مَقامك يا ابن الأَكرمين جَليل

مَقامك يا ابن الأَكرمين جَليل

وَمجدك ما بَينَ الأَنام ثَقيل

وَمجدك ما بَينَ الأَنام ثَقيل

Your station, O son of the noblest, is exalted.

Your status, O son of the most honorable, is sublime

And your glory among humankind is weighty.

And your glory among people is heavy

لَكفك غَيث قَد أَطَل عَلى الوَرى

لَكفك غَيث قَد أَطَل عَلى الوَرى

إِذا شحت الأَنواء فَهوَ يَسيل

إِذا شحت الأَنواء فَهوَ يَسيل

Your palm is surely life-giving rain that has appeared above humankind;

Your palm is a rain that stretched over the land

When the rain-bearing stars grow stingy, it pours.

Whenever the springs are scarce, it flows

وَكَم لَكَ جود قَد حَكى الجود وَالحَيا

وَكَم لَكَ جود قَد حَكى الجود وَالحَيا

وَطول عَلى وَبل الغَمام يَطول

وَطول عَلى وَبل الغَمام يَطول

And how much generosity is yours, resembling downpours and life-giving rain,

And how much generosity you have that told of generosity and life

And bounty that towers above the clouds' downpour!

And patience upon the affliction of clouds goes on

تَضاءل عَن علياك وَصف أُولي النهى

تَضاءل عَن علياك وَصف أُولي النهى

وَأَكثر وَصف في علاك قَليل

وَأَكثر وَصف في علاك قَليل

The description offered by the wise falls short of your eminence;

Describing your sublime qualities falls short of the people of resolve

And even the fullest account of your eminence is scant.

And most description of your sublimity is little

وَكَيف وَفي باع الثَناء مَدى المَدى

وَكَيف وَفي باع الثَناء مَدى المَدى

قُصور وَفي أَدنى كَمالك طول

قُصور وَفي أَدنى كَمالك طول

And how could it be otherwise, when praise, at its farthest reach,

And how can the breadth of praise fulfill the extent of extent

Falls short, while the least of your perfection stretches far?

While the shortest of your perfections has longitude

مَكارم أَخلاق تَسامَت نُجومها

مَكارم أَخلاق تَسامَت نُجومها

فَلَيسَ إِلَيها ما حييت وصول

فَلَيسَ إِلَيها ما حييت وصول

Noble qualities of character, whose stars have risen high,

Noble manners whose stars transcended

So there is no reaching them as long as I live.

And to which I have no access as long as you live

مَحاسن أَفعال وَغر فَضائل

مَحاسن أَفعال وَغر فَضائل

نمتها فُروع للعلى وَأُصول

نمتها فُروع للعلى وَأُصول

Beautiful deeds and radiant virtues,

Excellent deeds and prominent virtues

Nurtured by the branches and roots of eminence.

Whose branches grew into principles

تورثتها عَن كابر بَعد كابر

تورثتها عَن كابر بَعد كابر

فَسارَت بِها ريح الصبا وَقُبول

فَسارَت بِها ريح الصبا وَقُبول

You inherited them from one noble forebear after another;

You inherited them from seniors after seniors

So the Saba and Qabul winds carried them afar.

So the winds of youth carried them and acceptance

تَنَزهَت طَبعاً عَن فعال ذَميمة

تَنَزهَت طَبعاً عَن فعال ذَميمة

فَماذا عَلَيكَ الحاسدون تَقول

فَماذا عَلَيكَ الحاسدون تَقول

By nature you have kept yourself above vile deeds;

You are naturally aloof from despicable deeds

So what can the envious say against you?

What then can the envious say about you

إِذا المَرء لَم يدنس مِن اللؤم عرضه

إِذا المَرء لَم يدنس مِن اللؤم عرضه

فَكُل رِداء يَرتَديه جَميل

فَكُل رِداء يَرتَديه جَميل

If a man's honor is not stained by baseness,

When a man does not sully his honor with meanness

Then every robe he wears is beautiful.

Every cloak he wears becomes beautiful

لَكَ الهمة العَلياء وَالساعد الَّذي

لَكَ الهمة العَلياء وَالساعد الَّذي

تَجول بِهِ يَوم الوَغى وَتَصول

تَجول بِهِ يَوم الوَغى وَتَصول

Yours are lofty resolve and the arm with which

You have the lofty ambition and the arm

You wheel and charge on the day of battle.

With which you attack on the day of battle and raid

تَهاب أَباك الأسد وَهيَ بغابها

تَهاب أَباك الأسد وَهيَ بغابها

فَتَرنو إِلَيهِ وَالنَواظر حول

فَتَرنو إِلَيهِ وَالنَواظر حول

Lions fear your father, even in their thickets;

They fear your lion father and his roaring

So they gaze at him, their eyes askew.

So they turn to him while eyes are all around

تَنوَّر مِن آرائِهِ المُلك فَانثَنى

تَنوَّر مِن آرائِهِ المُلك فَانثَنى

وَأَخباره في الخافِقين تَجول

وَأَخباره في الخافِقين تَجول

The realm was illumined by his counsels; then he turned back,

It takes light from his opinions and sways

While tidings of him travel through east and west.

And his news among hearts wanders

هُوَ الصاحب المَولى العَميد الَّذي بِهِ

هُوَ الصاحب المَولى العَميد الَّذي بِهِ

عَن الخلق ريب الحادِثات يَزول

عَن الخلق ريب الحادِثات يَزول

He is the companion, the lord, the chief through whom

He is the trusted, master and pillar advisor

The menace of calamities is removed from humankind.

With whom doubts about events disappear

وَكَم لَكَ مِن أَفضالة نور سُؤدد

وَكَم لَكَ مِن أَفضالة نور سُؤدد

إِذا ما بَدا فالنيرات أفول

إِذا ما بَدا فالنيرات أفول

And how much light of nobility is yours through his bounty!

And how much grace you have, a shining light

When it appears, the luminaries set.

When it appears, the lights dim

وَكَم ضَيغم ألجمته السَيف مصلتاً

وَكَم ضَيغم ألجمته السَيف مصلتاً

فَأَصبح مِن فَوق التُراب يَميل

فَأَصبح مِن فَوق التُراب يَميل

And how many a lion you have bridled with your drawn sword,

And how many belligerents did the sword subdue as adversaries

So he was left reeling above the dust.

And so they leaned over dust in the morning

فَيا لَكَ مِن سَيف كَأن بِحَده

فَيا لَكَ مِن سَيف كَأن بِحَده

نُفوس الأُسود الضارِيات تَسيل

نُفوس الأُسود الضارِيات تَسيل

So what a sword is yours—as though at its edge

What a sword you have, it seems its edge

The souls of ravening lions flow!

Makes the souls of attacking lions flow

تعلم مِن كَفيك أن يَنثر الطلا

تعلم مِن كَفيك أن يَنثر الطلا

بِضَرب يَبين الهام وَهوَ قَليل

بِضَرب يَبين الهام وَهوَ قَليل

It learned from your two palms to scatter necks,

Your palms teach scattering pearls

With blows that sever heads, few though they are.

With a strike that shows resolve and is little

بَني يوسف يا مَن بِهم تَفخَر العُلى

بَني يوسف يا مَن بِهم تَفخَر العُلى

وَفيهم أَيادي المكرمات تَطول

وَفيهم أَيادي المكرمات تَطول

Sons of Yusuf, O you in whom eminence takes pride,

O Bani Yusuf, the one with whom the sublime take pride

And in whom the hands of noble deeds reach far.

And in them the generous hands are long

لَكُم سُؤدد جم وَقَدر معظم

لَكُم سُؤدد جم وَقَدر معظم

وَفعل لكل العالمين جَميل

وَفعل لكل العالمين جَميل

Yours are abundant nobility and exalted standing,

You have an abundant light and a grand status

And conduct gracious toward all peoples.

And a deed good for all people

وَلا عَيب فيكُم غَير أَن سُيوفَكُم

وَلا عَيب فيكُم غَير أَن سُيوفَكُم

بِها مِن قِراع الدارِعين فُلول

بِها مِن قِراع الدارِعين فُلول

And you have no fault, except that your swords

You have no defects other than your swords

Bear notches from clashing with armored warriors.

With which remnants of armed ones flee

وَلا شين إِلا أنكم أَنجم الهُدى

وَلا شين إِلا أنكم أَنجم الهُدى

وَأَفعالكم للمكرمات حجول

وَأَفعالكم للمكرمات حجول

And no blemish, except that you are stars of guidance,

Nor disgrace except you are stars of guidance

And your deeds are anklets adorning noble virtues.

And your deeds seek the generous

وَلا هجنة إِلا أَياد جَزيلة

وَلا هجنة إِلا أَياد جَزيلة

وَجود عَريض في الأَنام طَويل

وَجود عَريض في الأَنام طَويل

And no taint, except lavish favors

Nor defects except the generous hands

And broad generosity, far-reaching among humankind.

And extensive generosity among people is long

فَلا زِلتُم أَعلى الخَلايق رُتبة

فَلا زِلتُم أَعلى الخَلايق رُتبة

لِتَعلو مَغان لِلنَدى وَطلول

لِتَعلو مَغان لِلنَدى وَطلول

So may you remain forever highest in rank among all creatures,

So you remained the highest of creatures in rank

So that the dwellings and ruins of generosity may rise high,

To rise above the summits of glory and ascent

مَدى الدَهر ما غَنت عَلى الدَوح هتف

مَدى الدَهر ما غَنت عَلى الدَوح هتف

وَقال لَنا حادي الرَكايب قيلوا

وَقال لَنا حادي الرَكايب قيلوا

Throughout time, as long as songbirds sing upon the great trees,

The lifetime never sang over the sand dunes an anthem

And the chanting camel-driver tells us, 'Rest at midday.'

And the leader of the riders did not tell us, say