تكّرمتَ حتّى جُزْتَ حَدَّ التكُّرمِ

تكّرمتَ حتّى جُزْتَ حَدَّ التكُّرمِ

وأَلبستَ أَثوابَ الغِنى كُلَّ مُعْدِمِ

وأَلبستَ أَثوابَ الغِنى كُلَّ مُعْدِمِ

You were generous until you surpassed the bounds of generosity,

You were so generous that you reached the utmost generosity

And clothed every destitute person in the garments of wealth.

And dressed in the robes of wealth every destitute

وما زلتَ تعفو الذنبَ عن كُلّ مذنِبٍ

وما زلتَ تعفو الذنبَ عن كُلّ مذنِبٍ

مُسيءٍ وعظمَ الجُرْمِ عن كلّ مجرم

مُسيءٍ وعظمَ الجُرْمِ عن كلّ مجرم

And you have never ceased pardoning the sin of every sinner

You kept forgiving the sin from every sinner

Who does wrong, and every criminal's grievous offense,

Wrongdoer, though grave be his crime from every criminal

إلى أن حويتَ الفضلَ وحدَك سابقا

إلى أن حويتَ الفضلَ وحدَك سابقا

وسُدْتَ البرايا من فصيحٍ وأَعجم

وسُدْتَ البرايا من فصيحٍ وأَعجم

Until you alone attained excellence, outstripping all,

Until you alone contained all merit preceding

And became lord of all creation, eloquent and inarticulate.

And you blocked the deserts from eloquent and non-Arab

وذا ابن عبيدِ اللّه عبدُك خاضعا

وذا ابن عبيدِ اللّه عبدُك خاضعا

مُقِرّاً بما في ذنبه المتقدّمِ

مُقِرّاً بما في ذنبه المتقدّمِ

And here is Ibn Ubayd Allah, your servant, humbly submitting,

This is the submissive servant Ibn Obeidillah

Acknowledging the guilt of his earlier offense.

Admitting the sin he committed aforetime

وأَحسن من كلّ المحاسن مُذْنِب

وأَحسن من كلّ المحاسن مُذْنِب

تلقّاه مولاه بِعَفْوٍ وأَنعُم

تلقّاه مولاه بِعَفْوٍ وأَنعُم

And more beautiful than all beauties is a sinner

And the best of all good deeds is a sinful man

Whom his master has welcomed with pardon and favors.

Whom his Master receives with pardon and bounty

فزِده على ذا العفوِ فضلا ونِعمة

فزِده على ذا العفوِ فضلا ونِعمة

يزِدْك عليها اللّه عزّ تعظُّم

يزِدْك عليها اللّه عزّ تعظُّم

So grant him, beyond this pardon, bounty and favor;

So increase for him over this pardon a grace and favor

God will increase your exalted glory in return.

That God may increase for you glory and esteem

بِما حَلَّ قلبي من ودادكَ فاغتَدَى

بِما حَلَّ قلبي من ودادكَ فاغتَدَى

مَشُوباً ومخلوطاً بلحمي والدمِ

مَشُوباً ومخلوطاً بلحمي والدمِ

By the love for you that lodged in my heart and became

With the affection for you that filled my heart to excess

Blended and mingled with my flesh and blood,

Commingled and mixed with my flesh and blood

تَقَبَّلْه واجعلْ عنده لك نِعمةً

تَقَبَّلْه واجعلْ عنده لك نِعمةً

تروح بها في الناس أَكرمَ مُنعِمِ

تروح بها في الناس أَكرمَ مُنعِمِ

Accept him, and bestow on him a favor of your own,

Accept it and make for him with you a favor

With which you go among the people as the noblest benefactor.

That will give him relief among people, most generous bestower

فقد كان أيضاً مالكاً لعبتْ بهِ

فقد كان أيضاً مالكاً لعبتْ بهِ

خطوبٌ وأنت اليوم كهفُ الترحُّم

خطوبٌ وأنت اليوم كهفُ الترحُّم

For he too was once a man of means, but was toyed with

For he was once a master, with whom misfortunes toyed

By calamities; and today you are compassion's refuge.

While you today are the cave of consolation

وأَعظمُ سؤلي أَن أراك وصلتَه

وأَعظمُ سؤلي أَن أراك وصلتَه

وأَغنَيْتَه بالجُود قبل التكلُّم

وأَغنَيْتَه بالجُود قبل التكلُّم

And my greatest wish is to see you have favored him,

And my greatest request is to see you've reconciled with him

And enriched him through generosity before he speaks.

And enriched him with generosity before he speaks