أَرى فِكرَتي في فُنونِ القَري

أَرى فِكرَتي في فُنونِ القَري

ضِ تَأَتي بِأَشباهِ دُرٍّ نَظيمِ

ضِ تَأَتي بِأَشباهِ دُرٍّ نَظيمِ

I see my thought, in the arts of poetry,

I see my thoughts in the arts of poetry

bringing forth the likenesses of strung pearls.

Come with pieces like well-strung pearls

وَفي الشُكرِ ما مِن يَدٍ لي تَطولُ

وَفي الشُكرِ ما مِن يَدٍ لي تَطولُ

وَلَو خَطَبوهُ بِطَولٍ جَسيمِ

وَلَو خَطَبوهُ بِطَولٍ جَسيمِ

But in gratitude, no hand of mine reaches far,

And in gratitude, I have no hands that reach

even if they sought it with immense bounty.

Even if they sought it with great effort

فَلا شُكرَ عِندي سِوى ما رَهَن

فَلا شُكرَ عِندي سِوى ما رَهَن

تُ عِندَ الكَريمِ اِبنِ عَبدِ الكَريمِ

تُ عِندَ الكَريمِ اِبنِ عَبدِ الكَريمِ

So I have no thanks except what I have pledged

So I have no thanks but what I have pledged

to the generous son of Abd al-Karim,

To the generous, son of the generous

بِما خَصَّني حادِثاً مِن نِداهُ

بِما خَصَّني حادِثاً مِن نِداهُ

وَما عَمَّني كَرَماً في القَديمِ

وَما عَمَّني كَرَماً في القَديمِ

for the recent bounty with which he favored me,

For how he endowed me recently with his gift

and the generosity that enveloped me of old.

And how he blanketed me in generosity of old

تَطَوَّقتُها مِلءَ جيدٍ لَهُ

تَطَوَّقتُها مِلءَ جيدٍ لَهُ

قَلائِدَ مُتَّضِحاتُ الوُسومِ

قَلائِدَ مُتَّضِحاتُ الوُسومِ

I have worn them, filling my neck, which bears

I adorned it, full of praise for him

necklaces with plainly visible markings.

With necklaces, their symbols clearly shining

غَمامُ سَماحٍ إِذا ما أَظَلَّ

غَمامُ سَماحٍ إِذا ما أَظَلَّ

تَمَزَّقَ عَنّي لَيلُ الغُمومِ

تَمَزَّقَ عَنّي لَيلُ الغُمومِ

A cloud of generosity: whenever it casts shade,

A cloud of generosity, when it shaded me

the night of sorrows is torn away from me.

My night of gloom was ripped away

سَما بِيَ فَوقَ المُنى جاهُهُ

سَما بِيَ فَوقَ المُنى جاهُهُ

فَأَقبَضَني عالِياتِ النُجومِ

فَأَقبَضَني عالِياتِ النُجومِ

His prestige bore me above my hopes,

He took me high above wishes

and so put the lofty stars into my grasp.

And grasped me, most exalted stars

وَأَشرَكَني الجودُ في مالِهِ

وَأَشرَكَني الجودُ في مالِهِ

إِلى أَن حَلَلتُ مَحَلَّ القَسيمِ

إِلى أَن حَلَلتُ مَحَلَّ القَسيمِ

And generosity made me a partner in his wealth,

And generosity made me partner in his wealth

until I came to occupy a sharer's place.

Until I came to the place of a full partner

وَلَستُ أُعَرِّضُ كَالمُستَزيدِ

وَلَستُ أُعَرِّضُ كَالمُستَزيدِ

وَلَكِن أُصَرِّحُ كَالمُستَديمِ

وَلَكِن أُصَرِّحُ كَالمُستَديمِ

And I do not hint like one seeking more,

I do not turn away like one asking for more

but speak plainly like one seeking its continuance.

But profess loyalty like one who continues

فَإيهٍ فِدىً لَكَ تَفسي الَّتي

فَإيهٍ فِدىً لَكَ تَفسي الَّتي

بِكَ اِنتُشِطَت مِن عِقالِ الهُمومِ

بِكَ اِنتُشِطَت مِن عِقالِ الهُمومِ

So, go on! May my soul be your ransom—the soul

What loss for you who interpret what

freed through you from the tether of cares.

Has been combed from the shackles of worries

لِأَذمَمتَ لي مِن صَروفِ الزَمانِ

لِأَذمَمتَ لي مِن صَروفِ الزَمانِ

وَغَيرُكَ رَبُّ الذِمامِ الذَميمِ

وَغَيرُكَ رَبُّ الذِمامِ الذَميمِ

You have surely given me protection from time's reversals,

You have protected me from the turns of fate

while others hold a blameworthy pledge.

While others are lords of the vile blame

فَلِلَهِ دَرُّكَ مِن ماجِدٍ

فَلِلَهِ دَرُّكَ مِن ماجِدٍ

أَخي خُلُقٍ في المَعالي عَظيمِ

أَخي خُلُقٍ في المَعالي عَظيمِ

God be praised for you—what a noble man,

So may your greatness last, my brother

possessed of character, great in lofty virtues,

Noble of manner, grand in the highest

أَلوفٍ لِطولِ ثَواءِ الضُيو

أَلوفٍ لِطولِ ثَواءِ الضُيو

فِ لا بِالمَلولِ وَلا بِالسَؤومِ

فِ لا بِالمَلولِ وَلا بِالسَؤومِ

fond of the guests' long stay,

Thousands for the length of your shelter

neither easily bored nor prone to weariness.

With neither boredom nor worries

طَلَعتُ عَلَيهِ غَداةَ الوَداعِ

طَلَعتُ عَلَيهِ غَداةَ الوَداعِ

بِجِدَّةِ وَجهي غَداةَ القُدومِ

بِجِدَّةِ وَجهي غَداةَ القُدومِ

I appeared before him on the morning of farewell,

I came upon him the morning of farewell

with my face as fresh as on the morning of arrival.

With my face smiling the morning of arrival

وَعاهَدَني جودُهُ ظاعِناً

وَعاهَدَني جودُهُ ظاعِناً

على أَن يَراني بِعَينِ المُقيمِ

على أَن يَراني بِعَينِ المُقيمِ

And his generosity pledged to me, as I departed,

And his generosity pledged to me in earnest

to look on me as one still staying.

To see me with the eye of one staying

فَلا زالَ مَجدُكَ يا اِبنَ الكِرا

فَلا زالَ مَجدُكَ يا اِبنَ الكِرا

مِ غُرَّةَ وَجهِ الزَمانِ البَهيمِ

مِ غُرَّةَ وَجهِ الزَمانِ البَهيمِ

So may your glory, O son of the noble, never cease to be

So your glory lasts, son of generosity

the white blaze on the face of pitch-dark time,

Fresh face of the uncouth times

كَذَلِكَ ما صَقَلَت لِلعُيونِ

كَذَلِكَ ما صَقَلَت لِلعُيونِ

مُتونَ الرِياضِ أَكُفُّ الغُيومِ

مُتونَ الرِياضِ أَكُفُّ الغُيومِ

thus, as long as they polish for the eyes

Just so what the gardens have polished for eyes

the backs of meadows—the palms of clouds.

The clouds' densest veils.