قلsay لوزيرto the minister الحقthe truth وهوand he الذيwho
قل لوزير الحق وهو الذي
قدindeed استقامتwere set right فيin حجاهhis wisdom الأمورthe affairs
قد استقامت في حجاه الأمور
Say to the minister of truth, who is the one
Tell the minister of truth, he who
Through whose wisdom affairs have been set right:
Has set things right with his wisdom,
خذtake منfrom مقاليmy words ذمةa pledge أننيthat I
خذ من مقالي ذمة أنني
عنهمon their behalf إلىto ساحthe arena المعاليglory سفيرan envoy
عنهم إلى ساح المعالي سفير
Take from my words a pledge that I
Take from my words a pledge that I
Am their envoy to the arena of glory.
Am to the field of glories his envoy.
ياO جاعلone who makes الأوقافthe endowments فيin عهدهhis tenure
يا جاعل الأوقاف في عهده
مدينةa city والقفرand the wasteland فيهاwithin it قصورpalaces
مدينة والقفر فيها قصور
O you who, in your tenure, made the endowments
O you who made endowments in his time
A city, its wasteland turned to palaces,
A city, and the wasteland in it palaces,
ونابشاًand one who unearths فيهاwithin them الكنوزthe treasures التيthat
ونابشاً فيها الكنوز التي
مرتpassed عليهاover them بالعفاءwith obliteration العصورthe ages
مرت عليها بالعفاء العصور
And unearthed within them the treasures that
And unearthed in it treasures which
The ages had swept over and effaced.
The ages have been too weak to unearth,
نبشتyou unearthed فيهاwithin them عبقرياتهاtheir geniuses
نبشت فيها عبقرياتها
منقباًsearching عنfor كلevery قدرworth خطيرgreat
منقباً عن كل قدر خطير
You unearthed the geniuses in their midst,
You unearthed in it ingenuities
Seeking out all that was of great worth.
Digging up every precious thing.
فكلso all ماthat which قيلwas said وماand that which لمnot يقلwas said
فكل ما قيل وما لم يقل
عنabout فضلكyour bounty الجمimmense الغفيرcopious الوفيرabundant
عن فضلك الجم الغفير الوفير
So all that has been said, and all that remains unsaid,
All that has been said and all that has not
Of your immense, copious, abundant bounty,
Of your abundant flowing bounty,
مماof what جرىpassed فيupon شفةٍa lip عاجزاًfalling short
مما جرى في شفةٍ عاجزاً
وماand what توارىlay hidden فيin حناياthe folds الصدورthe bosoms
وما توارى في حنايا الصدور
Of what passed upon a lip, falling short,
That flowed powerless from a lip
And what lay hidden in the folds of bosoms,
Or hid in the bosoms' depths,
منof حقthe due of عبدAbd (servant) الحقal-Haqq (the Truth) فيin عدلهhis justice
من حق عبد الحق في عدله
لهto him وإنand even if يأبىhe refuses إليهtoward it المسيرthe journey
له وإن يأبى إليه المسير
Is, in fairness, Abd al-Haqq's rightful due,
Of Abdul Haq's right in his justice,
His, though he refuses to make his way toward it:
To it, though the journey be refused.
تحيةa greeting للأصلto the source مردودةreturned
تحية للأصل مردودة
وباقةand a bouquet قدalready قدمتwas presented للوزيرto the minister
وباقة قد قدمت للوزير
A greeting returned to its source,
Greetings restoring the origin,
And a bouquet presented to the minister.
And a bouquet presented to the minister.
سبحانglory be to ربيmy Lord قدindeed رأيناwe have seen الدجىthe darkness
سبحان ربي قد رأينا الدجى
يجلوهdispels it فيin عهدكyour tenure صبحٌa dawn منيرradiant
يجلوه في عهدك صبحٌ منير
Glory to my Lord! We have seen the darkness
Glory be to my Lord, we have seen the gloom
Dispelled in your tenure by a radiant dawn.
In your time cleared by a shining dawn.
ماشيتyou kept pace with هذاthis العصرage فيin سيرهits course
ماشيت هذا العصر في سيره
والعصرand the age يعلوsoars بجناحon the wing of النسورthe eagles
والعصر يعلو بجناح النسور
You kept pace with this age in its course,
You walked this age in its course,
And the age soars on eagles' wings.
While the age ascends on the wings of eagles.
ماnot زلتyou ceased بالأوقافwith the endowments حتىuntil رأتthey saw
ما زلت بالأوقاف حتى رأت
محطمthe breaker of القيدthe fetter وفاديand the redeemer of الأسيرthe captive
محطم القيد وفادي الأسير
You persevered with the endowments until they saw
You persisted with endowments until they saw
The breaker of fetters and the captive's redeemer.
Bondage broken and the prisoner redeemed.
كمhow often عيروهاthey mocked them بسلحفاتهاfor their tortoise
كم عيروها بسلحفاتها
فلينظروهاso let them behold them بجناحٍon a wing تطيرthey fly
فلينظروها بجناحٍ تطير
How often they mocked them for their tortoise!
How they reviled it as a turtle,
So let them behold them flying on a wing.
Let them look at it flying winged!
ياO نابشاًone who unearths فيهاwithin them كنوزtreasures الحجىwisdom
يا نابشاً فيها كنوز الحجى
منfrom كلevery وهاجٍradiant one قليلfew النظيرequals
من كل وهاجٍ قليل النظير
O you who unearth within them the treasures of wisdom,
O you who unearthed in it the age's treasures,
From every radiant one with few equals,
Peerless in every raging flood,
منfrom ذهبgold الدارthe house وآياتهاand its marvels
من ذهب الدار وآياتها
فتىa youth كبيرgreat القلبof heart صافيpure الضميرof conscience
فتى كبير القلب صافي الضمير
From the house's gold and its marvels:
Of the house's gold and its signs,
A youth great-hearted, pure of conscience.
A man great of heart and pure of conscience.
لهhe has معانيqualities البحرthe sea فيin هدأةstillness
له معاني البحر في هدأة
وفيهand in him روحa spirit كانسيابlike the flow of الغديرthe brook
وفيه روح كانسياب الغدير
He has the sea's qualities in repose,
In him are the sea's meanings in calm
And in him a spirit like the flow of a brook.
And a spirit like the flowing of streams.
خذtake منfrom سجاياهhis virtues ومنand from علمهhis knowledge
خذ من سجاياه ومن علمه
ماwhat يهبbestows الوردthe roses وتطويand enfold البحورthe seas
ما يهب الورد وتطوي البحور
Take from his virtues and from his knowledge
Take from his traits and his knowledge
What roses bestow and seas enfold.
What gives the roses and folds up the seas.