أبو الثناء شهابُ الدِّين ما بَلَغَتْ

أبو الثناء شهابُ الدِّين ما بَلَغَتْ

عقائلُ المالِ إلاَّ من مواهِبه

عقائلُ المالِ إلاَّ من مواهِبه

Abu al-Thana, Shihab al-Din—never have there come

Abu al-Thana' Shhab al-Din, wealth's ropes have not reached

the choicest riches, save through his gifts.

Except from his gifts

قضى على المال بالإِنفاق نائله

قضى على المال بالإِنفاق نائله

فقلتُ يا فوزَ راجيه وطالبه

فقلتُ يا فوزَ راجيه وطالبه

His bounty has done away with wealth through spending;

He spent money obtaining it

So I said: how fortunate those who hope for it and seek it!

So I said, O success of its seeker and desirer

وكلَّما رُحْتُ أستسقي سحائبه

وكلَّما رُحْتُ أستسقي سحائبه

سُقيتُ عذباً نميراً من سحائبه

سُقيتُ عذباً نميراً من سحائبه

And whenever I went to seek rain from his clouds,

And whenever I went to ask for rain from its clouds

I was given sweet, wholesome water from his clouds.

I was quenched with fresh, pure water from its clouds

مستعذب الجود يجني الشّهد سائله

مستعذب الجود يجني الشّهد سائله

كما يَسوغ ويُستحلى لشاربه

كما يَسوغ ويُستحلى لشاربه

Sweet is his generosity: his supplicant gathers honey,

The generous whose charity reaps honey

As it goes down smoothly and tastes sweet to its drinker.

As it becomes lawful and pleasing to its drinker

سيف الشَّريعة ماضي الحدّ منصلت

سيف الشَّريعة ماضي الحدّ منصلت

فهل ظفِرْتَ بأمضى من مضاربه

فهل ظفِرْتَ بأمضى من مضاربه

The sword of the sacred law, keen-edged and unsheathed—

The sword of Sharia, decisive in its sharpness

Have you, then, found anything sharper than his cutting edges?

So did you gain from its finest striking?

وهل سَمِعتَ بفضلٍ عُدَّ في زمنٍ

وهل سَمِعتَ بفضلٍ عُدَّ في زمنٍ

ولم يكن آخذاً منه بغاربه

ولم يكن آخذاً منه بغاربه

And have you heard of any excellence reckoned in any age,

And have you heard of a virtue in an era

Without his having grasped it by the withers?

That was not taking from it with its breeze?

يا دَرَّ دَرُّ زمانٍ من غرائبه

يا دَرَّ دَرُّ زمانٍ من غرائبه

إنْ كانَ أغربَ شيءٍ في غرائبه

إنْ كانَ أغربَ شيءٍ في غرائبه

Oh, blessed be an age of whose marvels he is one,

O gem, the gem of an era of its wonders

If he is the most wondrous thing among its marvels!

If the strangest thing was among its wonders

قد عزَّ جانبه العالي وبزَّ عُلًى

قد عزَّ جانبه العالي وبزَّ عُلًى

فالعِزُّ أجمعُ والعليا بجانبه

فالعِزُّ أجمعُ والعليا بجانبه

His lofty standing has become unassailable, and he has outstripped the heights;

Its lofty side became dear and supreme exaltation

So all glory and eminence stand at his side.

So the dearness and height altogether in its side

ولاح للفَلَكِ الأَعلى مناقبه

ولاح للفَلَكِ الأَعلى مناقبه

فَعَدَّها وهي أبهى من كواكبه

فَعَدَّها وهي أبهى من كواكبه

And his virtues shone before the highest celestial sphere;

It shone to the highest celestial orbit its attributes

So it counted them, while they were more splendid than its stars.

It counted them and they are clearer than its planets

يا من يُحَدِّثُ عن العلم يسنده

يا من يُحَدِّثُ عن العلم يسنده

حدِّثْ عن البحر وارْوِ من عجائبه

حدِّثْ عن البحر وارْوِ من عجائبه

O you who recount knowledge, tracing its chain of transmission,

O you who talks of knowledge, support it

Tell of the sea, and relate some of its wonders.

Talk of the sea and water from its wonders