سيّدُنا الحَبْرُ كفُّه أبداً

سيّدُنا الحَبْرُ كفُّه أبداً

تفيضُ فيضَ الحيا لمنتجعِهْ

تفيضُ فيضَ الحيا لمنتجعِهْ

Our master, the learned scholar—his hand forever

Our master's ink, his palm is ever overflowing

pours like rain for whoever seeks his bounty.

Bestowing life's abundance on its gathering place

عمّ الرُبى فالوهادَ نائلُه

عمّ الرُبى فالوهادَ نائلُه

الى أعالي الوادي الى جزَعِهْ

الى أعالي الوادي الى جزَعِهْ

His bounty has embraced the hills, then the lowlands,

With blessings spreading, the valleys receiving

to the valley’s upper reaches and to its bend.

To the mountaintops, to the valley's core

مجتمَعُ الفضل نفسُه أبدا

مجتمَعُ الفضل نفسُه أبدا

وأعظمُ السيلِ عند مجتمَعِهْ

وأعظمُ السيلِ عند مجتمَعِهْ

His very self is always the meeting place of excellence,

Where virtue gathers, forever and ever

and a torrent is greatest at its confluence.

The greatest of floods is at its confluence

ترى الأعادي تخافُ سطوتَه

ترى الأعادي تخافُ سطوتَه

ومن رأى الغيلَ خافَ من سبُعِهْ

ومن رأى الغيلَ خافَ من سبُعِهْ

You see his enemies fearing his might,

You see enemies fear his might

and whoever sees the thicket fears its beast of prey.

Whoever has seen the torrent fears its lion

قد قلتُ لما رأيتُه جذِلاً

قد قلتُ لما رأيتُه جذِلاً

نال المرجّي ما كان في طمعِهْ

نال المرجّي ما كان في طمعِهْ

When I saw him rejoicing, I said:

I said, when I saw him downcast

“The hopeful man has gained what he hoped for.”

The hopeful attained what was in his hopes

وملبسٍ قد شريْتُه لدِفا

وملبسٍ قد شريْتُه لدِفا

عِ الحرِّ رحْبِ التفصيلِ متّسعِهْ

عِ الحرِّ رحْبِ التفصيلِ متّسعِهْ

And a garment I bought to ward off

A garment I had, tailor-made spacious

the heat, ample in cut and breadth,

Against the heat, the perfect cut and make

جعلْتُه للزمانِ يصلُحُ للص

جعلْتُه للزمانِ يصلُحُ للص

يفِ ويحكي أيامَ مرتَبَعِهْ

يفِ ويحكي أيامَ مرتَبَعِهْ

I intended for the season; it suits the

I made it to last seasons, proper for summer and winter alike

summer and recalls the days of its spring abode.

And tell of its heyday

كالآلِ في النّعْتِ كالضّياءِ كسح

كالآلِ في النّعْتِ كالضّياءِ كسح

ا البَيْضِ يبدو كالبرقِ في لُمَعِهْ

ا البَيْضِ يبدو كالبرقِ في لُمَعِهْ

Like a mirage in description, like light, like the membranes

Like family in eulogy, like light, like egg white

of eggs, it gleams like lightning in its flashes.

It appears like lightning in its gleam

تُروّعُ الريحُ منه قعقعةً

تُروّعُ الريحُ منه قعقعةً

تُذلِّهُ دائماً لمُدّرِعِهْ

تُذلِّهُ دائماً لمُدّرِعِهْ

The wind is frightened by its clatter,

The wind makes it ruffle and clatter

which always humbles it before its wearer.

Humiliating it, though made for armor

ألبسُه ما حَييتُ مفتخراً

ألبسُه ما حَييتُ مفتخراً

أيامَ أعيادِه وفي جُمعِهْ

أيامَ أعيادِه وفي جُمعِهْ

I wear it proudly as long as I live,

I wore it proudly all my days

on festival days and on Fridays.

During holidays and gatherings

إن لم تُعنّي على الفكاكِ فما

إن لم تُعنّي على الفكاكِ فما

أصنَعُه في تسهيلِ ممتَنِعِهْ

أصنَعُه في تسهيلِ ممتَنِعِهْ

If you do not help me redeem it, what

If you won't aid me to redeem it

can I do to ease its stubborn difficulty?

What can I do to untie the knot?

عجّلْ بجدوى يديكَ مجتهداً

عجّلْ بجدوى يديكَ مجتهداً

فإنّ خير العطاءِ في سرَعِهْ

فإنّ خير العطاءِ في سرَعِهْ

Hasten earnestly with the bounty of your hands,

Quickly lend a helpful hand

for giving is best when it is swift.

For the best charity is swift

ولا تكِلْني الى سواكَ فمَنْ

ولا تكِلْني الى سواكَ فمَنْ

سواكَ عدّ الطعامَ من سِلَعِهْ

سواكَ عدّ الطعامَ من سِلَعِهْ

And do not leave me to anyone else, for whoever

Don't leave me bereft but for you

is other than you counts food among his wares.

For who but you sees food as bargain

تراهُ مثل السّرابِ يظهرُ في

تراهُ مثل السّرابِ يظهرُ في

تخييلِه دائماً وفي خُدَعِه

تخييلِه دائماً وفي خُدَعِه

You see him like a mirage, appearing in

Like a mirage he appears

his perpetual illusions and his deceits.

Always in his pretenses and tricks

لا يقصدُ المرءُ عند حاجتِه

لا يقصدُ المرءُ عند حاجتِه

إلا كريماً قد باتَ من شِيَعِهْ

إلا كريماً قد باتَ من شِيَعِهْ

A man in his hour of need seeks no one

When in need, a man seeks

but a generous man whose follower he has become.

None but the generous among his ilk

وسوف أكسو عُلاكَ من خِلع ال

وسوف أكسو عُلاكَ من خِلع ال

قريضِ أغلى ما حيكَ من خِلَعِهْ

قريضِ أغلى ما حيكَ من خِلَعِهْ

And I shall clothe your eminence in robes of

And I will dress your stature in honor's robes

poetry—the costliest of its woven robes.

Of eulogy's fabric, the finest spun

تحبّ ما قد كسوْتَني أعيُنُ الر

تحبّ ما قد كسوْتَني أعيُنُ الر

ائي وهذا أوانُ مُستَمِعِهْ

ائي وهذا أوانُ مُستَمِعِهْ

What you have clothed me in delights the eyes of the

You love what I wear, in spectators' eyes

beholder; and now comes the turn of its listener.

And this is time for listening ears