غدا كلُّ ذي شعرٍ يُدل بشعرِهِ

غدا كلُّ ذي شعرٍ يُدل بشعرِهِ

وماليَ إدلالٌ بغيرِ نَداكا

وماليَ إدلالٌ بغيرِ نَداكا

Every poet has come to pride himself on his verse;

Tomorrow every poet will boast of his poetry,

but I take pride in nothing save your bounty.

But I have no boasting except in your praise.

رجوتُ رجائي فيكَ لا ببلاغتي

رجوتُ رجائي فيكَ لا ببلاغتي

ولكن بجودٍ حالفتْهُ يداكا

ولكن بجودٍ حالفتْهُ يداكا

I placed my hope in you, not through my eloquence,

I hoped for my wish in you, not in my eloquence,

but through a generosity with which your hands have made a pact.

But in your generosity which your hand pledged.

على أن ذا الإبلاغَ فيك رأيتُه

على أن ذا الإبلاغَ فيك رأيتُه

إذا هو أسرى يهتدي بهداكا

إذا هو أسرى يهتدي بهداكا

Yet I have seen this eloquence in your praise:

Yet I saw that eloquence in you,

when it journeys by night, it finds its way by your guidance.

If it was captive, it sought guidance in your guidance.

فليس بمحمودٍ لأن صوابَهُ

فليس بمحمودٍ لأن صوابَهُ

جَداً منك يأتيه أمام جَداكا

جَداً منك يأتيه أمام جَداكا

So it is not praiseworthy, for its accuracy

So it is not praiseworthy because its correctness

is a gift from you that reaches it ahead of your bounty.

Comes sincerely from you, before your sincerity.

وما حمدُ من سدَّدتَه ورفدتَه

وما حمدُ من سدَّدتَه ورفدتَه

وما قال إلا ما يقول عداكا

وما قال إلا ما يقول عداكا

And what praise is due to one you have guided and aided,

No praise to one whom you have guided and supported,

when he has said only what your enemies say?

Who says nothing but what you would say.

وما قولهم إلا الجميل لأنهم

وما قولهم إلا الجميل لأنهم

متى أهْجروا كذَّبتهم بسَداكا

متى أهْجروا كذَّبتهم بسَداكا

And they say only what is fair, for

Their words are only beautiful because they,

whenever they speak abusively, you prove them false with your bounty.

If they went astray, were proven false by your truth.