أَكثَرُ هَذي الخُطوبِ أَشكالُ

أَكثَرُ هَذي الخُطوبِ أَشكالُ

وَيُعقِبُ الاِنصِرافُ إِقبالُ

وَيُعقِبُ الاِنصِرافُ إِقبالُ

Most of these calamities are alike;

Most promises are forms without substance,

And return follows departure.

And departure succeeds arrival.

وَبَعدَ بُعدِ الطَحبابِ قُربُهُمُ

وَبَعدَ بُعدِ الطَحبابِ قُربُهُمُ

وَبَعدَ شَكوِ النُفوسِ إِبلالُ

وَبَعدَ شَكوِ النُفوسِ إِبلالُ

And after the loved ones’ distance comes their nearness,

After distance of separation comes nearness,

And after souls’ suffering comes recovery.

And after souls' complaints comes submission.

لَو رَدَّتِ الحادِثاتُ ما أَخَذَت

لَو رَدَّتِ الحادِثاتُ ما أَخَذَت

عادَ ثَراءٌ وَراحَ إِقلالُ

عادَ ثَراءٌ وَراحَ إِقلالُ

If misfortunes returned what they took,

If events could be reversed from what they took,

Wealth would return and poverty depart.

Prosperity would return and loss diminish.

فَلَيتَ ذاكَ الحَبيبَ ساعَفَنا

فَلَيتَ ذاكَ الحَبيبَ ساعَفَنا

فَكانَ وَصلٌ إِن لَم يَكُن مالُ

فَكانَ وَصلٌ إِن لَم يَكُن مالُ

So, if only that beloved had favored us,

I wish that beloved would bring us together,

There might have been union, if not wealth.

Be it union without wealth that is achieved.

آلَيتُ لا يَستَفِزُّني الطَمَعُ

آلَيتُ لا يَستَفِزُّني الطَمَعُ

المُغري وَلا يَستَغِرُّني الآلُ

المُغري وَلا يَستَغِرُّني الآلُ

I have sworn that greed shall not sway me,

I swear I'll not be tempted by alluring hopes,

Seductive though it be, nor shall the mirage deceive me.

Nor dazzled by images that mislead.

لِيَ اِبنُ عَمٍّ إِذا شَدَدتُ بِهِ

لِيَ اِبنُ عَمٍّ إِذا شَدَدتُ بِهِ

أَزري فَقُل لِلخُطوبِ لا تالوا

أَزري فَقُل لِلخُطوبِ لا تالوا

I have a cousin; when, with his aid, I strengthen

I've a cousin - when I take his hand in mine,

My back, then tell calamities: ‘Do not hold back!’

I say to strife “No more! Do not persist.”

تُنميهِ مِن كَعبِهِ وَحارِثِهِ

تُنميهِ مِن كَعبِهِ وَحارِثِهِ

أَملاكُ أُكرومَةٍ وَأَقيالُ

أَملاكُ أُكرومَةٍ وَأَقيالُ

His ancestry is traced, through his Kaʿb and his Harith,

He augments what Ka’b and Harith left behind -

To kings of honor and princely lords.

Estates of ‘Uqromah and Aqyal.

أَحَلَّهُ مَخلَدٌ ذُرى شَرَفٍ

أَحَلَّهُ مَخلَدٌ ذُرى شَرَفٍ

لَهُ عَلى الشِعرَيَينِ إِطلالُ

لَهُ عَلى الشِعرَيَينِ إِطلالُ

Makhlad set him upon summits of honor,

An eternal abode of glorious descent is his,

From which he looks down upon the two Dog Stars.

With a view over both the Shariyah and Shara.

فَاللَهُ يَجزي الحُسنى أَبا حَسَنٍ

فَاللَهُ يَجزي الحُسنى أَبا حَسَنٍ

فَهوَ لِثِقلِ الحُقوقِ حَمّالُ

فَهوَ لِثِقلِ الحُقوقِ حَمّالُ

So may God reward Abu Hasan with the best,

May God reward with goodness Abu Hasan!

For he shoulders the heavy burden of obligations.

He shoulders the weight of heavy burdens.

أَزهَرُ مِن مَذحِجٍ أَرومَتُهُ

أَزهَرُ مِن مَذحِجٍ أَرومَتُهُ

لَهُ عَلى المُفضِلينَ إِفضالُ

لَهُ عَلى المُفضِلينَ إِفضالُ

Radiant, his lineage springs from Madhhij;

More fragrant than spice-land is his clan,

He bestows bounty even upon benefactors.

He excels the distinguished in his merit.

وَالأَرضُ لَولا العَذاةُ واحِدَةٌ

وَالأَرضُ لَولا العَذاةُ واحِدَةٌ

وَالناسُ لَولا الفَعالُ أَمثالُ

وَالناسُ لَولا الفَعالُ أَمثالُ

And without fertile tracts, all land would be alike;

The land, were it not for wrongs, would be one,

And without deeds, all people would be alike.

And people, were it not for deeds, the same.