كَأَنَّكَas though you مَخلُوقٌcreated كَماjust as شاءَتِwished العُلاglory
كَأَنَّكَ مَخلُوقٌ كَما شاءَتِ العُلا
وَفَوقَand beyond اِقتِراحاتِconceptions المُنىhopes وَالقَرائِحِand creative minds
وَفَوقَ اِقتِراحاتِ المُنى وَالقَرائِحِ
It is as though you were created just as glory wished,
You were created as the Sublime desired,
And beyond what hopes and creative minds could conceive.
Above the proposals of fate and inspirations,
وَماand not أشتَكيI complain إلاexcept نُهوضَthe rising نَداكُمُyour bounty
وَما أشتَكي إلا نُهوضَ نَداكُمُ
وَتَقصيرَand the shortfall ماwhat أَنهَضتُهُI raised it مِنof مَدائِحِpraises
وَتَقصيرَ ما أَنهَضتُهُ مِن مَدائِحِ
I complain only of your bounty’s soaring,
And I do not complain except for my inadequate eulogies
And the falling short of the praises I have raised.
And the brevity of my praises.
أَياO صالِحَSalih (worthy) الآمالِof hopes كمhow often قُلتُI said مُثنياًpraising
أَيا صالِحَ الآمالِ كم قُلتُ مُثنياً
إِذاwhen نَحنُwe أَثنَيناwe praised عَلَيكَof you بِصالِحِwith worthy words
إِذا نَحنُ أَثنَينا عَلَيكَ بِصالِحِ
O Salih, worthy of hopes, how often I have said in praise,
O embodiment of pure hopes, how often have I praised,
Whenever we praised you with worthy words:
When we two praised you with goodness.
تَجاوَزَsurpassed عَفوُunasked giving الفَضلِof bounty أَقصىthe utmost مَطامِعيof my desires
تَجاوَزَ عَفوُ الفَضلِ أَقصى مَطامِعي
وَراضَand tamed مُطيعُwilling الجودِgenerosity أَقصىthe loftiest مَطامِحيof my aspirations
وَراضَ مُطيعُ الجودِ أَقصى مَطامِحي
Unasked bounty has surpassed my utmost desires,
The pardon of grace has exceeded my utmost ambitions,
And willing generosity has tamed my loftiest aspirations.
And the obedient generosity has satisfied my utmost desires.
مَنادِحُexpanses جودٍof bounty لِلطلابِfor petitioners وَسيعَةٌwide
مَنادِحُ جودٍ لِلطلابِ وَسيعَةٌ
وَلَكِنbut بِهاbecause of them فيin المَدحِpraise ضاقَتnarrowed مَنادِحيmy scope
وَلَكِن بِها في المَدحِ ضاقَت مَنادِحي
The expanses of bounty are wide for those who seek it,
The generosity to seekers is copious,
Yet because of them my room for praise has narrowed.
Yet in praising it my eulogies fell short.
وَجودُكَand your bounty بَحرٌa sea يُغرِقُdrowns الشِعرَpoetry إِذsince غَداit has become
وَجودُكَ بَحرٌ يُغرِقُ الشِعرَ إِذ غَدا
كَدُرٍّlike pearls وَإِنَّand indeed الدُرِّpearls لَيسَis not بِسابِحِa swimmer
كَدُرٍّ وَإِنَّ الدُرِّ لَيسَ بِسابِحِ
And your bounty is a sea that drowns verse, for it has become
Your generosity is an ocean that drowns poetry when it turns
Like pearls—and pearls cannot swim.
Turbid, though pearls do not swim.
لَئِنif indeed كُنتُI was قَدindeed أَحسَنتُI did well فيin القَولِspeaking فيكُمُof you
لَئِن كُنتُ قَد أَحسَنتُ في القَولِ فيكُمُ
فَأَحسَنُthen finer مِنهُthan it ماwhat تُجِنُّconceals جَوانِحيmy ribs
فَأَحسَنُ مِنهُ ما تُجِنُّ جَوانِحي
If I have indeed spoken well of you,
If I have done well in my words about you,
Then finer than that is what my breast conceals.
My wings will do better than them.
أَناصِحَهُO his adviser فيin المَجدِglory كُفَّdesist فَإِنَّهُfor indeed he
أَناصِحَهُ في المَجدِ كُفَّ فَإِنَّهُ
يَراكَhe sees you بِعَينِthrough the eye of المَجدِglory لَستَyou are not بِناصِحِa sincere adviser
يَراكَ بِعَينِ المَجدِ لَستَ بِناصِحِ
O you who counsel him in matters of glory, desist; for he
Curb your sincere advice about glory,
Sees you, through glory’s eye, as no true counselor.
For you see him with the eyes of glory, you are not an advisor.
Sol 6.1