أتى مثلَ موسى حينما عادَ من مِصرِ

أتى مثلَ موسى حينما عادَ من مِصرِ

ولكنَّهُ لم يعرِف التِّيهَ في القَفْرِ

ولكنَّهُ لم يعرِف التِّيهَ في القَفْرِ

He came like Moses when he returned from Egypt,

He came like Moses when he returned from Egypt

But he knew no wandering in the wilderness.

But he did not know wandering in the desert

ولو كانَ شَقُّ البحرِ مِن حاجةٍ لهُ

ولو كانَ شَقُّ البحرِ مِن حاجةٍ لهُ

لَشَقَّ لَديهِ رَبُّهُ لُجَّةَ البحرِ

لَشَقَّ لَديهِ رَبُّهُ لُجَّةَ البحرِ

And had parting the sea been a need of his,

And if parting the sea was a need for him

His Lord would have parted the sea's deep waters before him.

His Lord would have parted for him the sea's billows

أتانا بوجهٍ كالصَّباحِ فلم يكنْ

أتانا بوجهٍ كالصَّباحِ فلم يكنْ

إذا سار تحتَ اللَّيلِ يحتاجُ للبدرِ

إذا سار تحتَ اللَّيلِ يحتاجُ للبدرِ

He came to us with a face like morning, so he did not,

He came to us with a face like the morning so he did not

When he walked beneath the night, need the full moon.

When traveling under the night, need the full moon

وفي يدهِ البيضاءِ تلكَ العصا التي

وفي يدهِ البيضاءِ تلكَ العصا التي

إذا ضَرَبَت صخراً تُؤَثِّرُ في الصَّخرِ

إذا ضَرَبَت صخراً تُؤَثِّرُ في الصَّخرِ

And in his white hand is that staff which,

And in his white hand that staff which

When it strikes a rock, leaves its mark upon the rock.

If it struck a rock would affect the rock

لهُ مَنصِبٌ في البَرِّ والبَحرِ أُخلِصَتْ

لهُ مَنصِبٌ في البَرِّ والبَحرِ أُخلِصَتْ

لهُ طاعةُ الجُمهور في السِّرِّ والجَهْرِ

لهُ طاعةُ الجُمهور في السِّرِّ والجَهْرِ

He holds office on land and sea; wholly devoted

He has a position on land and sea dedicated

To him is the people's obedience, in private and in public.

To him the obedience of the masses in secret and openly

وتاجٌ كتاجِ المُلكِ فوقَ جبينهِ

وتاجٌ كتاجِ المُلكِ فوقَ جبينهِ

تَقلَّدَ مَعْهُ خاتَمَ النَّهْيِ والأمرِ

تَقلَّدَ مَعْهُ خاتَمَ النَّهْيِ والأمرِ

And a crown like a royal crown is above his brow;

And a crown like a king's crown above his forehead

With it he donned the ring of prohibition and command.

He took on with it the ring of prohibition and command

طبيبٌ يداوي عِلَّةَ النَّفسِ شافياً

طبيبٌ يداوي عِلَّةَ النَّفسِ شافياً

كبُقراطَ للأبدانِ في سالفِ الدَّهرِ

كبُقراطَ للأبدانِ في سالفِ الدَّهرِ

A physician who treats the soul's sickness, bringing healing,

A doctor who cures the illness of the soul healing

Like Hippocrates for bodies in ages long past.

Like Hippocrates for bodies in bygone eras

ويصبو إلى بِيضِ الطُّروسِ وسُودِها

ويصبو إلى بِيضِ الطُّروسِ وسُودِها

من الحِبرِ لا بِيضَ الدَّراهمِ والصُّفرِ

من الحِبرِ لا بِيضَ الدَّراهمِ والصُّفرِ

And he yearns for white pages and those blackened

And he aspires to the whites of pages and their blacks

By ink—not for white dirhams and yellow coins.

With ink not the whites of dirhams or yellows

لقد حلَّ روحُ اللهِ في طيِّ قلبهِ

لقد حلَّ روحُ اللهِ في طيِّ قلبهِ

كما حلَّ قِدْماً في حَشا مريمَ البِكْرِ

كما حلَّ قِدْماً في حَشا مريمَ البِكْرِ

Indeed, God's Spirit has dwelt in the folds of his heart,

God's spirit lodged indeed in the folds of his heart

As it dwelt long ago in the womb of Mary the Virgin.

As it alighted in the womb of the Virgin Mary

فألَّفَ ما بين القلوبِ بلطفهِ

فألَّفَ ما بين القلوبِ بلطفهِ

كما امتَزَجَ الماءُ الزُلالُ مع الخَمرِ

كما امتَزَجَ الماءُ الزُلالُ مع الخَمرِ

So he united hearts through his gentleness,

So he brought hearts together with his kindness

As clear, sweet water blends with wine.

As pure water mixed with wine

وأنشا لدَرْس العلم مدرسةً لنا

وأنشا لدَرْس العلم مدرسةً لنا

بَنَى فوقها بُرجاً عظيماً من الأَجرِ

بَنَى فوقها بُرجاً عظيماً من الأَجرِ

And he founded for us a school devoted to learning,

And he founded for the lesson of knowledge a school for us

Above it he built a mighty tower of reward.

Building above it a great edifice of reward

أقامت رميماً ماتَ من علمِ قومهِ

أقامت رميماً ماتَ من علمِ قومهِ

فكانت كصوتِ البوقِ في مَوقِفِ الحَشْرِ

فكانت كصوتِ البوقِ في مَوقِفِ الحَشْرِ

It raised up the dead, decayed remains of his people's learning,

It revived what died of the knowledge of his people

So it was like the trumpet's blast at the Resurrection gathering.

So it was like the sound of the horn on the Day of Resurrection

نَرى كلَّ يومٍ يومَ عيدٍ بوَجههِ

نَرى كلَّ يومٍ يومَ عيدٍ بوَجههِ

وكلَّ الليالي عندنا ليلةَ القَدْرِ

وكلَّ الليالي عندنا ليلةَ القَدْرِ

At the sight of his face, we see every day as a feast day,

We see each day as a feast day through him

And every night, for us, is the Night of Decree.

And all the nights as Laylat al-Qadr through him

وكلَّ مَقامٍ حلَّهُ بيتَ مَقدِسٍ

وكلَّ مَقامٍ حلَّهُ بيتَ مَقدِسٍ

يُزارُ كما يُسعى إلى ذلك القبرِ

يُزارُ كما يُسعى إلى ذلك القبرِ

And every place he dwells in is a holy house,

And every place he stayed became a sacred house

Visited as people hasten to that tomb.

Visited like circling that tomb

نظمتُ له هذا المديحَ تيمُّناً

نظمتُ له هذا المديحَ تيمُّناً

بذِكراهُ لا أبغي له رِفعةَ القدرِ

بذِكراهُ لا أبغي له رِفعةَ القدرِ

I composed this praise for him, seeking blessing

I composed this praise of him as a token

Through remembrance of him, not seeking to exalt his rank.

Of remembering him - I do not seek through it his esteem

وليسَ لهُ بالمدحِ فخرٌ يَنالُهُ

وليسَ لهُ بالمدحِ فخرٌ يَنالُهُ

ولكن بهِ للمدحِ عائِدةُ الفخرِ

ولكن بهِ للمدحِ عائِدةُ الفخرِ

And he gains no glory through praise;

And he has through praise no pride that benefits him

But through him, praise itself gains glory.

Rather through it praise itself gains honor