هَدِيَّتُكَ الْعُظْمَى أَصَارَ قَبُولَهَا

قَرِيضٌ لَكُمْ كَالْعِقْدِ مَا عَنْهُ مِنْ بُدِّ

Your greatest gift, I've made accepting it

Your magnificent gift—its acceptance was compelled

An ode to you, like a necklace with no flaw

By a poem of yours, strung like a necklace, which left me no choice.

وَمَا كانَ رَدِّي إِنْ يَكُنْ وَهْوَ لَمْ يَكُنْ

لِشَيْءٍ سِوَى رِفْقِي بِمُسْتَخْلِصِي وُدِّي

And my refusal, if it was, never was

And my refusal of it—if it were to happen, though it did not—

For anything but kindness to my friend sincere

Would only be out of care to spare my devoted friend.

وَإِنِّي غَنِيٌّ عَنْ غَرَامَةِ صَاحِبِي

وَإِلاَّ فَمَالِي مِنْ سَبِيلٍ إِلَى الرَّدِّ

I've no need for recompense from my companion

For I have no need to let my companion bear such an expense,

Else I've no way towards refusal

And were it not for that, I would have no path to return it.

وَهَِذِي مُجَارَاةُ الْقَرِيضِ اسْتَطَعْتُهَا

وَشُكْرُ الذِي أَوْلَيْتُمُ فَاقِدُ الْحَدِّ

And this is the reciprocity of the ode I could manage

So here is my emulation of your verses, to the best of my ability,

And thanks for what you bestowed, excelling in merit

While my gratitude for what you have bestowed is without limit.