وَكَم كانَ لي قِدماً قَصيدٌ ومقصدٌ

وَكَم كانَ لي قِدماً قَصيدٌ ومقصدٌ

أَقاما عَلى وَعدٍ بِكُفأَينِ لِلمَجدِ

أَقاما عَلى وَعدٍ بِكُفأَينِ لِلمَجدِ

And how many a poem and purpose I had long ago,

How often my feet had a poem and a goal

Both standing by a promise, as two worthy peers of glory.

That stood on a promise with two palms for glory

مَنازِلُ كانَت في اِنتِظارٍ لِساكِنِ

مَنازِلُ كانَت في اِنتِظارٍ لِساكِنِ

فَدونَكَ سُكناها عَلى الطائِرِ السَعدِ

فَدونَكَ سُكناها عَلى الطائِرِ السَعدِ

Dwellings that had been waiting for an inhabitant—

Homes were waiting for an inhabitant

So take up residence in them under an auspicious omen.

Below you their settlement on the auspicious bird

وَلَم يَهدِني قَصدٌ إِلى قَصدِ مَدحِهِ

وَلَم يَهدِني قَصدٌ إِلى قَصدِ مَدحِهِ

فَأُطنِبَ إِلّا أَن يَكونَ عَلى القَصدِ

فَأُطنِبَ إِلّا أَن يَكونَ عَلى القَصدِ

And no aim led me to aim at praising him

And no purpose guided me to the purpose of his praise

At length, save within the bounds of moderation.

So I was eloquent unless it was on purpose

وَمِن قَبلِهِ كُنّا نُرَجّيهِ لِلمُنى

وَمِن قَبلِهِ كُنّا نُرَجّيهِ لِلمُنى

فَأَمّا لِتَحبيرِ الثَناءِ فَمِن بَعدِ

فَأَمّا لِتَحبيرِ الثَناءِ فَمِن بَعدِ

And before that, we looked to him for our wishes;

And before him we were hoping for wishes

But as for embellishing praise, that came afterward.

As for the embellishment of praise, it is afterwards

عُلاً فَوقَ غياتِ المَقولِ وَمُنتَهى ال

عُلاً فَوقَ غياتِ المَقولِ وَمُنتَهى ال

ثناءِ وَوُسعُ الحَمدِ مِن أَوسَعِ الجَهدِ

ثناءِ وَوُسعُ الحَمدِ مِن أَوسَعِ الجَهدِ

Lofty glory beyond the limits of speech and the utmost of

Lofty above the extremes of speech and the utmost

Praise; and praise's full measure comes from the utmost effort.

Of praise, and the capacity of praise from the widest effort