صُغْتَ الدّراريَ أَمْ عِقْدٌ مِنَ الدُّرَرِ

صُغْتَ الدّراريَ أَمْ عِقْدٌ مِنَ الدُّرَرِ

يا واحِدَ العَصْرِ بَيْنَ البَدْوِ والحَضَرِ

يا واحِدَ العَصْرِ بَيْنَ البَدْوِ والحَضَرِ

Have you fashioned the shining stars, or a necklace of pearls?

Were you molded from gems or a string of pearls?

O peerless one of the age, among nomads and townsfolk!

O paragon of the age, amidst nomads and townsfolk alike,

لا زِلْتَ تَرْقَى بُرُوجاً للكَمالِ وَلاَ

لا زِلْتَ تَرْقَى بُرُوجاً للكَمالِ وَلاَ

بَرِحْتَ تُطْرِبُ سَمْعَ الدّهْرِ بالفِقَرِ

بَرِحْتَ تُطْرِبُ سَمْعَ الدّهْرِ بالفِقَرِ

May you ever ascend towers of perfection, and never

You continue to ascend to the heights of perfection, and never

cease delighting Time's ear with eloquent passages.

Cease to delight the ear of time with wondrous verse.

فالحالُ ما حَالَ والعَهْدُ القَديمُ هُوَ ال

فالحالُ ما حَالَ والعَهْدُ القَديمُ هُوَ ال

عَهْدُ القَدِيمُ ولا عَهْدٌ لمُبْتكِرِ

عَهْدُ القَدِيمُ ولا عَهْدٌ لمُبْتكِرِ

So the state has not changed, and the old pledge is the

What was is still, and the ancient covenant remains—

old pledge; there is no pledge for an innovator.

The ancient covenant endures, no modern agreement replaces it.

لا تَحْسَبِ الدَّرْسَ مَتْرُوكاً وأَنْتَ عَلى

لا تَحْسَبِ الدَّرْسَ مَتْرُوكاً وأَنْتَ عَلى

نِهايَةِ الحَدِّ والتّحْصِيلِ لِلْفِطَرِ

نِهايَةِ الحَدِّ والتّحْصِيلِ لِلْفِطَرِ

Do not think the lesson abandoned, while you stand at

Do not think study neglected, while you stand

the utmost bounds of learning attainable by the innate faculties.

At the pinnacle of achievement and cultivation of talent.

منْ كانَ غايَةَ سُؤْلِي كَيْفَ أمْنَعُهُ

منْ كانَ غايَةَ سُؤْلِي كَيْفَ أمْنَعُهُ

مِنْها وأَحْجُبُ عَنْهُ نُخْبَةَ الفِكْرِ

مِنْها وأَحْجُبُ عَنْهُ نُخْبَةَ الفِكْرِ

One who has been my utmost desire—how could I deprive him

He whose utmost desire I am, how can I prevent him

of it, and withhold from him the choicest thoughts?

From it and veil from him the elite of the mind?

ودُمْتَ تُحْيِي رُسُومَ العِلْمِ ما صَدَحَتْ

ودُمْتَ تُحْيِي رُسُومَ العِلْمِ ما صَدَحَتْ

وَرْقَا عَلَى فَنَنٍ لَدْنٍ من الشَّجَرِ

وَرْقَا عَلَى فَنَنٍ لَدْنٍ من الشَّجَرِ

And may you keep reviving learning's traces, as long as song rings out

You have kept alive the customs of knowledge for as long as

from a gray dove on a supple bough of a tree.

Leaves have rustled with arts from days of yore.