1. وَعِصابَةٍ بِالخَيرِ أُلِّفَ شَملُهُم

    وَالخَيرُ أَفضَلُ عُصبَةً وَرِفاقا

    And a band whose ranks were united by goodness,

    And goodness is the finest company and companionship.

  2. جَعَلوا التَعاوُنَ وَالبِنايَةَ هَمَّهُم

    وَاِستَنهَضوا الآدابَ وَالأَخلاقا

    They made cooperation and building their chief concern,

    And revived literature and morals.

  3. وَلَقَد يُداوونَ الجِراحَ بِبِرِّهِم

    وَيُقاتِلونَ البُؤسَ وَالإِملاقا

    And indeed they heal wounds with their kindness,

    And fight misery and destitution.

  4. يَسمونَ بِالأَدَبِ الجَديدِ وَتارَةً

    يَبنونَ لِلأَدَبِ القَديمِ رِواقا

    They elevate modern literature, and at times

    Build a portico for literature of old.

  5. بَعَثَ اِهتِمامَهُمو وَهاجَ حَنانَهُم

    زَمَنٌ يُثيرُ العَطفَ وَالإِشفاقا

    Their concern was awakened and their tenderness stirred

    By an invalid who arouses sympathy and compassion.

  6. عَرَضَ القُعودُ فَكانَ دونَ نُبوغِهِ

    قَيداً وَدونَ خُطى الشَبابِ وِثاقا

    Immobility befell him, and stood in the way of his genius

    As a fetter, and a shackle in the way of youth's strides.

  7. البُلبُلُ الغَرِدُ الَّذي هَزَّ الرُبى

    وَشَجى الغُصونَ وَحَرَّكَ الأَوراقا

    The melodious nightingale who shook the hills

    And saddened the boughs and stirred the leaves

  8. خَلَفَ البَهاءَ عَلى القَريضِ وَكَأسِهِ

    فَسَقى بِعَذبِ نَسيبِهِ العُشّاقا

    Succeeded al-Baha in verse and at its cup,

    And so gave lovers his sweet love poetry to drink.

  9. في القَيدِ مُمتَنِعُ الخُطى وَخَيالِهِ

    يَطوي البِلادَ وَيَنشُرُ الآفاقا

    In fetters, his steps are barred, yet his imagination

    Folds up the lands and unfurls the horizons.

  10. سَبّاقُ غاياتِ البَيانِ جَرى بِلا

    ساقٍ فَكَيفَ إِذا اِستَرَدَّ الساقا

    Foremost in the race to eloquence's goals, he ran without

    A leg—how then, if he regains his leg?

  11. لَو يَطعمُ الطِبُّ الصَناعُ بَيانَهُ

    أَو لَو يُسيغُ لِما يَقولُ مَذاقا

    If skillful medicine could taste his eloquence,

    Or if it could savor a taste of what he says,

  12. غالى بِقيمَتِهِ فَلَم يَصنَع لَهُ

    إِلّا الجَناحَ مُحَلِّقاً خَفّاقا

    It would prize him so highly that it would fashion for him

    Nothing but a soaring, fluttering wing.