هكذا المجد طارف وتليد

هكذا المجد طارف وتليد

محتد طاهر وفرع مجيد

محتد طاهر وفرع مجيد

Such is glory—newly won and inherited:

Thus is glory, newly won and inherited:

a lineage pure, and a branch illustrious.

A pure lineage and an illustrious branch.

هكذا المجد فليكن في المعالى

هكذا المجد فليكن في المعالى

يبتنى النجل ما بنته الجدود

يبتنى النجل ما بنته الجدود

Such is glory; let it dwell among the heights:

Thus let glory be in lofty attainments:

the scion builds what the forefathers built.

The son builds what the forefathers built.

آل عبد اللطيف سدتم ومن كا

آل عبد اللطيف سدتم ومن كا

ن أبو عبد اللطيف يسود

ن أبو عبد اللطيف يسود

House of ʿAbd al-Laṭīf, you have held sway—and whoever was

House of Abd al-Latif, you have attained eminence; and whoever has

Abū ʿAbd al-Laṭīf would hold sway.

Abd al-Latif as his father attains eminence.

قد نماه مبارك ذو المعالي

قد نماه مبارك ذو المعالي

حبذا والد وجد مجيد

حبذا والد وجد مجيد

Mubārak, lord of lofty virtues, raised him;

Mubarak, possessed of lofty honors, begot him;

how splendid a father, and an illustrious grandfather!

How fine a father and an illustrious grandfather!

أنتم نور مقلة الدهر لا بل

أنتم نور مقلة الدهر لا بل

أنتم الدهر كله والوجود

أنتم الدهر كله والوجود

You are the light of Time’s eye—no, rather,

You are the light of Time's eye—no, rather,

you are Time entire, and all existence.

You are all of Time and existence.

أنتم مركز المعارف لا بل

أنتم مركز المعارف لا بل

أنتم للكمال أصل أكيد

أنتم للكمال أصل أكيد

You are the center of every branch of learning—no, rather,

You are the center of learning—no, rather,

you are perfection’s firm foundation.

You are a firm foundation for perfection.

لست أسطيع وصف فضلكم ال

لست أسطيع وصف فضلكم ال

جم وعقلي كما ترون بليد

جم وعقلي كما ترون بليد

I cannot describe your immense

I cannot describe your excellence—

bounty; my mind, as you see, is slow.

So abundant—and my mind, as you see, is dull.

يا أخلاي راشدا ذا المعالي

يا أخلاي راشدا ذا المعالي

وابن ودي عبد العزيز الودود

وابن ودي عبد العزيز الودود

O my dear friends—Rāshid, lord of lofty worth,

O my dear friends—Rashid, of lofty distinction,

and the son of my affection, loving ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz;

And my affection's son, the loving Abd al-Aziz,

وحبيبي عبد اللطيف الذي نو

وحبيبي عبد اللطيف الذي نو

ر فؤادي بوده لي شهيد

ر فؤادي بوده لي شهيد

and my beloved ʿAbd al-Laṭīf, for whose affection the

And my beloved Abd al-Latif, to my love for whom the light

light of my heart bears witness for me.

Of my heart bears witness on my behalf—

ليت شعري وقد تغنيت جهلا

ليت شعري وقد تغنيت جهلا

بمقامي والجهل داء شديد

بمقامي والجهل داء شديد

Would that I knew! I have sung in ignorance

Would that I knew, having sung in ignorance

of my own station—and ignorance is a grave disease—

Of my station—and ignorance is a grievous ill—

هل لعذري لديكم من قبول

هل لعذري لديكم من قبول

يا أخلاي والخليل يجود

يا أخلاي والخليل يجود

whether my excuse will find any acceptance with you,

Whether my excuse finds any acceptance with you,

O my dear friends; a true friend gives generously.

O my dear friends; a close friend is generous.

كيف جاريتكم وان جواد ال

كيف جاريتكم وان جواد ال

فكر مني عن القريض شرود

فكر مني عن القريض شرود

How could I keep pace with you, when the steed of

How could I vie with you, when the steed of

thought within me shies away from verse?

My thought shies away from verse?

أنتم من علمتم وعلمنا

أنتم من علمتم وعلمنا

دينه ودكم وأنتم شهود

دينه ودكم وأنتم شهود

You are what you know yourselves to be; as for our knowledge,

You are who you know yourselves to be; and our learning

its creed is love of you—and you are witnesses.

Has love for you as its creed, and you are witnesses.

يا لها خجلة على لما قد

يا لها خجلة على لما قد

جاءكم عاطلا وفيه صدود

جاءكم عاطلا وفيه صدود

How ashamed she is that what has

Oh, what shame is mine for what has

come to you is unadorned, with reserve within it.

Come to you unadorned, with aloofness in it!

بيد أنى بذلت جهد مقل

بيد أنى بذلت جهد مقل

وجهيد المقل عذر وجود

وجهيد المقل عذر وجود

Yet I have offered the utmost effort of one with little,

Yet I have given a poor man's utmost effort;

and a poor man’s utmost is an excuse—and a gift.

And a poor man's little effort is both excuse and generosity.

فخذوها عقيلة من فؤاد

فخذوها عقيلة من فؤاد

دينه ودكم وأنتم شهود

دينه ودكم وأنتم شهود

So take her: a noble bride born of a heart

So take her, a noble bride from a heart

whose creed is love of you—and you are witnesses.

Whose creed is love for you, and you are witnesses.

مهرها منكم قبول وحسبي

مهرها منكم قبول وحسبي

وسلمتم قبولكم فهو عيد

وسلمتم قبولكم فهو عيد

Her dowry from you is acceptance, and that suffices me.

Her dowry from you is acceptance; all I need—

May you remain safe! Your acceptance—then it is a feast.

May you be safe!—is your acceptance: that is a feast-day.