جَزى اللَهُ عَنّا مالِكَ الرِقِّ كَاِسمِهِ

جَزى اللَهُ عَنّا مالِكَ الرِقِّ كَاِسمِهِ

فَلَولا اِسمُهُ ما كُنتُ في الخَلقِ أُعرَفُ

فَلَولا اِسمُهُ ما كُنتُ في الخَلقِ أُعرَفُ

May God reward on our behalf the master of our bondage, as befits his name.

May God reward Mālik, the owner of excellence, as befits his name,

For, were it not for his name, I would not be known among humankind.

For had it not been for his name, I would not have been known among people.

وَلَولا مَعاليهِ الشَريفَةُ لَم تَكُن

وَلَولا مَعاليهِ الشَريفَةُ لَم تَكُن

عَلَيَّ مُلوكُ الأَرضِ تَحنو وَتَعطِفُ

عَلَيَّ مُلوكُ الأَرضِ تَحنو وَتَعطِفُ

And were it not for his noble merits, never would

Had it not been for his noble qualities,

The kings of the earth show me tenderness and affection.

Kings of the earth would not have inclined to me and shown me favor.

أُحَدَّثُهُم عَن بِرِّهِ دونَ سِرِّهِ

أُحَدَّثُهُم عَن بِرِّهِ دونَ سِرِّهِ

وَأُلحِفُ في تَعديدِ ما لِيَ يُتحِفُ

وَأُلحِفُ في تَعديدِ ما لِيَ يُتحِفُ

I tell them of his kindness, but not of his secret,

I tell them of his righteousness but not his secrets,

And I persist in enumerating what he bestows on me.

And I enumerate the gifts he showers on me,

وَأُنشِدُ مِن مَدحي لَهُ كُلَّ جَزلَةٍ

وَأُنشِدُ مِن مَدحي لَهُ كُلَّ جَزلَةٍ

تُحَلّى بِها أَسماعُهُم وَتُشَنَّفُ

تُحَلّى بِها أَسماعُهُم وَتُشَنَّفُ

And from my praise of him I recite every eloquent ode,

And I recite to them my eulogies of him, weighty ones

With which their ears are adorned and decked with earrings.

That adorn their hearing and give them delight.

قَصائِدُ في أَلفاظِهِنَّ مَقاصِدٌ

قَصائِدُ في أَلفاظِهِنَّ مَقاصِدٌ

مِنَ الصَخرِ أَقوى بَل مِنَ الماءِ أَلطَفُ

مِنَ الصَخرِ أَقوى بَل مِنَ الماءِ أَلطَفُ

Odes whose words contain meanings

My poems have purposes more solid than rock,

Stronger than rock—nay, subtler than water.

Nay, gentler than water.

إِذا رامَ أَهلُ العَصرِ نَظماً لِمِثلِها

إِذا رامَ أَهلُ العَصرِ نَظماً لِمِثلِها

وَجاؤوا بِلَفظٍ دونَها وَتَكَلَّفوا

وَجاؤوا بِلَفظٍ دونَها وَتَكَلَّفوا

If the people of the age seek to compose verse like them,

When the poets of the age try to compose the like,

And produce wording inferior to theirs, straining themselves,

And come up with words inferior to them and struggle,

ظَنَنتُ حِبالَ السِحرِ ما قَد أَتوا بِهِ

ظَنَنتُ حِبالَ السِحرِ ما قَد أَتوا بِهِ

وَتِلكَ عَصا موسى لَها تَتَلَقَّفُ

وَتِلكَ عَصا موسى لَها تَتَلَقَّفُ

I would deem what they have brought the ropes of sorcery,

I fancy the ropes of magic are what they come up with,

And those odes Moses' staff, swallowing them up.

While this is Moses’ rod, quick to swallow them up.