أَثقَلَ ظَهري بِالمِنَن

أَثقَلَ ظَهري بِالمِنَن

خِدنُ العُلى أَبو الحَسَن

خِدنُ العُلى أَبو الحَسَن

He has weighed down my back with benefactions,

He burdened my back with kindness,

Abu al-Hasan, companion of greatness.

Khidan, lord of nobility, Abul Hasan,

وَصانَني عَن ذِلَّةٍ

وَصانَني عَن ذِلَّةٍ

لَولاهُ عَنها لَم أُصَن

لَولاهُ عَنها لَم أُصَن

And shielded me from humiliation,

And protected me from humiliation—

from which, but for him, I would not have been shielded.

Without him, from it I would not have been protected.

الطاهِرُ الجَيبِ النَقِي

الطاهِرُ الجَيبِ النَقِي

يُ العِرضِ مِن غَيرِ دَرَن

يُ العِرضِ مِن غَيرِ دَرَن

Pure of bosom, unblemished

Pure of pocket, of unsullied virtue,

in honor, without a stain;

Guarding my honor without flaw,

أَعَزُّ مَيمونٌ عَلى

أَعَزُّ مَيمونٌ عَلى

سِرِّ الصَديقِ مُؤتَمَن

سِرِّ الصَديقِ مُؤتَمَن

most noble and blessed, with

Most honorable trusted Meimoun

a friend's secret entrusted to him.

With the heart of the Siddiq entrusted,

يَجمَعُ بَينَ الخُلُقِ المَ

يَجمَعُ بَينَ الخُلُقِ المَ

حمودِ وَالخَلقِ الحَسَن

حمودِ وَالخَلقِ الحَسَن

He combines a character that is

Bringing together praiseworthy character

praiseworthy with a handsome form.

And good manner,

لِلَّهِ ما قَلَّدَني

لِلَّهِ ما قَلَّدَني

هِ مِن أَيّادٍ وَمِنَنِ

هِ مِن أَيّادٍ وَمِنَنِ

God be praised for what he has hung about my neck—

For what he adorned me with

gracious favors and benefactions,

Of gifts and favors—

راهِنَةٍ شُكري بِها

راهِنَةٍ شُكري بِها

إِلى المَماتِ مُرتَهَن

إِلى المَماتِ مُرتَهَن

enduring, for which my gratitude

My gratitude pledged

is pledged until death.

Until death held in bond.

يَفديكَ مَن لِقاؤُهُ

يَفديكَ مَن لِقاؤُهُ

يُهدي إِلى القَلبِ الحَزَن

يُهدي إِلى القَلبِ الحَزَن

May he be your ransom whose encounter

May he who meeting you brings

bestows sorrow on the heart:

Joy to the saddened heart ransom you,

مُعَدَّمٌ وُجودُهُ

مُعَدَّمٌ وُجودُهُ

غَضاضَةٌ عَلى الزَمَن

غَضاضَةٌ عَلى الزَمَن

a destitute man whose existence

Renewed is his existence,

is a disgrace to the age,

A freshness upon time,

جَهمُ الجَبينِ وَجهُهُ ال

جَهمُ الجَبينِ وَجهُهُ ال

كَزُّ وَلا جِلدُ السَفَن

كَزُّ وَلا جِلدُ السَفَن

grim of brow, his face

Smooth of brow, his face not frowning

so coarse that rough fishskin cannot compare.

Nor sullen as ship hulls.

قَد جَمَعَ الخِسَّةَ في

قَد جَمَعَ الخِسَّةَ في

طولِ القُرونِ في قَرَن

طولِ القُرونِ في قَرَن

He has gathered the baseness of

He gathered in his time’s span

long ages on a single tether.

Meanness accrued over generations,

يَشناكَ سِرّاً وَلَقَل

يَشناكَ سِرّاً وَلَقَل

لَ أَن يُعاديكَ عَلَن

لَ أَن يُعاديكَ عَلَن

He hates you in secret, and seldom

He backbites you secretly but would not

does he oppose you openly.

Dare oppose you openly.

عَلَوتَ قَدراً وَهوَ في ال

عَلَوتَ قَدراً وَهوَ في ال

ناسِ وَضيعٌ مُمتَهَن

ناسِ وَضيعٌ مُمتَهَن

You have risen in rank, while among

You rose high while he among the people

men he is lowly and despised,

Remained despised and disgraced,

مِن مَعشَرٍ قَد رَضِعوا

مِن مَعشَرٍ قَد رَضِعوا

لُؤمَ الطِباعِ في اللبَنِ

لُؤمَ الطِباعِ في اللبَنِ

from a people who have suckled

Of a breed nursed on

baseness of nature in their milk.

The milk of corrupt natures.

أَصِخ لَها مَدائِحاً

أَصِخ لَها مَدائِحاً

قَد حَكَمَت لي بِاللَسَن

قَد حَكَمَت لي بِاللَسَن

Listen to these songs of praise,

Sing his praises for me

which have pronounced me eloquent.

As my tongue has judged right,

تَبقى عَلى المَرءِ وَيَف

تَبقى عَلى المَرءِ وَيَف

نى ما اِقتَنى وَما اِختَزَن

نى ما اِقتَنى وَما اِختَزَن

They endure for a man, while

What a man acquires remains his

what he has acquired and hoarded perishes.

After what he hoarded passes.

وَهِيَ وِقايَةٌ لِأَع

وَهِيَ وِقايَةٌ لِأَع

راضِ الكِرامِ وَجُنَن

راضِ الكِرامِ وَجُنَن

They are a safeguard for

It protects the dignified

the honor of noble men, and shields.

From madness and insanity—

فَالحُرُّ لا يَبِغي سِوى ال

فَالحُرُّ لا يَبِغي سِوى ال

حَمدِ عَلى العُرفِ ثَمَن

حَمدِ عَلى العُرفِ ثَمَن

For the noble man seeks nothing but

So the noble ask only for

praise as payment for kindness.

Praise by custom as their price,

فَاِبقَ طَويلَ العُمرِ ما

فَاِبقَ طَويلَ العُمرِ ما

صابَ غَمامٌ وَهَتَن

صابَ غَمامٌ وَهَتَن

So live a long life, as long as

Then live long, however much

clouds rain and pour,

Clouds swarm and passions rage,

وَما سَرى بَرقٌ وَما

وَما سَرى بَرقٌ وَما

مالَ بِغِرّيدٍ فَنَن

مالَ بِغِرّيدٍ فَنَن

and as long as lightning courses through the night, and as long as

No lightning flashed or twittering sang

a bough bends beneath a singing bird.

In wild trills and rapture.