سأحمد بعد اللّه في كل مشهدِ

سأحمد بعد اللّه في كل مشهدِ

أبا حسن أعني عليَّ بنَ أحمدِ

أبا حسن أعني عليَّ بنَ أحمدِ

I shall praise, after God, at every gathering,

I shall praise, after God, in every gathering

Abū Ḥasan—I mean ʿAlī ibn Aḥmad.

Abu Hasan—I mean Ali ibn Ahmad.

وأشكرُهُ شكرين شكراً لحاجة

وأشكرُهُ شكرين شكراً لحاجة

قضاها وشكراً أنها لم تُنَكَّدِ

قضاها وشكراً أنها لم تُنَكَّدِ

And I give him twofold thanks: one for a need

And I thank him twice: once for a need

he met, and one because it brought no bitterness.

he fulfilled, and once because it was not marred.

قَضَى حاجتي سمحاً بها مُتَيَسِّراً

قَضَى حاجتي سمحاً بها مُتَيَسِّراً

فَعَال امرىءٍ بالصالحات مُعَوَّدِ

فَعَال امرىءٍ بالصالحات مُعَوَّدِ

He met my need, generous in granting it, with ready ease—

He met my need, freely granting it and readily obliging,

the deed of a man long accustomed to good works.

as does a man accustomed to good deeds.

وما ذاك بدعاً من أفاعيل ماجدٍ

وما ذاك بدعاً من أفاعيل ماجدٍ

له بيت مجدٍ في القديم وسُؤْددِ

له بيت مجدٍ في القديم وسُؤْددِ

That is nothing novel among the deeds of a noble man

And that is nothing unusual among the deeds of a noble man

whose ancient house is one of glory and lordship:

who has a house of ancient glory and eminence.

فتى الصّلْحِ بل بغداذ بل سُرَّ من رأى

فتى الصّلْحِ بل بغداذ بل سُرَّ من رأى

وما هو مما فوق ذاك بمُبعِدِ

وما هو مما فوق ذاك بمُبعِدِ

the champion of al-Ṣulḥ—no, Baghdad—no, Surr Man Raʾā—

The noble youth of al-Ṣilḥ—nay, of Baghdad, nay, of Surra Man Ra'a—

nor is he far removed from anything higher still.

and he is not far from what is higher still.

لَعمري لئن دارتْ رحايَ بإذنه

لَعمري لئن دارتْ رحايَ بإذنه

صبوحاً برغم من أَعادٍ وحُسَّدِ

صبوحاً برغم من أَعادٍ وحُسَّدِ

By my life, if my mill turns by his leave

By my life, if my mill has turned with his leave

morning after morning, despite foes and envious men,

in the morning, despite enemies and envious men,

لقد أصبحت أرْحاء فكري دوائراً

لقد أصبحت أرْحاء فكري دوائراً

له بفنونٍ من مديح مؤبَّدِ

له بفنونٍ من مديح مؤبَّدِ

the millstones of my thought have now begun revolving

the mills of my thought have indeed begun to turn

for him in manifold strains of everlasting praise.

for him, in many forms of everlasting praise.

وكل امرىءٍ يَبْقَى جميلُ ثنائه

وكل امرىءٍ يَبْقَى جميلُ ثنائه

وإن كان يمضي فهو مثلُ المُخَلَّدِ

وإن كان يمضي فهو مثلُ المُخَلَّدِ

Every man of fair renown endures;

And every man whose fair renown endures,

even though he passes away, he is like one immortal.

though he passes away, is like one made immortal.

فتى جاور النعماء حق جوارها

فتى جاور النعماء حق جوارها

عفافاً وبرَّاً باللسان وباليدِ

عفافاً وبرَّاً باللسان وباليدِ

A noble youth who has lived as bounty’s truest neighbor,

A youth who has been a true neighbor to prosperity,

in chastity and kindness, by tongue and hand.

in self-restraint and benevolence, with tongue and hand.

فأضحى عليه ثوبها وهو سابغ

فأضحى عليه ثوبها وهو سابغ

فلا زال منها في لبوسٍ مجدَّدِ

فلا زال منها في لبوسٍ مجدَّدِ

And so its robe lies on him, ample and flowing;

So its robe now lies upon him, ample and full;

may he never cease to wear from it a garment ever renewed.

so may he ever wear a renewed garment from it.

ويا حبَّذا النعماء ثوباً لمنعمٍ

ويا حبَّذا النعماء ثوباً لمنعمٍ

وَصُولٍ كريمٍ في الكرامِ مرَدَّدِ

وَصُولٍ كريمٍ في الكرامِ مرَدَّدِ

How lovely bounty is as the robe of a benefactor—

And oh, how fine is prosperity as a robe for a benefactor,

ever reaching out, noble, his name repeated among nobles!

loyal to his ties, generous, often named among the generous.

تردَّى عليها حَمْدَ حُرٍّ ولم تكن

تردَّى عليها حَمْدَ حُرٍّ ولم تكن

لتكمُلَ إلا وهو بالحمد مُرتدِ

لتكمُلَ إلا وهو بالحمد مُرتدِ

Free praise of him has draped itself over it; nor could it

Over it he donned a freeborn man's praise; it could not

be complete unless he himself were robed in praise.

be complete unless he were robed in praise.