إذا ما علا في الصدر والنهى والأمر

إذا ما علا في الصدر والنهى والأمر

وبثهما في النفع منه وفي الضر

وبثهما في النفع منه وفي الضر

Whenever he rises to the foremost rank, wielding prohibition and command,

When he rises to the foremost seat, forbidding and commanding,

and exercises them both, whether to benefit or to harm,

And issues both, to benefit or to harm,

وأجرى طبا أقلامه وتدفقت

وأجرى طبا أقلامه وتدفقت

بديهته كالمستمد من البحر

بديهته كالمستمد من البحر

and sets the blades of his pens flowing, while there pours forth

And deftly sets his pens running, and there gushes forth

his ready wit, like one drawing from the sea,

His ready eloquence, as though drawing from the sea,

رأيت نظام الدر في نظم قوله

رأيت نظام الدر في نظم قوله

ومتشوره الرقراق في ذلك النثر

ومتشوره الرقراق في ذلك النثر

you see pearls strung in the composition of his words,

You see pearls strung together in the verse of his speech,

and their scattered gems, limpid and glistening, in that prose.

And their scattered shimmer in that prose.

ويقتضب المعنى الكثير بلفظة

ويقتضب المعنى الكثير بلفظة

ويأتي بما تحوي الطوامير في سطر

ويأتي بما تحوي الطوامير في سطر

He compresses abundant meaning into a single word,

And he condenses abundant meaning into a single word,

and conveys in one line what great scrolls contain.

And brings into one line what scrolls contain.

أيا غرة الدهر ائتنف غرة الشهر

أيا غرة الدهر ائتنف غرة الشهر

وقابل هلال الفطر في ليلة الفطر

وقابل هلال الفطر في ليلة الفطر

O glory of the age, inaugurate the month’s first day,

O glory of the age, enter upon the month's beginning,

and greet the crescent of Eid al-Fitr on the night of Fitr

And greet the crescent of Eid al-Fitr on the festival's night,

بأيمن إقبال واسعد طائر

بأيمن إقبال واسعد طائر

وأفضل ما ترجوه من أفسح العمر

وأفضل ما ترجوه من أفسح العمر

with the most blessed advent and happiest omen,

With the most auspicious arrival and the happiest omen,

and with the finest thing you hope for: the fullest span of life.

And the best you hope for from the longest life.

مضى عنك شهر الصوم يشهد صادقا

مضى عنك شهر الصوم يشهد صادقا

بطهرك فيه واجتنابك للورر

بطهرك فيه واجتنابك للورر

The month of fasting has passed from you, bearing truthful witness

The month of fasting has departed from you, bearing truthful witness

to your purity throughout it and your avoidance of sin.

To your purity within it and your avoidance of sin.

فأكرم بما حط الحفيظان منهما

فأكرم بما حط الحفيظان منهما

وأثنى به المثني وأطرى به المطري

وأثنى به المثني وأطرى به المطري

How noble is what the two guardian angels recorded of those two virtues,

How noble what the two guardian angels recorded of both,

for which the praiser praised and the extoller lavished praise.

And for which the praiser praised you and the eulogist extolled you!

وركتك أوراق المصاحف وانتهى

وركتك أوراق المصاحف وانتهى

إلى الله منها طول درسك والدكر

إلى الله منها طول درسك والدكر

The pages of Qur’an codices wore you thin, and there rose

And the Qur'an's pages attested your purity, and there ascended

from them to God your long recitation and remembrance—

To God, from them, your long recitation and remembrance,

وقبضك كف البطش عن كل مجرم

وقبضك كف البطش عن كل مجرم

وبسطكها بالعرف والخير والبر

وبسطكها بالعرف والخير والبر

your restraining the hand of violence from every wrongdoer,

And your withholding the punishing hand from every offender,

and extending it in kindness, goodness, and righteousness.

And your extending it in kindness, goodness, and charity.

وقد جاء شوال فشالت نعامة الص

وقد جاء شوال فشالت نعامة الص

يام وأبد لنا النعيم من الضر

يام وأبد لنا النعيم من الضر

Now Shawwal has come: away has flown the ostrich of fast—

And Shawwal has come; fasting's ostrich has fled,

—ing, and bliss has replaced hardship for us.

And bliss has replaced hardship for us.

وضجت حبيس الدن من طول حبسها

وضجت حبيس الدن من طول حبسها

ولامت على طول التجنب والهجر

ولامت على طول التجنب والهجر

The wine held captive in the jar cried out at its long confinement,

And the wine jar's captive cried out at her long confinement,

reproaching this prolonged abstinence and estrangement.

And reproached you for prolonged avoidance and neglect.

وأبرزها من قعر أسود مظلم

وأبرزها من قعر أسود مظلم

كإشراق بدر مشرق اللون كالبدر

كإشراق بدر مشرق اللون كالبدر

Bring it forth from a black and lightless depth,

And she was brought forth from a black, dark depth,

like the radiance of a full moon, bright in hue as the full moon.

Like a full moon rising, by one whose complexion shone like the full moon.

إذا ضمها والورد فوة وكفه

إذا ضمها والورد فوة وكفه

فلا فرق بين اللون والطعم والتشر

فلا فرق بين اللون والطعم والتشر

When his mouth and palm clasp it and the rose,

When his mouth and palm embrace her and the rose,

no distinction remains between color, taste, and fragrance.

There is no difference in color, taste, or fragrance.

وتحسبه إذ سلسل الكأس ناظما

وتحسبه إذ سلسل الكأس ناظما

على الكوكب الدري سمطا من الدر

على الكوكب الدري سمطا من الدر

You would think him, as he sends the cup coursing, a jeweler stringing

And you would think him, as he pours the cup, stringing

around a brilliant star a necklace of pearls.

A necklace of pearls upon the brilliant star.