لِأَيِّ جَميلٍ مِن جَميلِكَ أَشكُرُ

لِأَيِّ جَميلٍ مِن جَميلِكَ أَشكُرُ

وَأَيِّ أَياديكَ الجَليلَةِ أَذكُرُ

وَأَيِّ أَياديكَ الجَليلَةِ أَذكُرُ

For which of your favors shall I give thanks?

For which of Your beautiful gifts should I give thanks,

And which of your noble benefactions shall I recount?

And which of Your mighty hands should I remember?

سَأَشكو نَدىً عَن شُكرِهِ رُحتُ عاجِزاً

سَأَشكو نَدىً عَن شُكرِهِ رُحتُ عاجِزاً

وَمِن أَعجَبِ الأَشياءِ أَشكو وَأَشكُرُ

وَمِن أَعجَبِ الأَشياءِ أَشكو وَأَشكُرُ

I shall complain of bounty I have grown unable to thank you for;

I shall complain of being unable to show gratitude,

and among the strangest things is that I complain and give thanks.

And that I both complain and give thanks is one of the strangest things.

يَجُرُّ الحَيا مِنهُ رِداءَ حَياتِهِ

يَجُرُّ الحَيا مِنهُ رِداءَ حَياتِهِ

وَيَحصِرُ عَن تَعدادِهِ حينَ يَحصِرُ

وَيَحصِرُ عَن تَعدادِهِ حينَ يَحصِرُ

From it the rain draws the mantle of its life,

Life draws its robe of life from Him,

and falters in counting it when it tries to reckon.

And when it counts up His gifts it is speechless.

تَرَكتَ جَنابي بِالنَدى وَهوَ مُمرِعٌ

تَرَكتَ جَنابي بِالنَدى وَهوَ مُمرِعٌ

وَغُصنَ رَجائي وَهوَ رَيّانُ مُثمِرُ

وَغُصنَ رَجائي وَهوَ رَيّانُ مُثمِرُ

You left my grounds lush with bounty,

You left my side moist with dew, and it was fruitful,

and the branch of my hope well-watered and fruitful.

And the branch of my hopes, flourishing and laden.

وَأَولَيتَني مِن بِرِّ فَضلِكَ أَنعُماً

وَأَولَيتَني مِن بِرِّ فَضلِكَ أَنعُماً

غَدا كاهِلي عَن حَملِها وَهوَ موقَرُ

غَدا كاهِلي عَن حَملِها وَهوَ موقَرُ

And you bestowed on me blessings from your kindly bounty;

And You granted me of Your grace bounties

my shoulders have grown heavy from bearing them.

Which tomorrow my shoulder, though honored, cannot bear.

سَأَشكُرُها مادُمتُ حَيّاً وَإِن أَمُت

سَأَشكُرُها مادُمتُ حَيّاً وَإِن أَمُت

سَأَنشُرُها في مَوقِفي حينَ أُنشَرُ

سَأَنشُرُها في مَوقِفي حينَ أُنشَرُ

I shall give thanks for them as long as I live; and if I die,

I will give thanks for them as long as I live, and if I die,

I shall proclaim them where I stand when I am raised again.

I will spread them out on the day I am raised again.

وَإِنّي وَإِن أَعطَيتُ في القَولِ بَسطَةً

وَإِنّي وَإِن أَعطَيتُ في القَولِ بَسطَةً

وَطاوَعَني هَذا الكَلامُ المُحَبَّرُ

وَطاوَعَني هَذا الكَلامُ المُحَبَّرُ

And I, though I have given my speech ample scope,

And even if in words I have been somewhat lavish

and this finely wrought language has yielded to me,

And this ink-stained speech has freely flowed from me,

لَأَعلَمُ أَنّي في الثَناءِ مُقَصِّرٌ

لَأَعلَمُ أَنّي في الثَناءِ مُقَصِّرٌ

وَأَنَّ الَّذي أَولَيتَ أَوفى وَأَوفَرُ

وَأَنَّ الَّذي أَولَيتَ أَوفى وَأَوفَرُ

know full well that I fall short in praise,

I know that in praising I have fallen short

and that what you bestowed is fuller and more abundant.

And that which You have granted is more ample and plentiful.

عَلى أَنَّ شُكري فيكَ حينَ أَبُثُّهُ

عَلى أَنَّ شُكري فيكَ حينَ أَبُثُّهُ

يَروقُكَ مِنهُ الرَوضُ يَزهو وَيُزهِرُ

يَروقُكَ مِنهُ الرَوضُ يَزهو وَيُزهِرُ

Yet, when I spread abroad my gratitude to you,

Moreover, when I voice my thanks to You

its garden delights you, flourishing and flowering.

The garden of my soul blossoms and flowers from it.

يَظَلُّ فَتيقُ المِسكِ وَهوَ مُعَطَّلٌ

يَظَلُّ فَتيقُ المِسكِ وَهوَ مُعَطَّلٌ

بِهِ وَنَسيمُ الجَوِّ وَهوَ مُعَطَّرُ

بِهِ وَنَسيمُ الجَوِّ وَهوَ مُعَطَّرُ

Unsealed musk is rendered idle

The pure musk is still fragrant though shut tight,

by it, while the air's breeze is perfumed.

As is the breeze though gentle and the air though scented.

فَخُذها عَلى ما حيكَتِ اِبنَةَ ساعَةٍ

فَخُذها عَلى ما حيكَتِ اِبنَةَ ساعَةٍ

أَتَتكَ عَلى اِستِحيائِها تَتَعَثَّرُ

أَتَتكَ عَلى اِستِحيائِها تَتَعَثَّرُ

So take her as she was woven—a daughter of an hour—

So take them as the outpourings of an hour’s work

she has come to you despite her shyness, stumbling.

Which comes to You stumbling in shyness and confusion.