سَعَيتُ اِبتِغاءَ الشُكرِ فيما صَنَعتَ لي

سَعَيتُ اِبتِغاءَ الشُكرِ فيما صَنَعتَ لي

فَقَصَّرتُ مَغلوباً وَإِنّي لَشاكِرُ

فَقَصَّرتُ مَغلوباً وَإِنّي لَشاكِرُ

I strove to give thanks for what you did for me,

I sought to give thanks for what you did for me,

Yet I fell short, overwhelmed, though I am truly grateful.

But fell short, though I am grateful.

لأَنًّكَ توليني الجَميلَ بَداهَةً

لأَنًّكَ توليني الجَميلَ بَداهَةً

وَأَنتَ لما اِستَكثُرتُ من ذاكَ حاقِرُ

وَأَنتَ لما اِستَكثُرتُ من ذاكَ حاقِرُ

For you bestow kindness on me without prompting,

For you bestow kindness on me spontaneously,

And you deem paltry what I considered so abundant.

While I deemed that too much, so paltry.

فَأَرجِعُ مَغبوطاً وَتَرجِعُ بِالتّي

فَأَرجِعُ مَغبوطاً وَتَرجِعُ بِالتّي

لَها أَوَّلٌ في المَكرُماتِ وَآخِرُ

لَها أَوَّلٌ في المَكرُماتِ وَآخِرُ

So I return envied, and you return with that

So I return blessed, while you return

Whose beginning and end lie in noble deeds.

With the perfect attributes, first and last.

وَقَد قُلتُ شِعراً فيكَ لكِن تَقولُهُ

وَقَد قُلتُ شِعراً فيكَ لكِن تَقولُهُ

مَكارِمُ مَمّا تُبتَنى وَمفاخِرُ

مَكارِمُ مَمّا تُبتَنى وَمفاخِرُ

And I have composed verse about you, but it is voiced by

And though I wrote a poem about you,

Noble deeds of the kind that are built up, and glories.

Your noble traits, glories and prides utter it.

قَواصِرُ عَنها لَم تَحُط بِصِفاتِها

قَواصِرُ عَنها لَم تَحُط بِصِفاتِها

يُرادُ بِها ضَربٌ مِن الشِعرِ آخِرُ

يُرادُ بِها ضَربٌ مِن الشِعرِ آخِرُ

My verses fall short of them, not encompassing their qualities;

Beyond the reach of those unable to grasp your attributes,

Another kind of poetry is sought for them.

A different kind of poetry is intended by them.