شَمسُ الكَمالِ كَسا بَيروتَنا حُلَلاً

شَمسُ الكَمالِ كَسا بَيروتَنا حُلَلاً

مِنْ نُورِ طَلعَتِهِ لمّا حَلا وَحُلا

مِنْ نُورِ طَلعَتِهِ لمّا حَلا وَحُلا

The sun of perfection clothed our Beirut in robes,

The sun of perfection adorned our Beirut

From the light of his countenance, when he grew fair and was adorned.

With its radiant rising's light when it rose and set

غَزالُ سِربٍ غَزا الألْبابَ ناظِرُهُ

غَزالُ سِربٍ غَزا الألْبابَ ناظِرُهُ

وثَوْبُ سُقْمٍ لجِسْمي بالهَوى غَزَلا

وثَوْبُ سُقْمٍ لجِسْمي بالهَوى غَزَلا

A gazelle of the herd, whose gaze conquered minds,

A gazelle of a herd whose gaze captivated hearts

And through love spun a robe of sickness for my body.

And a garment of lovesickness knitted for my body

بَدرُ الجَمال جَمالُ البَدرِ حلَّ بها

بَدرُ الجَمال جَمالُ البَدرِ حلَّ بها

قَد حلَّ بُرْجَ العُلى والعِزّ مُكتَمِلا

قَد حلَّ بُرْجَ العُلى والعِزّ مُكتَمِلا

Beauty's full moon, the full moon's beauty, has settled in her;

The full moon of beauty, the beauty of the full moon settled in it

He has entered the mansion of eminence and glory in his fullness.

Having settled fully in the mansion of glory and honor

الجَوهَرُ الفَرْدُ عقدُ المَجْدِ من نُظِمَتْ

الجَوهَرُ الفَرْدُ عقدُ المَجْدِ من نُظِمَتْ

بِهِ الفَضايِلُ حَتّى زَيَّنَ الفُضَلا

بِهِ الفَضايِلُ حَتّى زَيَّنَ الفُضَلا

The peerless jewel, glory's necklace, in whom were strung

The unique pearl, the necklace of glory was strung

The virtues, until he adorned the virtuous.

With virtues until excellence was adorned

وَمَنْ سَما في سَماءِ العزِّ مُرْتَفِعاً

وَمَنْ سَما في سَماءِ العزِّ مُرْتَفِعاً

فَوقَ السِّماكِ عَلى أَوْجِ السُّهى وعَلا

فَوقَ السِّماكِ عَلى أَوْجِ السُّهى وعَلا

And he who soared in the sky of glory, rising

And whoever rose high in the sky of honor

Above al-Simak, to al-Suha's zenith, and higher still.

Above the stars to the peak of loftiness and ascended

الأَلمَعي حَسَنُ الأفعالِ ذُو حَسَبٍ

الأَلمَعي حَسَنُ الأفعالِ ذُو حَسَبٍ

عليُّ قَدْرٍ عَلى أمثالِهِ كَملا

عليُّ قَدْرٍ عَلى أمثالِهِ كَملا

The keen-witted one, noble in deeds, of noble ancestry,

The brilliant, excellent in deed, of noble lineage

Exalted in rank, above his peers in perfection.

Exalted in rank above the like of him completely

أَعْني بِذا أحْمَدَ البَرْبيرَ من جُمِعَتْ

أَعْني بِذا أحْمَدَ البَرْبيرَ من جُمِعَتْ

فيهِ مَزايا بها قد نَبْلُغُ الأمَلا

فيهِ مَزايا بها قد نَبْلُغُ الأمَلا

By this I mean Ahmad al-Barbir, in whom were gathered

I mean by this Ahmad Al-Barbari whom were collected

Qualities through which we may attain our hope.

In him qualities by which we may attain hope

نَسْلُ الأكارِمِ بحرٌ منْ مَكارِمِهِ

نَسْلُ الأكارِمِ بحرٌ منْ مَكارِمِهِ

إكرامُ وافِدِهِ إن نحوَهُ وصَلا

إكرامُ وافِدِهِ إن نحوَهُ وصَلا

A scion of the noblest, an ocean—among his generous deeds

The progeny of nobles, a sea of his noble deeds

Is honoring his visitor if he comes to him.

Honoring his guest if he comes to him

كلُّ المَحاسِنِ نورٌ من محاسِنِهِ

كلُّ المَحاسِنِ نورٌ من محاسِنِهِ

لَمّا عَلى الحُسْنِ من دونِ الوَرى اِشتَملا

لَمّا عَلى الحُسْنِ من دونِ الوَرى اِشتَملا

All beauty is a radiance from his beauty,

All beauty is light from his beauty

Since he alone, of all mankind, encompassed beauty.

For when alone in beauty in the world he was comprehensive

لهُ حَديثٌ غَريبُ النّظْمِ سَلسَلهُ

لهُ حَديثٌ غَريبُ النّظْمِ سَلسَلهُ

بكلِّ معنىً لَطيفٍ حَيَّرَ العَقلا

بكلِّ معنىً لَطيفٍ حَيَّرَ العَقلا

His discourse is wondrous in form; he strung it together

He has a wondrously composed discourse, its series

With every subtle meaning that bewildered the wise.

Perplexing the mind with every subtle meaning

هَذا هوَ الكَوكَبُ الزُّهْريْ الَّذي مُحِيَتْ

هَذا هوَ الكَوكَبُ الزُّهْريْ الَّذي مُحِيَتْ

عنّا الغُمومُ بهِ لمّا الهُمومَ جَلا

عنّا الغُمومُ بهِ لمّا الهُمومَ جَلا

This is the Venus-like star, through whom were erased

This is the rose-colored planet by which

Our sorrows, when he dispelled our cares.

Clouds were swept from us when anxieties departed

شَبَّهْتُهُ البَدْرَ لكِنْ لَيسَ يُشبِهُهُ

شَبَّهْتُهُ البَدْرَ لكِنْ لَيسَ يُشبِهُهُ

فَذا يَغيبُ وهذا قطُّ ما أفَلا

فَذا يَغيبُ وهذا قطُّ ما أفَلا

I likened him to the full moon, but it does not resemble him;

I compared him to the full moon but he does not resemble it

For that one disappears, while this one has never set.

For that disappears while this never declined

هَذا الَّذي قَد حَوى حِلماً بلا شَبَهٍ

هَذا الَّذي قَد حَوى حِلماً بلا شَبَهٍ

لِأَنَّهُ مِنْ كَمالِ الحِلمِ قدْ جُبِلا

لِأَنَّهُ مِنْ كَمالِ الحِلمِ قدْ جُبِلا

This is he who possesses forbearance without equal,

This one who contained a peerless patience

Because he was fashioned from the perfection of forbearance.

For he was created with the essence of patience

هَذا الَّذي هامَ قلبي عندَ رُؤيَتِهِ

هَذا الَّذي هامَ قلبي عندَ رُؤيَتِهِ

شجاً فَيا وَيْلَ مَنْ فيهِ لَنا عَذَلا

شجاً فَيا وَيْلَ مَنْ فيهِ لَنا عَذَلا

This is he at whose sight my heart went mad with love,

This one at whose sight my heart sighed passionately

In sorrow—woe to whoever reproached us for him!

So woe to whoever angers us with him!

تبسَّمَ الدّهْرُ مِنْ فيهِ بهِ فَرِحاً

تبسَّمَ الدّهْرُ مِنْ فيهِ بهِ فَرِحاً

يُشيرُ لي أنَّهُ قُطبُ الزّمانِ بِلا

يُشيرُ لي أنَّهُ قُطبُ الزّمانِ بِلا

Time smiled from its mouth, rejoicing in him,

The universe smiled at him joyfully

Indicating to me that he is the axis of the age, without [doubt].

Signaling to me that he is the axis of time without doubt

يَمِّمْ حِماهُ لتَجْني منْ بَدائِعِهِ

يَمِّمْ حِماهُ لتَجْني منْ بَدائِعِهِ

دُرَّ العُقودِ إِلى أَنْ تَبلُغَ الأجَلا

دُرَّ العُقودِ إِلى أَنْ تَبلُغَ الأجَلا

Make for his sanctuary, to gather from his marvels

Seek his protection so you reap from his wonders

The pearls of necklaces, until you reach your appointed end.

Necklaces of pearls until you reach your term

وَاِقْصدْهُ تهدِكَ نيرانُ القِرى سُبلاً

وَاِقْصدْهُ تهدِكَ نيرانُ القِرى سُبلاً

لرَبْعِهِ المُعْتَلى مِنْ غَير أنْ تَسَلا

لرَبْعِهِ المُعْتَلى مِنْ غَير أنْ تَسَلا

And seek him; hospitality's fires will guide you along paths

And seek him, the fires of calamities make smooth roads

To his lofty abode, without your needing to ask.

To his sublime encampment without you slipping

ولا تَكُنْ غافِلاً عنْ فَيْضِ راحَتِهِ

ولا تَكُنْ غافِلاً عنْ فَيْضِ راحَتِهِ

فَلَيْسَ يُنْكِرُ ذا إِلّا الَّذي جَهِلا

فَلَيْسَ يُنْكِرُ ذا إِلّا الَّذي جَهِلا

Nor be heedless of the bounty flowing from his palm,

And be not unaware of the abundance of his comfort

For none denies this except one who is ignorant.

For none denies it except one ignorant

لا زالَ طالِعُهُ بالسَّعْدِ مُقتَرِناً

لا زالَ طالِعُهُ بالسَّعْدِ مُقتَرِناً

يزيدُهُ رِفعَةً لا ينتهي وعُلا

يزيدُهُ رِفعَةً لا ينتهي وعُلا

May his ascendant remain conjoined with good fortune,

His rising star remains coupled with happiness

Increasing his stature and eminence without end,

Increasing his loftiness endlessly

ما هزَّ غُصنَ الرُبى ريحٌ وما نشَدَتْ

ما هزَّ غُصنَ الرُبى ريحٌ وما نشَدَتْ

شمسُ الكَمالِ كَسا بَيْروتَنا حُلَلا

شمسُ الكَمالِ كَسا بَيْروتَنا حُلَلا

As long as wind stirs the hills' bough, and as long as it recites:

No wind shook the branch of basil, and the sun of perfection adorned our Beirut

“The sun of perfection clothed our Beirut in robes.”