بكَwith you للأَمانيfor hopes موعدٌa promise لمnot يخلفِbe broken
بكَ للأَماني موعدٌ لم يخلفِ
فلكso for you الهناjoy ولهنand for them ياO بنson of الأَشرفِal-Ashraf
فلك الهنا ولهن يا بن الأَشرفِ
With you, hopes have a promise never broken;
So joy be yours and theirs, O son of al-Ashraf.
فاطلبso seek بسعدكthrough your good fortune كلَّevery أَمرundertaking معجزٍimpossible
فاطلب بسعدك كلَّ أَمر معجزٍ
للخلقfor mankind تدركُهyou attain it بغيرِwithout تكلُّفِstrain
للخلق تدركُه بغيرِ تكلُّفِ
So seek, through your good fortune, any undertaking impossible
For mankind: you will achieve it without strain.
واعلمand know بأَنكthat you لوif رميتَyou cast بجمرةًwith a live coal
واعلم بأَنك لو رميتَ بجمرةً
فيinto المالwealth تضرمهاyou kindle it بهwith it لمnot تَنطفِit goes out
في المال تضرمها به لم تَنطفِ
And know that if you cast a live coal
Into wealth and stoked it with that wealth, it would not go out.
سعدٌgood fortune بلغَتyou attained بهthrough it المناwishes وشجاعةٌand courage
سعدٌ بلغَت به المنا وشجاعةٌ
وسخىand generosity وتدبيرٌand prudent planning وحسنُand soundness of تصرّفِconduct
وسخى وتدبيرٌ وحسنُ تصرّفِ
Good fortune through which you attained your wishes, and courage,
And generosity, prudent planning, and skillful conduct.
قدّمتَyou put forward سيبكَyour bounty قبلbefore سيفكِyour sword حجةٌa justification
قدّمتَ سيبكَ قبل سيفكِ حجةٌ
لكfor you أَنif عصْوكthey defy you علىfor اصطلامannihilation المشرفِthe Mashrafi sword
لك أَن عصْوك على اصطلام المشرفِ
You put your bounty before your sword—a justification
For you, should they defy you, to cut them down with the Mashrafi blade.
وشَللْتand you paralyzed بالإِحسانthrough kindness أَحقادthe grudges of الورىmankind
وشَللْت بالإِحسان أَحقاد الورى
فإِذاand behold عدوكyour enemy كالأخِlike a brother البرِّkind الحفيdevoted
فإِذا عدوك كالأخِ البرِّ الحفي
And through kindness you paralyzed mankind's rancor;
And behold, your enemy is like a kind, devoted brother.
وعفوتand you pardoned عمّنwhomever منwho تابrepented غيرwithout مناقشquestioning
وعفوت عمّن من تاب غير مناقش
عنabout جرمهhis crime ووفيتand you kept faith إذwhen عُدمwas absent الوفيthe faithful one
عن جرمه ووفيت إذ عُدم الوفي
And you pardoned whoever repented, without inquiry
Into his crime, and kept faith when none faithful could be found.
واهبتand you inspired awe حتىuntil قيلit was said كلٌّeveryone مذنبguilty
واهبت حتى قيل كلٌّ مذنب
ووهبتand you gave حتىuntil قيلit was said كلeveryone مُعتفيa seeker of bounty
ووهبت حتى قيل كل مُعتفي
And you inspired such awe that it was said, 'All are guilty';
And you gave so freely that it was said, 'All are seekers of bounty.'
وبعدتَand you grew distant حتىuntil لاnot تنالyou are reached بفكرةٍby a thought
وبعدتَ حتى لا تنال بفكرةٍ
وقرُبتَand you came near حتىuntil أَنتyou وسطamid الأَكففِpalms
وقرُبتَ حتى أَنت وسط الأَكففِ
And you were so distant that no thought could reach you;
And you drew so near that you were amid people's palms.
وظهرتَand you became manifest حتىuntil ليسthere is no دونكbefore you حائلٌa barrier
وظهرتَ حتى ليس دونك حائلٌ
وخفيتَand you were hidden حتىuntil أَنتyou غيرnot مكيّفِdefinable
وخفيتَ حتى أَنت غير مكيّفِ
And you were so manifest that no barrier stood before you;
And you were so hidden that you defied definition.
وتحيرتْand were bewildered فيكby you العقولُminds فعارفٌso one who knows
وتحيرتْ فيك العقولُ فعارفٌ
بكof you فيin الحقيقةtruth مثلlike منone who لمdid not يعرفknow
بك في الحقيقة مثل من لم يعرف
And minds were bewildered by you, so one who knows
You is, in truth, like one who does not know you.
وبحسنِand in the soundness of رأيكyour judgment فيamid الشدائدِhardships مأخذٌa way of approach
وبحسنِ رأيك في الشدائدِ مأخذٌ
مستنبطٌdrawn out منfrom مشرعa watering place اللطفِgrace الخفيhidden
مستنبطٌ من مشرع اللطفِ الخفي
And in your sound judgment amid hardships lies a way,
Drawn from the watering place of hidden grace.