شكراً لنعماك وإن أفحمت

شكراً لنعماك وإن أفحمت

لساني الشاكر عما نويت

لساني الشاكر عما نويت

Thanks for your bounty, though it has silenced

I thank you for your blessings though you rendered

my grateful tongue, keeping it from what I meant to say.

My tongue that thanks you speechless for what I intended

وعجّزت مدحي لُهاك التي

وعجّزت مدحي لُهاك التي

مدحتها بالعجز ثم اكتنيت

مدحتها بالعجز ثم اكتنيت

Your gifts have rendered my praise powerless—gifts

And you made my praise for your sake inadequate

I praised by confessing helplessness; then I spoke allusively:

I praised you inadequately then felt bashful

يفديك من رمت حماه فلو

يفديك من رمت حماه فلو

هجوت ما زدت على أن حكيت

هجوت ما زدت على أن حكيت

May he whose protection I sought be your ransom; for were I

May he who aimed his protection at you ransom me

to lampoon him, I would do no more than portray him.

If I find fault, I will have done nothing but told a tale

والله ما أنت وأهل العلا

والله ما أنت وأهل العلا

إذا تأملتهم وانتقيت

إذا تأملتهم وانتقيت

By God, you, beside the men of eminence—

By God, you and the people of eminence

when I consider them and choose—

If I consider them and choose

إلاّ كبيت الله في فضله

إلاّ كبيت الله في فضله

على بيوت الله والكل بيت

على بيوت الله والكل بيت

are like God's House in its preeminence

Are nothing but God's house through His bounty

over God's houses, though each is a house.

Above God's houses, and all are a house