لكَ الهناءُ بما أوتِيتَ مُعتذِرا

لكَ الهناءُ بما أوتِيتَ مُعتذِرا

قد قَلَّ مبلغُ ما تُعطَى وإنْ كَثُرا

قد قَلَّ مبلغُ ما تُعطَى وإنْ كَثُرا

Congratulations to you on what you have been granted—I offer them with an apology:

You deserve congratulations for what you have been given, apologizing,

The sum of what you are given falls short, however great it may be.

Though the amount you give may be small, even if plentiful.

إذا هَنِئْتَ بأمرٍ عزَّ جانبُهُ

إذا هَنِئْتَ بأمرٍ عزَّ جانبُهُ

فإنهُ بكَ أهنَى فَهْوَ قد ظَفِرا

فإنهُ بكَ أهنَى فَهْوَ قد ظَفِرا

When you find joy in something of lofty standing,

When congratulated about something with difficulty on its side,

it finds still greater joy in you, for it has triumphed.

Then through you it was made easier, and so you succeeded.

للهِ شمسُ جَمالٍ أدرَكَتْ قمراً

للهِ شمسُ جَمالٍ أدرَكَتْ قمراً

والشمسُ لا ينبغي أن تُدرِكَ القمَرا

والشمسُ لا ينبغي أن تُدرِكَ القمَرا

God be praised—a sun of beauty has overtaken a moon!

God's sun of beauty met a moon,

Yet the sun ought not to overtake the moon.

And the sun should not overtake the moon.

أحلَّها الأسَدُ الميمونُ طالعهُ

أحلَّها الأسَدُ الميمونُ طالعهُ

بُرجاً لهُ فاكتَسَتْ من سَعدِهِ حِبَرا

بُرجاً لهُ فاكتَسَتْ من سَعدِهِ حِبَرا

The Lion, whose ascendant is auspicious, lodged her

The auspicious lion made it rise in a mansion for him,

in a mansion of his, and she donned patterned robes from his good fortune.

So it gained ink from its good fortune.

يا قاسمَ اللِّمَمِ الشعثاءِ يومَ وَغىً

يا قاسمَ اللِّمَمِ الشعثاءِ يومَ وَغىً

وقاسِمَ النِّعَمِ البيضاءِ يومَ قِرَى

وقاسِمَ النِّعَمِ البيضاءِ يومَ قِرَى

O Qasim, cleaver of disheveled locks on battle's day,

O splitter of rough, disheveled sorrows on a day of calamity,

and dispenser of shining favors on a day of hospitality,

And splitter of white, smooth blessings on a day of rest.

أنتَ الكريمُ الذي طالتْ مواهبُهُ

أنتَ الكريمُ الذي طالتْ مواهبُهُ

على العُفاةِ ولكن وَعدُهُ قَصُرا

على العُفاةِ ولكن وَعدُهُ قَصُرا

you are the generous man whose gifts extend far

You are the generous one whose gifts

to those who seek them, yet whose promise is brief.

Were long towards the destitute, but your promise was short.

القائلُ القولَ مثلَ الفِعلِ عن ثِقةٍ

القائلُ القولَ مثلَ الفِعلِ عن ثِقةٍ

والفاعلُ الفعلَ مثلَ القولِ قد يَسُرا

والفاعلُ الفعلَ مثلَ القولِ قد يَسُرا

You speak words that match your deeds, with assurance,

The speaker of words is like the deed from confidence,

and perform deeds that match your words, with ease.

And the doer of deeds is like words when facilitated.

ذَلَّتْ لديكَ صِعابُ الأمرِ صاغرةً

ذَلَّتْ لديكَ صِعابُ الأمرِ صاغرةً

فما اُعتِذارُكَ أن لا تركَبَ الخَطَرا

فما اُعتِذارُكَ أن لا تركَبَ الخَطَرا

Difficult affairs have bowed before you, humbled;

The difficulties of the matter bowed down low before you,

what excuse, then, have you for not riding into danger?

So what is your excuse for not taking the risk?

قد علَّمَتنَا الليالي الصَبرَ من قِدَمٍ

قد علَّمَتنَا الليالي الصَبرَ من قِدَمٍ

وجِئتَنا فكَفيْتَ الصابرَ الضَجَرا

وجِئتَنا فكَفيْتَ الصابرَ الضَجَرا

The nights have long since taught us patience,

The nights have taught us patience from early on,

and you came to us and spared the patient man vexation.

And you came and spared the impatient his frustration.

رُكنٌ إليهِ التَجَى الراجي فكان لَهُ

رُكنٌ إليهِ التَجَى الراجي فكان لَهُ

حِصْناً ولم يَضَعِ الباني بهِ حَجَرا

حِصْناً ولم يَضَعِ الباني بهِ حَجَرا

A pillar to which the hopeful fled for refuge, and which became for him

A pillar which the seeker of refuge repairs to, so it was for him

a fortress, though the builder laid no stone in it.

A fortress though the builder did not lay a stone in it.

ألزَمتَ نفسَكَ نفعَ النَّاسِ مجتهداً

ألزَمتَ نفسَكَ نفعَ النَّاسِ مجتهداً

حتى تُوُهِّمْتَ أن لا تَعرِفَ الضَررَا

حتى تُوُهِّمْتَ أن لا تَعرِفَ الضَررَا

You bound yourself to helping people, striving earnestly,

You obliged yourself to benefiting people assiduously,

until you were thought to know nothing of harm.

Until you gave the impression that you do not know harm.

تَقضي الحوائِجَ مسروراً كصاحبها

تَقضي الحوائِجَ مسروراً كصاحبها

كُلٌّ يُسَرُّ بما يهواهُ كيفَ جَرَى

كُلٌّ يُسَرُّ بما يهواهُ كيفَ جَرَى

You fulfill needs, as joyful as the one whose needs they are;

You fulfil needs cheerfully as if they were your own -

each rejoices in what he loves, however it comes about.

Everyone is made happy by what he desires, however it turns out.

ما خابَ منك و لا فيكَ الرَّجاءُ فقد

ما خابَ منك و لا فيكَ الرَّجاءُ فقد

نلت الأماني ونِلنا عندَكَ الوَطَرا

نلت الأماني ونِلنا عندَكَ الوَطَرا

Neither your hopes nor those placed in you have failed, for

Whoever hoped in you, and through you, did not fail,

you have attained your wishes, and with you we have attained our desire.

For you attained wishes, and through you we attained ease.

إذا دعا لكَ داعينا فذاكَ لهُ

إذا دعا لكَ داعينا فذاكَ لهُ

يدعو فلا فضلَ للداعي إذا اعتَبَرا

يدعو فلا فضلَ للداعي إذا اعتَبَرا

When our supplicant prays for you, it is for himself

When our callers pray for you, their praying for you

that he prays; so the supplicant earns no credit, if he reflects.

Is like one who prays without merit if considered.