بُورِكَblessed be فِيin خَلْقِكَyour form المَلِيحِlovely
بُورِكَ فِي خَلْقِكَ المَلِيحِ
يَاO أَشْبَهَmost resembling الخَلْقِall people بِالمَسِيحِChrist
يَا أَشْبَهَ الخَلْقِ بِالمَسِيحِ
May you be blessed in your lovely form,
Blessings upon your graceful creation,
O you most like Christ among all people,
O most Christ-like in appearance,
وَفِيand in ذَكَاءٍintelligence لَهُit has شُعَاعٌa ray
وَفِي ذَكَاءٍ لَهُ شُعَاعٌ
يَبْدُوappears عَلىupon وَجَهِكَyour face الصَّبيحِhandsome
يَبْدُو عَلى وَجَهِكَ الصَّبيحِ
And in your intelligence, whose ray
With an intellect whose brilliance
Appears upon your handsome face;
Radiates across your radiant face.
وَفِيand in خِصَالٍqualities مُتَمَّماتٍperfected
وَفِي خِصَالٍ مُتَمَّماتٍ
بِالْخُلُقِby the character الطَّاهِرِpure الصَّرِيحِsincere
بِالْخُلُقِ الطَّاهِرِ الصَّرِيحِ
And in qualities perfected
With perfect, sincere traits,
By pure, sincere character;
And with modesty without pretense,
وَفِيand in تَناهٍutmost striving بِلاَwithout تَباهٍboasting
وَفِي تَناهٍ بِلاَ تَباهٍ
ذَوْداًdefense عَنِof المَبْدَأِthe principle الصَّحيحِsound
ذَوْداً عَنِ المَبْدَأِ الصَّحيحِ
And in utmost striving without boasting,
Guarding the proper principle.
In defense of sound principle.
You act justly, but what justice
أَعَدْتَyou brought back قَسّاًQuss وَأَيْنَand where قَسٍّQuss
أَعَدْتَ قَسّاً وَأَيْنَ قَسٍّ
لَوْif عَادَhe returned مِنْcompared with نِدِّهِhis peer الْفَصِيحِeloquent
لَوْ عَادَ مِنْ نِدِّهِ الْفَصِيحِ
You have brought Quss back; yet where would Quss be,
Could return from its eloquent opponent?
Were he to return, beside his eloquent peer?
The attainments of an honorable soul
هطَلْcan ...? (likely هل) لِنَجِيبٍfor a noble steed إِدْرَاكُattaining شَأْوٍa goal
هطَلْ لِنَجِيبٍ إِدْرَاكُ شَأْوٍ
فِيin شَوْطِthe course of علْيَائكَyour eminence الْفَسِيحِspacious
فِي شَوْطِ علْيَائكَ الْفَسِيحِ
Can a noble steed attain a goal
Are boundless in your vast arena.
On the spacious course of your eminence?
With delusions the deceived
بِوَهْمِهِin his fancy يَعْثُرُstumbles المُجَلَيthe leading steed
بِوَهْمِهِ يَعْثُرُ المُجَلَي
إِنْif رَامَهُhe attempts it عَثْرَةَa stumble الطَّليحِthe exhausted steed
إِنْ رَامَهُ عَثْرَةَ الطَّليحِ
In his fancy, the leading steed stumbles,
Stumbles if he envies the sincere.
If he attempts it, with a weary steed's stumble.
Your effective preaching brings healing
عِظَاتُكَyour exhortations الْبَالِغَاتُpowerful طِبٍّmedicine
عِظَاتُكَ الْبَالِغَاتُ طِبٍّ
مِنَagainst التَّباريحِanguish وَالْجُرُوحِand wounds
مِنَ التَّباريحِ وَالْجُرُوحِ
Your powerful exhortations are medicine
From wounds and lesions.
Against anguish and wounds.
In it the body finds bodily cure,
فِيهِنin them لِلْجِسْمِfor the body بُرْءُhealing جِسْمٍa body
فِيهِن لِلْجِسْمِ بُرْءُ جِسْمٍ
فِيهِنَّin them لِلرُّوحِfor the spirit بُرْءُhealing رُوحِa spirit
فِيهِنَّ لِلرُّوحِ بُرْءُ رُوحِ
In them is bodily healing for the body;
In it the soul finds cure of spirit.
In them is spiritual healing for the spirit.
My master, this is true speech,
مَوْلاَيَmy lord هَذَاthis مَقَالُa statement of حَقٍّtruth
مَوْلاَيَ هَذَا مَقَالُ حَقٍّ
مَاnot فِيهِin it شَيْءٌanything مِنَof المَدِيحِpraise
مَا فِيهِ شَيْءٌ مِنَ المَدِيحِ
My lord, this is a statement of truth;
Nothing of flattery within it.
Not a trace of praise is in it.
O joy of a people you lead,
يَاO سَعْدَthe good fortune of قَوْمٍa people وَلِيتَyou assumed authority فِيهِمْamong them
يَا سَعْدَ قَوْمٍ وَلِيتَ فِيهِمْ
وِلاَيَةَthe leadership of المُصْلِحِthe reformer المُشِيحِdiligent
وِلاَيَةَ المُصْلِحِ المُشِيحِ
How fortunate the people among whom you assumed
With the guidance of the healing guide.
The leadership of a diligent reformer!
Twenty five years you stood among them
خَمْسٌfive وَعِشْرُونَand twenty قُمْتَyou took charge فِيهَاduring them
خَمْسٌ وَعِشْرُونَ قُمْتَ فِيهَا
بِأَمْرِهِمْof their affairs غَيْرَnot مُسْتَرِيحِresting
بِأَمْرِهِمْ غَيْرَ مُسْتَرِيحِ
For twenty-five years you have taken charge
By their command, without rest.
Of their affairs, never resting;
Executing thought of fortitude and resolve,
نَفَّاذَpenetrating رَأيٍjudgment شَدِيدَfirm عَزْمٍresolve
نَفَّاذَ رَأيٍ شَدِيدَ عَزْمٍ
غَيْرَnot عَتِيٍّtyrannical وَلاَnor جَمُوحِheadstrong
غَيْرَ عَتِيٍّ وَلاَ جَمُوحِ
Penetrating in judgment, firm in resolve,
Not complacent nor impetuous.
Neither tyrannical nor headstrong.
Yours is the everlasting house which you build
لَكَyours is الْبُيْتُthe house الدَّانِيlowly وَتَبْنِيand you build
لَكَ الْبُيْتُ الدَّانِي وَتَبْنِي
لِلْبِرِّfor charity مَرُْوعَةَlofty (likely مرفوعة) الصُّروحِthe edifices
لِلْبِرِّ مَرُْوعَةَ الصُّروحِ
Yours is a humble house, yet you build
As a fortress for righteousness.
For charity, lofty edifices.
If not for necessity, you would not wear
لَوْلاَwere it not for اضْطِرَارٌnecessity قَضَىdecreed بِلُبْسِfor wearing الطِّthe finery (first fragment)
لَوْلاَ اضْطِرَارٌ قَضَى بِلُبْسِ الطِّ
رَازِcompletion of 'finery' شُوهِدَتْyou were seen (likely شُوهِدْتَ) فِيin المُسُوحِsackcloth garments
رَازِ شُوهِدَتْ فِي المُسُوحِ
Were necessity not to decree the wearing of fine
Cloaks that are seen in mosques.
Raiment, you would be seen in sackcloth.
You take the fair in what you seek
تَأْخُذُyou take أَخْذَan approach الجَمِيلِthe gracious فِيْماin what
تَأْخُذُ أَخْذَ الجَمِيلِ فِيْما
تَبْغِيyou seek وَتَنْهَيand you forbid عَنِfrom الْقَبِيحِwhat is ugly
تَبْغِي وَتَنْهَي عَنِ الْقَبِيحِ
You take a gracious approach to what
And forbid the ugly.
You seek, and forbid what is base.
You forgive the sinner in emulation
تَغْفِرُyou forgive لِلْخَاطِئto the sinner اقْتِدَاءًfollowing the example
تَغْفِرُ لِلْخَاطِئ اقْتِدَاءً
بِرَبِّكof your Lord الْغَافِرِforgiving السَّميحِgracious
بِرَبِّك الْغَافِرِ السَّميحِ
You forgive the sinner, following the example
Of your Lord, the Pardoning, Forbearing.
Of your forgiving, gracious Lord.
You are not inclined to excuse
لَسْتَyou are not لِعُذْرٍfor a pardon عَنْfor أَيِّany قَوْلٍword
لَسْتَ لِعُذْرٍ عَنْ أَيِّ قَوْلٍ
أَوْor أَيِّany فِعْلٍdeed بِمُسْتَمِيحِone who begs
أَوْ أَيِّ فِعْلٍ بِمُسْتَمِيحِ
No pardon for any word
Any word or deed shameful.
Or any deed do you beg.
And advice, the more it is accepted,
وَالنُّصحُand counsel مَاnothing زَادَهُincreases its قَبُولاًacceptance
وَالنُّصحُ مَا زَادَهُ قَبُولاً
كَالصِّدْقِlike sincerity مِنْfrom جَانِبِthe side of النَّصيحِthe counselor
كَالصِّدْقِ مِنْ جَانِبِ النَّصيحِ
And counsel—nothing makes it more welcome
Is as truth from a sincere advisor.
Than sincerity on the counselor's part.
You never cease in occurrences
لاَnot تَفْتَأُyou cease الدَّهْرَthroughout time فِيin حُلُولٍarriving
لاَ تَفْتَأُ الدَّهْرَ فِي حُلُولٍ
لِسَدِّto close ثَغْرٍa breach أَوْor فِيin نُزُوحِdeparting
لِسَدِّ ثَغْرٍ أَوْ فِي نُزُوحِ
You are ever, through the years, arriving
To mend a rift or stem unwanted change.
To close a breach, or journeying away.
A heart aspiring to eternity
قَلْبٌa heart إِلىtoward الْخَالِدَاتِeternal things يَرْنُوgazes
قَلْبٌ إِلى الْخَالِدَاتِ يَرْنُو
بِنَاظِرٍwith an eye طَاهِرٍpure طَمُوحِaspiring
بِنَاظِرٍ طَاهِرٍ طَمُوحِ
A heart that gazes toward eternal things,
With a pure, ambitious gaze,
With a pure, aspiring eye;
Or a writing pen and a voice
أَوْor قَلَمٍa pen كَاتِبٍwriting وَصَوْتٍand a voice
أَوْ قَلَمٍ كَاتِبٍ وَصَوْتٍ
مُرَدِّدٍrepeating مَاwhat إِلَيْكَto you أُوحِيwas revealed
مُرَدِّدٍ مَا إِلَيْكَ أُوحِي
Or a writing pen, and a voice
Repeating what is revealed to you.
Repeating what was revealed to you.
We have not seen it deaf,
مَاnot إِنْemphasizes the negation رَأَيْنَاwe have seen لَهُto it سَمِيعاًa listener
مَا إِنْ رَأَيْنَا لَهُ سَمِيعاً
وَجَفْنُهُand his eyelid لَيْسَis not بِالْقَرِيحِsore
وَجَفْنُهُ لَيْسَ بِالْقَرِيحِ
Never have we seen a listener to it
Nor are its eyelids impaired.
Whose eyelid was not sore.
Wisest, most eloquent ink,
رَشِيدُRashid أَبْلِغconvey أَجَلَّthe most venerable حَبْرٍa prelate
رَشِيدُ أَبْلِغ أَجَلَّ حَبْرٍ
تَهْنِئَةَcongratulations الوَامِقِthe loving one النَّصوحِthe sincere well-wisher
تَهْنِئَةَ الوَامِقِ النَّصوحِ
Rashid, convey to the most venerable prelate
Congratulations to the towering minaret.
The congratulations of a loving, sincere well-wisher.
And pray for its permanence until
وَادْعُand pray لَهُfor him بِالْبَقَاءِfor continued life حَتَّىuntil
وَادْعُ لَهُ بِالْبَقَاءِ حَتَّى
يُتِمَّhe completes قُدْسِيَّةthe sanctity of الْفُتُوحِthe conquests
يُتِمَّ قُدْسِيَّة الْفُتُوحِ
And pray for his continued life, until
The sacred conquests are completed.
He perfects the sanctity of the conquests.
Not many, if a pole lived so long,
غَيْرُnot كَثِيرٍtoo much لَوْif عَاشَlived قُطْبٌa leading figure
غَيْرُ كَثِيرٍ لَوْ عَاشَ قُطْبٌ
لَهُhe has مَزَايِاهُhis virtues عُمْرَthe lifespan of نُوحِNoah
لَهُ مَزَايِاهُ عُمْرَ نُوحِ
It would not be too much if a great leader lived,
Would have virtues for lifetimes of Noah.
With his virtues, for Noah's lifespan.
So which era and which land
فَأَيُّfor what عَصْرٍage وأَيُّand what مِصْرٍland
فَأَيُّ عَصْرٍ وأَيُّ مِصْرٍ
بِمِثْلِهِwith his like لَيْسَis not بِالشَّحيحِstingy
بِمِثْلِهِ لَيْسَ بِالشَّحيحِ
For what age, and what land,
Has his equal? None are stingy.
Is not stingy with the likes of him?
Partial English translation: 53 of 54 Arabic lines translated.