كَمhow many ذَاthis (emphatic) لَهُhe has مِنْof مِنَنِfavors
كَم ذَا لَهُ مِنْ مِنَنِ
عَلَيَّupon me قَدْindeed حَمَّلَنيladen me
عَلَيَّ قَدْ حَمَّلَني
How many favors he has bestowed
On me—he has laden me with them!
مُجْتَهِدٌan independent jurist لكِنَّهُyet he
مُجْتَهِدٌ لكِنَّهُ
بِنَظْمهِwith his verse قَلَّدَنيgarlanded me
بِنَظْمهِ قَلَّدَني
An independent jurist, yet he
Has garlanded me with his verse,
مَمَادِحاًpraises ليسَthere is not لَهاfor them
مَمَادِحاً ليسَ لَها
فيماin what أَرَىI see مِنْany ثَمَنِprice
فيما أَرَى مِنْ ثَمَنِ
With praises that have no
Price, as I see it.
ياO سَيّداًmaster سَادَsurpassed الْوَرَىmankind
يا سَيّداً سَادَ الْوَرَى
بِلاwithout مِرَاdispute فيin الزَّمَنِthe age
بِلا مِرَا في الزَّمَنِ
O master who has surpassed mankind,
Beyond dispute in this age,
وَصَارَand became فَرْدَthe peerless one دَهْرِهِhis age
وَصَارَ فَرْدَ دَهْرِهِ
ماemphatic particle بَيْنَamong أَهْلِthe people of الْيَمَنِYemen
ما بَيْنَ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ
And become the peerless man of his time
Among the people of Yemen,
وفَخْرَand the pride of أَهْلِthe people of بَيْتِهِhis household
وفَخْرَ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ
بَلْindeed فَخْرَthe pride of آلِthe family of الْحَسَنِal-Hasan
بَلْ فَخْرَ آلِ الْحَسَنِ
And the pride of his household—
Indeed, the pride of al-Hasan's family!
نِظامُكَyour stringing الدُّرَّthe pearls أَتىbrought
نِظامُكَ الدُّرَّ أَتى
بكُلِّwith every مَعْنىًmeaning حَسَنِbeautiful
بكُلِّ مَعْنىً حَسَنِ
Your stringing of pearls has brought
Every beautiful meaning.
قَرَّظَpraised لِيfor me مُؤَلَّفاًa written work
قَرَّظَ لِي مُؤَلَّفاً
جَمَعْتُهُI compiled it فيon السُّنَنِthe prophetic traditions
جَمَعْتُهُ في السُّنَنِ
It praised a work of mine
That I compiled on the prophetic traditions.
جَعَلْتُهُI made it وسِيلَةًa means of approach
جَعَلْتُهُ وسِيلَةً
إلىto عَظيمِimmense الْمِنَنِthe favors
إلى عَظيمِ الْمِنَنِ
I made it a means of drawing near
To Him whose favors are immense.
إنْif لَمْnot أكُنْI am أَهْلاًworthy لَهُof Him
إنْ لَمْ أكُنْ أَهْلاً لَهُ
فَفَضْلُهُthen His grace أَهَّلَنيmade me worthy
فَفَضْلُهُ أَهَّلَني
If I am not worthy of Him,
Then His grace has made me worthy.
وإنْand if أكُنْI am مُقَصِّراًfalling short
وإنْ أكُنْ مُقَصِّراً
فَطَوْلُهُthen His bounty طَوَّلَنيgave me stature
فَطَوْلُهُ طَوَّلَني
And if I fall short,
Then His bounty has given me stature.
فإنَّنيfor indeed I خَدَمْتُI served هَdemonstrative prefix
فإنَّني خَدَمْتُ هَ
ذَاthis الْعِلْمَthe knowledge طُولَthroughout زَمَنيmy lifetime
ذَا الْعِلْمَ طُولَ زَمَني
For I have served
This knowledge throughout my life;
فكَيْفَhow then لاnot يَنْفَعُنيbenefit me
فكَيْفَ لا يَنْفَعُني
فكَيْفَhow then لاnot يَنْفَعُنيbenefit me
فكَيْفَ لا يَنْفَعُني
How, then, could it not benefit me?
How, then, could it not benefit me?