نقلوا عن اخ المكارم نقلا

نقلوا عن اخ المكارم نقلا

ما ارى أن يصحَّ حاشا وكلا

ما ارى أن يصحَّ حاشا وكلا

They passed on a report from the brother of noble virtues,

They relayed from the brother of virtues, a relay

I do not think it can be true—far be it, certainly not!

That I do not see to be correct, never and not at all

كيف من صحّ اصله عربياً

كيف من صحّ اصله عربياً

يجحد العرب والمكارم اصلا

يجحد العرب والمكارم اصلا

How can one whose lineage is truly Arab

How can one whose origin is Arabic

repudiate the Arabs and noble virtues altogether?

Deny the Arabs and virtues in origin

انما العرب في القديم طرازٌ

انما العرب في القديم طرازٌ

اينما حلَّ بالنضار محلى

اينما حلَّ بالنضار محلى

The Arabs have long been an embroidered ornament,

The Arabs of old were a model

adorned with pure gold wherever it rests.

Wherever he settled was a home of brightness

باقر العلم لا جهلت تعلّم

باقر العلم لا جهلت تعلّم

كرم العرب قدح فضل معلى

كرم العرب قدح فضل معلى

Baqir of knowledge—may you never know ignorance—learn:

Learned, not ignorant, he gained knowledge

The Arabs' nobility is merit's highest-winning arrow.

The generosity of Arabs a draft of superior fullness

ايهذا الجليل بل من تعدى

ايهذا الجليل بل من تعدى

بعلاه الفتى الأجل الاجلا

بعلاه الفتى الأجل الاجلا

O venerable one—rather, one who has surpassed

Is this the noble? Rather, who transgressed

through his eminence the noblest, most exalted youth,

With his loftiness the excellent youth, the most excellent

والكريم النبيل اصلاً وفرعا

والكريم النبيل اصلاً وفرعا

والعديم المثيل قولا وفعلا

والعديم المثيل قولا وفعلا

and generous and noble in root and branch,

And the generous, noble in origin and branch

and matchless in speech and deed:

And the matchless, in word and deed

لست ادري وليت أنيَ ادري

لست ادري وليت أنيَ ادري

قلت جداً اخيَّ ام قلت هزلا

قلت جداً اخيَّ ام قلت هزلا

I do not know—and would that I knew—

I do not know, and would that I know

did you speak in earnest, my dear brother, or in jest?

Have I said seriously, my brother, or jestfully

فاخو الفضل من اذا اعتاص معنى

فاخو الفضل من اذا اعتاص معنى

مشكل حلَّه الذي حاز فضلا

مشكل حلَّه الذي حاز فضلا

For the man of merit is one who, when a meaning grows

The brother of virtue, when the meaning was ambiguous

obscure, solves it—the one endowed with merit.

He solved it, the one who gained virtue

انت ذاك الفتى المشار اليه

انت ذاك الفتى المشار اليه

مفرد في الزمان قد عزَّ مثلا

مفرد في الزمان قد عزَّ مثلا

You are that youth to whom people point,

You are that excellent youth pointed to

unique in this age, with an equal hard to find.

Unique in time, esteeming the like

يا فتى حيدر المرشح ليثاً

يا فتى حيدر المرشح ليثاً

ان يكن رشح الغضنفر شبلا

ان يكن رشح الغضنفر شبلا

O youth of Haydar, groomed to be a lion,

O Haydar, the lion boldly nominated

if the mighty lion has groomed a cub;

If the nomination of al-Ghazzanfar was a cub

وهما ما جرى من السيف حدّاً

وهما ما جرى من السيف حدّاً

وغماماً اجرى الحيا المستهلا

وغماماً اجرى الحيا المستهلا

and the two are what issued from the sword as an edge [wording unclear],

And both flowed from the sword a limit

and a cloud that sent life-giving rain streaming down.

And a cloud the serpent set flowing

ما على السحب ان تريقك وبلا

ما على السحب ان تريقك وبلا

او على الكف ان تهزَّك نصلا

او على الكف ان تهزَّك نصلا

What harm to the clouds in pouring you down as heavy rain,

It is not for the clouds to spill you without cause

or to the hand in brandishing you as a blade?

Or for the palm to shake you, a blade

كل من كان حائزاً للمساعي

كل من كان حائزاً للمساعي

حاز بعضا وانت من حاز كُلا

حاز بعضا وانت من حاز كُلا

Everyone who has attained noble achievements

Everyone who attained efforts

has gained a part, while you have gained them all.

Attained some, while you attained all

انت اشهى من الشمول لقلبي

انت اشهى من الشمول لقلبي

بل واصفى من الشمال واحلى

بل واصفى من الشمال واحلى

You are more pleasing to my heart than wine,

You are more coveted to my heart than inclusiveness

nay, purer than the north wind, and sweeter.

Rather, purer than the north wind and sweeter

فالى اين ترتقي لمحل

فالى اين ترتقي لمحل

قصر الخطو ما تركت محلا

قصر الخطو ما تركت محلا

So where can you ascend, to what station?

So to where do you rise in rank

Shorten your stride—you have left no station unreached.

The palace of steps did not leave any rank

لا تبالي امرء يصول بجدٍّ

لا تبالي امرء يصول بجدٍّ

شدَّ للبطش منه باعاً اشلا

شدَّ للبطش منه باعاً اشلا

Do not heed a man who attacks in earnest,

Do not care for a man foolishly ferocious

who has braced a paralyzed arm of his to strike.

Tightening the grip, from him a land wider

ليس بالثبت من تطيش خطاه

ليس بالثبت من تطيش خطاه

كلما قيل قد تثبَّت زلا

كلما قيل قد تثبَّت زلا

One whose steps go astray is not steadfast;

Not firmly planted is he whose steps falter

whenever they say he has steadied himself, he slips.

Whenever it was said, he was steadfast, he slipped

لا ولا السابق المطيل عناناً

لا ولا السابق المطيل عناناً

ربما قصّر العنان فجلى

ربما قصّر العنان فجلى

No; nor is the one who lengthens his rein necessarily the victor:

No, nor the rider loosening the bridle

one may shorten the rein and come in first.

Sometimes he shortened the bridle and was clear

طال ما أخطأ المكثر قولا

طال ما أخطأ المكثر قولا

انما القول كلما قلَّ دلا

انما القول كلما قلَّ دلا

Often has the man who speaks too much erred;

Prolonged is the error of the frequent speaker

indeed, the fewer the words, the more they convey.

Rather, speech the less of it the more guiding