يا حامدَ الله إذ لم يَكسُهُ نِعَماً

يا حامدَ الله إذ لم يَكسُهُ نِعَماً

إلا لأوحدَ وقَّاع على النُّكَتِ

إلا لأوحدَ وقَّاع على النُّكَتِ

O praiser of God, since He clothed him in blessings

O Hameed, though fate did not bestow on you riches

Only thanks to a peerless man, keen to grasp subtle points.

Except to make you solely reliant on subtle wisdoms

يَهْنَئْكَ أنك لم تُنْعِم عليك يَدٌ

يَهْنَئْكَ أنك لم تُنْعِم عليك يَدٌ

دُونٌ وأنكَ لم تُسْلَمْ إلى العَنَتِ

دُونٌ وأنكَ لم تُسْلَمْ إلى العَنَتِ

May you rejoice that no hand has favored you

I congratulate you that no hand has favored you

That was base, and that you were not consigned to hardship;

Beside the Most High's, and that you were not surrendered to tribulation

وأنَّ شكرك مرصودٌ بعارفةٍ

وأنَّ شكرك مرصودٌ بعارفةٍ

أخرى ستأتيك لم تُبخَس ولم تُلَتِ

أخرى ستأتيك لم تُبخَس ولم تُلَتِ

And that a kindness is held in store for your gratitude,

And that your gratitude is observed with a knowing

Another that will come to you; you have not been shortchanged or deprived.

Other than what was diminished or twisted for you

وكيْفَ يُبخس من أضحى وليس لَه

وكيْفَ يُبخس من أضحى وليس لَه

إلّا إلى وجهِ بِرٍّ وجهُ مُلْتَفَتِ

إلّا إلى وجهِ بِرٍّ وجهُ مُلْتَفَتِ

And how could one be shortchanged, when he has

And how can one diminish he who became devoted and has

No face turned except toward a face of benevolence?

None but the noble face of righteousness to turn to

أعني العلاء الذي لم يجرِ في أمدٍ

أعني العلاء الذي لم يجرِ في أمدٍ

إلَّا وفات إلى القصوى ولم يُفَتِ

إلَّا وفات إلى القصوى ولم يُفَتِ

I mean al-ʿAlāʾ, who never ran a race

I mean the Most High who in no era

Without outstripping others to the furthest goal, never himself outstripped.

Faltered from reaching the epitome nor was deficient

فَتىً كليلٌ عن الفحشاء مُنْصَلتٌ

فَتىً كليلٌ عن الفحشاء مُنْصَلتٌ

على ابتناء المعالي كلّ مُنْصَلَتِ

على ابتناء المعالي كلّ مُنْصَلَتِ

A youth, dull-edged for shameful deeds, yet unsheathed

A young man purified from lewdness

For building lofty virtues, unsheathed to the utmost.

Bent on cultivating the most virtuous traits

كم مُفلِتٍ بالعلاءِ الخيرِ من عطبٍ

كم مُفلِتٍ بالعلاءِ الخيرِ من عطبٍ

من بعد ما قَالَ إنِّي غير مُنْفَلتِ

من بعد ما قَالَ إنِّي غير مُنْفَلتِ

How many have escaped ruin through good al-ʿAlāʾ,

How many slips by the most pious were saved

After saying, 'I shall not escape!'

After he said I am not one to slip

وكلَّحَ الدهرُ من نابيْهِ عنْ عَصَلٍ

وكلَّحَ الدهرُ من نابيْهِ عنْ عَصَلٍ

فيه المنايا ومن شِدْقيْهِ عن هَرَتِ

فيه المنايا ومن شِدْقيْهِ عن هَرَتِ

And Time snarled, baring its two crooked fangs,

And fate bit with its fangs instead of gently

Where death lurked, and the wide gape of its jaws.

In ways that bring death and with its lips not softly

فالله يجزيه في دنيا وآخرةٍ

فالله يجزيه في دنيا وآخرةٍ

ذِكراً إذا ما أُميت الذكر لم يَمُتِ

ذِكراً إذا ما أُميت الذكر لم يَمُتِ

So may God reward him, in this world and the next,

So may God reward him in this world and the next

With remembrance that does not die when remembrance is put to death.

With a remembrance that when all else is forgotten will not perish

يا من يشكُّ إذا عُدَّتْ مَنَاقِبُهُ

يا من يشكُّ إذا عُدَّتْ مَنَاقِبُهُ

يكفيك ما قدَّمَتْ كفَّاه من ثبتِ

يكفيك ما قدَّمَتْ كفَّاه من ثبتِ

O you who doubt when his merits are counted,

O you who doubt, when his virtues are listed

The proof his two hands have offered suffices you.

Suffices you what the Best of Protectors has already established