أَلا أَيّها الشّهم الوَزير أَخو العُلى

أَلا أَيّها الشّهم الوَزير أَخو العُلى

وَمَن حازَ مَجداً لا يُضاهى وَسؤددا

وَمَن حازَ مَجداً لا يُضاهى وَسؤددا

O noble-hearted minister, brother of high honor,

O noble minister, brother of the exalted one

And one who has attained unmatched glory and eminence,

Who has attained unmatched glory and happiness

تَعوَّدتُ مِن آبائكَ الغرِّ عادةً

تَعوَّدتُ مِن آبائكَ الغرِّ عادةً

وَهُم لَكَ فيما عَوّدونيَ مقتدى

وَهُم لَكَ فيما عَوّدونيَ مقتدى

I grew accustomed to a practice from your illustrious forefathers,

I have acquired from your forefathers the habit

And they are your example in what they accustomed me to:

Of asking, and they are for you exemplars to emulate

قبول رَجائي سيّدي وَشَفاعَتي

قبول رَجائي سيّدي وَشَفاعَتي

وَلِلمَرءِ ما مِن دَهرهِ قَد تَعوّدا

وَلِلمَرءِ ما مِن دَهرهِ قَد تَعوّدا

Acceptance of my plea, my lord, and my intercession;

Please accept my request my lord and intercede for me

And a person has what he has grown accustomed to in his lifetime.

For one has what he has grown accustomed to from his time

وَعَوَّدَتني مِنك الّذي عَوَّدوه لي

وَعَوَّدَتني مِنك الّذي عَوَّدوه لي

وَزدتُ الّذي قَد كنت مِنهُم مُعوّدا

وَزدتُ الّذي قَد كنت مِنهُم مُعوّدا

And you have accustomed me to the same from you that they made customary for me,

You have accustomed me to what they accustomed me to

And I gained more than I had been accustomed to from them.

And increased what I had grown accustomed to from them

وَها نِصفُ شَعبان المُكرَّم قَد أَتى

وَها نِصفُ شَعبان المُكرَّم قَد أَتى

وَفي فَضلِهِ جاءَ الحَديثُ وأيّدا

وَفي فَضلِهِ جاءَ الحَديثُ وأيّدا

And behold, the middle of honored Sha'ban has arrived,

And the hadith extols its virtue and supports it

And the prophetic tradition has declared its merit and confirmed it.

Its night is the best of nights and its merit

وَلَيلته خَيرُ اللّيالي وَفَضلها

وَلَيلته خَيرُ اللّيالي وَفَضلها

شَهيرٌ بِلا رَيبٍ مَدى الدّهرِ سَرمَدا

شَهيرٌ بِلا رَيبٍ مَدى الدّهرِ سَرمَدا

And its night is the best of nights, and its merit

Is known throughout time, eternal

Is renowned without doubt throughout all time, forever.

In it deeds are presented, so succeed o worker

بِها تُعرَضُ الأَعمالُ يا فوز عاملٍ

بِها تُعرَضُ الأَعمالُ يا فوز عاملٍ

لِصالِحِ أَعمالٍ تَكونُ عَلى الهُدى

لِصالِحِ أَعمالٍ تَكونُ عَلى الهُدى

On it deeds are presented—what triumph for one who performs

For righteous deeds that are on guidance

Righteous deeds that follow true guidance!

In it Allah the Great emancipates those in His care

بِها يعتق اللَّهُ العَظيم نَواله

بِها يعتق اللَّهُ العَظيم نَواله

رِقاباً مِنَ النّيرانِ تَستَوجِبُ الرّدى

رِقاباً مِنَ النّيرانِ تَستَوجِبُ الرّدى

On it God, great in His bounty, sets free

From the fires that warrant destruction

Necks from the fires, though they deserve destruction.

And in it Allah forgives and accepts

وَيَغفِر فيها اللَّه جَلَّ جَلالهُ

وَيَغفِر فيها اللَّه جَلَّ جَلالهُ

وَيَقبلُ فيها اللَّه مَن تابَ وَاِهتَدى

وَيَقبلُ فيها اللَّه مَن تابَ وَاِهتَدى

And on it God forgives—exalted be His majesty—

Those who repent and follow guidance

And on it God accepts whoever repents and follows guidance.

So o minister of renowned generosity

فَيا ذا الوَزير الكَرم مَن شاعَ جودهُ

فَيا ذا الوَزير الكَرم مَن شاعَ جودهُ

تَخَلّقْ بِخلق اللَّه مَنْ لَكَ أَوجَدا

تَخَلّقْ بِخلق اللَّه مَنْ لَكَ أَوجَدا

So, O generous minister, whose bounty is renowned,

Take on the attributes of Allah who created you

Emulate the character of God, who gave you existence.

For He is pardoning, forbearing and merciful

فَمن خلقه عَفوٌ وَحلمٌ وَرحمَة

فَمن خلقه عَفوٌ وَحلمٌ وَرحمَة

وَعِتق وَإِحسان يَدومُ مُؤَبّدا

وَعِتق وَإِحسان يَدومُ مُؤَبّدا

For among His traits are pardon, forbearance, and mercy,

And emancipation, benevolence enduring forever

And emancipation, and benevolence that lasts forever.

So whoever is imprisoned I hope for his release

فَمَن كانَ مَحبوساً فَأَرجو اِنطلاقَهُ

فَمَن كانَ مَحبوساً فَأَرجو اِنطلاقَهُ

وَفكّ الّذي في الحبسِ بِالقيدِ قُيِّدا

وَفكّ الّذي في الحبسِ بِالقيدِ قُيِّدا

So whoever is imprisoned, I hope for his release,

And free the one shackled in prison

And the freeing of whoever is shackled in prison.

In a most virtuous night with your Lord receptive

وَذي لَيلَةٍ فُضلى وَرَبّك قابل

وَذي لَيلَةٍ فُضلى وَرَبّك قابل

لِمَن يَفعل الخَيرات فيها مُمجّدا

لِمَن يَفعل الخَيرات فيها مُمجّدا

And this is a most excellent night, and your Lord welcomes

To those who do good works, glorifying Him

With honor whoever performs good deeds upon it.

And o brother of kindness, be good on that night

وَكُن يا أَخا المَعروفِ في ذاكَ مُحسِناً

وَكُن يا أَخا المَعروفِ في ذاكَ مُحسِناً

فَتَشكر عِندَ اللَّه ربّي وتُحمدا

فَتَشكر عِندَ اللَّه ربّي وتُحمدا

And be benevolent in that, O brother of goodness,

That you may be thanked by my Lord and praised

So that you are thanked before God, my Lord, and praised.

I hoped in you and my hopes in you say

رَجوتكَ وَالآمال فيكَ تَقولُ لي

رَجوتكَ وَالآمال فيكَ تَقولُ لي

رَجاؤُكَ مَقبولٌ فَخلِّ التردُّدا

رَجاؤُكَ مَقبولٌ فَخلِّ التردُّدا

I have placed my hope in you, and hopes in you tell me:

Your hope is accepted, so cease hesitation

“Your plea is accepted, so put hesitation aside.”

Though I am little in manners

وَإِنّي وَإِن كنت القليلَ تَأدّباً

وَإِنّي وَإِن كنت القليلَ تَأدّباً

فَحِلمُكَ بَحرٌ لَيسَ يُدرى لَه مَدى

فَحِلمُكَ بَحرٌ لَيسَ يُدرى لَه مَدى

And though I am indeed lacking in proper courtesy,

Your forbearance is an ocean with no known end

Yet your forbearance is a sea whose bounds are unknown.

On this blessed radiant night I congratulate

بِذي اللّيلَةِ الغرّاءِ إِنّي مُهنِّئ

بِذي اللّيلَةِ الغرّاءِ إِنّي مُهنِّئ

سَعادَتك العَلياء صينَت مِنَ الرّدى

سَعادَتك العَلياء صينَت مِنَ الرّدى

On this radiant night, I offer congratulations

Your eminent good fortune, protected from harm

To your exalted Excellency—may you be shielded from destruction.

And may you live to the like of it and more

وَعِشتَ إِلى أَمثالِ أَمثال مِثلِها

وَعِشتَ إِلى أَمثالِ أَمثال مِثلِها

وَأَضعافَ مِثلَيها عَزيزاً وسيِّدا

وَأَضعافَ مِثلَيها عَزيزاً وسيِّدا

And may you live to see many times many more nights like it,

Its doubles and multiples, honored and master

And multiples of twice its like, mighty and a lord,

Beloved, beautiful, revered in hearts

وَجيهاً جَميلاً في القُلوبِ مُعظّماً

وَجيهاً جَميلاً في القُلوبِ مُعظّماً

خَلِيّاً مِنَ الأَضدادِ في الدَّهرِ وَالعدى

خَلِيّاً مِنَ الأَضدادِ في الدَّهرِ وَالعدى

Distinguished, beautiful, and revered in hearts,

Empty of rivals, in time or hostility

Free throughout time from opponents and foes,

As long as the branch of gardens has bloomed

مَدى الدّهرِ ما غُصنُ الرّياضِ قَد اِنثَنى

مَدى الدّهرِ ما غُصنُ الرّياضِ قَد اِنثَنى

وَقامَ هزار الرّوض فيهِ مغرِّدا

وَقامَ هزار الرّوض فيهِ مغرِّدا

For all time, as long as the gardens' bough bends

And the meadows' thicket chirped melodiously

And the garden's nightingale rises there in song,

With conquest at the mouth of the caliphate

وَما الفَتح في ثَغرِ الجَلالَةِ لاثِماً

وَما الفَتح في ثَغرِ الجَلالَةِ لاثِماً

يُقبِّل بِالتّعظيمِ رِجلك وَاليَدا

يُقبِّل بِالتّعظيمِ رِجلك وَاليَدا

And as long as al-Fath, kissing at the mouth of majesty,

Kissing your feet and hand in reverence

Reverently kisses your foot and hand.