1. أَلاَ هَلْ تَرَكْتُمْ يَا لَقَوْمِي فَضِيلَة

    تَبِيتُ مِنَ الحُسَّادِ يَوْماً بِمَعْزِلِ

    Ah, have you, O my people, left any virtue

    To remain for a day apart from the envious?

  2. أَلَيْسَ جَمِيلُ الْفِعْلِ أَوْلَى لَدَيْكُمُ

    بِظَنٍّ جَمِيلٍ مِثْلُهُ أَوْ بِأَمْثلِ

    Is not a noble deed more deserving, in your eyes,

    Of an equally noble judgment, or one still better?

  3. عَفَا اللهُ عَنْكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ جُهْدُ مَا بِهِ

    عِقَابُكُمُ مِنْ غَافِرٍ مُتَسَهِّلِ

    May God forgive you—that is the utmost

    Punishment a forgiving, lenient one can inflict on you.

  4. وَفُدِّيتِ يَا أُخْتَ الْكِرَامِ بِمَا انْطَوَتْ

    عَلَيْهِ حَنَايَا عَاذِلاَتٍ وَعُذَّلِ

    And may you be ransomed, O sister of the noble, by what lies

    Within the hearts of women and men who censure.

  5. لَئِنْ سَاءَ يَوْماً فِي الكَمَالِ تَقَوُّلٌ

    لَمَا نَالَ يَوماً مِنْهُ سُوءُ التَّقَولِ

    Even if slander should one day malign perfection,

    The malice of slander could never diminish it.

  6. تَجَاوَزَ حَدَّ البِرِّ مَا تَصْنَعِينَهُ

    وَزَادَكِ مَجْداً فَرطُ هَذَا التَّطَوُّلِ

    What you do has surpassed the bounds of kindness,

    And this overflowing generosity has heightened your glory.

  7. تَبَيَّنْتِ نَقْصَ الفَضْلِ مَا لَمْ تُتِمِّهِ

    بِمَسْعَى وَبِالمَسْعَى تَمَامُ التَّفَضُّل

    You saw that virtue falls short unless you complete it

    Through effort—and through effort generosity is made complete.

  8. أَتَأْسِينَ أَبْطَالاً وَأَشْفَى مِنَ الأَسَى

    لَهُمْ بَارِقٌ مِنْ وَجْهِكِ المُتَهَلِّل

    Do you heal heroes? More healing than treatment

    For them is a gleam from your beaming face.

  9. وَتَبْتَدِرِينَ الخَيْرَ حَتَّى كَأَنَّمَا

    تَفِينَ بِمَقْضِيَّ الأَدَاءِ معُجَّلِ

    And you hasten to do good, as though

    You were fulfilling an obligation due without delay.

  10. دَعَاكِ فُؤَادٌ طَاهِرٌ فَأَجَبْتِهِ

    لإِسْعَافِ جَرْحَى الحَرْبِ لَمْ تَتَمَهَّلِي

    A pure heart called you, so you answered it;

    To aid the wounded of war, you did not delay.

  11. وَكَمْ مَلَكٌ فِي حَوْمَةِ الشَّرَفِ ازْدَهَى

    بِتَمْرِيض صُعْلُوكٍ شُجَاع مُجَنْدَلِ

    And many an angel has gloried in honor's arena

    In nursing a brave pauper laid low.

  12. وَكَمْ هَالِكٌ دَامِي الجَوَانِبِ تَنْحَنِي

    إِلَى قَدَمَيْهِ ذَاتُ رَأْسٍ تُكَلَّلِ

    And many a dying man, his sides bleeding—

    At his feet bends a woman whose head is crowned.

  13. كَذَا أَنْتِ إَلاَّ أَنَّ بِرَّكِ لَمْ يَكُنْ

    لِمَفْخَرَةٍ فِي النَّاسِ أَوْ لِتَنَبُّلِ

    Such are you—except that your kindness was not

    For boasting among people or for self-exaltation.

  14. فَبَينَا تَرَاكِ الْعَيْنُ إِنْسِيَّةَ الْحِلَى

    إِذَا مَلَكٌ مِنْ رَحْمَةٍ فِيك يَنْجَلي

    So, while the eye sees you in human guise,

    Behold, an angel of mercy shines forth in you.