لَئِن قَلَّ أَربابُ المَكارِمِ وَالعُلا

لَئِن قَلَّ أَربابُ المَكارِمِ وَالعُلا

لِيَحيى كَثيرٌ في العُلا وَالمَكارِمِ

لِيَحيى كَثيرٌ في العُلا وَالمَكارِمِ

Even if the masters of noble deeds and eminence are few,

If the noble and high-minded decline,

Yahya is a multitude in eminence and noble deeds.

Many still live nobly with high resolve;

يَذكُرُني جودَ الغَمائِمِ جودُهُ

يَذكُرُني جودَ الغَمائِمِ جودُهُ

وَشُكري لَهُ شُكرُ الثَرى لِلغَمائِمِ

وَشُكري لَهُ شُكرُ الثَرى لِلغَمائِمِ

His generosity reminds me of the generosity of rain clouds,

His munificence reminds me of the clouds' munificence,

and my gratitude to him is the soil's gratitude to the rain clouds.

And my gratitude is the earth's to the rain clouds.

تَخالُ بِهِ بَدراً مَعَ اللَيلِ باهِراً

تَخالُ بِهِ بَدراً مَعَ اللَيلِ باهِراً

يَلوحُ عَلى عُرفٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ فاحِمِ

يَلوحُ عَلى عُرفٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ فاحِمِ

In him you would see a full moon, dazzling amid the night,

With it he shines at night like a full moon,

gleaming above a coal-black mane of night.

Beaming at the horizon above opaque darkness;

يُديلُ مِنَ الأَيّامِ وَالدَهرُ مُنصِفٌ

يُديلُ مِنَ الأَيّامِ وَالدَهرُ مُنصِفٌ

بِعَزمٍ عَلى الأَيّامِ وَالدَهرِ حاكِمِ

بِعَزمٍ عَلى الأَيّامِ وَالدَهرِ حاكِمِ

He turns the tables on the days, and Time is just,

He subdues the days and Time is just

with a resolve that rules over the days and Time.

With resolve over days and Time a sovereign;

يَبُزُّ مِنَ الأَنجادِ كُلَّ مُساوِرٍ

يَبُزُّ مِنَ الأَنجادِ كُلَّ مُساوِرٍ

وَيَعلو مِنَ الأَمجادِ كُلَّ مُكارِمِ

وَيَعلو مِنَ الأَمجادِ كُلَّ مُكارِمِ

He outstrips every challenger among the valiant,

He surpasses all the sublime in glory

and surpasses every rival in generosity among the noble.

And excels all the most noble in generosity;

بِخَلقٍ كَمَتنِ الصَخرِ في كَفِّ لامِسٍ

بِخَلقٍ كَمَتنِ الصَخرِ في كَفِّ لامِسٍ

وَطورٌ كَجَريِ الماءِ في عَينِ صائِمِ

وَطورٌ كَجَريِ الماءِ في عَينِ صائِمِ

With a nature like rock's surface beneath a hand that touches it,

His nature is rock held in a tester's hand,

and a manner like running water to a fasting person's eye,

His wont water's flow from a faster's eye;

وَرَأيٍ كَصَدرِ الراغِبِيَّةِ شارِعٍ

وَرَأيٍ كَصَدرِ الراغِبِيَّةِ شارِعٍ

وَعَزمٍ كَحَدِّ المَشرَفِيَّةِ صارِمِ

وَعَزمٍ كَحَدِّ المَشرَفِيَّةِ صارِمِ

and judgment thrust forward like a Raghibi spearhead,

His view sense in seeker's breast made plain,

and resolve as keen as a Mashrafi sword's edge,

His purpose Masriya's sharp precipice;

عَلى بَلدَةٍ يَسقي الضَراغِمَ ماؤُها

عَلى بَلدَةٍ يَسقي الضَراغِمَ ماؤُها

وَيُسقى بِها الأَعلى دِماءَ الضَراغِمِ

وَيُسقى بِها الأَعلى دِماءَ الضَراغِمِ

over a town whose water gives lions drink,

Over a land whose water quenches his zeal

and there the loftiest is given lions' blood to drink.

And with it the loftiest blood of zealots is shed.