وَاذْكُرْand recall لَهُto his credit تَبْرِيزَهُhis distinction فِيin فَنِّهِhis art
وَاذْكُرْ لَهُ تَبْرِيزَهُ فِي فَنِّهِ
بِذَكَائِهِthrough his intelligence وَبِكَدِّهِand through his toil المُتَوَالِيunceasing
بِذَكَائِهِ وَبِكَدِّهِ المُتَوَالِي
And recall his distinction in his art,
Recall for him his excellence in his art
Through his intelligence and his unceasing toil,
With his intelligence and his unceasing toil,
وَبِعزْةٍand through dignity فِيwithin نَفْسِهِhis soul صَانَتْهُprotected him عَنْfrom
وَبِعزْةٍ فِي نَفْسِهِ صَانَتْهُ عَنْ
رُتَبٍِranks يُغَرُّone is beguiled بِهَاby them وَعَنْand from أَمْوَالِriches
رُتَبٍِ يُغَرُّ بِهَا وَعَنْ أَمْوَالِ
And through an inner dignity that shielded him from
And with a dignity in himself that protected him
Ranks that beguile, and from riches.
From ranks that delude with wealth and riches.
لَمْdid not يَثْنِهِdeter him دُونَfrom القِيَامِthe performance بِوَاجِبٍof a duty
لَمْ يَثْنِهِ دُونَ القِيَامِ بِوَاجِبٍ
بَأْسُthe might المُلُوكِof kings وَلاَnor نَدَىthe largesse الأَقْيَالِof princes
بَأْسُ المُلُوكِ وَلاَ نَدَى الأَقْيَالِ
He was not deterred from performing a duty
Neither the tyranny of kings nor the passing of time
By the might of kings or the largesse of princes.
Prevented him from fulfilling his duty.
اَلدَّأْبُperseverance وَالإِتْقَانُand mastery حَيْثُwherever تَلاَقَيَاthe two meet
اَلدَّأْبُ وَالإِتْقَانُ حَيْثُ تَلاَقَيَا
يَسْتَنْبِتَانِthe two make grow المَجْدَglory مِنْfrom إِمْحَالِbarrenness
يَسْتَنْبِتَانِ المَجْدَ مِنْ إِمْحَالِ
Perseverance and mastery, wherever they meet,
Dedication and perfectionism, wherever they meet,
Make glory sprout from barren ground.
Grow glory out of the impossible.
خُلُقَانِtwo virtues إِنْif تَكُنِbecomes الحَمِيَّةnoble zeal ثَالِثاًa third
خُلُقَانِ إِنْ تَكُنِ الحَمِيَّة ثَالِثاً
لَهُمَاfor them both فَقُلْthen speak فِيof رِفْعَةٍeminence وَجلاَلِand grandeur
لَهُمَا فَقُلْ فِي رِفْعَةٍ وَجلاَلِ
Two virtues: if noble zeal becomes a third
If enthusiasm is added to the two,
Alongside them, then speak of eminence and grandeur.
Then speak of him with veneration and majesty,
وَنقَابَةٌand guild leadership نِيطَتْwere entrusted بِهِto him أَعْبَاؤُهَاits burdens
وَنقَابَةٌ نِيطَتْ بِهِ أَعْبَاؤُهَا
نَاهِيكَenough for you بِالتَّبعَاتِwith responsibilities مِنْas أَحْمَالِburdens
نَاهِيكَ بِالتَّبعَاتِ مِنْ أَحْمَالِ
And a guild's leadership, whose burdens were entrusted to him—
And a probity with which he shouldered his burdens,
What burdens those responsibilities are!
Not to mention the appendages of other loads.
أَبْدَىhe displayed بِهَاthrough it مَاwhatever شَاءَwilled فَضْلُthe excellence نُبُوغِهِof his genius
أَبْدَى بِهَا مَا شَاءَ فَضْلُ نُبُوغِهِ
وَعُلُوُّand the loftiness هِمَّتهِof his resolve بِغَيْرِwithout تَعَالِىarrogance
وَعُلُوُّ هِمَّتهِ بِغَيْرِ تَعَالِى
Through it he showed all that his outstanding genius willed,
Through it he revealed whatever he wished of the excellence of his genius
And his lofty resolve willed, without arrogance.
And the loftiness of his ambition without arrogance.
وَلِمُسْتَعِيريand for those borrowing جَاهِهِhis influence مِنْamong نَشْئِهِمْtheir rising generation
وَلِمُسْتَعِيري جَاهِهِ مِنْ نَشْئِهِمْ
عَوْناًas help بِقَوْلٍthrough a word مُسْعِدٍsupportive أَوْor نَالِa gift
عَوْناً بِقَوْلٍ مُسْعِدٍ أَوْ نَالِ
And for those among their youth who borrowed his influence,
And for those who borrowed his prestige in their youth,
For help through a supportive word or a gift,
He gave help with an encouraging word or attainment
مِنْfrom عِلْمِهِhis knowledge الفَيَّاضِoverflowing أَوْor مِنْfrom رِوْقِهِhis choicest resources
مِنْ عِلْمِهِ الفَيَّاضِ أَوْ مِنْ رِوْقِهِ
لَمْdid not يَدَّخِرْwithhold شَيْئاًanything عَنِfrom السُّؤَّالِthose who ask
لَمْ يَدَّخِرْ شَيْئاً عَنِ السُّؤَّالِ
From his overflowing knowledge or from his choicest resources,
Of his abundant knowledge or his agreeableness.
He withheld nothing from those who asked.
He withheld nothing from questioning.
بَحْرٌa sea مِنَof الْعِرْفَانknowledge صَفْوٌpure مَاؤُهُits water
بَحْرٌ مِنَ الْعِرْفَان صَفْوٌ مَاؤُهُ
عَذْبُsweet المَوَارِدِthe watering places سَائِغُpleasant to drink السَّلسَالِthe limpid flowing water
عَذْبُ المَوَارِدِ سَائِغُ السَّلسَالِ
A sea of knowledge, its waters pure,
A sea of knowledge, pure is its water,
Sweet at its watering places, its limpid water pleasant to drink.
Sweet of springs, savory of cascades,
يُرْوِيquenches النفُوسَthe souls الظَّامِئَاتِthirsty فَتَشْتَفِيand so they are healed
يُرْوِي النفُوسَ الظَّامِئَاتِ فَتَشْتَفِي
وَسِوَاهُand others besides him يُظْمِئُهَاmake them thirsty بِلَمْعِwith the gleam الآلِthe mirage
وَسِوَاهُ يُظْمِئُهَا بِلَمْعِ الآلِ
It quenches thirsty souls, and so they are healed,
It quenches thirsty souls that drink their fill
While others make them thirst with the gleam of a mirage.
While all else thirsts them with the sheen of tinsel.
أَعْظِمْhow great بِهِhe is فِيin كُلِّevery عَاديَةٍcalamity عَدَتْthat has struck
أَعْظِمْ بِهِ فِي كُلِّ عَاديَةٍ عَدَتْ
مِنْas أَرْيَحِيّa generous-hearted man لِلْبِلاَدِfor the land ثِمَالِa refuge
مِنْ أَرْيَحِيّ لِلْبِلاَدِ ثِمَالِ
How great he is in every calamity that strikes—
Magnify through it, in every crisis that has befallen
A generous-hearted man, a refuge for the land!
A land of fragrance, the stock of supplies,
يَسْخُوgives freely لَهَاto it بِكَثِيرِهِof his plenty وَقَلِيلِهِand his little
يَسْخُو لَهَا بِكَثِيرِهِ وَقَلِيلِهِ
جَذِلاًjoyfully وَلاَand not يَشْكُوcomplains مِنَof الإِقْلاَلِscant means
جَذِلاً وَلاَ يَشْكُو مِنَ الإِقْلاَلِ
He gives it freely of what he has, much or little,
He is generous to it with much or little,
Joyfully, never complaining of scant means.
Unstinting, and does not complain of scarcity.
وَيَجُوزُand goes beyond مَاwhat فَرَضَتْimposed عَلَيْهِupon him نَفْسُهُhis own soul
وَيَجُوزُ مَا فَرَضَتْ عَلَيْهِ نَفْسُهُ
مِنْof نَجْدَةٍsuccor وَنَدّىand generosity إِلىto الأَنْفَالِadditional voluntary gifts
مِنْ نَجْدَةٍ وَنَدّى إِلى الأَنْفَالِ
And he goes beyond what his own soul imposed upon him
And he exceeds what his soul imposes upon him
Of succor and generosity, to gifts beyond duty.
Of aid and succor up to largess.