فَتى مَذحِجٍ غَفراً فَتى مَذحِجٍ غَفرا

فَتى مَذحِجٍ غَفراً فَتى مَذحِجٍ غَفرا

لِمُعتَذِرٍ جاءَت إِساءَتُهُ تَترى

لِمُعتَذِرٍ جاءَت إِساءَتُهُ تَترى

O youth of Madhhij, pardon! O youth of Madhhij, pardon!

A pardon for the lad from Madhij, a pardon for the lad from Madhij

For one who apologizes, whose offenses came in succession.

For one who came apologizing, though his misdeeds followed apace

وَمَن يَهِبِ النَيلَ الَّذي سَمَحَت بِهِ

وَمَن يَهِبِ النَيلَ الَّذي سَمَحَت بِهِ

يَداكَ بِلا مِنٍّ فَلَن يَمنَعَ العُذرا

يَداكَ بِلا مِنٍّ فَلَن يَمنَعَ العُذرا

And whoever bestows the bounty freely granted

Who could refuse the bounty your hands dispensed freely, with no strings attached

by your hands, without reproach, will not withhold pardon.

They shall have no excuse to withhold it

فَإِن قُلتَ بي كِبرٌ فَمِثلِ الَّذي أَرى

فَإِن قُلتَ بي كِبرٌ فَمِثلِ الَّذي أَرى

عَلى الناسِ مِن نُعماكَ يَملَأُني كِبرا

عَلى الناسِ مِن نُعماكَ يَملَأُني كِبرا

If you say I am proud, the like of what I see

If you say I’m arrogant, I see myself

of your favors upon people fills me with pride.

As arrogant as the blessings you’ve bestowed on people

مَواهِبُ لي مِنها الغِنى فَمَتى اِلتَقى

مَواهِبُ لي مِنها الغِنى فَمَتى اِلتَقى

بِساحَتِها حَمدٌ فَلي حَمدُها طُراً

بِساحَتِها حَمدٌ فَلي حَمدُها طُراً

Gifts from which I gain wealth; whenever there gathers

Gifts to me that brought wealth, so when

praise in their courtyard, all their praise is mine.

Praise meets their court, my praise shall fly

تُضافُ إِلى مَجدي وَتَجري إِلى يَدي

تُضافُ إِلى مَجدي وَتَجري إِلى يَدي

فَأَملِكُها مالاً وَأَملِكُها فَخرا

فَأَملِكُها مالاً وَأَملِكُها فَخرا

They are added to my glory and flow into my hand,

Added to my glory, flowing to my hands

so I possess them as wealth, and possess them as pride.

As wealth I own and pride I possess

أَتاني قَريضٌ مِنكَ يَحدوهُ نائِلٌ

أَتاني قَريضٌ مِنكَ يَحدوهُ نائِلٌ

فَأَنطَقَني جوداً وَأَفحَمَني شِعرا

فَأَنطَقَني جوداً وَأَفحَمَني شِعرا

A poem came to me from you, driven onward by a gift;

You sent me a poem whose strings a chanter plucked

it made me speak through generosity, and silenced me in poetry.

It brings me to speak of generosity and silences my verse

وَأَكسَبتَني شُغلاً عَنِ الوَصلِ شاغِلاً

وَأَكسَبتَني شُغلاً عَنِ الوَصلِ شاغِلاً

تُعاتِبُني فيهِ وَتَعتَدُّهُ هَجرا

تُعاتِبُني فيهِ وَتَعتَدُّهُ هَجرا

And you gave me an engrossing occupation that keeps me from visiting;

And it distracted me from visiting one who distracts me

you reproach me for it and count it as estrangement.

Then reproaches me and counts it estrangement

فَإِن كُنتَ مَشغوفاً بِقُربِيَ آنِساً

فَإِن كُنتَ مَشغوفاً بِقُربِيَ آنِساً

بِشَخصي فَلِم خَوَّلتَني ذَلِكَ البَدرا

بِشَخصي فَلِم خَوَّلتَني ذَلِكَ البَدرا

If you are enamored of my nearness, finding comfort

If you were enamored with my company, delighted

in my presence, why did you grant me that full moon?

By my person, why grant me that full moon?

لَئِن كانَ إِسعافي بِهِ مِنكَ قَبلَها

لَئِن كانَ إِسعافي بِهِ مِنكَ قَبلَها

وَفاءً لَقَد كانَ انفِراِدي بِهِ غَدرا

وَفاءً لَقَد كانَ انفِراِدي بِهِ غَدرا

If indeed your granting it to me before that

If helping me with it was loyalty from you beforehand

was loyalty, my keeping it to myself was surely betrayal.

Then my monopolizing it was sheer treachery

وَما هُوَ إِلّا دُرَّةٌ لَم أَجِد لَها

وَما هُوَ إِلّا دُرَّةٌ لَم أَجِد لَها

سِوى جودِكَ الأَمسِيَّ إِذ بَرَزَت بَحرا

سِوى جودِكَ الأَمسِيَّ إِذ بَرَزَت بَحرا

It is nothing but a pearl for which I found

It was but a pearl I found no peer for

no sea but your generosity of yesterday, when it emerged.

Save your boundless generosity when it shone like a sea

حَمَلتَ عَلَيهِ في سَبيلِ فُتُوَّةٍ

حَمَلتَ عَلَيهِ في سَبيلِ فُتُوَّةٍ

هِيَ الثَغرُ خَلفَ المَجدِ بَل تَفضُلُ الثَغرا

هِيَ الثَغرُ خَلفَ المَجدِ بَل تَفضُلُ الثَغرا

You charged upon it in the cause of chivalry,

You took it on in the spirit of chivalry

which is the frontier behind glory—rather, it surpasses the frontier.

The throat beyond glory, surpassing throats

فَإِن أَنا لَم أَشكُركَ نُعماكَ جاهِداً

فَإِن أَنا لَم أَشكُركَ نُعماكَ جاهِداً

فَلا نِلتُ نُعمى بَعدَها توجِبُ الشُكرا

فَلا نِلتُ نُعمى بَعدَها توجِبُ الشُكرا

If I do not strive to thank you for your favor,

If I do not thank you, striving my best

then may I receive no favor after it that calls for gratitude.

I shall not gain blessings that call for thanks

فَأَنتَ تُصيبُ المَجدِ حَيثُ تَلَألَأَت

فَأَنتَ تُصيبُ المَجدِ حَيثُ تَلَألَأَت

كَواكِبُهُ إِن أَنتَ لَم تُصِبِ الأَجرا

كَواكِبُهُ إِن أَنتَ لَم تُصِبِ الأَجرا

For you attain glory where glitter

You hit the bull’s eye of glory wherever

its stars, even if you earn no reward.

Its stars glittered, even if you miss the prize

وَجَدتُ نَداكَ اليَومَ أَلطَفَ مَوقِعاً

وَجَدتُ نَداكَ اليَومَ أَلطَفَ مَوقِعاً

وَقَد كانَ لي خُلاً فَأَصبَحَ لي صِهرا

وَقَد كانَ لي خُلاً فَأَصبَحَ لي صِهرا

I found your bounty today more pleasing in its effect;

I found your company today kindlier than ever

it had been my close friend, and now has become my kin by marriage.

And a void for me turned into affinity