أفحمتني وأنا المُفوَّه

أفحمتني وأنا المُفوَّه

وأرقُّ من أثنى ونوَّه

وأرقُّ من أثنى ونوَّه

You have silenced me, though I am eloquent,

You confounded me, though I am eloquent,

and the most refined of those who praise and extol.

And more subtle than one who flatters and praises.

أرتجت بابَ رويَّتي

أرتجت بابَ رويَّتي

فتبدَّلت ضَعفاً بقوَّه

فتبدَّلت ضَعفاً بقوَّه

You shut the door of my reflection,

You shook the pillar of my poetry,

so I exchanged strength for weakness.

So my weakness was replaced by strength.

فافتح على ذهني أصِف

فافتح على ذهني أصِف

ما فيك من شرفِ الفتوَّه

ما فيك من شرفِ الفتوَّه

So open my mind, that I may describe

Open for my mind the noblest thoughts,

the nobility of chivalry within you.

Contained within the honor of your inspiration.

وتدانَ من فكري فمجدُ

وتدانَ من فكري فمجدُ

كَ لم ينل فكرٌ عُلوَّه

كَ لم ينل فكرٌ عُلوَّه

And draw near my thought, for your glory—

And let my intellect be humbled, so my glory

no thought has attained its height.

Is like no other intellect has reached its height.

أوَلستَ بالسيفِ الذي

أوَلستَ بالسيفِ الذي

أمِنت مرجّوهُ نُبوَّه

أمِنت مرجّوهُ نُبوَّه

And are you not the sword whose

Are you not the sword, which I hoped

failure those who hope in it need not fear?

Would protect its committed, refined lover?

جَمعَ الصباحةَ والسماحة

جَمعَ الصباحةَ والسماحة

والسجاحةَ والمُروَّه

والسجاحةَ والمُروَّه

He has united beauty and generosity,

Bringing together charm, leniency,

and gentleness and noble character.

Compassion, and manliness.

وحَنا على الدنيا فلا

وحَنا على الدنيا فلا

فَقدت بني الدنيا حُنوَّه

فَقدت بني الدنيا حُنوَّه

And he showed compassion to the world; may

And being gentle with the world, so I have not

the world's children never lose his tenderness.

Lost the affection of the world's people.

وأجدُّ من رسمِ المكارمِ

وأجدُّ من رسمِ المكارمِ

ما شكت قومٌ عُفوَّه

ما شكت قومٌ عُفوَّه

And he renewed the traces of noble deeds

And I am more generous than the ideals of generosity,

whose fading a people had lamented.

Whose pardon no group has doubted.

مَحضُ الصنيعةِ لا كجودِ

مَحضُ الصنيعةِ لا كجودِ

سواهُ مصنوعٌ مُموَّه

سواهُ مصنوعٌ مُموَّه

His beneficence is pure, unlike the bounty

Pure, sincere work, not like the pretense

of others—contrived and gilded.

Of another's deceitful handiwork.

في كلِّ يومٍ عنده

في كلِّ يومٍ عنده

حُسنى يسوءُ بها عَدوَّه

حُسنى يسوءُ بها عَدوَّه

Each day he has

Each day he has a kindness

a good deed with which he vexes his foe.

With which he thwarts his foe.

شَرعٌ كلا وقتيهِ أحر

شَرعٌ كلا وقتيهِ أحر

زَ في الندى بهما سُموَّه

زَ في الندى بهما سُموَّه

Both his times are alike; he has attained

A law, no indeed, made for every time,

his eminence in generosity through them both.

Elevating him with it to the heights of glory.

فغدوُّه كرواحهِ

فغدوُّه كرواحهِ

ورواحهُ يحكي غُدوَّه

ورواحهُ يحكي غُدوَّه

So his morning journey is like his evening journey,

So his morning is like his evening,

and his evening journey mirrors his morning journey.

And his evening tells of his morning.