عَهِدْتُكَ لاَ تَهْوَى ثَنَاءً لِقَائِلِ

عَهِدْتُكَ لاَ تَهْوَى ثَنَاءً لِقَائِلِ

وَتؤْثِرُ فِي صَمْتِ ثَنَاءَ الفَضَائِلِ

وَتؤْثِرُ فِي صَمْتِ ثَنَاءَ الفَضَائِلِ

I have known you to crave no speaker's praise,

I entrusted you not to desire praise from a speaker,

And to prefer, in silence, the praise of virtues.

And to prefer in silent praise, praise of virtues.

لَقَدْ قَلَّ مَنْ يُؤْتِيهِ مَوْلاَهْ نِعْمَةً

لَقَدْ قَلَّ مَنْ يُؤْتِيهِ مَوْلاَهْ نِعْمَةً

وَيَقْدُرُهَا القَدْرَ الجَدِيرَ بِعَاقِلِ

وَيَقْدُرُهَا القَدْرَ الجَدِيرَ بِعَاقِلِ

Rare indeed is one whose Lord grants him a blessing

Indeed those decreased who are granted favor from their Master,

And who values it with the regard befitting a wise man.

And appreciate it with appreciation appropriate for the reasonable.

فَلاَ هُوَ تَيَّاهٌ عَلَى نُظَرَائِهِ

فَلاَ هُوَ تَيَّاهٌ عَلَى نُظَرَائِهِ

وَلاَ هُوَ نَاسٍ حَقَّ عَافٍ وَسَائِلِ

وَلاَ هُوَ نَاسٍ حَقَّ عَافٍ وَسَائِلِ

For he is not arrogant toward his peers,

So he is neither boastful over his peers,

Nor does he forget the claim of a seeker of bounty and a petitioner.

Nor harming the rights of the meek and questioners.

وَجِيهٌ وَمَا أَحْلَى الوَجَاهَةَ فِي أَمْرِىءٍ

وَجِيهٌ وَمَا أَحْلَى الوَجَاهَةَ فِي أَمْرِىءٍ

رَقِيقِ حَوَاشِي الطَّبْعِ عَذْبِ الشَّمَائِل

رَقِيقِ حَوَاشِي الطَّبْعِ عَذْبِ الشَّمَائِل

A man of standing—how sweet is distinction in a man

Honorable, and how beautiful is honor in a man

Gentle at the edges of his nature, sweet in his ways.

Of gentle nature, sweet traits.

بِنَائِلِهِ يُؤْتِي الجَّميلَ مِنَ النَّدَى

بِنَائِلِهِ يُؤْتِي الجَّميلَ مِنَ النَّدَى

وَلَيْسَ جَمِيلاً فِي النَّدَى كُلُّ نَائِلِ

وَلَيْسَ جَمِيلاً فِي النَّدَى كُلُّ نَائِلِ

Through his bounty he bestows gracious generosity,

With his attainments he brings beauty from the dew,

And not every gift is gracious in its giving.

And not all who attain from the dew are beautiful.

لَكَ اللهُ يَا مَنْ حَلَّ بِالجّاهِ وَالحِجَى

لَكَ اللهُ يَا مَنْ حَلَّ بِالجّاهِ وَالحِجَى

مَكَانَتَهُ بَينَ السَّراةِ الأمَاثلِ

مَكَانَتَهُ بَينَ السَّراةِ الأمَاثلِ

God be with you, you who through standing and wisdom have taken

May Allah grant you, oh you who settled with glory and reverence,

Your place among the foremost nobles.

His standing between the noble peers.

فَمَا فِي الأُولَى خَالَطْتَ إِلاَّ مَنِ اجْتَلَى

فَمَا فِي الأُولَى خَالَطْتَ إِلاَّ مَنِ اجْتَلَى

بِمَسْرَاكَ مَسْرَى الْكَوْكَبِ المُتَكَامِلِ

بِمَسْرَاكَ مَسْرَى الْكَوْكَبِ المُتَكَامِلِ

For everyone you have mingled with has beheld

So of the first, you have not accompanied except one who attained

In your course the course of a star in its fullness,

The path of the accomplished star.

وَأَكْبَرَ ذَاكَ الحَزْمَ وَالعَزْمَ فِي فَتًى

وَأَكْبَرَ ذَاكَ الحَزْمَ وَالعَزْمَ فِي فَتًى

تَخَطَّى حِجَاهُ سِنَّهُ بِمَرَاحِلِ

تَخَطَّى حِجَاهُ سِنَّهُ بِمَرَاحِلِ

And admired that prudence and resolve in a young man

And greatest in that resolve and determination in a youth

Whose wisdom outstripped his years by many stages.

Whose glory transcended the stages of his age.

فَادْرَكَ مَجْداً كَانَ دُونَ بُلُوغِهِ

فَادْرَكَ مَجْداً كَانَ دُونَ بُلُوغِهِ

توَقَّى مُلِمَّاتِ وَحَلَّ مَعَاضِلِ

توَقَّى مُلِمَّاتِ وَحَلَّ مَعَاضِلِ

Thus he attained glory; before he reached it,

So he attained glory that was beyond his reaching,

He had warded off calamities and solved difficult problems.

Avoided pitfalls and reached summits.

وَلَمْ يَبْلُ مِنْهُ النَّاسُ إِلاَّ مُهَذَّباً

وَلَمْ يَبْلُ مِنْهُ النَّاسُ إِلاَّ مُهَذَّباً

حَمِيدَ الطَّوَايَا وَالمُنَى وَالوَسَائِلِ

حَمِيدَ الطَّوَايَا وَالمُنَى وَالوَسَائِلِ

And people have known him only as a refined man,

And people did not know from him except refined,

Praiseworthy in his inner intentions, aspirations, and means.

Praiseworthy in yearning, purpose, and means.

بُرَبِّي بَنِيهِ بِالحَصَافَةِ وَالهُدَى

بُرَبِّي بَنِيهِ بِالحَصَافَةِ وَالهُدَى

وَتسْعِدُه أَوفَى وَأَكْفَى العَقَائِلِ

وَتسْعِدُه أَوفَى وَأَكْفَى العَقَائِلِ

He raises his sons with sound judgment and guidance,

Educating his sons with virtue and guidance,

And the most faithful and capable of noble women gladdens him:

And his most loyal and sufficient clans make him happy.

عَقِيلَةُ بَيْتٍ بَارَكَ اللهُ حَوْلَه

عَقِيلَةُ بَيْتٍ بَارَكَ اللهُ حَوْلَه

فَمَا مِنْ وَشَايَاتٍ وَمَا مِنْ عَوَاذِلِ

فَمَا مِنْ وَشَايَاتٍ وَمَا مِنْ عَوَاذِلِ

A noble lady of a home whose surroundings God has blessed,

The protector of a house Allah has blessed around it,

So there are no slanderous tales and no faultfinders.

So there is no slander and no faults.

بِغَيْرِ الَّذِي يُرْضِي الضَّمِيرَ وَرَبَّهَا

بِغَيْرِ الَّذِي يُرْضِي الضَّمِيرَ وَرَبَّهَا

وَوَاليَهَا لَيْسَتْ بِذَاتِ شَوَاغِلِ

وَوَاليَهَا لَيْسَتْ بِذَاتِ شَوَاغِلِ

With anything but what pleases conscience and her Lord

Without that which satisfies her conscience and her Lord,

And her guardian, she does not concern herself.

She is not one who is busy with frivolities.

فَبَشِّر بِسَعْدٍ أُمةً كَثُرَتْ بِهَا

فَبَشِّر بِسَعْدٍ أُمةً كَثُرَتْ بِهَا

مَنَازِلُ أَبْرَارٍ كَهَذِي المَنَازِلِ

مَنَازِلُ أَبْرَارٍ كَهَذِي المَنَازِلِ

So herald good fortune for a nation where there abound

So give glad tidings of happiness to a nation abundant in it

Homes of the righteous like these homes.

Homes of the righteous like these homes.

يُشَرِّفُ أَرْبَابُ البُيُوتَاتِ قَوْمَهُمْ

يُشَرِّفُ أَرْبَابُ البُيُوتَاتِ قَوْمَهُمْ

وَيَبْنُونَ لِلْمُسْتَقْبَلِ المُتَطَاوِلِ

وَيَبْنُونَ لِلْمُسْتَقْبَلِ المُتَطَاوِلِ

The heads of households bring honor to their people,

Nobles of houses ennoble their people,

And build for the far-reaching future.

And they build for the ambitious future.

فَذَاكَ هُوَ العُمْرَانُ وَالفَوْزُ لِلْحِجَى

فَذَاكَ هُوَ العُمْرَانُ وَالفَوْزُ لِلْحِجَى

بِإِعلاءِ حَقٍّ أَوْ بِإِزهَاقِ بَاطِلِ

بِإِعلاءِ حَقٍّ أَوْ بِإِزهَاقِ بَاطِلِ

For that is civilization and the triumph of wisdom,

That is civilization and success for reverence,

By exalting truth or extinguishing falsehood.

By establishing truth or abolishing falsehood.

صَدِيقِيَ هَذَا وَصْفُ حَالٍ شَهِدْتهَا

صَدِيقِيَ هَذَا وَصْفُ حَالٍ شَهِدْتهَا

وَوَصْفِيَ لاَ يَعْدُو شَهَادَةَ عَادِلِ

وَوَصْفِيَ لاَ يَعْدُو شَهَادَةَ عَادِلِ

My friend, this describes a state of affairs I have witnessed,

My friend this is a description of a state I witnessed,

And my description goes no further than a just man's testimony.

And my description does not exceed the testimony of a just one.

بَنَيْتَ بِإِقْدَامٍ وَصِدْقٍ كَما بَنَى

بَنَيْتَ بِإِقْدَامٍ وَصِدْقٍ كَما بَنَى

أَبُوكَ وَأَي الفَضَّلِ فُضْلُ الأوَائِل

أَبُوكَ وَأَي الفَضَّلِ فُضْلُ الأوَائِل

You have built with courage and sincerity, just as did

You have built with determination and sincerity as

Your father—and how great is the merit of the forebears!

Your father built, and what virtue above the virtues of the predecessors?