قُل لِلأَميرِ لَقَد قَلَّدتَني نِعَماً

قُل لِلأَميرِ لَقَد قَلَّدتَني نِعَماً

فُتَّ الثَناءُ بِها ما هَبَّتِ الريحُ

فُتَّ الثَناءُ بِها ما هَبَّتِ الريحُ

Tell the prince: You have garlanded me with favors—

Tell the prince: You have indeed hung favors about my neck;

through them you have surpassed all praise, as long as the wind blows.

With them you have outstripped praise for as long as the wind blows.

يا مانِحي الجاهَ إِذ ضَنَّ الجَوادُ بِهِ

يا مانِحي الجاهَ إِذ ضَنَّ الجَوادُ بِهِ

شُكريكَ ما عِشتُ لِلأَسماعِ مَمنوحُ

شُكريكَ ما عِشتُ لِلأَسماعِ مَمنوحُ

O granter of honor to me, when even the generous withheld it,

O you who gave me standing when the generous man withheld it,

as long as I live, my thanks to you shall be lavished upon every ear.

My thanks to you, as long as I live, are offered to all ears.

لَم يُلبِسِ اللَهُ نوحاً فَضلَ نِعمَتِهِ

لَم يُلبِسِ اللَهُ نوحاً فَضلَ نِعمَتِهِ

إِلّا لِما بَثَّهُ مِن شُكرِهِ نوحُ

إِلّا لِما بَثَّهُ مِن شُكرِهِ نوحُ

God did not clothe Noah in the bounty of His favor

God did not clothe Noah in the abundance of His favor

except for the gratitude to Him that Noah proclaimed.

Except because of the gratitude that Noah spread abroad.

ذَمَّت سَماحَتُهُ الدُنيا إِلَيهِ فَما

ذَمَّت سَماحَتُهُ الدُنيا إِلَيهِ فَما

يُمسي وَيُصبِحُ إِلّا وَهوَ مَمدوحُ

يُمسي وَيُصبِحُ إِلّا وَهوَ مَمدوحُ

His munificence made the world contemptible in his eyes, so

His generosity has made the world contemptible to him, so he never

he never sees evening or morning without being praised.

Passes evening or morning without being praised.

وَلِلأُمورِ إِذا الآراءُ ضِقنَ بِها

وَلِلأُمورِ إِذا الآراءُ ضِقنَ بِها

يَومَ التَجادُلِ مِن آرائِهِ فيحُ

يَومَ التَجادُلِ مِن آرائِهِ فيحُ

And for great affairs, when counsels are too narrow to contain them,

And for affairs, when opinions prove too narrow for them,

on the day of contention his judgments open a spacious field.

On the day of debate, his opinions provide ample room.

لَم يُغلِقِ اللَهُ بابَ العُرفِ عَن أَحَدٍ

لَم يُغلِقِ اللَهُ بابَ العُرفِ عَن أَحَدٍ

بابُ الأَميرِ لَهُ المَألوفُ مَفتوحُ

بابُ الأَميرِ لَهُ المَألوفُ مَفتوحُ

God has not closed the gate of beneficence to anyone:

God has not closed the door of kindness to anyone

the prince’s familiar gate stands open to him.

For whom the prince's familiar door stands open.

لَن يَعدَمَ المَجدَ مَن كانَت أَوائِلُهُ

لَن يَعدَمَ المَجدَ مَن كانَت أَوائِلُهُ

مِن آلِ كِسرى البَهاليلُ المَراجيحُ

مِن آلِ كِسرى البَهاليلُ المَراجيحُ

Glory shall never be bereft of one whose forebears were

Glory will never fail one whose forebears were

of the house of Khosrow—illustrious, weighty lords.

Of the house of Kisra—the noble, judicious lords.

مورى الفُؤادِ فَلَو كانَت بِعَزمَتِهِ

مورى الفُؤادِ فَلَو كانَت بِعَزمَتِهِ

تُذكى المَصابيحُ لَم تَخبُ المَصابيحُ

تُذكى المَصابيحُ لَم تَخبُ المَصابيحُ

Steely-hearted: if lamps were kindled by his resolve,

His heart is aflame; if, by his resolve,

the lamps would never go out.

The lamps were kindled, the lamps would never go out.

كَأَنَّهُ لِاِجتِماعِ الروحِ فيهِ لَهُ

كَأَنَّهُ لِاِجتِماعِ الروحِ فيهِ لَهُ

مِن كُلِّ جارِحَةٍ في جِسمِهِ روحُ

مِن كُلِّ جارِحَةٍ في جِسمِهِ روحُ

As though, so fully is the spirit gathered in him, he had

It is as though, with spirit gathered within him, he has

in every limb of his body a spirit of its own.

A spirit from every limb in his body.