لَكَ الفَضلُ مَجدَ الدينِ شَرَّفَت عَبدَكَ الـ

لَكَ الفَضلُ مَجدَ الدينِ شَرَّفَت عَبدَكَ الـ

ـغَريبَ بِنَظمٍ لا نَقيسُ بِهِ نَظما

ـغَريبَ بِنَظمٍ لا نَقيسُ بِهِ نَظما

The credit is yours, Majd al-Din: you honored your servant, the—

You deserve all praise, you who honor

stranger, with verse to which we compare no other verse.

Your lowly servant with verse like no other

وَسَقَّيتَني مِن بَحرِ فَضلِكَ شُربَةً

وَسَقَّيتَني مِن بَحرِ فَضلِكَ شُربَةً

مُقَدَّسَةً صِرفاً حَمَتنِيَ أَن أَظما

مُقَدَّسَةً صِرفاً حَمَتنِيَ أَن أَظما

And you gave me a draught from the sea of your bounty,

You let me drink from your sea of grace

Sacred and undiluted, which kept me from thirst.

A holy draft that moved me to compose

وَأَلبَستَني بُرداً مِنَ المَجدِ ضافِياً

وَأَلبَستَني بُرداً مِنَ المَجدِ ضافِياً

جَعَلتَ عَلَيهِ مِن صِفاتِكَ لي رَقما

جَعَلتَ عَلَيهِ مِن صِفاتِكَ لي رَقما

And you clothed me in an ample mantle of glory,

You clothed me in a cloak of glory, fine

On which you set for me a pattern of your virtues.

Embroidered with your attributes that shine

وَأَلغَزتَ لي في حاكِمٍ غَيرِ مُبصِرٍ

وَأَلغَزتَ لي في حاكِمٍ غَيرِ مُبصِرٍ

وَلَسنا نَرى فَضلاً لَدَيهِ وَلا عِلما

وَلَسنا نَرى فَضلاً لَدَيهِ وَلا عِلما

And you posed me a riddle about a sightless judge,

You posed me a ruler, blind, who cannot see

And we see in it neither merit nor knowledge.

No virtue in him, or wisdom has he

وَتَقبَلُ مِن أَحكامِهِ كُلُّ أُمَّةٍ

وَتَقبَلُ مِن أَحكامِهِ كُلُّ أُمَّةٍ

وَلا بَخسَ فيهِ لِلأَنامِ وَلا هَضما

وَلا بَخسَ فيهِ لِلأَنامِ وَلا هَضما

And every nation accepts its judgments,

Yet every nation accepts his decrees

And in it there is neither shortchanging nor injustice for humankind.

No cheat or fraud on people does he squeeze

وَقُلتَ بِأَنَّ العَينَ تُبطِلُ حُكمَهُ

وَقُلتَ بِأَنَّ العَينَ تُبطِلُ حُكمَهُ

نعم يَحتَوي عَيناً وَنُمضي لَهُ الحُكما

نعم يَحتَوي عَيناً وَنُمضي لَهُ الحُكما

And you said that the eye (‘ayn) invalidates its judgment;

You said an eyewitness will void his rule

Yes, it contains an eye (‘ayn), yet we uphold its judgment.

Yes, though he sports an eye, we let judgments pull

وَتَنزِلُ فيهِ الشَمسُ في العامِ مَرَّةً

وَتَنزِلُ فيهِ الشَمسُ في العامِ مَرَّةً

وَتَرحَلُ عَنهُ مِثلَما نَزَلَت حَتما

وَتَرحَلُ عَنهُ مِثلَما نَزَلَت حَتما

And the sun alights in it once a year,

The sun visits his land once a year

And departs from it just as it alighted, without fail.

Then leaves him be, as it came, no fear

فَلَو جَعَلوا المُعتَلَّ هاءً وَرَخَّموا

فَلَو جَعَلوا المُعتَلَّ هاءً وَرَخَّموا

لَكانَ عَلى كُلِّ الوَرى حُكمُهُ حلما

لَكانَ عَلى كُلِّ الوَرى حُكمُهُ حلما

So if they changed the weak letter to hāʾ and shortened the word,

If they appoint the blemished, chaos will loom

Its judgment over all humankind would be forbearance.

His rule would be injustice, no wisdom, no room

فَلا زِلتَ مَحروسَ الجنابِ مُسَلَّماً

فَلا زِلتَ مَحروسَ الجنابِ مُسَلَّماً

سَنا مَجدِكَ الأَعلى وَجانِبُكَ الأَسمى

سَنا مَجدِكَ الأَعلى وَجانِبُكَ الأَسمى

So may you ever remain with your dignity guarded and these kept safe:

You remain protected, your flank I salute

The radiance of your loftiest glory and your most exalted standing.

The glory of your honor, your noble repute