بُشْرَى لِفَاسٍ وَقَدْ طَمَتْ دَيَاجِيهَا

بُشْرَى لِفَاسٍ وَقَدْ طَمَتْ دَيَاجِيهَا

لَوْلاَ مَصَابِيحُهَا مِنْ آلِ فَاسِيهَا

لَوْلاَ مَصَابِيحُهَا مِنْ آلِ فَاسِيهَا

Glad tidings to Fez—its deep darkness would have engulfed it,

Good tidings to Fes, whose shadows had swelled in gloom,

Were it not for its lamps from its Fasi family.

were it not for its lanterns lit by the lineage of al-Fasi.

إِنْ عَمَّرَ اللهُ رَبْعاً لِلْعُلُومِ وَقَدْ

إِنْ عَمَّرَ اللهُ رَبْعاً لِلْعُلُومِ وَقَدْ

ظَلَّتْ مَحَاسِنُهُ لِلرِّيحِ تَسْقِيهَا

ظَلَّتْ مَحَاسِنُهُ لِلرِّيحِ تَسْقِيهَا

If God has restored a home for the sciences, though

If God has restored an abode for the sciences,

Its beauties had been left for the wind to water,

after its beauties had been left for the wind to scatter,

بِعَالِمٍ مَا سَخَى قَطُّ الزَّمَانُ بِهِ

بِعَالِمٍ مَا سَخَى قَطُّ الزَّمَانُ بِهِ

أَضْحَى بِصَرْفِ الْعُلاَ وَالْعِلْمِ يَسْقِيهَا

أَضْحَى بِصَرْفِ الْعُلاَ وَالْعِلْمِ يَسْقِيهَا

Through a scholar whose like Time has never bestowed,

It is with a scholar the likes of whom Time has never generously bestowed,

Who now waters them with pure eminence and learning,

who now waters it with the pure essence of eminence and knowledge.

فَاخْضَرَّ رَوْضُ الْمُنَى مِنْهَا بِصَيِّبِهِ

فَاخْضَرَّ رَوْضُ الْمُنَى مِنْهَا بِصَيِّبِهِ

وَغَرَّدَتْ طَرَباً وُرْقُ قُمَارِيهَا

وَغَرَّدَتْ طَرَباً وُرْقُ قُمَارِيهَا

So its garden of hopes grew green beneath his downpour,

So the garden of hopes turned green from his pouring rain,

And its gray turtledoves warbled for joy.

and its collared doves sang out in joyous rapture.

لَيْسَ كَمَا حَدَّثُوا عَنْ أَهْلِ مِصْرَ وَلاَ

لَيْسَ كَمَا حَدَّثُوا عَنْ أَهْلِ مِصْرَ وَلاَ

عَنْ أَهْلِ أَنْدَلُسٍ عُجْباً وَتَنْوِيهَا

عَنْ أَهْلِ أَنْدَلُسٍ عُجْباً وَتَنْوِيهَا

He is not as they have told of the people of Egypt, nor

He is not merely like what they boastfully tell of the people of Egypt,

Of the people of al-Andalus, in wonder and praise.

nor of the people of Andalusia, in wonder and praise.

هَذَا الزُّلاَلُ الذِي صَفَتْ مَوَارِدُهُ

هَذَا الزُّلاَلُ الذِي صَفَتْ مَوَارِدُهُ

فَاكْرَعْ بِهَا يَا حَلِيفَ الْجَهْلِ وَاْتِيهَا

فَاكْرَعْ بِهَا يَا حَلِيفَ الْجَهْلِ وَاْتِيهَا

This is the clear, sweet water whose sources are pure;

This is the pure, sweet water whose sources have cleared,

So drink at them, O ally of ignorance, and come to them.

so drink deep from it, O ally of ignorance, and draw near.

بَحْرُ الْعُلُومِ مَلاَذُ الدِّينِ عَاضِدُهُ

بَحْرُ الْعُلُومِ مَلاَذُ الدِّينِ عَاضِدُهُ

وَكَعْبَةُ الْمَجْدِ لاَ هُدَّتْ مَبَانِيهَا

وَكَعْبَةُ الْمَجْدِ لاَ هُدَّتْ مَبَانِيهَا

An ocean of learning, religion's refuge and supporter,

An ocean of knowledge, the refuge of religion and its defender,

And the Kaaba of glory—may its structures never be razed!

and the Kaaba of glory—may its foundations never be brought down!

أَحْيَى جَمِيعَ الْفُنُونِ بَعْدَ مَا دَرَسَتْ

أَحْيَى جَمِيعَ الْفُنُونِ بَعْدَ مَا دَرَسَتْ

وَقَرَّرَ الْكُتْبَ مِنْ بَعْدِ تَلاَشِيهَا

وَقَرَّرَ الْكُتْبَ مِنْ بَعْدِ تَلاَشِيهَا

He revived all disciplines after they had faded away,

He revived all the arts after they had been erased,

And expounded the books after they had faded into oblivion.

and firmly established the books after they had faded away.

سَلِ الْمَهَارِقَ إِنْ تَجْهَلْ مَآثِرَهُ

سَلِ الْمَهَارِقَ إِنْ تَجْهَلْ مَآثِرَهُ

فَهِيَّ تُنْبِيكَ مَا الأَقْلاَمُ تُولِيهَا

فَهِيَّ تُنْبِيكَ مَا الأَقْلاَمُ تُولِيهَا

Ask the parchments, if you do not know his noble deeds;

Ask the scrolls if you are ignorant of his exploits,

For they tell you what the pens entrust to them.

for they will tell you what the pens have entrusted to them.

تَبَارَكَ اللهُ مَا أَجْلَى مَحَاسِنَهُ

تَبَارَكَ اللهُ مَا أَجْلَى مَحَاسِنَهُ

كَأَنَّ عَرْفَ الْصَّبَا لِلنَّاسِ يُبْدِيهَا

كَأَنَّ عَرْفَ الْصَّبَا لِلنَّاسِ يُبْدِيهَا

Blessed be God! How manifest his virtues are!

Blessed be God! How manifest are his virtues,

As though the east wind's fragrance revealed them to people,

as though the scent of the east wind reveals them to the people.

مُوَضِّحَاتٍ فَلاَ تَخْفَى عَلَى أَحَدٍ

مُوَضِّحَاتٍ فَلاَ تَخْفَى عَلَى أَحَدٍ

إِلاَّ عَلَى جَاهِلٍ قَدْ رَاحَ يَنْفِيهَا

إِلاَّ عَلَى جَاهِلٍ قَدْ رَاحَ يَنْفِيهَا

Illuminating, and thus hidden from no one,

So clearly explained, they remain hidden from no one,

Except an ignorant man who has taken to denying them.

save an ignorant man who goes about stubbornly denying them.

مَا ضَرَّ شَمْسَ الضُّحَى فِي الأُفْقِ طَالِعَةً

مَا ضَرَّ شَمْسَ الضُّحَى فِي الأُفْقِ طَالِعَةً

إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ أَرْمَدُ الْعَيْنَيْنِ رَائِيهَا

إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ أَرْمَدُ الْعَيْنَيْنِ رَائِيهَا

No harm befalls the morning sun, rising on the horizon,

It does no harm to the morning sun rising in the horizon,

If a man with inflamed eyes does not behold it.

if a man with sore, unseeing eyes cannot perceive it.

يَا رَوْضَةً أَرِجَتْ أَزْهَارُهَا فَغَدَتْ

يَا رَوْضَةً أَرِجَتْ أَزْهَارُهَا فَغَدَتْ

أَفْكَارُنَا تَجْتَنِي مِنْ غَضِّ خِيرِيهَا

أَفْكَارُنَا تَجْتَنِي مِنْ غَضِّ خِيرِيهَا

O garden whose blossoms have grown fragrant, so that

O garden whose blossoms exhaled sweet fragrances,

Our thoughts now gather from its tender gillyflowers.

so that our minds now gather from its fresh wallflowers.

كَمْ مِنَّةٍ لَكَ لاَ يُحْصَى تَعَدُّدُهَا

كَمْ مِنَّةٍ لَكَ لاَ يُحْصَى تَعَدُّدُهَا

عَظِيمَةٍ لَيْسَ إِلاَّ اللهُ يُحْصِيهَا

عَظِيمَةٍ لَيْسَ إِلاَّ اللهُ يُحْصِيهَا

How many favors you have bestowed, their number beyond counting—

How many a favor you possess, whose myriad cannot be counted,

Great favors that none but God can number!

so immense that none but God can number them.

أَحْيَيْتَ ذِكْرَ أُنَاسٍ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِمُ

أَحْيَيْتَ ذِكْرَ أُنَاسٍ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِمُ

أَكْرِمْ بِهَا مِنَّةً أَعْظِمْ بِمُسْدِيهَا

أَكْرِمْ بِهَا مِنَّةً أَعْظِمْ بِمُسْدِيهَا

You revived the memory of people after their death;

You have revived the memory of people after their passing;

How noble a favor it is! How great its bestower!

how noble the favor, how great the one who grants it!

هَذَا وَصُغْرَى الْعَقَائِدِ التيِ بَهَرَتْ

هَذَا وَصُغْرَى الْعَقَائِدِ التيِ بَهَرَتْ

أَلْبَسْتَهَا حُلَلاً مَا الدَّهْرُ يُبْلِيهَا

أَلْبَسْتَهَا حُلَلاً مَا الدَّهْرُ يُبْلِيهَا

Besides this, the Lesser Creed, which dazzled—

And this "Minor Creed" which has dazzled minds,

You clothed it in robes that Time cannot wear out.

you have clothed in garments that Time can never wear out.

فَضَضْتَ أَبْكَارَهَا الْغِيدَ التِي عَنَسَتْ

فَضَضْتَ أَبْكَارَهَا الْغِيدَ التِي عَنَسَتْ

إِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فِي الْوَرَى كُفْءاً يُضَاهِيهَا

إِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فِي الْوَرَى كُفْءاً يُضَاهِيهَا

You deflowered its graceful virgins, who had long remained unwed,

You unsealed its untouched beauties that would have remained unwed,

When they found no worthy match among humankind to equal them.

had they not found in this world an equal to match them.

عَقِيدَةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَائِبَةٍ

عَقِيدَةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَائِبَةٍ

هِيَ الْجَوَاهِرُ وَالأَسْرَارُ مَا فِيهَا

هِيَ الْجَوَاهِرُ وَالأَسْرَارُ مَا فِيهَا

A creed indeed free of every blemish;

A creed entirely free from every blemish;

It is jewels, and mysteries are what it holds.

jewels and secrets are what lie within it.

أَزْرَتْ بِكُتْبِ إِمَامِ الْحَرَمَيْنِ كَمَا

أَزْرَتْ بِكُتْبِ إِمَامِ الْحَرَمَيْنِ كَمَا

مُحَصَّلَ الْفَخْرِ فَاقَتْ بِمَغَانِيهَا

مُحَصَّلَ الْفَخْرِ فَاقَتْ بِمَغَانِيهَا

It put the books of the Imam of the Two Sanctuaries to shame, just as

It outshone the books of the Imam of the Two Sanctuaries,

It surpassed al-Fakhr's Muhassal with its abodes.

just as it surpassed the "Muhassal" of Fakhr in its rich depths.

يَا غَادِيَ الْوَابِلِ الْهَطَّالِ فَامْضِ عَلَى

يَا غَادِيَ الْوَابِلِ الْهَطَّالِ فَامْضِ عَلَى

أَرْضِ تِلِمْسَانَ وَاسْكُبْ فيِ نَوَاحِيهَا

أَرْضِ تِلِمْسَانَ وَاسْكُبْ فيِ نَوَاحِيهَا

O morning bearer of heavy, streaming rain, pass over

O morning cloud of pouring rain, proceed to

The land of Tlemcen, and pour down throughout its regions.

the land of Tlemcen and pour forth upon its environs.

وَاسْقِ ضَرِيحَ السَّنُوسِي وَلْتُؤَدِّ لَهُ

وَاسْقِ ضَرِيحَ السَّنُوسِي وَلْتُؤَدِّ لَهُ

بِشَارَةً مَا نَسِيمُ الرَّوْضِ يَحْكِيهَا

بِشَارَةً مَا نَسِيمُ الرَّوْضِ يَحْكِيهَا

And water al-Sanusi's tomb, and convey to him

And water the tomb of al-Sanusi, and convey to him

Good news that the garden's breeze cannot match:

glad tidings that the breeze of the garden cannot fully recount:

أَنَّ عَقَائِدَهُ لاَ بَلْ فَرَائِدَهُ

أَنَّ عَقَائِدَهُ لاَ بَلْ فَرَائِدَهُ

أَمْسَى إِمَامُ الْوَرَى الْكَمَّادُ يُقْرِيهَا

أَمْسَى إِمَامُ الْوَرَى الْكَمَّادُ يُقْرِيهَا

That his creeds—no, rather, his peerless jewels—

That his creeds—no, his peerless pearls—

Are now taught by al-Kammad, the imam of humankind.

the Imam of the world, al-Kammad, now teaches them,

وَفِي حِمَى سِبْطِ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ قَاطِبًَة

وَفِي حِمَى سِبْطِ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ قَاطِبًَة

إِدْرِيسَ غَيْثِ الْوَرَى طُرّاً وَحَامِيهَا

إِدْرِيسَ غَيْثِ الْوَرَى طُرّاً وَحَامِيهَا

And within the sanctuary of the descendant of the best of all creation,

In the sanctuary of the grandson of the best of all creation,

Idris, rain for all humankind and its protector,

Idris, the abundant rain of all mankind and its protector.

مِنِّي عَلَى جَدِّهِ الْمُخْتَارِ مِنْ مُضَرٍ

مِنِّي عَلَى جَدِّهِ الْمُخْتَارِ مِنْ مُضَرٍ

أَزْكَى صَلاَةٍ يَوَدُّ الْمِسْكُ يَفْدِيهَا

أَزْكَى صَلاَةٍ يَوَدُّ الْمِسْكُ يَفْدِيهَا

From me upon his forefather, the Chosen One of Mudar,

From me, upon his grandfather, the Chosen One of Mudar,

Be the purest blessing, which musk longs to ransom,

the purest blessings, for which musk would gladly give itself as ransom,

وَالْآلِ وَالصَّحْبِ مَا غَنَّتْ مُطَوَّقَةٌ

وَالْآلِ وَالصَّحْبِ مَا غَنَّتْ مُطَوَّقَةٌ

وَأَطْرَبَ الْعِيسَ بِالأَلْحَانِ حَادِيهَا

وَأَطْرَبَ الْعِيسَ بِالأَلْحَانِ حَادِيهَا

And upon his family and companions, as long as a ring-dove sings,

And upon his family and companions, as long as a ringdove sings,

And their driver delights the white camels with melodies.

and the camel-driver delights the white camels with his melodies.