ما جود راحتيك والأنواء

ما جود راحتيك والأنواء

إن هطلت سحبهما سواء

إن هطلت سحبهما سواء

Your two palms’ bounty and that of the rain-stars are not

Neither your generosity nor the clouds' rain

Equal, even when the clouds of both pour down.

Are equal when their clouds pour down together.

أنت تجود بالكثير باسما

أنت تجود بالكثير باسما

والغيث جود سيحه بكاء

والغيث جود سيحه بكاء

You give abundantly, smiling,

You give abundantly with praise,

While the rain’s flowing bounty is weeping.

While the rain's generous pouring is with tears.

من قاس بالبحر نداك عامدا

من قاس بالبحر نداك عامدا

فجهله ليس به خفاء

فجهله ليس به خفاء

Whoever deliberately compares your bounty to the sea—

Whoever compares you to the sea out of ignorance

His ignorance is no secret.

His ignorance cannot be concealed.

هل يستوى البحران هذا ذهب

هل يستوى البحران هذا ذهب

يفيض للعافي وهذا ماء

يفيض للعافي وهذا ماء

Are the two seas equal? This one is gold,

Can this sea, which overflows with well-being,

Flowing for the petitioner; the other is water.

Be equal to that of mere water?

يفديك من أمسى يهز عطفه

يفديك من أمسى يهز عطفه

مدح ولا يجدى به الرقاء

مدح ولا يجدى به الرقاء

May he be your ransom whose side is stirred

May he who spends the evening praising you,

By praise, though incantations do him no good.

Find no comfort though he wish to flatter.

كم هزة عند الثنا لأحمد

كم هزة عند الثنا لأحمد

يعرف في نشواتها السخاء

يعرف في نشواتها السخاء

How many a stirring Ahmad feels at praise,

How often Ahmad is moved to tenderness,

In whose raptures generosity is revealed.

Recognized in his joys by his generosity!

وكم على عطاه جادت حيل

وكم على عطاه جادت حيل

نال بها الطالب ما يشاء

نال بها الطالب ما يشاء

And how many stratagems have worked to win his gifts,

And how often his gifts have cunningly tempted

Through which the petitioner obtained whatever he wished.

Those who by them obtain what they desire!

ينخدع الكريم إن خادعته

ينخدع الكريم إن خادعته

تغابيا ذلك لا غباء

تغابيا ذلك لا غباء

The generous man lets himself be deceived if you deceive him;

The generous man is deceived if you deceive him

That is feigned foolishness, not stupidity.

By disguise, though not out of foolishness.

مولاى تلك الصدقات التي

مولاى تلك الصدقات التي

لعبدكم تمت بها النعماء

لعبدكم تمت بها النعماء

My lord, those charitable gifts

My Lord, those gifts which came to Your servant -

With which your servant’s blessings were made complete—

Through them Your blessings were made complete.

تشاهدوا بانها ما كانت الع

تشاهدوا بانها ما كانت الع

ام هنا وذلك افتراء

ام هنا وذلك افتراء

They testified together that they had not been

You see they were not for this fleeting world,

Here this year, and that is a fabrication.

To say that would be a calumny.

ما سوى الله وأنت شاهد

ما سوى الله وأنت شاهد

وافي اليهم منك ابتداء

وافي اليهم منك ابتداء

Only God—and you—bear witness

Besides God, You are witness

To what reached them from you at the outset.

And theirs, deriving at first from You.

وسلموها لي واليوم انكروا

وسلموها لي واليوم انكروا

والحكم ما يحكم والقضاء

والحكم ما يحكم والقضاء

And they handed them to me; today they have denied it,

They handed them to me and today deny them,

And the judgment and decree are whatever is decided.

Though the judgment belongs to the judge and the decree to the decree-maker.

وقاك رب العرش ما تحذره

وقاك رب العرش ما تحذره

ولا اتقى سطوتك الأعداء

ولا اتقى سطوتك الأعداء

May the Lord of the Throne shield you from what you fear,

Your Lord of the Throne told You, "Do not fear them!"

And may the enemies never escape your onslaught.

Nor dread the tyranny of enemies!