الشُكرُ وَالإِحسانُ في دينِ العُلا

الشُكرُ وَالإِحسانُ في دينِ العُلا

مِثلانِ لَكِن يَسبِقُ الإِحسانُ

مِثلانِ لَكِن يَسبِقُ الإِحسانُ

Gratitude and beneficence, in the code of nobility,

Gratitude and beneficence, in the creed of nobility,

are counterparts—but beneficence comes first.

are equals, but beneficence comes first.

رَضِيَ الإِلَهُ بِهِ لِأَفضَلِ نِعمَةٍ

رَضِيَ الإِلَهُ بِهِ لِأَفضَلِ نِعمَةٍ

ثَمَناً فَهانَت بَعدَهُ الأَثمانُ

ثَمَناً فَهانَت بَعدَهُ الأَثمانُ

God accepted gratitude as the price of the finest blessing,

God accepted it for the finest blessing

and thereafter every other price seemed trifling.

as its price; thereafter, all other prices grew slight.

وَالشُكرُ جارٌ وَالجَميلُ مُجاوِرٌ

وَالشُكرُ جارٌ وَالجَميلُ مُجاوِرٌ

وَالحَزمُ أَن تَتَواصَلَ الجيرانُ

وَالحَزمُ أَن تَتَواصَلَ الجيرانُ

Gratitude is a neighbor, and kindness lives next door;

Gratitude is a neighbor, and kindness lives next door;

prudence requires that neighbors keep in touch.

and prudence bids neighbors maintain their ties.

ضَيفٌ وَيُقنِعُهُ الحَديثُ لَهُ قِرىً

ضَيفٌ وَيُقنِعُهُ الحَديثُ لَهُ قِرىً

وَعَلى الحَديثِ تَجَمَّعُ الضِيفانُ

وَعَلى الحَديثِ تَجَمَّعُ الضِيفانُ

A guest whom conversation satisfies as his feast—

A guest, content with conversation as his fare;

and around conversation guests gather.

and around conversation the guests gather.

عِندي لَهُ وَطَنٌ وَبَعدَ نُزولِهِ

عِندي لَهُ وَطَنٌ وَبَعدَ نُزولِهِ

لا كانَ أَن تَنبو بِنا الأَوطانُ

لا كانَ أَن تَنبو بِنا الأَوطانُ

With me he has a homeland; and once he has alighted,

He has a home with me; and after he has settled,

may no homeland ever prove inhospitable to us.

may it never be that homelands prove inhospitable to us.

إِن زِدتَني وَجَحَدتُ ما أَولَيتَني

إِن زِدتَني وَجَحَدتُ ما أَولَيتَني

يَوماً فَإِنَّ زِيادَتي نُقصانُ

يَوماً فَإِنَّ زِيادَتي نُقصانُ

If you grant me more, yet I deny what you bestowed upon me

If you give me more, and I deny what you bestowed on me

one day, then my increase is truly loss.

one day, then my gain is loss.

مَلَأَ اليَدَينِ بِجودِهِ وَشَكَرتُهُ

مَلَأَ اليَدَينِ بِجودِهِ وَشَكَرتُهُ

فَلَتُملَأَنَّ بِشُكرِهِ الأَزمانُ

فَلَتُملَأَنَّ بِشُكرِهِ الأَزمانُ

He filled both hands with his generosity, and I thanked him;

He filled both hands with his generosity, and I thanked him;

so let the ages be filled with gratitude to him.

so the ages shall surely be filled with thanks to him.

أَيقَظتَ مِن سِنَةِ الإِياسِ مَطامِعي

أَيقَظتَ مِن سِنَةِ الإِياسِ مَطامِعي

فَلِذا يُشَكِّكُ شُكرِيَ اليَقظانُ

فَلِذا يُشَكِّكُ شُكرِيَ اليَقظانُ

You awakened my aspirations from despair’s slumber,

You roused my hopes from the drowsiness of despair;

and so my awakened gratitude leaves me doubting.

so the wakeful one calls my gratitude into question.

وَلَتُنجِدَنِّي في ثَنائِكَ أَلسُنٌ

وَلَتُنجِدَنِّي في ثَنائِكَ أَلسُنٌ

إِن كانَ يُنجِدُ مَن يَقولُ لِسانُ

إِن كانَ يُنجِدُ مَن يَقولُ لِسانُ

Tongues shall surely come to my aid in praising you—

And tongues shall surely aid me in praising you,

if a tongue can aid the one who speaks.

if a tongue is of help to one who speaks.

لِلشِعرِ ميزانٌ فَكَيفَ بِشُكرِهِ

لِلشِعرِ ميزانٌ فَكَيفَ بِشُكرِهِ

جوداً يَفيضُ وَما لَهُ ميزانُ

جوداً يَفيضُ وَما لَهُ ميزانُ

Poetry has a measure—how, then, can it thank him

Poetry has a measure—how, then, can it thank

for generosity that overflows and has no measure?

bounty that overflows and has no measure?

وَالشُكرُ لِلنَعماءِ إيمانٌ كَما

وَالشُكرُ لِلنَعماءِ إيمانٌ كَما

شَهِدَ الكِتابُ وَكُفرُها كُفرانُ

شَهِدَ الكِتابُ وَكُفرُها كُفرانُ

Gratitude for blessings is faith, just as

And gratitude for blessings is faith, as

the Book attests; denying them is unbelief.

the Book attests; ingratitude for them is unbelief.

مِنَنٌ يُذَكِّرُ ناظِري قَلبي بِها

مِنَنٌ يُذَكِّرُ ناظِري قَلبي بِها

أَبَداً فَيُنسى عِندَها النِسيانُ

أَبَداً فَيُنسى عِندَها النِسيانُ

Favors—my gaze forever reminds my heart of them,

Favors of which my eye reminds my heart

and in their presence forgetfulness itself forgets.

forever, so that in their presence forgetfulness is forgotten.

ظَهَرَت عَلى كُلٍّ بِها وَتَظاهَرَت

ظَهَرَت عَلى كُلٍّ بِها وَتَظاهَرَت

أَعلامُ فَصلٍ ما بِها كِتمانُ

أَعلامُ فَصلٍ ما بِها كِتمانُ

Through them there appeared to all, and stood plainly manifest,

Through them, above all, appeared and stood forth together

banners of excellence, with nothing hidden about them.

banners of distinction, with nothing concealed in them.

أَسرَرتَها عَن أَن تَبوحَ بِسِرِّها

أَسرَرتَها عَن أَن تَبوحَ بِسِرِّها

وَعَلى الثَناءِ بِسِرِّها الإِعلانُ

وَعَلى الثَناءِ بِسِرِّها الإِعلانُ

You kept them secret, lest they divulge their secret;

You kept them secret, lest they divulge their secret;

yet through praise their secret is proclaimed.

and praise must proclaim their secret.