يا خَليلي إِني بَلَغتُ مَقاماً

يا خَليلي إِني بَلَغتُ مَقاماً

لَم يَنَل شَأوه اللَبيب لَبيدُ

لَم يَنَل شَأوه اللَبيب لَبيدُ

O my friend, I have attained a station

O my friend, I have attained a rank,

Whose height the discerning Labid never reached,

Unattainable by the perceptive minds of Labid.

إِذ تَحلّيت بامتداح أَميرٍ

إِذ تَحلّيت بامتداح أَميرٍ

هَوَ في المَجد وَالمَعالي فَريدُ

هَوَ في المَجد وَالمَعالي فَريدُ

When I adorned myself by praising a prince

When I adorned myself with praising a prince,

Who is peerless in glory and high distinction.

Who is unique in glory and greatness.

وَدَعتني إِلى المَديح سَجايا

وَدَعتني إِلى المَديح سَجايا

ضلّ عَنها عَلى هداه الرَشيد

ضلّ عَنها عَلى هداه الرَشيد

And I was summoned to praise by virtues

My qualities led me to praise him,

From which al-Rashid strayed, despite his right guidance.

While the guided strayed from it.

فيهِ ما شئت مِن بَديع صِفات

فيهِ ما شئت مِن بَديع صِفات

حارَ في حَصرِها البَليغ المُجيد

حارَ في حَصرِها البَليغ المُجيد

In him are all the wondrous qualities you could wish for;

In him is whatever beautiful traits you wish,

The skilled, eloquent speaker was at a loss to count them.

The eloquent and excellent became confused in enumerating them.

فيهِ حلم وَرأفة وَعَفاف

فيهِ حلم وَرأفة وَعَفاف

بَل وَرأيٌ في كُل أَمر سَديد

بَل وَرأيٌ في كُل أَمر سَديد

In him are forbearance, compassion, and chastity,

In him is forbearance, kindness and chastity,

Moreover, sound judgment in every affair;

As well as wisdom in every proper matter.

وَذَكاء أَنسى ذَكاء إِياسٍ

وَذَكاء أَنسى ذَكاء إِياسٍ

وَوَفاء لَدى الأَنام حَميد

وَوَفاء لَدى الأَنام حَميد

And intelligence that made one forget Iyas's intelligence,

And intellect that makes me forget the intellect of Iyas,

And faithfulness praised among humankind.

And loyalty among people, praiseworthy.

إِن تقسه بحاتم فلديه

إِن تقسه بحاتم فلديه

حاتم مادر ذَميم طَريد

حاتم مادر ذَميم طَريد

If you compare him with Hatim, then beside him

If you compare him to Hatim, he has

Hatim is Madir, blameworthy and outcast.

A mother unlike the despicable and outcast Hatim.

هَل يُساويه في القَضايا أَرسطو

هَل يُساويه في القَضايا أَرسطو

أَو يُوازيه في العُلوم اَرشميد

أَو يُوازيه في العُلوم اَرشميد

Can Aristotle equal him in judgments,

Can Aristotle equal him in judgments?

Or Archimedes match him in the sciences?

Or match him in knowledge, Arshamid?

أَم يجاريه في المَكارم معنٌ

أَم يجاريه في المَكارم معنٌ

وَهوَ حصن للمكرمات مشيد

وَهوَ حصن للمكرمات مشيد

Or can Ma'n rival him in noble deeds?

Or can Ma’n rival him in generosity?

And he is a lofty fortress for noble deeds.

While he is a fortress built for generosity.

هُوَ بَحر في كُل علم خِضَمٌّ

هُوَ بَحر في كُل علم خِضَمٌّ

مِنهُ يُروى مقرّب وَبَعيد

مِنهُ يُروى مقرّب وَبَعيد

He is a vast sea in every field of knowledge;

He is an ocean in every kind of knowledge, profound,

From him the favored and the far-off drink their fill.

Both the confidant and the distant drink from it.

هُوَ للخائِفين خَير مَلاذٍ

هُوَ للخائِفين خَير مَلاذٍ

وَعَلى المُعتدين لَيث شَديد

وَعَلى المُعتدين لَيث شَديد

He is the best refuge for the fearful,

He is the best refuge for the fearful,

And against aggressors, a fierce lion.

And a fierce lion against the aggressive.

فَاقترح ما تُريده فَلَديه

فَاقترح ما تُريده فَلَديه

فَوقَ ما يَشتَهي يَنال المريد

فَوقَ ما يَشتَهي يَنال المريد

So ask for what you desire, for with him

Suggest what you want, for he has

The seeker obtains more than he wishes.

More than what the follower wishes, to grant.

ما يُرى عادِلاً عن العَدل يَوماً

ما يُرى عادِلاً عن العَدل يَوماً

وَهوَ فيهِ موفّق وَسَعيد

وَهوَ فيهِ موفّق وَسَعيد

He is never seen turning aside from justice,

He is never seen to be unjust instead of just,

And in it he is successful and fortunate.

While he is guided and prosperous in it.

وَهوَ بِالمنصب الرَفيع جَدير

وَهوَ بِالمنصب الرَفيع جَدير

وَجَميع الوَرى بِذاك شُهود

وَجَميع الوَرى بِذاك شُهود

And he is worthy of the lofty office,

And he is worthy of the sublime position,

And all humankind bear witness to that.

And all people are witnesses to that.

فَإِذا ما ادّعى علاك جهول

فَإِذا ما ادّعى علاك جهول

مان فيما يبدي وَفيما يعيد

مان فيما يبدي وَفيما يعيد

So if an ignoramus claims your exalted rank,

So if an ignorant person makes claims about you,

He lies in what he declares and what he repeats.

He is mistaken in what he initiates and repeats.

لا تلمهم إِن يَحسدوك فَما من

لا تلمهم إِن يَحسدوك فَما من

أَهل فَضل إِلّا عَلَيهِ حَسود

أَهل فَضل إِلّا عَلَيهِ حَسود

Do not blame them if they envy you, for there is no

Do not blame them if they envy you, for

Person of merit without someone who envies him.

No people of merit but have envious ones.

وَتَوكل عَلى الإله وَدَعهم

وَتَوكل عَلى الإله وَدَعهم

في عَماهم فَما الحَسود يَسود

في عَماهم فَما الحَسود يَسود

And put your trust in God, and leave them

And trust in God and leave them

In their blindness, for the envier never attains eminence.

Lost in their blindness, for the envious do not prevail.

وَتَهنأ فَلَيسَ غَيرك أَهلا

وَتَهنأ فَلَيسَ غَيرك أَهلا

لِمَقام بِهِ العفاة وُفود

لِمَقام بِهِ العفاة وُفود

And live happily, for none but you is worthy

And congratulate yourself, for none but you

Of a station where seekers of bounty arrive in delegations.

Are worthy of the position, to which notables flock.

وَتَيقظ لِلمكرمات وَبادر

وَتَيقظ لِلمكرمات وَبادر

لذة العَيش وَالأَعادي خمود

لذة العَيش وَالأَعادي خمود

And be alert to noble deeds, and hasten to seize

And be alert to favors, and take the initiative

Life's delight, while the enemies lie still.

For the pleasure of living while the enemies languish.

مَن بِعيدٍ يُسَرُّ يوماً فإنّا

مَن بِعيدٍ يُسَرُّ يوماً فإنّا

كُلَّ يَوم لَنا بوجهك عيد

كُلَّ يَوم لَنا بوجهك عيد

If one rejoices for a day at a festival, then we

Whoever is distant hopes one day, while we

Have a festival every day at the sight of your face.

Have everyday with your face a celebration.

فَأَجزني قبول شعري فَإِني

فَأَجزني قبول شعري فَإِني

بِالَّذي في يَديّ مِنهُ أَجود

بِالَّذي في يَديّ مِنهُ أَجود

So reward me by accepting my poetry, for I

So grant me acceptance of my poetry, for I

Am generous with what of it I hold in my hands.

Give generously what I have in my hands.

وَابق وَافخر بسودد لَيسَ يَفنى

وَابق وَافخر بسودد لَيسَ يَفنى

شاكر للإله شكراً يَزيد

شاكر للإله شكراً يَزيد

And live on, and take pride in eminence that never perishes,

And remain and take pride in eternity that does not fade,

Giving thanks to God with ever-increasing gratitude.

Thanking God with thanks that increase.