يا ناصرَ الدّينِ يا بنَ الأكرمين ومَن

يا ناصرَ الدّينِ يا بنَ الأكرمين ومَن

يُغني نَدَى كفّه عن وابِل الدّيَمِ

يُغني نَدَى كفّه عن وابِل الدّيَمِ

O Nāṣir al-Dīn, O son of the noblest—O you

O Nasir al-Din, O son of the noblest, and you whose

whose bounty leaves his hand no need of the cloudburst of lasting rains,

hand's bounty makes the downpour of steady rains needless;

ومَن حوَى السّبْقَ في فضلٍ وفي ورَعٍ

ومَن حوَى السّبْقَ في فضلٍ وفي ورَعٍ

وفي عفافٍ وفي دينٍ وفي كَرَمِ

وفي عفافٍ وفي دينٍ وفي كَرَمِ

you who have carried off the lead in excellence and scrupulous piety,

and you who have won precedence in excellence and piety,

and in chastity, faith, and generosity.

and in chastity, in faith, and in generosity.

أنت العَيِيُّ على مَا فيكَ من لَسَنٍ

أنت العَيِيُّ على مَا فيكَ من لَسَنٍ

عَن لاَ وأفصحُ خلقِ اللهِ في نَعَمِ

عَن لاَ وأفصحُ خلقِ اللهِ في نَعَمِ

For all your eloquence, you are tongue-tied

You are tongue-tied, despite your eloquence,

before “no,” yet the most eloquent of God’s creatures in saying “yes.”

when it comes to 'no,' and the most eloquent of God's creatures at 'yes.'

تُولي الجميلَ بِلا مَنٍّ تكدِّرُهُ

تُولي الجميلَ بِلا مَنٍّ تكدِّرُهُ

لا كدَّرَ اللهُ ما أولاكَ من نِعَمِ

لا كدَّرَ اللهُ ما أولاكَ من نِعَمِ

You bestow kindness with no reminder of favor to mar it;

You bestow kindness without reminders of favors to mar it;

may God never mar the blessings He has bestowed upon you.

may God never mar the blessings He has bestowed on you.

هذا ابنُ عمِّكَ في أسرِ الفِرَنجِ له

هذا ابنُ عمِّكَ في أسرِ الفِرَنجِ له

حولٌ تجرَّم في الأغْلاَلِ والظُّلَمِ

حولٌ تجرَّم في الأغْلاَلِ والظُّلَمِ

Here is your cousin, a captive of the Franks: he has

This is your cousin, held captive by the Franks; for him

endured a full year in fetters and darkness.

a year has passed in shackles and darkness.

يدعُوكَ لا بل أنا الدّاعِي نداكَ له

يدعُوكَ لا بل أنا الدّاعِي نداكَ له

يا خيرَ من عَلِقَتْهُ كفُّ معتصمِ

يا خيرَ من عَلِقَتْهُ كفُّ معتصمِ

He calls upon you—no, it is I who summon your bounty for him,

He calls on you—no, rather I call upon your bounty for him,

O best of all whom a refuge-seeker’s hand has grasped.

O best of those to whom a refuge-seeker's hand has clung.

وأنت أكرمُ مَن تَثْنَيه عاطفةُ ال

وأنت أكرمُ مَن تَثْنَيه عاطفةُ ال

قُربَى ويرجوه للجُلَّى ذُوَو الرَّحِمِ

قُربَى ويرجوه للجُلَّى ذُوَو الرَّحِمِ

And you are the most generous man moved by the claims of

And you are the most generous of those moved by the affection of

kinship, whom blood-kindred seek in dire calamity.

kinship and looked to by kinsmen in dire calamity.

ومَن تكنْ أنتَ مولاهُ وناصرَهُ

ومَن تكنْ أنتَ مولاهُ وناصرَهُ

فكيف تسطو عليه كفُّ مهتضِمِ

فكيف تسطو عليه كفُّ مهتضِمِ

Whoever has you for his patron and defender—

And whoever has you as his patron and defender—

how can an oppressor’s hand strike him?

how then can an oppressor's hand assail him?

لا تُحْوِجَنِّي إلى منِّ الرجال فما

لا تُحْوِجَنِّي إلى منِّ الرجال فما

حمْلُ الأيادِي وإن أعسرْتُ من شِيمِي

حمْلُ الأيادِي وإن أعسرْتُ من شِيمِي

Do not make me need the favors of men, for

Do not drive me to favors men will hold over me, for

bearing others’ favors, even in hardship, is not my way.

bearing debts of kindness, even if I become poor, is not my way.

ولا تظنَّنِي أدعو سِواك ولا

ولا تظنَّنِي أدعو سِواك ولا

يفوهُ مجتدِياً إلا إليكَ فَمِي

يفوهُ مجتدِياً إلا إليكَ فَمِي

Nor suppose that I call upon anyone but you; never

And do not think I call on anyone but you; nor

does my mouth speak as a suppliant except to you.

does my mouth speak, seeking bounty, except to you.

علامَ أرتشفُ الرّنْقَ الأُجَاجَ وقد

علامَ أرتشفُ الرّنْقَ الأُجَاجَ وقد

رَوَّيتَ كلَّ صدٍ من بحرِك الشَّبِمِ

رَوَّيتَ كلَّ صدٍ من بحرِك الشَّبِمِ

Why should I sip turbid, briny water when

Why should I sip murky, bitter brine, when

you have slaked every thirsty soul from your cool sea?

you have quenched every thirsty soul from your cool sea?

أنا ابنُ عمِّكَ فاجعلني بفكِّ أخي

أنا ابنُ عمِّكَ فاجعلني بفكِّ أخي

من أسرِه لك عبداً ما مشتْ قَدَمِي

من أسرِه لك عبداً ما مشتْ قَدَمِي

I am your cousin; by your own hand, my brother, make me,

I am your cousin; make me, by freeing my brother

freed from this captivity, your devoted servant as long as my feet walk.

from his captivity, your slave for as long as my foot walks.

فمِلكُ مثليَ لا يغلُو بما بَذَلَ ال

فمِلكُ مثليَ لا يغلُو بما بَذَلَ ال

مبتاعُ فيه ولا يُستام بالقِيَمِ

مبتاعُ فيه ولا يُستام بالقِيَمِ

For possession of one like me cannot cost too much, whatever the

For owning one like me is not too dear, whatever is spent by the

buyer spends on him; nor can he be priced by any valuation.

buyer on him, nor is he bargained for at appraised prices.