لم تبق معلوةٌ إلاَّ خصصت بها

لم تبق معلوةٌ إلاَّ خصصت بها

في العلم والفضل والإقدام والكرمِ

في العلم والفضل والإقدام والكرمِ

No exalted quality remains but you alone have been endowed with it—

No lofty distinction remains that is not yours alone,

in learning, virtue, courage, and generosity.

In learning, excellence, courage, and generosity.

فأنت تنقل من بذل إلى ورع

فأنت تنقل من بذل إلى ورع

غلى حسام إلى طرس إلى قلم

غلى حسام إلى طرس إلى قلم

You range from liberality to piety,

So you pass from giving to piety,

to the sword, to parchment, and to the pen—

To a keen sword, to a parchment, to a pen.

تنقّلٌ فتَّ أعلام الملوك به

تنقّلٌ فتَّ أعلام الملوك به

ما أبين الفرق بين الراس والقدم

ما أبين الفرق بين الراس والقدم

a versatility by which you surpassed the foremost kings.

A ranging by which you surpassed the foremost kings—

How plain the difference between the head and the foot!

How clear the difference between the head and the foot!

دَعني أحَبِّر حُلَى مُلكٍ أَقَرَّ لَهُ

دَعني أحَبِّر حُلَى مُلكٍ أَقَرَّ لَهُ

من في الأقاليم من عرب ومن عجم

من في الأقاليم من عرب ومن عجم

Let me richly adorn the ornaments of a sovereignty acknowledged by

Let me embellish the ornaments of a kingship acknowledged

all throughout the realms, Arab and non-Arab alike.

By those in the regions, Arabs and non-Arabs.

لزمتُ مختتماً من شكر مِنَّتِهِ

لزمتُ مختتماً من شكر مِنَّتِهِ

لزوم غيري شكراً غير مختتم

لزوم غيري شكراً غير مختتم

In closing, I bound myself to thanking him for his favor,

I held fast to a finished tribute of thanks for his favor,

with the constancy of another—yet a gratitude never concluded.

As another holds fast to thanks left unfinished.

شريتُ بالشكر نُعماه يداً بيد

شريتُ بالشكر نُعماه يداً بيد

فاعجب لمنتثر يُشري بمنتظم

فاعجب لمنتثر يُشري بمنتظم

With gratitude I bought his favors, hand to hand;

I bought his bounty with thanks, hand to hand;

marvel that what is scattered is bought with what is strung in verse!

So marvel at what is scattered being bought with what is strung.

حرمتُ شكر سواه وانفردتُ به

حرمتُ شكر سواه وانفردتُ به

من عاين الصبح لم يجنح إلى الظُلَم

من عاين الصبح لم يجنح إلى الظُلَم

I denied myself thanks to anyone but him and reserved it for him alone:

I forbade myself thanks to anyone else and devoted myself to him alone.

whoever beholds the dawn will not incline toward darkness.

Whoever has beheld the dawn does not turn toward darkness.

ولم أبالِ بلومٍ في محبته

ولم أبالِ بلومٍ في محبته

فاللوم في حبه ضربٌ من اللَّمم

فاللوم في حبه ضربٌ من اللَّمم

I cared nothing for blame incurred in loving him,

Nor did I heed reproach for loving him,

for blame of loving him is a kind of madness.

For reproach for loving him is a kind of madness.

نام الملوكُ عن العليا ونبَّهَهُ

نام الملوكُ عن العليا ونبَّهَهُ

قلبٌ إذا نام أهلُ اللهو لم ينم

قلبٌ إذا نام أهلُ اللهو لم ينم

The kings slept through the quest for glory, while he was awakened by

The kings slept heedless of greatness, but he was awakened

a heart that, when the people of diversion slept, never slept.

By a heart that, when the revelers slept, did not sleep.

حدُّ الوجود به صحَّت حقيقتُهُ

حدُّ الوجود به صحَّت حقيقتُهُ

وكم وجودٍ إذا حققت كالعدم

وكم وجودٍ إذا حققت كالعدم

Through him the definition of existence was proved true in reality;

In him, the definition of existence found its true realization;

how many an existence, when examined, is like nonexistence!

And many an existence, when examined, is like nonexistence.

كساه غيري من أمداحه حُلَلاً

كساه غيري من أمداحه حُلَلاً

لكن جعلت مديحي موضع العلم

لكن جعلت مديحي موضع العلم

Another than I clothed him in robes made from praises of him,

Another clothed him in robes made from his praises,

but I made my praise itself the standard of distinction.

But I placed my praise where the embroidered band belongs.

لا زال تزري بنور البدر غرّتُهُ

لا زال تزري بنور البدر غرّتُهُ

وجود أنمله يغني عن الدّيم

وجود أنمله يغني عن الدّيم

May the radiance of his brow never cease to outshine the full moon,

May his radiant brow never cease to shame the full moon's light,

while his fingertips’ bounty makes the lasting rains needless.

And may his fingertips' bounty make steady rains needless,

ما أمطر الأرض ريَّاً تحت رايته

ما أمطر الأرض ريَّاً تحت رايته

دمّ الجماجم برق الصارم الخدم

دمّ الجماجم برق الصارم الخدم

How mightily, beneath his banner, has the earth been watered—

As long as the earth is drenched beneath his banner

with the blood of skulls, rained down by the lightning of the keen sword!

With skulls' blood by the lightning of the keen, cleaving sword.