نَسَبٌa lineage عَلَىaccording to قدَرِthe measure of المَفَاخِرْglories
نَسَبٌ عَلَى قدَرِ المَفَاخِرْ
فِيهِin it تَكَافَأَتِwere evenly matched الْعَنَاصِرْthe elements
فِيهِ تَكَافَأَتِ الْعَنَاصِرْ
A lineage commensurate with its glories,
Lineage is valued for its glories
In which the elements are evenly matched.
Where the elements are in harmony
واَلخَيْرُand the good أَنْthat تَتَوَاشَجَintertwine
واَلخَيْرُ أَنْ تَتَوَاشَجَ
الأَعْرَاقُthe bloodlines فِيin خَيْرِthe best of الْعَشَائِرْthe clans
الأَعْرَاقُ فِي خَيْرِ الْعَشَائِرْ
And good lies in the intertwining
Goodness is when races intermarry
Of bloodlines among the finest clans.
Among the best families
زُرْنَاwe visited رِحَابَthe spacious courts of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
زُرْنَا رِحَابَ مُحَمَّدٍ
بَيْنَamid الْمَبَاهِجِdelights وَالبَشَائِرْand glad tidings
بَيْنَ الْمَبَاهِجِ وَالبَشَائِرْ
We visited Muhammad's spacious courts,
We visited the sanctuary of Muhammad
Amid delights and glad tidings,
Among festivities and good news
نَلْقَىwe meet الصَّدِيقَthe friend ابْنَson of الأَصَادِقِthe friends
نَلْقَى الصَّدِيقَ ابْنَ الأَصَادِقِ
وَالكَبِيرَand the great man ابْنَson of الأَكَابِرْthe great men
وَالكَبِيرَ ابْنَ الأَكَابِرْ
To meet the friend, son of friends,
We met the truthful son of the truthful
And the great man, son of great men.
And the elder son of the elders
فَاسْتَقْبَلَتْنَاthen it welcomed us زِينَةٌadornment
فَاسْتَقْبَلَتْنَا زِينَةٌ
قَرَّتْwere delighted بِرَوْعَتِهَاby its splendor النَّوَاظِرْthe eyes
قَرَّتْ بِرَوْعَتِهَا النَّوَاظِرْ
Then adornment welcomed us,
We were welcomed by a beauty
Its splendor delighting the eyes.
Whose splendor dazzled all eyes
تَبْدُوappears الحَفَاوَةُwarm hospitality فِيin حَلاَهَاits adornments
تَبْدُو الحَفَاوَةُ فِي حَلاَهَا
وَهْيَand it is مُونِقَةُenchanting المَظَاهِرْoutward appearances
وَهْيَ مُونِقَةُ المَظَاهِرْ
Warm hospitality shows in its adornments,
Grace shows in her dress
And it is enchanting in appearance.
As she gracefully displays herself
صُوَرٌimages تَجَلَّىwas revealed فِيin بَدِيعِthe exquisite beauty of
صُوَرٌ تَجَلَّى فِي بَدِيعِ
نِظَامِهَاtheir arrangement لُطْفُgentleness السَّرَائِرْinnermost feelings
نِظَامِهَا لُطْفُ السَّرَائِرْ
Images revealing, in the exquisite beauty
Images that manifest in their exquisite
Of their arrangement, the gentleness of hearts.
Composition, subtleties of mysteries
فِيin جَنَّةa garden عَجَبٍwonder تَنَاغَىexchanged sweet murmurs
فِي جَنَّة عَجَبٍ تَنَاغَى
الزَّهْرُthe flowers فِيهَاin it وَالأَزَاهِرْand the blossoms
الزَّهْرُ فِيهَا وَالأَزَاهِرْ
In a garden of wonders, sweetly conversed
In a wondrous garden, flowers
The flowers and blossoms within it.
Bloomed, and blossoms flourished
مَلأَتْfilled جَوَانِبَهَاits sides الوُفُودُthe delegations
مَلأَتْ جَوَانِبَهَا الوُفُودُ
مِنْof الْكِرَامِthe noble men ذَويpossessing الأَوَاصِرْkinship bonds
مِنْ الْكِرَامِ ذَوي الأَوَاصِرْ
Delegations filled its grounds,
Chieftains thronged its sides
Of noble men bound by kinship,
Bonded kinsmen, of high standing
وَمِنَand of السَّرَاةٍthe notables أُولىpossessors of المَكَانِةِhigh standing
وَمِنَ السَّرَاةٍ أُولى المَكَانِةِ
فِيin البَوَادِيthe desert lands وَالحَوَاضِرْand the cities
فِي البَوَادِي وَالحَوَاضِرْ
And of notables of high standing
Among nomads and city dwellers alike
In desert lands and cities.
What a fine assembly they made
يَاO حَبَّذَاhow splendid إِجْمَاعُهُمْtheir unanimous accord وَهَوَىand the love of
يَا حَبَّذَا إِجْمَاعُهُمْ وَهَوَى
الكَنَانَةEgypt (the Quiver) فِيهِin it سَافِرْunveiled
الكَنَانَة فِيهِ سَافِرْ
How splendid their accord, while the love
Unrestrained affection reigned among them
Of Egypt, the Quiver, is unveiled within it,
Eloquence flowed; a speaker's pride
لَأديِبَهاfor its man of letters وَخَطِيبِهَاand its orator فَخْرِthe pride of
لَأديِبَها وَخَطِيبِهَا فَخْرِ
المَحَابِرِthe inkwells وَالمَنَابِرْand the pulpits
المَحَابِرِ وَالمَنَابِرْ
For its man of letters and orator, the pride
And her fearless champion, in times
Of inkwells and pulpits,
When supporters were few
وَنَصِيرِهَاand its champion المِقْدَامِthe intrepid فِيin الجُلَّىgrave calamity
وَنَصِيرِهَا المِقْدَامِ فِي الجُلَّى
وَقَدْwhile indeed عَزَّwas scarce المُنَاصِرْthe supporter
وَقَدْ عَزَّ المُنَاصِرْ
And its intrepid champion in grave calamity,
Chastity, if it paves the path
When supporters were scarce;
To wishes, refines consciences
العَفُّthe incorruptible إِنْif كَانَwas السَّبيلُthe road إِلىto
العَفُّ إِنْ كَانَ السَّبيلُ إِلى
المُنَىwishes سُوْقَa marketplace for الضَّمائِرْconsciences
المُنَى سُوْقَ الضَّمائِرْ
Incorruptible, even if the road to
O you who masked the Virgo constellation
One's wishes were a marketplace for consciences.
You chose well your in-laws
يَاO مَنْyou who غَمَاovershadowed الجَوْزَاءَOrion
يَا مَنْ غَمَا الجَوْزَاءَ
أَحْسَنْتَyou did well اخْتِيَارَكَyour choice of مَنْwhom تُصَاهِرْyou join by marriage
أَحْسَنْتَ اخْتِيَارَكَ مَنْ تُصَاهِرْ
O you who overshadowed Orion,
Thus the Quran showed us how
You chose well whom to join by marriage.
It harmonizes flowers into bouquets
فَبَدَاthus it became clear لَنَاto us كَيْفَhow القِرَانُmarriage
فَبَدَا لَنَا كَيْفَ القِرَانُ
يُؤَلِفُّunites الزَّهْرَthe flowers الزَّوَاهِرْthe radiant ones
يُؤَلِفُّ الزَّهْرَ الزَّوَاهِرْ
Thus we saw how marriage
And links descendants in
Unites the radiant flowers,
A lineage, pure as pouring rain
وَيُسَلْسِلُand links in succession الأَعْقَابَthe descendants فِيin
وَيُسَلْسِلُ الأَعْقَابَ فِي
نَسْلoffspring كَمَاءِlike the water of المُزْنِthe rainclouds طَاهِرْpure
نَسْل كَمَاءِ المُزْنِ طَاهِرْ
And links generations in
My soul recalls your grandfather
A line of offspring pure as raincloud water.
How often he fills my thoughts
عَهْدِيmy recollection بِجَدِّكَof your grandfather كَمْhow often
عَهْدِي بِجَدِّكَ كَمْ
تُعَاوِدُنِيreturn to me بِذِكْراهُin remembrance of him الخَوَاطِرْthoughts
تُعَاوِدُنِي بِذِكْراهُ الخَوَاطِرْ
I remember your grandfather—how often
And your brilliant father
Thoughts return to me when I remember him!—
Of excellent principles and sources
وَبِمُنْجِبٍand of a begetter لِكَof yours كَانَwas
وَبِمُنْجِبٍ لِكَ كَانَ
مَحْمُودُpraiseworthy المَوَارِدِcomings وَالمَصَادِرْand goings
مَحْمُودُ المَوَارِدِ وَالمَصَادِرْ
And the one who begot you, who was
When I meet you, we are no longer
Praiseworthy in his comings and goings.
Apart while you are present
فَإِذَاso when لَقَيْتكَI meet you لَمْnot يَكونَاthey both are
فَإِذَا لَقَيْتكَ لَمْ يَكونَا
غَائِبَيْنِboth absent وَأَنْتَwhile you are حَاضِرْpresent
غَائِبَيْنِ وَأَنْتَ حَاضِرْ
So when I meet you, they are not
Blessed are you, following in
Absent while you are present.
Their footsteps, building glories
بُورِكْتَmay you be blessed مِنْas خَلَفٍa successor عَلَىin
بُورِكْتَ مِنْ خَلَفٍ عَلَى
أَثَريْهِمَاthe footsteps of them both يَبْنِيbuilds المَآثِرْdeeds of glory
أَثَريْهِمَا يَبْنِي المَآثِرْ
Blessed are you as a successor who, in
Congratulations to you and your sons
Their footsteps, builds deeds of glory.
As your family's renown grows
وَهَنِئْتَand may you rejoice وَلْيَهْنَأand may they rejoice بَنُوكَyour sons
وَهَنِئْتَ وَلْيَهْنَأ بَنُوكَ
وَمجْدُand the glory of هَذَاthis الْبَيْتِhouse زَاخِرْoverflowing
وَمجْدُ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ زَاخِرْ
And may you rejoice, and may your sons rejoice,
And may your joys continue
While the glory of this house brims over.
From first to last
وَلْتَتَّصلْand may they continue أَفْرَاحُكُمْyour joys
وَلْتَتَّصلْ أَفْرَاحُكُمْ
تَتْلُوfollow أَوَائِلُهَاtheir beginnings الأَوَاخِرْthe endings
تَتْلُو أَوَائِلُهَا الأَوَاخِرْ
And may your joys continue unbroken,
Their beginnings following their endings.
Partial English translation: 44 of 46 Arabic lines translated.