سَبغتْmay ... abound نِعمةٌblessing ودامand may ... endure صفاءُserenity
سَبغتْ نِعمةٌ ودام صفاءُ
ووقاكand may ... protect you الحوادثَcalamities الأكْفاءُworthy peers
ووقاك الحوادثَ الأكْفاءُ
May bounty abound and serenity endure,
Blessings have been bestowed and serenity endures
and may your peers shield you from calamities.
And calamities that destroy have protected you
ياO ابنson منone whose جلَّwas exalted أمرهhis standing وأجلَّتْـand revered
يا ابن من جلَّ أمره وأجلَّتْـ
ـهُhim ولاةُholders العهودof succession covenants والخلفاءُand the caliphs
ـهُ ولاةُ العهود والخلفاءُ
O son of one whose standing was exalted and whom
O son of the one whose command is sublime and whom
heirs apparent and caliphs revered:
Rulers of dynasties and caliphs have honored
لمdid not يُصَفِّpurify الدواءُthe medicine جسمَكyour body إلاexcept
لم يُصَفِّ الدواءُ جسمَك إلا
عنof صفاءٍpurity كماjust as يكونis الصفاءُpurity
عن صفاءٍ كما يكون الصفاءُ
The medicine purged your body of nothing
No remedy has purified your body
but purity—purity in its truest form.
Except purity as purity itself can be
فلأعدائكso for your enemies البشاعةُthe foul taste منهof it
فلأعدائك البشاعةُ منه
ولكand for you النفعُthe benefit دونهمto their exclusion والشفاءُand healing
ولك النفعُ دونهم والشفاءُ
So let its foul taste be for your enemies,
So for your enemies there is ugliness in it
and yours, not theirs, the benefit and healing.
While for you there is benefit, healing, and restoration
أسقطrendered worthless المدحَpraise فيكof you أنthat لمdid not يُبِنْreveal منـfrom
أسقط المدحَ فيك أن لم يُبِنْ منـ
ـكyou خفياًanything hidden وهلand is there بصبحٍin dawn خفاءُany concealment
ـك خفياً وهل بصبحٍ خفاءُ
Praise of you loses its worth, since it reveals
I have omitted praise of you if it hasn't shown
nothing hidden in you—can anything be hidden in dawn?
In secret, and does praise hide at dawn?
فالبسso wear العفوforgiveness والمُعافاةand good health ثوباًas a robe
فالبس العفو والمُعافاة ثوباً
وعلىand upon الكارهينَthose who resent ذاكَthat العَفاءُruin
وعلى الكارهينَ ذاكَ العَفاءُ
So wear forgiveness and good health as a robe,
So wear forgiveness and pardoning as a garment
and ruin upon those who resent that.
And over those who hate you let that be a cloak
ووقاكَand may ... protect you الإلهُGod ماwhat تتوقَّىyou guard against
ووقاكَ الإلهُ ما تتوقَّى
فيin بقاءٍcontinued life للنفسfor the soul فيهin it اكتفاءُcontentment
في بقاءٍ للنفس فيه اكتفاءُ
And may God guard you from what you fear,
And may God protect you from what
with a lifetime that satisfies the soul.
You fear, in an existence where the soul finds contentment
فُوكَyour mouth مَجْنىa harvest-place حِجاًwisdom ووجهكand your face شمسٌa sun
فُوكَ مَجْنى حِجاً ووجهك شمسٌ
ويميناكand your two right hands مُزنةٌa raincloud وَطْفاءُdense and rain-laden
ويميناك مُزنةٌ وَطْفاءُ
Your mouth is where wisdom is harvested, and your face a sun,
May your refuge be the Sacred House on hajj, your face a sun
and your two right hands a dense, rain-laden cloud.
Your right hand holds the scales, dispensing justice