لَولا أَبو يَعقوبَ في إِبرامِهِ

لَولا أَبو يَعقوبَ في إِبرامِهِ

سَبَبَ العُلى لَاِنحَلَّ ثِنيُ ذِمامِهِ

سَبَبَ العُلى لَاِنحَلَّ ثِنيُ ذِمامِهِ

Had Abu Yaʿqub not firmly twisted

If it were not for Abu Ya'qub in his determination,

the cord of glory, the doubled strand of his pledge would have unraveled.

The cause of glory would have come undone.

لَيثٌ إِذا الحاجاتُ لُذنَ بِحِقوِهِ

لَيثٌ إِذا الحاجاتُ لُذنَ بِحِقوِهِ

في كَرِّهِ مِنها وَفي إِقدامِهِ

في كَرِّهِ مِنها وَفي إِقدامِهِ

He is a lion when needs seek refuge at his waist,

A lion when needs appeal to his righteousness,

in his return from them and in his bold advance.

Whether in his disdain or his resolve.

اُنظُر إِلى الآمالِ كَيفَ رُتوعُها

اُنظُر إِلى الآمالِ كَيفَ رُتوعُها

في فِكرِهِ وَقُعودِهِ وَقِيامِهِ

في فِكرِهِ وَقُعودِهِ وَقِيامِهِ

Look at hopes, how freely they graze

Look how hopes, in his contemplation, sitting and standing,

in his thought, his sitting, and his standing.

Return to him.

كَيفَ الشِكايَةُ لِلزَمانِ وَصَرفِهِ

كَيفَ الشِكايَةُ لِلزَمانِ وَصَرفِهِ

وَنَدى الأَميرِ وَأَنتَ في أَيّامِهِ

وَنَدى الأَميرِ وَأَنتَ في أَيّامِهِ

How can one complain of time and its vicissitudes,

How does one complain of fate and its caprice,

with the prince's bounty, while you live in his days?

And the prince's bounty while you are in his days?

هَذا سَحابٌ أَنتَ سُقتَ غَمامَهُ

هَذا سَحابٌ أَنتَ سُقتَ غَمامَهُ

وَعَلَيكَ بَعدَ اللَهِ فَيضُ غَمامِهِ

وَعَلَيكَ بَعدَ اللَهِ فَيضُ غَمامِهِ

This is a cloud whose rain clouds you have driven;

This is a cloud from which you drew its rain,

and on you, after God, depends the outpouring of its clouds.

And after God, the overflow of its rain is upon you.

إِنَّ اِبتِداءَ العُرفِ مَجدٌ باسِقٌ

إِنَّ اِبتِداءَ العُرفِ مَجدٌ باسِقٌ

وَالمَجدُ كُلُّ المَجدِ في اِستِتمامِهِ

وَالمَجدُ كُلُّ المَجدِ في اِستِتمامِهِ

Indeed, beginning a kindness is towering glory,

To initiate proper conduct is a towering glory,

and glory—all glory—lies in its completion.

And all glory is in perfecting it.

هَذا الهِلالُ يَروقُ أَبصارَ الوَرى

هَذا الهِلالُ يَروقُ أَبصارَ الوَرى

حُسناً وَلَيسَ كَحُسنِهِ لِتَمامِهِ

حُسناً وَلَيسَ كَحُسنِهِ لِتَمامِهِ

This crescent delights the eyes of humankind

This crescent charms the sights of all people

with beauty, yet not with the beauty it has when full.

In beauty, and nothing equals its beauty when full.