عبيدُ اللّه عبدُ الل

عبيدُ اللّه عبدُ الل

ه سُؤددهُ وطولُ يدِهْ

ه سُؤددهُ وطولُ يدِهْ

ʿUbayd Allāh is ʿAbd Allāh

The servant of God, the servant of God, is well-mannered, and his generosity is endless

in his nobility and open-handed generosity.

He saw good qualities in him

رأى فيه شمائله

رأى فيه شمائله

ففضَّله على ولدِهْ

ففضَّله على ولدِهْ

He saw his own qualities in him,

So he favored him over his own son

so he preferred him to his children,

And preferred him for the companionship he provided with his wisdom

وآثره لما قدْ كا

وآثره لما قدْ كا

ن يؤنس فيه من رشَدِهْ

ن يؤنس فيه من رشَدِهْ

and favored him for what he had

So he named him with His greatest name

discerned in him of sound judgment.

To please the eyes of the envious one

فسَّماه اسمه الأعلى

فسَّماه اسمه الأعلى

ليُقْذي عين ذي حَسَدِهْ

ليُقْذي عين ذي حَسَدِهْ

So he gave him his own most exalted name,

If he could, he would have enabled him

to put a mote in his envier's eye.

To take the place of the soul in his body

ولو يسْطيعُ مكَّنه

ولو يسْطيعُ مكَّنه

مكان الروح من جسدِهْ

مكان الروح من جسدِهْ

And if he could, he would place him

A young man whose hands

in the soul's place within his body.

Cannot be unrestrained for eternity

فتىً ليستْ تُفَكُّ يدٌ

فتىً ليستْ تُفَكُّ يدٌ

طوالَ الدهر من صَفَدِهْ

طوالَ الدهر من صَفَدِهْ

A youth—no hand is ever loosed

He carried on until when

throughout all time from his bounty's bonds.

The worthy peers fell short of reaching his extent

جرى حتى إذا ما قَص

جرى حتى إذا ما قَص

صرَ الأكفاءُ عن أمدِهْ

صرَ الأكفاءُ عن أمدِهْ

He raced on until

He persisted in his virtues

his peers fell short of his reach;

Rivaling his yesterday with his tomorrow

أقام على مكارمه

أقام على مكارمه

يباري أمْسَهُ بغدِهْ

يباري أمْسَهُ بغدِهْ

then he held fast to his noble deeds,

pitting his tomorrow against his yesterday.