ثَنائي غَريبُ امْحَمدِ في أَبلغِ امْشُّكرِ

ثَنائي غَريبُ امْحَمدِ في أَبلغِ امْشُّكرِ

على حُسنِ أخلاق امْكِرامِ ذَوي امْفَخْرِ

على حُسنِ أخلاق امْكِرامِ ذَوي امْفَخْرِ

My tribute is uncommon praise, expressed in the most eloquent thanks,

My strange praise of Muhammad is most eloquent in gratitude

for the fine character of noble men endowed with glory.

For the good morals of the honourable, glorious folk

تودُّ نجومُ امْأُفْقِ نظماً بِمَدحِهم

تودُّ نجومُ امْأُفْقِ نظماً بِمَدحِهم

لتدري يقيناً أنها أحسنُ امْدُرِّ

لتدري يقيناً أنها أحسنُ امْدُرِّ

The stars of the horizon long to be strung in verses praising them,

The stars of the horizon wish to compose poetry praising them

so they may know with certainty that they are the finest pearls.

So you know for certain that it is the best poetry

فَكَمْ زِنْتُ أَجيادَ امْكَلام بِمَدحِهِم

فَكَمْ زِنْتُ أَجيادَ امْكَلام بِمَدحِهِم

بِجَوهَر مَنظومٍ ودرٍّ من امْنَّثْرِ

بِجَوهَر مَنظومٍ ودرٍّ من امْنَّثْرِ

How often, then, have I adorned the necks of speech with their praise,

So how much have I burdened the eloquent with praising them

with jewels strung in verse and pearls of prose.

With prose jewels and pearls of poetry

وَلَيسَ سِوى مَدحِ امْأَكارِمِ يَنبَغي

وَلَيسَ سِوى مَدحِ امْأَكارِمِ يَنبَغي

فَمَدحُ سِواهُم كانَ مِن خَطَأ امْفِكرِ

فَمَدحُ سِواهُم كانَ مِن خَطَأ امْفِكرِ

And nothing but the praise of noble men is fitting;

And nothing but praising the generous should one do

for praising others was an error of thought.

To praise others would be an error of thought

وَفي غَيرِهِم مَدحُ امْلّبيبِ أَخي امْحِجى

وَفي غَيرِهِم مَدحُ امْلّبيبِ أَخي امْحِجى

مِن امْهَجْو في أَدنى حَضيضٍ مِن امْهُجْرِ

مِن امْهَجْو في أَدنى حَضيضٍ مِن امْهُجْرِ

And when bestowed on others, the praise of a discerning man endowed with reason

And to praise others, my wise brother, is nonsense

is satire at the lowest depths of foul speech.

Among the lowest dregs of gibberish

وَمَدحِ سِواهم إِنّني قَد رَفَضتهُ

وَمَدحِ سِواهم إِنّني قَد رَفَضتهُ

إِلى مَدحِ أَخلاقِ امْكريم أبي بكرِ

إِلى مَدحِ أَخلاقِ امْكريم أبي بكرِ

And praise of others—I have indeed rejected it,

And praising others, I have rejected it

in favor of praising the character of noble Abu Bakr,

To praising the morals of the generous Abu Bakr

أَخي امَّجدِ نَجلِ امْفَخْرِ شبلِ محامدٍ

أَخي امَّجدِ نَجلِ امْفَخْرِ شبلِ محامدٍ

أَبي امْفَضلِ صِنْوِ امْعِزِّ في رفعةِ امْقدرِ

أَبي امْفَضلِ صِنْوِ امْعِزِّ في رفعةِ امْقدرِ

brother to glory, son of pride, lion-cub of praiseworthy deeds,

My glorious brother, son of pride, cub of glories

father of excellence, twin of honor in exalted rank.

My superior father, treasure of honour in high station

هُوَ امْعلَمُ امْسَعديُّ وامْشّمسُ في امْضُحى

هُوَ امْعلَمُ امْسَعديُّ وامْشّمسُ في امْضُحى

هو امْبدرُ في امْظلماءِ وامْكَوكَبُ امْدُرّي

هو امْبدرُ في امْظلماءِ وامْكَوكَبُ امْدُرّي

He is the Sa'di luminary and the sun at midmorning;

He is the happy flag, the sun at dawn

he is the full moon in darkness and the pearl-bright star.

He is the full moon in darkness and bright star

هوَ امْسيّدُ امْراقي على هامَةِ امْسُهَى

هوَ امْسيّدُ امْراقي على هامَةِ امْسُهَى

إِلى ذروةِ امْعَلياءِ في شَرفِ امْدَهرِ

إِلى ذروةِ امْعَلياءِ في شَرفِ امْدَهرِ

He is the lord ascending above Suha's crown

He is the master mounted on the camel litter of glory

to the summit of eminence in the glory of the age.

To the highest peak of sublimity in the nobility of time

هُوَ امْبارِعُ امْدراك مِن حِينِ مَهدِهِ

هُوَ امْبارِعُ امْدراك مِن حِينِ مَهدِهِ

هوَ امْعالِمُ امْنِحريرُ مِن عالَمِ امْذرِّ

هوَ امْعالِمُ امْنِحريرُ مِن عالَمِ امْذرِّ

He has been brilliant and keenly perceptive since his time in the cradle;

He is the astute young colt from his cradle days

he has been a learned, consummate scholar since the world of primordial particles.

He is the accomplished scholar from the world of youth

فَلَو سُئِلوا عَن فَضلِهِ وَاِتِّساعهِ

فَلَو سُئِلوا عَن فَضلِهِ وَاِتِّساعهِ

يَقولُ لِسانُ امْحالِ حدِّثْ عَنِ امْبحرِ

يَقولُ لِسانُ امْحالِ حدِّثْ عَنِ امْبحرِ

So were they asked about his excellence and its vastness,

If asked about his superiority and vastness

the tongue of circumstance would say, 'Speak of the sea.'

The tongue of state would say, "Speak of the sea"

خَطيبٌ بَليغٌ لَو تَكَلَّم واعِظاً

خَطيبٌ بَليغٌ لَو تَكَلَّم واعِظاً

لَأُفْحِمَ سَحبانٌ وَأَصبَحَ لا يَدري

لَأُفْحِمَ سَحبانٌ وَأَصبَحَ لا يَدري

An eloquent orator—were he to speak as a preacher,

An eloquent preacher, if he spoke advice

Sahban would be silenced and left at a loss.

He would silence Sahbaan and leave him confused

وَلَو سَمِعَت آذانُنا درَّ لَفظِهِ

وَلَو سَمِعَت آذانُنا درَّ لَفظِهِ

لَقالَت رَعاكَ اللَّهُ زِدنا مِنَ امْدرِّ

لَقالَت رَعاكَ اللَّهُ زِدنا مِنَ امْدرِّ

And were our ears to hear the pearls of his speech,

And if our ears heard the pearls of his words

they would say, 'May God watch over you; give us more pearls.'

They would say, may God keep you, give us more pearls

أديبٌ أريبٌ فارهٌ وسَمَيْدَعٌ

أديبٌ أريبٌ فارهٌ وسَمَيْدَعٌ

لَبيبٌ ذَكيٌّ ثابِتُ امْذِّهْنِ وَامْفِكرِ

لَبيبٌ ذَكيٌّ ثابِتُ امْذِّهْنِ وَامْفِكرِ

A man of letters, sagacious, accomplished, and a noble lord,

A literary scholar, eloquent, prominent and steadfast

discerning, intelligent, steadfast in mind and thought.

Wise, intelligent, sound of mind and thought

هوَ امْفردُ امْخالي عَنِ امِّثْلِ في امْعُلى

هوَ امْفردُ امْخالي عَنِ امِّثْلِ في امْعُلى

فَلَستُ أضاهيه بزيدٍ ولا عَمرِو

فَلَستُ أضاهيه بزيدٍ ولا عَمرِو

He is unique, without an equal in lofty rank;

He is peerless and unique in the highest realm

so I do not liken him to Zayd or Amr.

So I cannot compare him to Zayd or Amr

بِهِ تَفخَرُ امْعَلياءُ وَامْفَخرُ وَامْنّدى

بِهِ تَفخَرُ امْعَلياءُ وَامْفَخرُ وَامْنّدى

وَلَيسَ بِمَن في امْدّهر يَفخَرُ بامْفَخْرِ

وَلَيسَ بِمَن في امْدّهر يَفخَرُ بامْفَخْرِ

Eminence, glory, and generosity take pride in him,

The elite and the proud boast of him and the summit

and he is not one who boasts of glory in this world.

And none in time can boast of pride like him

إِلَيكَ ابنَ سَعدِ امْدينِ أَرسلت غادةً

إِلَيكَ ابنَ سَعدِ امْدينِ أَرسلت غادةً

مخدرةً تُهدى إِليكَ من امْخِدرِ

مخدرةً تُهدى إِليكَ من امْخِدرِ

To you, son of Sa'd al-Din, I have sent a graceful maiden,

To you son of Saad ad-Deen I have sent perfumes

secluded, offered to you from her curtained chamber.

Intoxicating, gifted to you from the perfume maker

فَشِمْها بِإِقبالٍ وَغَطِّ عيوبَها

فَشِمْها بِإِقبالٍ وَغَطِّ عيوبَها

فسترُ امَّساوِي من كمال امْفَتى امْحُرِّ

فسترُ امَّساوِي من كمال امْفَتى امْحُرِّ

So look upon her with favor, and cover her flaws;

Inhale them graciously and cover their faults

for concealing faults is part of a freeborn young man's perfection.

For the veil of the noble is the virtue of the free man

وَدُمْ في أَمانِ اللَّه ما أَثنت امْصَبَا

وَدُمْ في أَمانِ اللَّه ما أَثنت امْصَبَا

عَلَيكَ بِأَخلاقٍ كَستها رِدا امْعِطرِ

عَلَيكَ بِأَخلاقٍ كَستها رِدا امْعِطرِ

And remain in God's protection as long as the east wind praises

And live in God's safety as long as the morning

you for virtues that have clothed it in a mantle of perfume,

Praised you in character perfumed by scent

وَأَثنى اِبنُ فَتحِ اللَّه بامْحَمْدِ قائلاً

وَأَثنى اِبنُ فَتحِ اللَّه بامْحَمْدِ قائلاً

ثَنائي غَريب امْحمدِ في أَبلغِ امْشُّكرِ

ثَنائي غَريب امْحمدِ في أَبلغِ امْشُّكرِ

and Ibn Fath Allah extols you in praise, saying:

And Ibn Fathallah praised in verse saying

My tribute is uncommon praise, expressed in the most eloquent thanks.

My strange praise of Muhammad is most eloquent in gratitude