تَبَارَكَblessed is منHe who بَراكَfashioned you ابنَson of المُبارَكْal-Mubarak
تَبَارَكَ من بَراكَ ابنَ المُبارَكْ
وَزادَكand gave you more منof مواهبهHis gifts وبارَكْand blessed
وَزادَك من مواهبه وبارَكْ
Blessed is He who fashioned you, son of al-Mubarak,
Blessed is he who blessed you, son of the blessed one
and gave you more of His gifts and blessed you
And increased you in gifts and blessed you
مكانةَstanding of رفعةٍloftiness وعلوَّand elevation of قدرٍrank
مكانةَ رفعةٍ وعلوَّ قدرٍ
يزيدHe increases بهthrough it علاءكyour eminence واقتداركand your power
يزيد به علاءك واقتدارك
with lofty standing and exalted rank,
With a station of highness and grandeur
thereby increasing your eminence and power.
That adds to your eminence and authority
وأبقاكand may He preserve you الإِلهGod غمامa cloud of جودٍbounty
وأبقاك الإِله غمام جودٍ
لمنfor whoever يظماthirsts فيستسقيand so seeks rain قطاركyour showers
لمن يظما فيستسقي قطارك
And may God preserve you as a cloud of bounty
May God keep you a rain cloud of generosity
for whoever thirsts and seeks your rain.
For whoever seeks shade, your downpour quenches his thirst
رأيتكI saw you موردthe watering place of الآمالhopes طرًّاall
رأيتك مورد الآمال طرًّا
فهاso here أناI لمdid not أرِدْI approach for water إلاَّexcept بحاركyour seas
فها أنا لم أرِدْ إلاَّ بحارك
I found you the watering place of all hopes,
I saw you as a spring of hopes gushing forth
so here I am: I have sought water nowhere but in your seas.
You disdain wealth’s delicacies in your generosity
تُهينُyou hold cheap نفائسَthe precious things of الأَموالwealth بذلاًin giving
تُهينُ نفائسَ الأَموال بذلاً
ولمand did not تعبأyou care بهاabout it وتعزُّand you honor جاركyour neighbor
ولم تعبأ بها وتعزُّ جارك
You make light of precious wealth by giving it away,
And care not for it, preferring your neighbor
and pay it no heed, while honoring your neighbor.
Your protection is protection from what is feared
حماكyour sanctuary هوit is الحمىthe refuge ممَّاfrom what يحاشىis dreaded
حماك هو الحمى ممَّا يحاشى
تجيرyou shelter منfrom الخطوبcalamities مَنwhoever استجاركseeks your protection
تجير من الخطوب مَن استجارك
Your sanctuary is a refuge from all that is dreaded;
You give refuge from calamities to those who seek your refuge
you shelter from calamities whoever seeks your protection.
You are the elite of all nobles among us
وإنَّكand indeed you are صفوةthe choicest of النجباءthe noble فيناamong us
وإنَّك صفوة النجباء فينا
وإنَّكand indeed you are خيرةthe best choice لمنfor whoever استخاركchooses you
وإنَّك خيرة لمن استخارك
You are the choicest of the noble among us,
You are the best of those who seek your guidance
and the finest choice for whoever chooses you.
You were raised obedient to the Master, humble
نشأتyou grew up بطاعةin obedience to المولىthe Lord منيباًturning repentantly to Him
نشأت بطاعة المولى منيباً
وتقوىand reverence for اللهGod ماnot برحتhas ceased to be شعاركyour emblem
وتقوى الله ما برحت شعارك
You grew up obedient to the Lord, turning to Him,
And fearing God—this remained your motto
and reverence for God has never ceased to be your emblem.
Avoiding what goes against piety
تجنّبكkeeps you away الَّتيwhat تأبىyou abhor تقاةpiety
تجنّبك الَّتي تأبى تقاة
عَقَدْتَyou tied علىupon العفافchastity بهاwith it إزاركyour waistcloth
عَقَدْتَ على العفاف بها إزارك
Piety keeps you from what you abhor;
You belted yourself with chastity against it
you have bound your waistcloth with it in chastity.
You outshine the full moon in your beauty
تعيرyou lend البدرَthe full moon منfrom محياكyour face حُسناًbeauty
تعير البدرَ من محياك حُسناً
كأَنَّas though البدرthe full moon طلعتَهits countenance استعاركborrowed from you
كأَنَّ البدر طلعتَه استعارك
You lend the full moon beauty from your face,
As if the moon borrowed its rising from you
as though the full moon had borrowed its countenance from you.
You took to good deeds, judging
أَخَذْتَyou took بصالحto righteous الأَعمالdeeds تقضيyou spend
أَخَذْتَ بصالح الأَعمال تقضي
بأمرby the command of اللهGod ليلَكyour night أوor نهاركyour day
بأمر الله ليلَك أو نهارك
You have taken up righteous deeds, spending
By God’s command, your night or your day
your night or day in obedience to God's command,
Answering those who call upon you without delay
مجيباًanswering منwhoever دَعاكَcalls you ولاand no أناةdelay
مجيباً من دَعاكَ ولا أناة
أثاركroused you للمكارمto noble deeds مَنwhoever أثاركroused you
أثارك للمكارم مَن أثارك
answering whoever calls you, without delay.
Your generosity stirs whoever rouses it
Whoever roused you roused you to noble deeds.
No noble ever caught up to you
ولاnor لحقتكcaught up with you يومon the day سبقتَyou took the lead نجبٌnoble-bred camels
ولا لحقتك يوم سبقتَ نجبٌ
بمكرمةٍin a noble deed ولاnor شقَّتْthey pierced غباركyour dust
بمكرمةٍ ولا شقَّتْ غبارك
Nor did noble-bred camels catch you on the day you took the lead
With a generosity or raised as much dust as you
in a noble deed, nor did they break through your dust.
You were too lofty for praise from the righteous
أَغَرْتَyou raided علىupon الثناءpraise منfrom البراياhumankind
أَغَرْتَ على الثناء من البرايا
وقدand indeed أبْعَدْتَyou set far away يومئذٍon that day مناركyour beacon
وقد أبْعَدْتَ يومئذٍ منارك
You seized the praise of humankind,
On that day you distanced your minaret
and that day you set your beacon far away.
Goodness flowed and settled, thanks to you
لقدtruly طابتgrew fair بفضلكthrough your excellence واستقرَّتand became secure
لقد طابت بفضلك واستقرَّت
بكthrough you الأرضthe land الَّتيwhich كانتwas قراركyour dwelling
بك الأرض الَّتي كانت قرارك
Truly, through your excellence it grew fair and became secure,
In the land which you made your dwelling
through you—the land that was your home.
And rightly so, when it boasts and triumphs,
وحقَّand it is fitting لهاfor them إذاwhen فخرتthey boast وباهتand vaunt themselves
وحقَّ لها إذا فخرت وباهت
ديارٌlands رُحْتَyou set about توليهاbestowing upon them افتخاركyour pride
ديارٌ رُحْتَ توليها افتخارك
And they have every right when they boast and vaunt themselves—
The home you chose to pride itself upon
the lands upon which you have come to bestow your pride.
Your magnanimity always flows
سماحكyour generosity لاnot يزالُceases to be لمستميحto a petitioner
سماحك لا يزالُ لمستميح
منamong العافينseekers of bounty جاهكyour prestige واعتباركand your esteem
من العافين جاهك واعتبارك
Your generosity ever remains, to a petitioner
For your position and stature among the virtuous
among those seeking bounty, your prestige and esteem.
You are a ripe, fruitful palm tree
وإنَّكand indeed you are دوحةa spreading tree بسقتgrew lofty وطالتand grew tall
وإنَّك دوحة بسقت وطالت
جنىplucked الجانونthe gatherers يانعةripe ثماركyour fruits
جنى الجانون يانعة ثمارك
You are a spreading tree, grown high and tall;
Whose bounty flows, so fresh are your fruits
the gatherers have plucked your ripened fruits.
All with glory share in glory
يُشاركُis rivaled كلّevery ذيpossessor of مجدglory بمجدin glory
يُشاركُ كلّ ذي مجد بمجد
ومجدكand your glory فيin الحقيقةtruth لاnot يُشاركis rivaled
ومجدك في الحقيقة لا يُشارك
Every possessor of glory is rivaled in glory,
But your glory in truth cannot be shared
but your glory, in truth, is without rival.
Time committed a grave sin
ودهرٌand Time قدhad جنىcommitted ذنباًa sin عظيماًgreat
ودهرٌ قد جنى ذنباً عظيماً
فلماthen when قيلit was asked هلwill ...? تلقيyou offer اعتذاركyour apology
فلما قيل هل تلقي اعتذارك
And Time had committed a grievous sin;
But when asked, will you accept its apology?
then, when it was asked, 'Will you offer your apology?'
You forgave its sin with your nobility
تداركit made amends for ذنبَهits sin بعلاكthrough your eminence حتَّىuntil
تدارك ذنبَه بعلاك حتَّى
غفرناwe forgave ذنْبَهits sin فيماfor what تداركit redressed
غفرنا ذنْبَه فيما تدارك
it made amends for its sin through your eminence, until
So we forgave its sin in what you repaired
we forgave its sin for the amends it made.
And Abu Al-Khasib pleases me
وإنَّand indeed أباAbu الخصيبal-Khasib يروقis pleasing عنديto me
وإنَّ أبا الخصيب يروق عندي
لأنكbecause you فيهin it قدindeed شيَّدْتَyou built داركyour house
لأنك فيه قد شيَّدْتَ دارك
And Abu al-Khasib delights me,
For in it you built your house
because you have built your house there.
I visit you, my lord, every year
أزوركI visit you سيِّديmy lord فيin كلّevery عامyear
أزورك سيِّدي في كلّ عام
فلاso not أنأىI stay far away عنfrom الدَّاعيthe beckoning one مزاركyour place of visitation
فلا أنأى عن الدَّاعي مزارك
I visit you, my lord, every year,
Never far from your shrine that calls me
so I do not stay far from your beckoning abode.
I awaited the valleys’ flooding
وإنِّيand indeed I قدhave ترقَّبتawaited الغواديthe morning rainclouds
وإنِّي قد ترقَّبت الغوادي
ووابلهاand their downpour ترقَّبتI awaited ازدياركvisiting you
ووابلها ترقَّبت ازديارك
And I have awaited the morning rainclouds,
And their flooding, your blossoming, I awaited
and their downpour—I have awaited visiting you.
I witnessed the sights of bliss in them
شَهِدْتُI witnessed مشاهدscenes of النعماءblessing فيهاin them
شَهِدْتُ مشاهد النعماء فيها
فلاso may ... not شاهدتI witness فيin الدُّنياthis world بواركyour ruin
فلا شاهدت في الدُّنيا بوارك
In them I witnessed scenes of blessing;
But never witnessed in life, your like
so may I never witness your ruin in this world.
Partial English translation: 49 of 50 Arabic lines translated.