لولا أبو الفرج الهُمام لما

لولا أبو الفرج الهُمام لما

وجد الرجاءُ إلى المنى سُبلا

وجد الرجاءُ إلى المنى سُبلا

Were it not for noble-hearted Abu al-Faraj,

Were it not for Abu al-Faraj al-Humam,

hope would have found no paths to its wishes.

Hope would not have found paths to fulfillment.

أضحَى يُفَرِّقُ من مواهِبه

أضحَى يُفَرِّقُ من مواهِبه

شملاً ويجمع للعًلا شَملا

شملاً ويجمع للعًلا شَملا

He now scatters, through his gifts,

He gives generously of his gifts,

a gathering, and gathers another for glory.

Uniting kinship ties and gathering noble traits.

جورٌ على الأموال عاد وقد

جورٌ على الأموال عاد وقد

عمَّ العُفاةَ بنيله عَدلا

عمَّ العُفاةَ بنيله عَدلا

Tyranny against wealth has returned, while

Oppression of wealth has passed, since

his bounty has brought justice to all petitioners.

His justice has encompassed the destitute.

وله إذا ما المشكلات عَدَت

وله إذا ما المشكلات عَدَت

فهم يكون لعقدها حَلاّ

فهم يكون لعقدها حَلاّ

And when difficulties assail, he has

When difficulties multiply,

an understanding that unties their knots.

His understanding unravels their knots.

نَغدوا فنغنم من مواهبه

نَغدوا فنغنم من مواهبه

جزلا ومن آدابه جزلا

جزلا ومن آدابه جزلا

We go forth in the morning and reap from his gifts

We live well, profiting from his gifts

rich bounty, and from his refinement rich bounty.

Abundantly, and from his manners nobly.

وتراهُ منفرداً بغايته

وتراهُ منفرداً بغايته

في الفضل إن جدَّا وإن هَزلا

في الفضل إن جدَّا وإن هَزلا

And you see him unrivaled at his pinnacle

You see him excelling by himself

of excellence, whether in earnest or in jest.

In merit, jesting or serious.

وترى تطوُّلَه ونائله

وترى تطوُّلَه ونائله

غضّ الشَّباب وحلمَه كهلا

غضّ الشَّباب وحلمَه كهلا

You see his beneficence and his bounty

You see his aspiring and his attainment,

fresh with youth, and his forbearance mature.

Despite youthful ardour and aged forbearance.

وتودُّ أيدي المجد لو جعلت

وتودُّ أيدي المجد لو جعلت

خدَّ الحسود لرجله نَعلا

خدَّ الحسود لرجله نَعلا

The hands of glory wish they could make

The hands of glory would make

the envious man's cheek a sandal for his foot.

The cheek of his envier his sandal.

تلقاهم الآمالُ كاسِفة

تلقاهم الآمالُ كاسِفة

وتعود عند لقائه جذلى

وتعود عند لقائه جذلى

Hopes meet them downcast,

Hopes meet him downcast

and return joyful upon meeting him.

And leave his company uplifted.

ما عاقه عن نيل مكرمة

ما عاقه عن نيل مكرمة

شيء يقال لأجله لولا

شيء يقال لأجله لولا

He has never been hindered from attaining a noble deed

Nothing has prevented him from gaining esteem

by anything that could prompt 'were it not for ...'

That might be said to be an obstacle.

كثرت فما تحصى مناقبُه

كثرت فما تحصى مناقبُه

من ذا يَعُدُّ القطرَ والرملا

من ذا يَعُدُّ القطرَ والرملا

His virtues are so many they cannot be counted;

His merits are many, beyond counting -

who can count the raindrops and the sand?

Who can tally drops of rain and grains of sand?

ما فيه للعُذال من طمعٍ

ما فيه للعُذال من طمعٍ

غلب السماحُ عليه واستولى

غلب السماحُ عليه واستولى

His reproachers have no hope of swaying him:

The wretched have no hope in him,

generosity has conquered him and taken command.

Generosity has conquered and prevailed in him.

ما زلتُ أبدع في محاسنه

ما زلتُ أبدع في محاسنه

قولاً ويُبدع في الندى فعلا

قولاً ويُبدع في الندى فعلا

I never cease fashioning marvels about his virtues

I continue to pioneer in praising his virtues,

in words, while he fashions marvels of bounty in deeds.

In both poetry and sincere action.

تُملي واستملي فواضله

تُملي واستملي فواضله

ما الفضل إلاّ للذي أملي

ما الفضل إلاّ للذي أملي

His bounties dictate, and I take dictation;

Dictate and transcribe his outstanding qualities,

the credit belongs only to the one who dictated.

For merit belongs only to one who dictates.

للهِ آل الموقفيّ فما

للهِ آل الموقفيّ فما

أعلى صنائعهم وما أحلى

أعلى صنائعهم وما أحلى

Praise God for the house of al-Mawqifi—and how

May God protect the house of Muwaqqif,

lofty their benefactions, and how sweet!

So lofty in achievements, so beautiful in manner.

طُبِعُوا على كرم الخلال فلا

طُبِعُوا على كرم الخلال فلا

عِيَّا ترى فيهم ولا بُخلا

عِيَّا ترى فيهم ولا بُخلا

They were fashioned with noble traits; thus

They are of a nature most generous and benign,

you see in them neither ineloquence nor stinginess.

No shame or stinginess is seen in them.

إن المساعي غير ناصرة

إن المساعي غير ناصرة

من ليس ينصر فرعُه الأصلا

من ليس ينصر فرعُه الأصلا

Indeed, endeavors lend no support

Efforts alone do not bring success,

to one whose branch does not uphold the root.

Unless the branch is aided by its root.

يبغي العُلا متجشما خلقا

يبغي العُلا متجشما خلقا

فيروح مرسوما به عقلا

فيروح مرسوما به عقلا

He seeks high honor, laboring to acquire a trait,

One seeks the heights with excellent character,

then goes forth with it imprinted upon his mind.

Then soars with a mind thus inscribed.

من لم يقابل حسن لبّته

من لم يقابل حسن لبّته

حسن الحلي غدا به عطلا

حسن الحلي غدا به عطلا

He whose throat's beauty does not match

One whose refined exterior does not match

the beauty of the jewels remains unadorned despite them.

An equally refined heart soon falls idle.

ملكت عنان العُرف منك يد

ملكت عنان العُرف منك يد

لا تعرف التسويف والمطلا

لا تعرف التسويف والمطلا

A hand of yours has taken the reins of beneficence,

The reins of convention are held by your hand,

one that knows neither procrastination nor stalling.

Which knows no procrastination or negligence.

لو أنّها للغيث ما تركت

لو أنّها للغيث ما تركت

جَدبآ ببلقعةٍ ولا محلا

جَدبآ ببلقعةٍ ولا محلا

Had rain possessed that hand, it would not have left

If it were rain, it would leave no land

barrenness in a wasteland, nor any drought.

Barren, parched, or empty.

فاهنأ بهذا العيد وابق له

فاهنأ بهذا العيد وابق له

ما زار مشتاقاً وماولّى

ما زار مشتاقاً وماولّى

So rejoice in this festival, and live on for it,

Congratulations on this feast - remain

as long as it visits one who yearns for it and departs.

For one who visits in longing and leaves.

لا تسلب الدنيا الجمال بمن

لا تسلب الدنيا الجمال بمن

سُوَرُ المديح بذكره تتلى

سُوَرُ المديح بذكره تتلى

May the world never be robbed of beauty by losing him

Let not the world rob beauty from one

at whose mention the chapters of praise are recited.

Whose praise in verse is recited.