يا أيها السيدُ الذي غمرتْ

يا أيها السيدُ الذي غمرتْ

قِدْماً أياديه شُكر من شَكَرَهْ

قِدْماً أياديه شُكر من شَكَرَهْ

O lord, whose favors have overwhelmed

O sir whose hands are immersed

long since, the gratitude of those who thanked him:

In gratitude from those who thanked him

قد كنتَ أوليتَني يداً عظمتْ

قد كنتَ أوليتَني يداً عظمتْ

عندي وكانت لديك محتقرَهْ

عندي وكانت لديك محتقرَهْ

You had bestowed on me a favor that was great

You had extended to me a great hand

in my eyes, though in yours it was a trifle.

Honored by me though it was disdained by you

أربعةً جُدتَ لي بها سلفاً

أربعةً جُدتَ لي بها سلفاً

إذ عقّني من ثِقاتيَ البررَهْ

إذ عقّني من ثِقاتيَ البررَهْ

You generously gave me four as an advance,

You found four for me in advance

when the dutiful among my trusted men let me down.

When you freed me from my righteous guarantors

وكم يدٍ قبلها جَبرتَ بها

وكم يدٍ قبلها جَبرتَ بها

عظمي وكان الزمانُ قد كسرَهْ

عظمي وكان الزمانُ قد كسرَهْ

And how many earlier favors have you used to mend

And how many a hand before it you mended

my bone, which Time had already broken!

My bone though time had broken it

فإن تُقاصِصْ فغيْرُ ذي شططٍ

فإن تُقاصِصْ فغيْرُ ذي شططٍ

وعبدُ مولىً أحقُّ من عذرَهْ

وعبدُ مولىً أحقُّ من عذرَهْ

So if you deduct repayment, you do no wrong,

So if you take to account, none but the transgressor

and a master's servant should be first to excuse him.

A servant excuses his master more than himself

وإن تُؤخِّر قِصاصَ ذي عَوَزٍ

وإن تُؤخِّر قِصاصَ ذي عَوَزٍ

يشكْركَ والشكرُ خير ما ثمرَهْ

يشكْركَ والشكرُ خير ما ثمرَهْ

And if you defer collection from one in need,

And if you delay the accounting of the destitute

he will thank you; gratitude is the finest fruit he yields.

He thanks you, and gratitude is the best fruit

وحقُّك الشكر كيف كُنتَ وما اخ

وحقُّك الشكر كيف كُنتَ وما اخ

ترتَ ففيه الصلاحُ والخِيَرهْ

ترتَ ففيه الصلاحُ والخِيَرهْ

And gratitude is your due, however you may be and whatever you

And your right is gratitude however you were

choose, for therein lie goodness and the best choice.

For in it is righteousness and good

وكُبْر ظنّي أنْ ليس مثلك من

وكُبْر ظنّي أنْ ليس مثلك من

أخدَجَ معروفه ولا بتَره

أخدَجَ معروفه ولا بتَره

And I firmly believe that no one like you

And my great expectation is that none like you

leaves his kindness unfinished or cuts it short.

Whose kindness strayed nor was severed

يفْديك من ذاك كل منتكِثٍ

يفْديك من ذاك كل منتكِثٍ

يُعقِبُ من صَفوِ فعله كدره

يُعقِبُ من صَفوِ فعله كدره

May everyone who reneges ransom you from that—

May He ransom you from every wavering person

who follows his deed's clarity with its murk.

Who follows the purity of his deed with murkiness

رزقي لشهرين قد علمتَ به

رزقي لشهرين قد علمتَ به

أربعةٌ نيّفت على عشره

أربعةٌ نيّفت على عشره

My stipend for two months, as you know,

You knew my livelihood for two months

is four above ten.

Was fourteen in addition to ten

ونيِّفُ العقد كالسَّنام له

ونيِّفُ العقد كالسَّنام له

إن جُبّ أبقى بظهره دَبَره

إن جُبّ أبقى بظهره دَبَره

And the surplus over ten is like its hump:

And the addition to the decade is like a hump

if lopped off, it leaves a sore on its back.

If rounded, it stays with its back bent

لن يقضى العقدُ بعد نيِّفهِ

لن يقضى العقدُ بعد نيِّفهِ

حاجة ذي حاجة ولا وطره

حاجة ذي حاجة ولا وطره

Ten, once its surplus is gone, will not satisfy

The decade will not fulfill after its addition

a needy man's need or his desire.

The need of the needy nor his plight

وكيف حملُ العقير راكبه

وكيف حملُ العقير راكبه

لا كيف أو قطعه به سَفره

لا كيف أو قطعه به سَفره

And how can a wounded camel bear its rider—

And how can the lame bear his rider

there is no way—or carry him through his journey?

Rather, how can it take him on a journey?

فاترك لرزقي سنامه يَقِهِ

فاترك لرزقي سنامه يَقِهِ

فأنت أولى موفِّرٍ وفره

فأنت أولى موفِّرٍ وفره

So leave my stipend its hump to protect it;

So leave the hump to shade my livelihood

for you are best suited to preserve its abundance.

For you are most abundant in conferral and plenty

يا مُؤثِرَ الناسِ بالثراء ومن

يا مُؤثِرَ الناسِ بالثراء ومن

له عليهم بالسؤددِ الأثره

له عليهم بالسؤددِ الأثره

O you who favor people with wealth, and who

O you who prefer people with wealth while you

have precedence over them in nobility,

Have the greatest effect upon them

لا أوحش المجدُ يا بني عُمرٍ

لا أوحش المجدُ يا بني عُمرٍ

منكم فأنتُم أجلُّ من عَمَرَه

منكم فأنتُم أجلُّ من عَمَرَه

may glory never stand desolate, O sons of Umar,

Glory is not lonesome, O son of Umar

without you, for you are the noblest to have dwelt in it.

For you are more magnificent than its habitation