخار

كَريما محتد فرعا وَأَصلا

كَريما محتد فرعا وَأَصلا

Two nurslings of eminence, two lion cubs of pride,

Two sucklings of eminence, two lion cubs of glory,

noble in stock, in branch and root.

both noble in lineage, in branch and root.

هما من بَيت عز لو تدلَّت

هما من بَيت عز لو تدلَّت

له الافلاك ذلا ما تَدلى

له الافلاك ذلا ما تَدلى

They are of a house of honor; if the heavens bowed

They come from a house of honor: were there to bow

before it in humility, that house would never bow.

before it the heavenly spheres in humility, it would not bow.

تُساهم أَهله كنز المعالي

تُساهم أَهله كنز المعالي

وَحازوا دركها طِفلا وَكَهلا

وَحازوا دركها طِفلا وَكَهلا

Its people share the treasure of lofty virtues,

Its people share the treasure of lofty honors,

and attained them in childhood and in age.

and have attained them in childhood and maturity.

يَكادُ رَضيعُهُم في المَهدِ يَسمو

يَكادُ رَضيعُهُم في المَهدِ يَسمو

اِلى الجوزاءِ يَسكُنُها مَحلا

اِلى الجوزاءِ يَسكُنُها مَحلا

Their suckling, still in the cradle, nearly soars

Their suckling in the cradle almost rises

to Gemini and makes his dwelling there.

to al-Jawza, to inhabit it as his home.

مَكارِمُ غَيرُهُم قَول وَتَلقى

مَكارِمُ غَيرُهُم قَول وَتَلقى

مَكارِمَ بَينَهُم قَولا وَفِعلا

مَكارِمَ بَينَهُم قَولا وَفِعلا

Others’ virtues are mere words; among these men you find

Others' virtues are words, but you find

virtues embodied in both word and deed.

virtues among them in word and deed.

وَحاشى أَن يُضام لَهُم نَزيل

وَحاشى أَن يُضام لَهُم نَزيل

اِذا ما أَمّهم حاشى وَكلا

اِذا ما أَمّهم حاشى وَكلا

Far be it that any guest of theirs be wronged

And far be it that a guest of theirs should be wronged,

when he seeks them—far be it, never!

whenever he seeks them out—far be it, never!

وَكَم لَهُم مَحاسن لَيسَ تُحصى

وَكَم لَهُم مَحاسن لَيسَ تُحصى

وَلكن هكَذا العليا وَاِلّا

وَلكن هكَذا العليا وَاِلّا

How many virtues they possess, beyond all counting;

And how many fine qualities they have, beyond counting!

but this is true nobility—or nothing is.

But such is eminence—or else...

تهلل أَوجه وَثبات جاش

تهلل أَوجه وَثبات جاش

وَعزة أَنفُس لَم تدر ذلا

وَعزة أَنفُس لَم تدر ذلا

Radiant faces and steadfast hearts,

Beaming faces and steadfast hearts,

and proud souls that have never known abasement.

and dignified souls that have never known humiliation.

صَغيرُهُم وَكَهلَهُم سواء

صَغيرُهُم وَكَهلَهُم سواء

تَعود كل المَعروفِ طِفلا

تَعود كل المَعروفِ طِفلا

Young and old among them are alike:

Their young and their mature are alike:

each was habituated to goodness as a child.

each grew accustomed to doing good as a child.

خِطابَهُم سُؤالا أَو جَوابا

خِطابَهُم سُؤالا أَو جَوابا

مِنَ الماءِ الزلال العَذب أَحلى

مِنَ الماءِ الزلال العَذب أَحلى

Their speech, whether a question or an answer,

Their speech, in question or reply,

is sweeter than pure, fresh water.

is sweeter than limpid, sweet water.

خُضوع تَواضُع كرما وَجلما

خُضوع تَواضُع كرما وَجلما

وَحُسن تَوَدّد فَضلا وَعَدلا

وَحُسن تَوَدّد فَضلا وَعَدلا

Humility, modesty, generosity, and forbearance;

Humble submission, out of generosity and [forbearance],

gracious affection, excellence, and justice.

and gracious affection, out of virtue and justice.

فَلا تَنسب لِغَيرِهِم المَعالي

فَلا تَنسب لِغَيرِهِم المَعالي

فَقَد ثَبَتت لَهُم عَقلا وَنَقلا

فَقَد ثَبَتت لَهُم عَقلا وَنَقلا

So ascribe lofty virtues to no one else:

So ascribe lofty honors to no one else,

they are established as theirs by reason and tradition.

for they are established as theirs by reason and transmitted testimony.