نِعال كِنْبايةَ والعنبرُ

نِعال كِنْبايةَ والعنبرُ

ومِسْك دارِينكُمُ الأذفرُ

ومِسْك دارِينكُمُ الأذفرُ

The sandals of Kinbaya, and ambergris,

Kanbayan sandals and ambergris,

and your strong-scented musk of Darin,

And your house's musk, the most fragrant,

ومَندل الهند الذي يُرتَضَى

ومَندل الهند الذي يُرتَضَى

يُقسَم في الناس ولا نُذكرُ

يُقسَم في الناس ولا نُذكرُ

and India's prized aloeswood,

And the Indian agate that is approved,

are shared among the people, while we go unmentioned.

Is divided among people without us being mentioned.

يا مانعينا من هداياكُمُ

يا مانعينا من هداياكُمُ

ثناؤنا من عطركم أعطر

ثناؤنا من عطركم أعطر

O you who withhold your gifts from us,

O you who prevent us from your gifts,

our praise is more fragrant than your perfume.

Our praise of your perfume is more fragrant.

ثناؤنا يبقى ويطوي الفلا

ثناؤنا يبقى ويطوي الفلا

طيّاً فلا يُثنَى ولا يُقصر

طيّاً فلا يُثنَى ولا يُقصر

Our praise endures and folds up the desert wastes,

Our praise remains and folds time

folding them away, neither checked nor cut short.

Folded, so it is neither folded nor shortened.

وعطركمْ تَدرُس آثارهُ

وعطركمْ تَدرُس آثارهُ

ويسأم السيرَ ولا يفخر

ويسأم السيرَ ولا يفخر

And your perfume's traces fade away;

And your perfume's traces are erased

it tires of travel and does not boast.

And the journey becomes tedious without pride.

أقسمت بالكأس إذا أعملت

أقسمت بالكأس إذا أعملت

واصطخب المزمار والمِزْهر

واصطخب المزمار والمِزْهر

I swear by the winecup when it is put to use,

I swore by the cup when it was filled

and the pipe and lute raise their clamor:

And the flute and flower garden were noisy,

لو جاءنا العود وأتباعه

لو جاءنا العود وأتباعه

وخيرُهن العنبر الأخضر

وخيرُهن العنبر الأخضر

if aloeswood and its companions came to us—

If the lute and its followers came to us,

and the best of them is green ambergris—

And the best of them is the green amber,

لقد غدا يُثنى به شعرُنا

لقد غدا يُثنى به شعرُنا

أضعاف ما يثنى به المجمر

أضعاف ما يثنى به المجمر

our verse would surely earn praise through it,

Our poetry would then be praised

many times the praise the censer earns through it.

Multiples of what is praised by embers.

أو جاءنا المسك جَزينا به

أو جاءنا المسك جَزينا به

ما يصبح المسك به يُهجَر

ما يصبح المسك به يُهجَر

Or, if musk came to us, we would give in return

Or if musk came to us, we would reward it

something for which musk itself would be forsaken.

With what makes musk abandoned in the morning.

أو أصبح المنشور من شكرنا

أو أصبح المنشور من شكرنا

كأنه من ريحه يُنشر

كأنه من ريحه يُنشر

Or the gratitude we spread abroad would be

Or our sugar from gratitude became

as though spread by its fragrance.

As if it is being scattered from its scent.

ولو أتى الكافورُ قلنا يد

ولو أتى الكافورُ قلنا يد

بيضاء كالكافور لا تُكفَر

بيضاء كالكافور لا تُكفَر

And if camphor came, we would say: 'A hand

And if camphor came, we would say a

white as camphor, whose kindness is not denied.'

White hand like camphor that cannot be covered.

أو جاءنا من عندكم مَركبٌ

أو جاءنا من عندكم مَركبٌ

أحمر كالشعلة أو أشقر

أحمر كالشعلة أو أشقر

Or, if a mount came to us from you,

Or if a ship came to us from you

red as a flame, or tawny,

Red like a flame or blond,

نِسْبته يُنسَبها داهِرٌ

نِسْبته يُنسَبها داهِرٌ

ولونه يُنحَله قيصر

ولونه يُنحَله قيصر

its lineage is assigned by Dahir,

Its origin would be attributed by a connoisseur

and its color bestowed by Caesar.

And its color would be distinguished by Caesar.

يُعزَى إلى السند ويعتدُّهُ

يُعزَى إلى السند ويعتدُّهُ

في الروم لون ناصع أحمر

في الروم لون ناصع أحمر

It is ascribed to Sind, yet it is counted

It would be traced back to Sindh and highly valued

among the Romans by a vivid red hue.

In Rome its shining red color.

مُصَرصِر لكنه صيِّتٌ

مُصَرصِر لكنه صيِّتٌ

عقارب الدار له تُذعَر

عقارب الدار له تُذعَر

It is squeaky, yet loud-voiced;

Buzzing but it is a small sound

the scorpions of the house are frightened by it.

The house's scorpions are frightened by it.

فيه على الأعداء مستنجَدٌ

فيه على الأعداء مستنجَدٌ

في ظلمة الليل ومستنصر

في ظلمة الليل ومستنصر

In it there is help against enemies,

In it against the enemies is a helper

in the darkness of night, and succor.

In the darkness of night and seeking light.

ما صرّ إلا ولنا نطقُهُ

ما صرّ إلا ولنا نطقُهُ

بالشكر أو يحسر أو نحسر

بالشكر أو يحسر أو نحسر

It never squeaks but speaks on our behalf,

It would not buzz except to thank us

in gratitude, until it tires or we tire.

Or regret or make us regret.

لا نَخلُ من جملة ألطافكم

لا نَخلُ من جملة ألطافكم

لا يخلُ من شكركُم مَحضر

لا يخلُ من شكركُم مَحضر

Let us not lack a share of your gracious gifts;

We do not lack from the totality of your favors

no gathering shall lack our thanks to you.

Our gathering does not lack from your gratitude.

إنا إذا تاجَرَنا صاحبٌ

إنا إذا تاجَرَنا صاحبٌ

أضحى وما ذُمّ له مَتْجرُ

أضحى وما ذُمّ له مَتْجرُ

Surely, when a friend trades with us,

If a companion trades with us

he comes away with no reproach upon his bargain.

He has prospered and no flaw was blamed on him.

ما خلت من يُهدي لنا فانياً

ما خلت من يُهدي لنا فانياً

نجزيه عنه باقياً يخسر

نجزيه عنه باقياً يخسر

I never thought one who gives us something fleeting,

It did not lack one who sincerely gifted us

whom we repay with something lasting, could lose.

We rewarded him eternally for his transient gift.

الحمد لله الذي لم تزل

الحمد لله الذي لم تزل

أنوارهُ ساطعةً تَزهر

أنوارهُ ساطعةً تَزهر

Praise be to God, whose never-ceasing

Praise be to God whose

lights blaze forth and shine.

Lights have continued to blossom.

حَظي مما عندكم تافهٌ

حَظي مما عندكم تافهٌ

وحظكُم من وُدِّيَ الأوفر

وحظكُم من وُدِّيَ الأوفر

My share of what you have is paltry;

My share of what is with you is insignificant

and your share of my affection is the fullest.

And your share of my affection is greater.

وليس بي قدر هداياكُمُ

وليس بي قدر هداياكُمُ

بل بيَ أني صاحب يُحقر

بل بيَ أني صاحب يُحقر

It is not the value of your gifts that pains me,

I do not have the capacity for your gifts

but that I am a friend held in contempt.

Rather, I am a companion who is despised.

رأيتني إذ خنتُمُ حصّتي

رأيتني إذ خنتُمُ حصّتي

وموضعي من رأيكم أغبر

وموضعي من رأيكم أغبر

I found myself, when you cheated me of my share,

I saw myself when you betrayed my share

with my standing in your regard covered in dust.

And my position in your view is more contemptible.

وفعلكم عنوان آرائكم

وفعلكم عنوان آرائكم

وقد يُبين المخبرَ المنظر

وقد يُبين المخبرَ المنظر

And your conduct is the index of your opinions;

And your action is the signature of your opinions

and outward appearance may reveal the inner reality.

And it may clarify the view to the observer.

خذها وإن جدتَ بإسعافنا

خذها وإن جدتَ بإسعافنا

فلا تقل إني لا أشكر

فلا تقل إني لا أشكر

Take it; and if you generously come to our aid,

Take it even if you are harsh in helping us

do not say that I give no thanks.

Do not say that I am ungrateful.

وإن أبى الله ومقدارُهُ

وإن أبى الله ومقدارُهُ

فلا تقل إني لا أعذر

فلا تقل إني لا أعذر

And if God and His decree refuse,

If God and His destiny refused,

do not say that I make no allowances.

Do not say that I have no excuse.

مهما يقدَّر منك في أمرنا

مهما يقدَّر منك في أمرنا

فالعذر من تلقائنا يُقدَر

فالعذر من تلقائنا يُقدَر

Whatever is decreed by you concerning us,

Whatever is destined for us in our matter

an excuse will be devised on our part.

The excuse comes spontaneously from us.

ولو أردنا اللوم أعجزْتَنا

ولو أردنا اللوم أعجزْتَنا

وهل يُنال القمر الأزهر

وهل يُنال القمر الأزهر

Even if we wished to blame you, you would thwart us;

And if we wanted to blame, you would disable us,

can the radiant moon be reached?

And can the shining moon be attained?

ليس سماء الله منحطة

ليس سماء الله منحطة

وإن تدانت حين تستمطر

وإن تدانت حين تستمطر

God's sky is not brought low,

God's sky is not lowly

though it draws near when asked for rain.

Even if it lowers when it rains.

يا من إذا حلّاه إخوانهُ

يا من إذا حلّاه إخوانهُ

حُلِيَّ مدْحٍ حسنهُ يبهر

حُلِيَّ مدْحٍ حسنهُ يبهر

O you, when your brethren adorn you

O you who when dressed by his brothers

with ornaments of praise whose beauty dazzles,

Is dressed in beautiful praise that dazzles.

فإنما من عندهم نظمهُ

فإنما من عندهم نظمهُ

ومن لدنه الدُرُّ والجوهر

ومن لدنه الدُرُّ والجوهر

the stringing alone comes from them,

So it is only from them that its rhythm comes from

while the pearls and gems come from you.

And from Him come the pearls and gems.