ألا ليت شعري هل تؤخَّرُ حاجتي

ألا ليت شعري هل تؤخَّرُ حاجتي

لأوْلى بشكرٍ منك أو بثناءِ

لأوْلى بشكرٍ منك أو بثناءِ

Ah, would I knew: is my request being deferred

Alas! I wonder if my need will be delayed,

for one more deserving of thanks than you, or of praise?

When gratitude from you is more fitting than praise.

غرستَ يداً حتى إذا آنَ حملُها

غرستَ يداً حتى إذا آنَ حملُها

شكتْ منك إغفالاً وطولَ جفاءِ

شكتْ منك إغفالاً وطولَ جفاءِ

You planted a favor; then, when its fruit was due,

You planted a hand until when its fruit came,

it complained of your neglect and prolonged coldness.

It complained of neglect and prolonged estrangement from you.

ثنائيَ لا تُسبَق إليه فإنه

ثنائيَ لا تُسبَق إليه فإنه

خُلودٌ لما تَبنِي وطولُ بقاءِ

خُلودٌ لما تَبنِي وطولُ بقاءِ

My praise—let no one forestall you in winning it, for it is

My praise of you is unmatched, so make it

immortality for what you build, and lasting life.

Everlasting by what you build and its enduring existence.

وتَمِّم يداً أَسْديْتَها يَنْمَ شكرُها

وتَمِّم يداً أَسْديْتَها يَنْمَ شكرُها

غداة غدٍ في الناس أيَّ نَماءِ

غداة غدٍ في الناس أيَّ نَماءِ

And complete a favor you have bestowed; gratitude for it will grow

And fulfill the hand you extended so that tomorrow

tomorrow morning among the people—how abundantly!

Its gratitude grows among the people however it grows.

لعمري لقد أعطاك محمودَ حمدِه

لعمري لقد أعطاك محمودَ حمدِه

أميرٌ غدا من سادة الأمراءِ

أميرٌ غدا من سادة الأمراءِ

By my life, you have indeed been given his laudable praise

By my life, Mahmoud has given you his praise,

by a prince who has become one of the foremost princes.

A prince who became one of the leading princes.

ويا حسنَ ذاك الحمدِ إن أنت زِنْتَهُ

ويا حسنَ ذاك الحمدِ إن أنت زِنْتَهُ

بحمدِ إمرىءٍ من سادة الشعراءِ

بحمدِ إمرىءٍ من سادة الشعراءِ

And how beautiful that praise, if you adorn it

And oh, the beauty of that praise, if you weigh it

with the praise of a man among the foremost poets!

Against the praise of a leading poet among leading poets.