عُدبيreturn with me فَدَيتكَmay I be your ransom نَحوَtoward ساحاتthe courtyards of النَدىgenerosity
عُدبي فَدَيتكَ نَحوَ ساحات النَدى
فَلِذاfor, to this المَقامabode رَأَيتُI deemed عوديَmy return أَحمَداmore praiseworthy
فَلِذا المَقام رَأَيتُ عوديَ أَحمَدا
Return with me—may I be your ransom—to the courtyards of generosity.
My longing for you leads me to meadows of dew
For I deemed my return to this abode more praiseworthy.
In this place I found my love for Ahmad renewed
أَلقىI meet بِهِin it البَدرَthe full moon مَصدَّراًseated in honor
أَلقى بِهِ البَدرَ مَصدَّراً
بِحَمائِلِwith the baldrics of المَجدِglory العَظيمmighty مُقَلَّداadorned
بِحَمائِلِ المَجدِ العَظيم مُقَلَّدا
There I meet the full moon, seated in the place of honor,
He met the full moon advancing
adorned with the baldrics of mighty glory.
Adorned with the glorious banners of greatness
مَولىًa lord بِعزَّتِهِwith his might أَذابَmelted عَدُوَّهُhis enemy
مَولىً بِعزَّتِهِ أَذابَ عَدُوَّهُ
وَبِمَدحِهِand in his praise غَنىsang الخَليلُKhalil مُغَرِّداwarbling
وَبِمَدحِهِ غَنى الخَليلُ مُغَرِّدا
A lord who melted his enemy with his might,
My master melted his enemies with his honor
and Khalil sang in his praise, warbling.
And with his praise the friend sang joyfully
شَهمٌa noble man تَولَعَwas devoted بِالمَكارِمِto noble deeds ساعياًstriving
شَهمٌ تَولَعَ بِالمَكارِمِ ساعياً
بِالخَيرto do good يَكتَسِبُhe earns الثَناءpraise عَلىthroughout المَدىthe span of time
بِالخَير يَكتَسِبُ الثَناء عَلى المَدى
A noble man devoted to noble deeds, striving
Noble, striving for virtues
to do good, earning praise for all time.
Gaining praise for benevolence eternally
المَنشيءُthe writer الفَطنُthe discerning الَّذيwho لِبنانِهِto his fingers
المَنشيءُ الفَطنُ الَّذي لِبنانِهِ
أَيديthe hands of البَلاغةeloquence سَلمتhanded over قلمthe pen of الهُدىguidance
أَيدي البَلاغة سَلمت قلم الهُدى
The discerning writer, to whose fingers
The brilliant, wise one whose utterances
the hands of eloquence entrusted the pen of guidance.
Were guided by the hands of eloquence
عَظَمتgrew great مَحامِدُهُhis praiseworthy deeds فَقيلso he was called محمَّدٌMuhammad
عَظَمت مَحامِدُهُ فَقيل محمَّدٌ
وَسمتand rose high سِيادَتَهُhis lordship فَكانَso he became السَيّداthe lord
وَسمت سِيادَتَهُ فَكانَ السَيّدا
Great were his praiseworthy deeds, so he was called Muhammad;
His glories were exalted, so he was called Muhammad
and his lordship rose high, so he became the lord.
His leadership was sublime, so he became the master
رَقَّتgrew tender خَلائِقُهُhis character traits وَراقَتand grew lovely نَضرَةًin freshness
رَقَّت خَلائِقُهُ وَراقَت نَضرَةً
كَالوَردlike the rose فيat الإِصباحِdaybreak كَلَّلهُcrowned it النَداthe dew
كَالوَرد في الإِصباحِ كَلَّلهُ النَدا
His qualities grew tender and lovely in their freshness,
His manners were gentle, his vitality verdant
like a rose at daybreak, crowned by dew.
Like a rose in the morn, crowned with dew
أَلفَتgrew accustomed to حَميَّتهُhis zeal مُساعَدةhelping المَلاthe people
أَلفَت حَميَّتهُ مُساعَدة المَلا
إِذsince كانَhe was عَنfrom أَرَبِthe desires of النُفوسِsouls مُجَرَّداfree
إِذ كانَ عَن أَرَبِ النُفوسِ مُجَرَّدا
His zeal grew accustomed to helping the people,
His zeal secured assistance from the angels
since he was free of the desires of the self.
Since he was detached from the souls' whims
لَوif يَرشِفُsips الدنِفُthe sickly man العَليلُailing حَلاوَةًsweetness
لَو يَرشِفُ الدنِفُ العَليلُ حَلاوَةً
مِنfrom لُطفِهِhis kindness أَنجَتهُwould save him مِنfrom هَولُthe terror of الرَدىdeath
مِن لُطفِهِ أَنجَتهُ مِن هَولُ الرَدى
If the sickly invalid were to sip sweetness
If the ailing outcast sipped the sweetness
from his kindness, it would save him from the terror of death.
Of his kindness, it would save him from devastation's intensity
بَشَرتَyou brought glad tidings لُطفاًgraciously ياO مُحَمَّدُMuhammad فَاِنجَلىso shone forth
بَشَرتَ لُطفاً يا مُحَمَّدُ فَاِنجَلى
سَعديmy good fortune وَكُنتُand I was بِحُبِّthrough love of ذاتِكَyour person أَسعَداhappier
سَعدي وَكُنتُ بِحُبِّ ذاتِكَ أَسعَدا
You graciously brought glad tidings, O Muhammad, and there shone forth
You brought good tidings of kindness, O Muhammad, so joy appeared
my good fortune; through love of you, I was happier still.
My bliss, for loving you I was joyful
وَنَظيرُand the equal of ذاتكَyour person مَنone who يَكونis إِلىfor العُلىthe heights
وَنَظيرُ ذاتكَ مَن يَكون إِلى العُلى
أَهلاًfit فَفَضلُكَso your bounty قَدindeed سَماrose high يَرويquenches الصَداthirst
أَهلاً فَفَضلُكَ قَد سَما يَروي الصَدا
And one like you is one who, for the heights,
And who could compare to your sublime essence?
is fit; your bounty has indeed soared, quenching thirst.
You are worthy, so your merit spread, slaking thirst
دَعleave عَنكَaway from you تِذكارthe memory of العَقيقal-Aqiq وَقُمand rise إِلىtoward
دَع عَنكَ تِذكار العَقيق وَقُم إِلى
بُرجٍa tower تَشَيَّدَwas erected وَسَطamid مَرجِa meadow of زُمردِemerald
بُرجٍ تَشَيَّدَ وَسَط مَرجِ زُمردِ
Set aside the memory of al-Aqiq, and rise toward
Leave remembering al-‘Aqiq and come to
a tower erected amid an emerald meadow.
A tower built in an emerald meadow’s midst
أُفقٌa horizon تَلألَأَsparkled بِالبَهاwith splendor حَتّىuntil بَدَتappeared
أُفقٌ تَلألَأَ بِالبَها حَتّى بَدَت
نارthe fire of القُرىhospitality مَنfrom نورِهِits light المُتَوَقِدِblazing
نار القُرى مَن نورِهِ المُتَوَقِدِ
A horizon sparkled with splendor, until there appeared
A horizon glittering with splendor until
the fire of hospitality from its blazing light.
The light of the villages appeared from its kindling
قامَتstood دِعايمهُits pillars عَلىon رُكنthe foundation of التُقىpiety
قامَت دِعايمهُ عَلى رُكن التُقى
وَالشُكرand gratitude يَصدحُrings out مِنfrom فُؤادِthe heart of المُنشِدِthe singer
وَالشُكر يَصدحُ مِن فُؤادِ المُنشِدِ
Its pillars stood on the foundation of piety,
Its pillars stood on the foundation of piety
and gratitude rings out from the singer's heart.
And gratitude rang out from the heart of the chanter
وَاليمنُand good fortune أَرّخهdated it يُناديcalls out بِالصَفاwith serenity
وَاليمنُ أَرّخه يُنادي بِالصَفا
بُشرىglad tidings لِمَنto whoever وافىarrived at مَقامَthe abode of مُحَمَّدِMuhammad
بُشرى لِمَن وافى مَقامَ مُحَمَّدِ
And good fortune dated it, calling out with serenity:
Good fortune heralded in purity, giving tidings
Glad tidings to whoever reaches Muhammad's abode.
To whoever comes to Muhammad’s abode