تبدَّىappeared الهناjoy والهمُّand sorrow أضحىbecame مُبَدَّداdispelled
تبدَّى الهنا والهمُّ أضحى مُبَدَّدا
وقدand indeed صاحَcalled out فيamong الأَغصانِthe branches طيرٌbirds وغرَّداand warbled
وقد صاحَ في الأَغصانِ طيرٌ وغرَّدا
Joy appeared, and sorrow was dispelled,
The worries have vanished, joy has appeared
And birds called among the branches and warbled.
And birds have chirped in the branches, singing
واشرقَand shone بدرُthe full moon الأفقِof the horizon بعدafter افولهِits setting
واشرقَ بدرُ الأفقِ بعد افولهِ
فزالَso departed عنfrom الأكبادِthe hearts (literally, livers) ماwhat كانَwas اكمداdark with grief
فزالَ عن الأكبادِ ما كانَ اكمدا
And the horizon’s full moon shone after its setting,
The moon of the horizon has risen after its setting
So the darkness of grief left the hearts.
So grief has departed from hearts where it burned
منfrom الغربِthe west قدindeed وافَىhe arrived يضيءُhe shines بأرضناin our land
من الغربِ قد وافَى يضيءُ بأرضنا
وهلand had? قبلهُbefore him بدرٌa full moon منfrom الغربِthe west قدalready بداappeared
وهل قبلهُ بدرٌ من الغربِ قد بدا
From the west he came, shining in our land;
From the West it has come to illuminate our land
And before him, had a full moon ever appeared from the west?
Has any previous moon from the West shone?
لقدindeed قرَّتِwere gladdened الأبصارُthe eyes يومَon the day لقآئِهof meeting him
لقد قرَّتِ الأبصارُ يومَ لقآئِه
كماjust as ابيضَّturned white يومٌa day كانَhad been بالبينthrough separation اسوداblack
كما ابيضَّ يومٌ كانَ بالبين اسودا
Indeed, eyes were gladdened on the day of meeting him,
Eyes were delighted the day they saw him
As a day once black with separation turned white.
As a day that was pitch-black turned white
هوhe العالمُthe scholar الفردُthe peerless one الذيwho عزَّis rare مثلُهُhis equal
هو العالمُ الفردُ الذي عزَّ مثلُهُ
أديبٌa man of letters بجلبابِin the robe الكمالِof perfection قَدِindeed ارتَدَىhe clothed himself
أديبٌ بجلبابِ الكمالِ قَدِ ارتَدَى
He is the peerless scholar whose equal is rare,
He is the unique scholar, the like of whom is rare
A man of letters who has donned the robe of perfection.
A gentleman cloaked in the robe of perfection
تنزَّهَis exalted عنabove ثانٍan equal ولاand no عَجَبٌwonder فَمنfor who
تنزَّهَ عن ثانٍ ولا عَجَبٌ فَمن
رأَىhas seen غيرَanother بدرٍfull moon فيin السمآءِthe sky تردَّداpassed to and fro
رأَى غيرَ بدرٍ في السمآءِ تردَّدا
He has no equal—and no wonder, for who
Beyond any second, and no wonder, for who
Has seen another full moon pass to and fro in the sky?
Has seen other than the full moon traversing the sky?
لقدindeed قامَhe stood فيat صدرِthe forefront of الكنيسةِthe Church راعياًas a shepherd
لقد قامَ في صدرِ الكنيسةِ راعياً
فكانَso he became لهاfor her ركناًa pillar منof المجدِglory شُيّداbuilt
فكانَ لها ركناً من المجدِ شُيّدا
Indeed, he stood at the forefront of the Church as a shepherd,
He arose as a shepherd in the heart of the church
And became for her a pillar built of glory.
And for it he was a pillar of glory erected
بهِin him اجتمعتgathered أَبهىthe fairest المناقبِvirtues فاستَوَتand so became
بهِ اجتمعت أَبهى المناقبِ فاستَوَت
عبيداًslaves لهُto him إذsince قامَhe stood فيهنَّamong them سيّداas a master
عبيداً لهُ إذ قامَ فيهنَّ سيّدا
In him the fairest virtues gathered and became
In him gathered the finest attributes until
His slaves, since he stood among them as their master.
They stood as his servants when he stood as their lord
لقدindeed رقَّwas gentle طبعاًby nature مثلماراقَjust as was pure ودُّهُhis affection
لقد رقَّ طبعاً مثلماراقَ ودُّهُ
وقدand indeed طابَwas fine خُلقاًin character مثلماjust as طابَwas fine مولداin birth
وقد طابَ خُلقاً مثلما طابَ مولدا
Indeed, he was gentle by nature, just as his affection was pure,
Refined was his nature, as refined was his affection
And his character was as fine as his birth.
And good was his character, as good was his birth
تهلَّلَbeamed with joy ربِعٌa dwelling حلَّhe settled فيهِin it فلوand if مَشَىit walked
تهلَّلَ ربِعٌ حلَّ فيهِ فلو مَشَى
لكانَit would have سَعَىhastened نحوtoward اللقآءِthe meeting مجرَّداunencumbered
لكانَ سَعَى نحو اللقآءِ مجرَّدا
A dwelling where he settled beamed with joy; if it could walk,
A quarter shone when he settled there, so if he walked
It would have hastened to meet him, unencumbered.
He would have strode barefoot to the encounter
فلاso may he never زالcease فيat أوجِthe summit العُلَىof glory عالياًhigh كماas
فلا زال في أوجِ العُلَى عالياً كما
يُسَمَّىhe is named وفيand in الدنياthis world سليماًsafe منfrom الردىdeath
يُسَمَّى وفي الدنيا سليماً من الردى
May he ever remain high at the summit of glory, as
So he remains at the peak of glory, high as
His name proclaims, and be safe in this world from death.
His name, and in the world safe from decay