أَجُودُكَ أَمْ جُودِ المَطَرْ

أَجُودُكَ أَمْ جُودِ المَطَرْ

وبِشرُكَ أَمْ بشْرُ عَرْفِ الزَّهَرْ

وبِشرُكَ أَمْ بشْرُ عَرْفِ الزَّهَرْ

Is it your generosity, or the rain's generosity?

Is your generosity or the rain's generosity more bountiful?

And your cheer, or the cheer of the flowers' fragrance?

Is the good news of your coming or the fragrance of flowers more delightful?

يداكَ مَحَلُّ الرَّدَى والنَّدى

يداكَ مَحَلُّ الرَّدَى والنَّدى

فشَخْصٌ يُسَاءُ وشخص يُسَرْ

فشَخْصٌ يُسَاءُ وشخص يُسَرْ

Your hands are the abode of death and bounty:

Your hands are the place of munificence and bounty.

so one person is afflicted, another delighted.

One person is mistreated while another is honored.

فإِن شاعَ عنك صفاتُ الكَمال

فإِن شاعَ عنك صفاتُ الكَمال

فقد صدَّق الخُبْرُ ذاك الخَبرْ

فقد صدَّق الخُبْرُ ذاك الخَبرْ

So if reports of your perfect qualities have spread,

If attributes of perfection have been attributed to you,

experience has indeed confirmed that report.

Then that report has confirmed the truthful news.

تطولُ وتُسْمِعُنَا طائلاً

تطولُ وتُسْمِعُنَا طائلاً

فلَمْ تُخْل من بدَرٍ أَو دُرَرْ

فلَمْ تُخْل من بدَرٍ أَو دُرَرْ

You bestow favors and let us hear words of worth,

You are tall in stature and your voice sounds melodious,

so you have never lacked purses of coins or pearls.

You have never been devoid of a full moon or pearls.

فِناؤكَ كالبيت أضْحَتْ تسيرُ

فِناؤكَ كالبيت أضْحَتْ تسيرُ

وفودُ النوالِ إِليه زَمَرْ

وفودُ النوالِ إِليه زَمَرْ

Your courtyard is like the House; now travel

Your hospitality makes the house teem,

delegations seeking bounty to it, in throngs.

With throngs of visitors flocking to it.

وكفُّكَ لولا العطاءُ الذي

وكفُّكَ لولا العطاءُ الذي

يُفجَّرُ منها لقُلْنَا الحَجَرْ

يُفجَّرُ منها لقُلْنَا الحَجَرْ

And your palm—were it not for the bounty that

If it were not for your giving hands

gushes from it, we would call it the Stone.

We would have called them stones.

فيا حافظَ الدِّين يا مَنْ لَهُ

فيا حافظَ الدِّين يا مَنْ لَهُ

صفاتٌ تَحَلَّى بها واشتهرْ

صفاتٌ تَحَلَّى بها واشتهرْ

So, O Hafiz al-Din, O you who possess

O guardian of the faith, O you who

qualities with which you are adorned and renowned:

Is endowed with traits that have made you renowned.

لئن كنتُ عندَكَ ذا رِفعةٍ

لئن كنتُ عندَكَ ذا رِفعةٍ

فما للورى غيرُ ما قد ظهرْ

فما للورى غيرُ ما قد ظهرْ

if indeed I hold high standing in your eyes,

If I am held in high esteem by you

then people have only what is outwardly apparent.

Then there is none other like what has appeared for the people.

يحَطُّ الفتى نَقْصُه دِرْهَماً

يحَطُّ الفتى نَقْصُه دِرْهَماً

وكيف الذي نَقَصَ اثْنَيْ عَشَرْ

وكيف الذي نَقَصَ اثْنَيْ عَشَرْ

Being a dirham short lowers a young man;

The shortcoming of a person makes him lose a dirham.

and what of one who is twelve short?

How can he who loses twelve be like that?

وأَنْتَ فأَكرَمُ مِنْ أَنْ أُرَى

وأَنْتَ فأَكرَمُ مِنْ أَنْ أُرَى

وشيمتُك النفعُ أَشكو الضَّررْ

وشيمتُك النفعُ أَشكو الضَّررْ

And you are too generous for me to be seen—

You are too noble for me to see

your nature is to help—complaining of harm.

And your wont is to bring aid when there is harm.

فجُدْ وأَجِبْ خاطِرًا خاطِرًا

فجُدْ وأَجِبْ خاطِرًا خاطِرًا

ولولاكَ يا قَصْدَهُ ما خَطَرْ

ولولاكَ يا قَصْدَهُ ما خَطَرْ

So be generous, and answer a passing thought;

So be generous and fulfill my wish, however it may be.

and without you, O its goal, it would never have arisen.

If it were not for you, my desire would not have occurred.

بقيتَ على رَغْمِ أَنْفِ العَدُوِّ

بقيتَ على رَغْمِ أَنْفِ العَدُوِّ

لِمَنْ راحَ مُسْتَجْدِيًا أَو بَكَرْ

لِمَنْ راحَ مُسْتَجْدِيًا أَو بَكَرْ

May you endure, with your enemy's nose in the dust,

Despite the enemy's resentment, you have remained

for whoever seeks gifts in the evening or at dawn.

For whoever comes early or late.