أَتاني عَن تاجِ الزَمان تَعتُّبُ

أَتاني عَن تاجِ الزَمان تَعتُّبُ

يُضَيِّق وسع الأَرض فَضلاً عَن الصَدرِ

يُضَيِّق وسع الأَرض فَضلاً عَن الصَدرِ

A reproach reached me from Taj al-Zaman,

My poem reproached the crown of the age,

that constricts the earth’s expanse, let alone the breast.

It constricts the spaciousness of the earth, let alone my heart.

وَلَم أَمتَدِحهُ آخِراً لِجَهالَةٍ

وَلَم أَمتَدِحهُ آخِراً لِجَهالَةٍ

وَهَل لِلَّذي لا يَعرف الشَمس من عُذرِ

وَهَل لِلَّذي لا يَعرف الشَمس من عُذرِ

And it was not out of ignorance that I praised him last;

I did not praise him at first out of ignorance,

does one who does not know the sun have any excuse?

Can one who knows not the sun be excused?

وَلَكِنَّني لَمّا رأَيتُ صِفاتِهِ

وَلَكِنَّني لَمّا رأَيتُ صِفاتِهِ

خَتَمنَ العُلى طراً خَتَمتُ بِهِ شعري

خَتَمنَ العُلى طراً خَتَمتُ بِهِ شعري

But when I saw that his qualities

But when I saw his attributes,

had perfected all glory, I concluded my verse with him.

The apex sealed my poetry with which I sealed it.

وَقَد أَخَّرَ اللَهَ النَبيَّ لِفَضلِهِ

وَقَد أَخَّرَ اللَهَ النَبيَّ لِفَضلِهِ

وَقَدَّمَه في رتبةِ الفَضلِ وَالأَجرِ

وَقَدَّمَه في رتبةِ الفَضلِ وَالأَجرِ

And indeed God placed the Prophet last for his excellence,

God deferred the Prophet due to his superiority,

and placed him first in the rank of excellence and reward.

And advanced him in rank of merit and reward.

أَعرتَهُم مِن دُرِّ وَصفك جَوهَراً

أَعرتَهُم مِن دُرِّ وَصفك جَوهَراً

تَحَلّوا بِهِ ما بَينَ سَحرٍ إِلى نَحرٍ

تَحَلّوا بِهِ ما بَينَ سَحرٍ إِلى نَحرٍ

You lent them a jewel from the pearls of your qualities,

You adorned them with the pearls of your description,

which they wore as adornment from breast to throat.

They wore it from dawn till dusk.

وَتاهو به عاريَّةً لا تَمَلُّكا

وَتاهو به عاريَّةً لا تَمَلُّكا

فَإِن شِئتَ رَدّوا ما استَعاروا مِنَ الدُرِّ

فَإِن شِئتَ رَدّوا ما استَعاروا مِنَ الدُرِّ

And they boasted of it as a loan, not as a possession.

And they wandered with it naked, having no possession,

So if you wish, they will return the pearls they borrowed.

So if you wish, take back what they borrowed of the pearls.

فَلَما تَمادى الأَمرُ نادَت بيَ العُلى

فَلَما تَمادى الأَمرُ نادَت بيَ العُلى

غَلَّطت فأعطِ القوسَ وَيحَكَ من يَبري

غَلَّطت فأعطِ القوسَ وَيحَكَ من يَبري

So when the matter dragged on, Glory called out to me:

When the matter went too far, the Most High called me,

“You have erred! Give the bow—woe to you—to the one who shapes it!”

"You have wronged, so give the bow and leave the hitting to the skilled archer."

فَعادَ مَديحي نَحوَ أَبلجَ حَدِّثوا

فَعادَ مَديحي نَحوَ أَبلجَ حَدِّثوا

بِلاح حَرَجٍ عَن جودِهِ وَعَن البَحُرِ

بِلاح حَرَجٍ عَن جودِهِ وَعَن البَحُرِ

So my praise returned toward a radiant-faced man. Speak

Thus my praise returned to the brightest white,

without reserve about his generosity and about the sea.

Speak without shame of his generosity and the sea.

وَغايَة هَذا الفَضل أَنتَ وَإِنَّما

وَغايَة هَذا الفَضل أَنتَ وَإِنَّما

يُوافي إِلى الغاياتِ في آخِرِ الأَمرِ

يُوافي إِلى الغاياتِ في آخِرِ الأَمرِ

And you are the pinnacle of this excellence; only

The epitome of this merit is you, and only

at the very end does one reach the pinnacles.

At the end of the matter is the ultimate aim reached.