لَأَشكُرَنَّكَ ما ناحَت مُطَوَّقَةٌ

لَأَشكُرَنَّكَ ما ناحَت مُطَوَّقَةٌ

وَإِن عَجَزتُ عَنِ الحَقِّ الَّذي وَجَبا

وَإِن عَجَزتُ عَنِ الحَقِّ الَّذي وَجَبا

I shall surely thank you as long as a ring-necked dove laments,

I will thank you as long as a belted dove moans,

even if I fall short of the gratitude rightly owed.

And if I fall short of what is owed,

فَما اِلتَفَتُّ إِلى نَعماءَ سابِغَةٍ

فَما اِلتَفَتُّ إِلى نَعماءَ سابِغَةٍ

إِلّا رَأَيتُكَ فيها الأَصلَ وَالسَبَبا

إِلّا رَأَيتُكَ فيها الأَصلَ وَالسَبَبا

For never have I looked upon an abundant blessing

I do not consider abundant blessings

without seeing you as its source and cause.

Except I see you as the origin and cause.

أَخدَمتَني نُوَبَ الأَيّامِ طائِعَةً

أَخدَمتَني نُوَبَ الأَيّامِ طائِعَةً

وَكانَ كُلَّ الرِضى أَن آمَنَ النُوَبا

وَكانَ كُلَّ الرِضى أَن آمَنَ النُوَبا

You made the vicissitudes of the days serve me willingly,

You have served me the turns of days willingly,

and all I wished was to be safe from those vicissitudes.

And my only contentment was that you averted misfortune.

وَلا لَقيتُ يَداً لِلدَهرِ جارِحَةً

وَلا لَقيتُ يَداً لِلدَهرِ جارِحَةً

إِذا بَقيتَ وَلا أَلقى لَها السَبَبا

إِذا بَقيتَ وَلا أَلقى لَها السَبَبا

And may I never encounter a wounding hand of Time,

I have not met an injurious hand of fate,

if you remain, nor encounter its cause.

As long as you remain, nor found cause for it.

وَقَد أَقَمتَ عِمادَ البَيتِ راسِخَةً

وَقَد أَقَمتَ عِمادَ البَيتِ راسِخَةً

عَلى القَواعِدِ فَاِمدُد بَعدَها الطُنُبا

عَلى القَواعِدِ فَاِمدُد بَعدَها الطُنُبا

And you have erected the tent’s supports, firmly rooted

You established the pillars of this house firmly

upon the foundations; afterward, stretch out the tent ropes.

On foundations, so extend its beams.