إِذاwhen نَزَلَalights الفَضلُal-Fadl بنُson of يَحيىYahya بِبَلدَةٍin a town
إِذا نَزَلَ الفَضلُ بنُ يَحيى بِبَلدَةٍ
رَأَيتَyou see بِهاin it عُشبَgrass المَكارِمِnoble deeds يَنبُتُsprouts
رَأَيتَ بِها عُشبَ المَكارِمِ يَنبُتُ
When al-Fadl ibn Yahya alights in a town,
When Fadl ibn Yahya descends upon a town
When Al-Fadl ibn Yahya descends upon a town,
You see the grass of noble deeds sprouting there.
You see in it the plants of nobility sprouting.
You see the grass of noble virtues springing up therein.
وَلَيسَand he is not بِسَعّالٍa habitual cougher إِذاwhen سيلَhe is asked حاجَةًa favor
وَلَيسَ بِسَعّالٍ إِذا سيلَ حاجَةً
وَلاnor بِمُكِبٍّone bending over فيin ثَرىsoil الأَرضِthe earth يَنكُثُhe scratches
وَلا بِمُكِبٍّ في ثَرى الأَرضِ يَنكُثُ
And he is not one to cough when asked for a favor,
He is no miser if a request pours forth,
He is not one to feign a cough when asked for a favor,
Nor one to bend over, scratching in the earth’s soil.
Nor a turner of his face into the dust of the earth.
Nor does he bend toward the earth's soil, scratching the ground.