لَقَد عَلِمَت يَحيى مُوافِيَةُ العُلا

لَقَد عَلِمَت يَحيى مُوافِيَةُ العُلا

فَضائِلُ آباءٍ تَلَتها فَضائِلُه

فَضائِلُ آباءٍ تَلَتها فَضائِلُه

Indeed, those attaining the heights have recognized Yahya—

Yahya knew well the nobility of ancestry,

ancestral virtues, followed by his own.

His own virtues succeeded those of his forebears.

فَحازَ طَريفَ المَجدِ بَعدَ تَليدِهِ

فَحازَ طَريفَ المَجدِ بَعدَ تَليدِهِ

رَفيعٌ يَطولُ النَجمَ حينَ يُطاوِلُه

رَفيعٌ يَطولُ النَجمَ حينَ يُطاوِلُه

So he won fresh glory after his inherited glory;

He attained the heights of glory after inheriting it,

exalted, he overtops the star when he vies with it in height.

A lofty man whose star shines when it challenges him.

فَتى غُرَّةُ الأَيّامِ حُسنُ صَنيعِهِ

فَتى غُرَّةُ الأَيّامِ حُسنُ صَنيعِهِ

وَتيجانُها أَخلاقُهُ وَشَمائِلُه

وَتيجانُها أَخلاقُهُ وَشَمائِلُه

A youth whose fine deeds are the bright brow of days,

The freshness of his days is the beauty of his deeds,

and whose character and qualities are their crowns.

Its diadems are his morals and fine qualities.

وَما هُوَ إِلّا المُزنُ تَصفو خِلالُهُ

وَما هُوَ إِلّا المُزنُ تَصفو خِلالُهُ

وَيَعلو مُبَوّاهُ وَيَبكُرُ هاطِلُه

وَيَعلو مُبَوّاهُ وَيَبكُرُ هاطِلُه

And he is nothing but a rain cloud: his qualities are pure,

He is nothing but a brilliant full moon whose perfection is evident,

and his dwelling rises high, and his downpour comes early.

Whose splendor rises early while his glooms are late to come.

وَكَيفَ يَبيتُ الجارُ مِنكَ عَلى صَدى

وَكَيفَ يَبيتُ الجارُ مِنكَ عَلى صَدى

وَكَفُّكَ بَحرٌ لُجَّةُ الجودِ ساحِلُه

وَكَفُّكَ بَحرٌ لُجَّةُ الجودِ ساحِلُه

And how could your neighbor spend the night athirst,

How can your neighbor spend the night dissatisfied

when your palm is a sea whose shore is the depths of generosity?

When your open hand is an ocean with the shore of generosity?