إن ابن أدهم كوكبٌ

إن ابن أدهم كوكبٌ

شاهد ترى في الخد شاهد

شاهد ترى في الخد شاهد

Indeed, Ibn Adham is a star.

Indeed, Ibn Adham is a star;

Witness: upon his cheek you see a witness—a beauty mark.

look—on his cheek you see a sign.

نورٌ يقاد له الفرا

نورٌ يقاد له الفرا

ش كأنه مصباح عابد

ش كأنه مصباح عابد

A light toward which the moth—

A light to which the moths are drawn,

—is drawn, as though to a worshipper’s lamp.

as though it were a worshipper's lamp.

من مثل إبراهيم أو

من مثل إبراهيم أو

من مثل والده المجاهد

من مثل والده المجاهد

Who is like Ibrahim, or

Who is like Ibrahim, or

like his striving father?

who is like his father, the warrior?

ملك سمى الأملاك ثر

ملك سمى الأملاك ثر

وته الفضائل والمحامد

وته الفضائل والمحامد

A king who surpassed all kings, whose trea—

A king who surpassed kings; his wealth

—sure is virtues and praiseworthy deeds.

consists of virtues and praiseworthy deeds.

أجناده أوراده

أجناده أوراده

وبلاده الغر المساجد

وبلاده الغر المساجد

His troops are his litanies,

His troops are his litanies,

and his radiant lands are the mosques.

and his radiant lands are the mosques.

ورث التقى والمجد عن

ورث التقى والمجد عن

آبائه الصيد الأماجد

آبائه الصيد الأماجد

He inherited piety and glory from

He inherited piety and glory from

his noble, lionhearted forefathers.

his proud, illustrious forefathers.

يحصى من الجبناء من

يحصى من الجبناء من

ورعٍ على المعهود زائد

ورعٍ على المعهود زائد

He is counted among the cowardly because of

He is counted among the cowards for

a scrupulous piety beyond the customary measure.

a scrupulous piety exceeding the usual measure.

وإذا الشدائد كشَّرت

وإذا الشدائد كشَّرت

عن نابها داس الشدائد

عن نابها داس الشدائد

Yet when hardships bare

And when hardships bare

their fangs, he tramples hardships

their fang, he tramples the hardships,

بمطهَّم قيد الأوا

بمطهَّم قيد الأوا

بد فوقه عبل السواعد

بد فوقه عبل السواعد

on a noble steed that fetters the wild—

on a well-built steed, a fetter for wild beasts,

—beasts; astride it, he is thick of forearm,

with a stout-armed rider upon it,

أسرى من الريح الهبو

أسرى من الريح الهبو

ب لكيد أرباب المكايد

ب لكيد أرباب المكايد

swifter than the gusting wind

swifter than the blowing wind,

against the guile of masters of intrigue.

to outwit the masters of intrigue.

وإذا جرى ذكر الفصا

وإذا جرى ذكر الفصا

حة بين أصحاب القصائد

حة بين أصحاب القصائد

And when eloqu—

And when eloquence was mentioned

—ence is spoken of among the poets,

among the authors of odes,

كان المقدم في البيا

كان المقدم في البيا

ن على الأقارب والأباعد

ن على الأقارب والأباعد

he stands foremost in eloqu—

he was foremost in expression,

—ence before kinsmen and strangers alike.

ahead of kinsmen and strangers.

يا ابن السيادة والسعا

يا ابن السيادة والسعا

دة والعبادة والمعابد

دة والعبادة والمعابد

O son of sovereignty and happi—

O son of lordship and felicity,

—ness, of worship and sanctuaries,

of worship and sanctuaries,

أنت الذي لولاك ما

أنت الذي لولاك ما

غنت بأشعاري النواهد

غنت بأشعاري النواهد

you are he without whom

you are the one without whom never

the full-breasted maidens would not sing my verses.

would budding-breasted maidens have sung my poems.

وغدوت بين أولي البها

وغدوت بين أولي البها

والظرف أظرف من عطارد

والظرف أظرف من عطارد

Among people of splendor and

And I became, among people of beauty

wit, you have become wittier than Mercury.

and wit, wittier than Mercury.

ولقد قصدتك بالقري

ولقد قصدتك بالقري

ض وأنت كعبة كل قاصد

ض وأنت كعبة كل قاصد

Indeed, I have come to you with po—

And indeed I have sought you with verse,

—etry, while you are every seeker’s Kaaba,

and you are the Kaaba of every seeker,

لتجيز بالدعوات عب

لتجيز بالدعوات عب

داً خاطئاً بالمال زاهد

داً خاطئاً بالمال زاهد

that you may reward with prayers a serv—

so that with prayers you may reward a servant,

—ant, sinful yet disdainful of wealth.

sinful, yet indifferent to wealth.

فاسمح بها يا أيها ال

فاسمح بها يا أيها ال

ملك المتوج بالمحامد

ملك المتوج بالمحامد

So grant them, O

So be generous with them, O

king crowned with praises.

king crowned with praiseworthy deeds.

لا زلت ممدوح الشما

لا زلت ممدوح الشما

ئل والمخايل والعوائد

ئل والمخايل والعوائد

May you ever be praised for your charac—

May you never cease to be praised for your character,

—ter, your noble bearing, and your generous ways,

your bearing and your ways.

وبقيت برّاً راحماً

وبقيت برّاً راحماً

ما خر للرحمن ساجد

ما خر للرحمن ساجد

and remain righteous and merciful

And may you remain benevolent and merciful

as long as a worshipper prostrates himself before the All-Merciful.

as long as a worshipper falls prostrate before the All-Merciful.