ياO أَميراًa prince ماnot رَأَيْنَاwe have seen
يا أَميراً ما رَأَيْنَا
مثْلَهُlike him فَضْلاًin excellence أَميرَاa prince
مثْلَهُ فَضْلاً أَميرَا
O prince, we have never seen
O prince, we have not seen
a prince like you in excellence.
The likes of him in virtue, O prince
ياO أَباAbu (father of) الْعَبَّاسal-Abbas ياO شَمْsun (beginning)
يا أَبا الْعَبَّاس يا شَمْ
ساًsun (completion) وياand O بَدْراًa full moon مُنيرَاradiant
ساً ويا بَدْراً مُنيرَا
O Abu al-Abbas, O sun,
O Abu Al-Abbas, O sun and O shining full moon
and O radiant full moon!
O great in mind and manners since you were little
يَاO كَبِيرَgreat الْعَقْلِintellect والْand the
يَا كَبِيرَ الْعَقْلِ والْ
آدابِcultivated learning مُذْsince كَانَhe was صَغِيرَاsmall
آدابِ مُذْ كَانَ صَغِيرَا
O you, great in intellect and
By Him we do not lie if we compared you one day we would fly
learning since you were small!
Your feast has come, poetry
والذيand the one نكذبwe lie إنif
والذي نكذب إن
قسناwe compared بهwith him يوماًever نطيرwe fly (likely a typo for 'a peer')
قسنا به يوماً نطير
And you, about whom we would lie if
From you that made it free of confusion
we ever compared a peer with you [conjectural reading].
After preceding from the elite of poetry whoever was an elite
قدindeed أَتَىhas come to عيْدَكَyour festival شِعْرٌa poem
قد أَتَى عيْدَكَ شِعْرٌ
منْكَfrom you خَلاَّهُleft it حَسِيَراexhausted
منْكَ خَلاَّهُ حَسِيَرا
A poem has come to your festival,
Good diction that competes
from you, leaving it exhausted,
Its stringing like scattered pearls
بَعْدَafter سَبْقِsurpassing مِنْamong خَطَارِchampions الthe
بَعْدَ سَبْقِ مِنْ خَطَارِ ال
شِّعْرِpoetry مَنْwhoever كَانَwas خَطِيرَاeminent
شِّعْرِ مَنْ كَانَ خَطِيرَا
after surpassing, among the champions of
It filled the body with healing
poetry, whoever was eminent.
And filled the heart with joy
حَسَنُbeautiful اللَّفْظُthe wording يَحاكِيit resembles
حَسَنُ اللَّفْظُ يَحاكِي
رَصْفُهُits arrangement الدُّرَّthe pearls النَّثِيرَاscattered
رَصْفُهُ الدُّرَّ النَّثِيرَا
Lovely in wording, it resembles
It was from my constant worries and from my bitter life
scattered pearls in its arrangement.
What I store with me of gratitude is not little
مَلأَit filled الجِسْمَthe body شِفَاءًhealing
مَلأَ الجِسْمَ شِفَاءً
وحَشَاand filled الْقَلْبَthe heart سُرُوراًjoy
وحَشَا الْقَلْبَ سُرُوراً
It filled the body with healing
I will gift from it a garden
and filled the heart with joy.
That neighbored your flowing water
كَانَit was مِنْfrom عَارِضِthe onset of شَكْmy complaint (beginning)
كَانَ مِنْ عَارِضِ شَكْ
وايَmy complaint (completion) وَمِنْand from دَهْرِيmy fate مَجيرَاa protector
وايَ وَمِنْ دَهْرِي مَجيرَا
It was, from the onset of my complaint
How much hardship you made easy for me
and from my fate, a refuge.
From the good of your blessings that was little
لَيْسَis not ماwhat يَذْخَرُهُstores it عِنْwith me (beginning)
لَيْسَ ما يَذْخَرُهُ عِنْ
دِيwith me (completion) مِنَof الشُّكْرِgratitude يَسيرَاlittle
دِي مِنَ الشُّكْرِ يَسيرَا
What it stores within me is no
It may be seen that the servant even if
small measure of gratitude.
He is with his Master a lot
سَوْفَwill أُهْدِيI offer مِنْهُfrom it رَوْضاًa garden
سَوْفَ أُهْدِي مِنْهُ رَوْضاً
جَاوَرَتْit bordered مِنْكَfrom you غَدِيرَاa pool
جَاوَرَتْ مِنْكَ غَدِيرَا
I shall offer from it a garden
that borders a pool from you.
كَمْhow many a عَسِيرٍhardship عَادَلِيbecame for me مِنْthrough
كَمْ عَسِيرٍ عَادَلِي مِنْ
حُسْنِthe goodness of نَعْمَاكَyour favor يَسِيرَاeasy
حُسْنِ نَعْمَاكَ يَسِيرَا
How many a hardship became for me, through
your gracious favor, an easy thing!
قَدْmay يُرَىbe regarded الْعَبْدُthe servant وإنْand even if
قَدْ يُرَى الْعَبْدُ وإنْ
قَلَّhe is of little account بِمَوْلاَهُthrough his master كَثِيرَاgreat
قَلَّ بِمَوْلاَهُ كَثِيرَا
A servant may be regarded, though
of little account, as great through his master.
Partial English translation: 20 of 26 Arabic lines translated.