تدلُّ عليه عبْقةٌ هاشميَّةٌ

تدلُّ عليه عبْقةٌ هاشميَّةٌ

يصوغُ اذا تُتلى المناقبُ طيبُها

يصوغُ اذا تُتلى المناقبُ طيبُها

A Hashimite fragrance points to him,

A Hashimite fragrance hints of him,

Its perfume gives shape to virtues as they are recited.

When his virtues are recited, their goodness exhales musk.

تأرَّجَ منها الدهرُ حتى كأنها

تأرَّجَ منها الدهرُ حتى كأنها

شفوفُ عروسٍ رادعاتٌ جيوبُها

شفوفُ عروسٍ رادعاتٌ جيوبُها

Time grew fragrant from it, till it seemed like

Time has been perfumed by it as though it were

The sheer robes of a bride, their necklines stained with perfume.

The lips of a bride withholding her kiss.

قطوبٌ اذا الفحشاء ندَّتْ وباسمٌ

قطوبٌ اذا الفحشاء ندَّتْ وباسمٌ

اذا ما صروف الدهر راعَ قطوبها

اذا ما صروف الدهر راعَ قطوبها

He frowns when obscenity breaks loose, yet smiles

Firm pillars, when vileness becomes noisy, and a forbearing man

When the frown of time's reversals strikes terror.

When the turns of fate arouse its firm pillars.

اذا شبَّت الهيجاءُ فهو كميُّها

اذا شبَّت الهيجاءُ فهو كميُّها

واِن ضاقتِ الأقوالُ فهو خطيبُها

واِن ضاقتِ الأقوالُ فهو خطيبُها

When battle flares, he is its armored champion;

When war flames, he is its quencher,

And if speech falters, he is its orator.

And if words run short, he is their spokesman.

منيع الحمى والعِرض بالبأس والندى

منيع الحمى والعِرض بالبأس والندى

بَذولُ سَنايا الأعطياتِ وَهوبُها

بَذولُ سَنايا الأعطياتِ وَهوبُها

His domain and honor are unassailable through valor and generosity;

Impregnable, honorable, bold, and high-minded protector,

A lavish giver of choice gifts, unstinting in bestowing them.

Magnanimous, freely giving from full hands.

هنَتْك القوافي يابن عمِّ محمَّدٍ

هنَتْك القوافي يابن عمِّ محمَّدٍ

مَعيبٌ ومذمومٌ بها منْ يَعيبُها

مَعيبٌ ومذمومٌ بها منْ يَعيبُها

May the rhymes gladden you, O cousin of Muhammad;

You have tried the poets, O cousin of Muhammed,

Whoever faults them is himself faulted and condemned by them.

Flawed and blameworthy is he who finds flaws in it.

فكم جهْلَةٍ من جاهلٍ بمقالتي

فكم جهْلَةٍ من جاهلٍ بمقالتي

أمُرُّ عليها ضاحكاً لا أُجيبُها

أمُرُّ عليها ضاحكاً لا أُجيبُها

For many a foolish outburst from one ignorant of my verse

How many fools and ignorant men fault my words,

I pass over laughing, without answering it,

I pass by laughing, making no reply.

على ثقةٍ أني المُشارُ وأنني

على ثقةٍ أني المُشارُ وأنني

بديعُ المعاني الرائقاتِ غَريبُها

بديعُ المعاني الرائقاتِ غَريبُها

Confident that I am the one singled out, and that I am

Trusting that I excel, and that I

An originator of exquisite meanings, singular in them.

Have singular meanings of subtle grace.

تقاصرتِ الأفهامُ عنها نفاسَةً

تقاصرتِ الأفهامُ عنها نفاسَةً

فجاهلُها ذو غِرَّةٍ وأديبُها

فجاهلُها ذو غِرَّةٍ وأديبُها

Minds fall short of grasping them, so precious are they;

Minds fall short comprehending its purity,

Thus both their ignorant reader and their connoisseur are uncomprehending.

So that its critic is an ignoramus, and its adept.

ألا انَّ قولي فيك شمسُ ظَهيرةٍ

ألا انَّ قولي فيك شمسُ ظَهيرةٍ

على الناسِ أعيْا مثلُها وضُروبُها

على الناسِ أعيْا مثلُها وضُروبُها

Behold, my verse about you is a noonday sun,

My words about you are a brilliant sun

Its equal and counterparts lie beyond mankind's power.

Dazzling people ― they have not seen its like.

عليك وقاءُ اللهِ ما ذَرَّ شارقٌ

عليك وقاءُ اللهِ ما ذَرَّ شارقٌ

وما حانَ من شمس النَّهار غُروبها

وما حانَ من شمس النَّهار غُروبها

May God's protection be upon you as long as a sun rises,

May God protect you as long as the dawn star rises

And as long as the sun of day comes to its setting.

And as long as the sun of day continues its setting.