عَلياك في جسم المَكارم روحُ

عَلياك في جسم المَكارم روحُ

وَثَناكَ طيب المِسك مِنهُ يِفوحُ

وَثَناكَ طيب المِسك مِنهُ يِفوحُ

Your eminence is the soul within the body of noble virtues.

You are the epitome of all virtues,

And from praise of you the fragrance of musk wafts.

Your fragrance is the sweetest musk diffusing.

وَنَداك مِنهُ البَحر أَيسر قُطرة

وَنَداك مِنهُ البَحر أَيسر قُطرة

تَغدو بِهِ سُفن الرَجا وَتَروحُ

تَغدو بِهِ سُفن الرَجا وَتَروحُ

And your bounty, of which the sea is the slightest drop,

The sea called you its most precious raindrop,

Bears the ships of hope as they sail morning and evening.

Reviving the ships of hope as they cruise.

وَلَنا بِسَعدِكَ إِن دَجا لَيل المُنى

وَلَنا بِسَعدِكَ إِن دَجا لَيل المُنى

صُبح مِن الفَرج القَريب يَلوحُ

صُبح مِن الفَرج القَريب يَلوحُ

And for us, through your good fortune, if the night of hopes grows dark,

With your felicity, should the night of tribulation shroud us,

A dawn of approaching relief shines forth.

The dawn of deliverance will gleam in hues.

حِزتُ الفَضائل قَبل خَلقِكَ وَالسوى

حِزتُ الفَضائل قَبل خَلقِكَ وَالسوى

يَبكي عَلى ما فاتَهُ وَيَنوحُ

يَبكي عَلى ما فاتَهُ وَيَنوحُ

I attained the virtues before you were created, while everyone else

Virtues gathered before your creation in parity,

Weeps over what eluded him and laments.

The less fortunate weeps for what he rues.

لَو كانَ رَأيك في العِباد مُقسماً

لَو كانَ رَأيك في العِباد مُقسماً

لَم يَبقَ إِلّا راشد وَنَجيحُ

لَم يَبقَ إِلّا راشد وَنَجيحُ

If your judgment were apportioned among people,

If your opinion on mankind was the standard,

None would remain but the rightly guided and successful.

None would remain except the righteous and astute.

أَو كانَ جودَك في الطِباع مَركَباً

أَو كانَ جودَك في الطِباع مَركَباً

ما كانَ يوجد في الأَنام شَحيحُ

ما كانَ يوجد في الأَنام شَحيحُ

Or were your generosity implanted in people's natures,

If your munificence was innate in all temperaments,

No miser would be found among mankind.

No stingy soul would be found among humans.

أَو كانَ نورك لِلهِلال لَما خَفى

أَو كانَ نورك لِلهِلال لَما خَفى

وَغَدَت تَكسَّبُ مِن سَناهُ يوحُ

وَغَدَت تَكسَّبُ مِن سَناهُ يوحُ

Or if the crescent had your light, it would not be hidden,

If your light was the crescent's veil,

And Yuh, the sun, would draw from its radiance.

It would not conceal itself as the new moon does.

أَو كانَ زُهدك لِلصَبابة رَقية

أَو كانَ زُهدك لِلصَبابة رَقية

لَم يَلقَ مِن حدق الحِسان جَريحُ

لَم يَلقَ مِن حدق الحِسان جَريحُ

Or were your renunciation a protective charm against ardent love,

If your asceticism was the youth's safeguard,

No one would be found wounded by the beauties' eyes.

No ardent glance would wound the coy and prude.

يا أَحمَد العَظماءِ يا مَن بابة

يا أَحمَد العَظماءِ يا مَن بابة

لِلسائِلين مُجرب مَفتوحُ

لِلسائِلين مُجرب مَفتوحُ

O Ahmad among the great, O you whose gate

O Ahmad, door to the noble ever agape,

Has proved open to petitioners.

A sanctuary tested for all who seek refuse.

أَنتَ الكَريم اِبن الكَريم وَمَن لَهُ

أَنتَ الكَريم اِبن الكَريم وَمَن لَهُ

عَفو عَن الذَنب العَظيم صَفوحُ

عَفو عَن الذَنب العَظيم صَفوحُ

You are the generous one, son of the generous, and one who grants

You, the Benevolent, son of the Benevolent,

Pardon for grievous sin, abundantly forgiving.

Forgiving of sins however abstruse.

أَضحك بِكَ العَرب الكِرام بِالسن ال

أَضحك بِكَ العَرب الكِرام بِالسن ال

نيران نَدعو لِلقُرى وَتَبيحُ

نيران نَدعو لِلقُرى وَتَبيحُ

Through you the noble Arabs were made to smile, with the tongues of the

With you the honored Arabs frolic and jest,

Flames; we call to hospitality, and they offer it freely.

Kindling fires as rain soaks the land's conduits.

سَجروا المَواقد مَندَلاً إِذا مَطَروا

سَجروا المَواقد مَندَلاً إِذا مَطَروا

بِسَحاب ما تَولى وَعيف الشَيحُ

بِسَحاب ما تَولى وَعيف الشَيحُ

They stoked the hearths with aloeswood when showered

They lit their stoves when showers poured,

By clouds that did not withdraw; and wormwood was spurned.

Despite the fleeing clouds and feeble downpours.

ما أَنتَجَت لَولا عُلاك قَريحني

ما أَنتَجَت لَولا عُلاك قَريحني

فَجَواد فِكري عَن سِواك جَموحُ

فَجَواد فِكري عَن سِواك جَموحُ

But for your eminence, my poetic gift would not have borne fruit;

My creativity would not have birthed these verses,

For the steed of my thought shies away from all but you.

Were it not for your lofty station, its muse.

بَعض الذَوات هِيَ النَعيم لِمُبصر

بَعض الذَوات هِيَ النَعيم لِمُبصر

وَالبَعض مِنها في الجُفون قُروحُ

وَالبَعض مِنها في الجُفون قُروحُ

Some people are bliss to a beholder,

Some beings are bliss for the keen-eyed,

And others are sores in the eyelids.

Others are but wounds to squeeze eyes shut.

أَحيى بِذِكر أُولي الكَمال وَناقص

أَحيى بِذِكر أُولي الكَمال وَناقص

رُوحي أَودُّ إِذا أَراهُ تَروحُ

رُوحي أَودُّ إِذا أَراهُ تَروحُ

I live through remembrance of the accomplished; but an imperfect man—

The mention of the consummate revives my soul,

When I see him, I wish my soul would depart.

Though it craves departure when flaws are in view.

قُصُدي الَّتي كانَت لِغَيرَك سالِفاً

قُصُدي الَّتي كانَت لِغَيرَك سالِفاً

لِأَقل وَصفك كُلَها تَلميحُ

لِأَقل وَصفك كُلَها تَلميحُ

My odes, which were formerly for others than you,

My verses once sought others, how foolish!

Are all but hints at the least of your qualities.

For your meager traits eclipse all they pursue.

لَكِنَّها نَظمت بِأَيام الصِبا

لَكِنَّها نَظمت بِأَيام الصِبا

وَلِسان طَبعي بِالبَيان فَصيحُ

وَلِسان طَبعي بِالبَيان فَصيحُ

But they were composed in the days of youth,

But these were penned in days of youth,

And the tongue of my natural gift is eloquent in expression.

When my tongue was most eloquent and astute.

هِيَ رَوضة الذكر الجَميل لِنورِها

هِيَ رَوضة الذكر الجَميل لِنورِها

بِنَسيم فَضلك في الوَرى تَقيحٌ

بِنَسيم فَضلك في الوَرى تَقيحٌ

They are a garden of fair remembrance; for its blossoms

This garden of praise is the radiance it blooms,

There is [pollination?] through the breeze of your bounty among mankind.

With the breeze of your grace, virtues taking root.

تَشكو صَلاة البَعض مِنهُ وَيَغتدي

تَشكو صَلاة البَعض مِنهُ وَيَغتدي

في الأُفق يُشكر فعلك التَسبيحُ

في الأُفق يُشكر فعلك التَسبيحُ

The prayer of some complains of him, while at dawn

Some pray while committing transgression,

On the horizon, your deed is thanked by glorification.

Yet thanks to you, glorification fills the air's route.

بِكَ يابن فاطِمة لِكُل هِداية

بِكَ يابن فاطِمة لِكُل هِداية

صَدر الشَريعة عِندَها مَشروحُ

صَدر الشَريعة عِندَها مَشروحُ

Through you, O son of Fatima, every guidance

O son of Fatima, you guide all to righteousness,

Finds the breast of sacred law open before it.

With you, the essence of law becomes resolved.

فَلَكُ السَعادة دونَ قَدرك رُتبة

فَلَكُ السَعادة دونَ قَدرك رُتبة

وَعَلى الحَضيض عَدوك المَطروحُ

وَعَلى الحَضيض عَدوك المَطروحُ

The sphere of good fortune stands below your station in rank,

Bliss is rightly yours, while enemies lie low.

And at the nadir lies your enemy, cast down.

Your station is lofty, their status subdued.