إذا ما مدَحْتَ المرءَ تطلب رفدَه

إذا ما مدَحْتَ المرءَ تطلب رفدَه

ولم تَرج فيه الخيرَ إلا بِذَلكا

ولم تَرج فيه الخيرَ إلا بِذَلكا

If you praise a man seeking his bounty,

If you praise a man seeking his favor

and hope for no kindness from him except through that,

And wish him well only for that purpose

فأنت له أهْجَى البريَّة نيَّةً

فأنت له أهْجَى البريَّة نيَّةً

وإن كنتَ قد أطريْتَهُ في مقالِكا

وإن كنتَ قد أطريْتَهُ في مقالِكا

then, in intent, you are his harshest detractor in all creation,

You are to him like a howling desert wolf

even if you have extolled him in your speech.

Though you embellished him in your speech

وأمْدَحُ ما تُلْفَى لمن أنتَ سائلٌ

وأمْدَحُ ما تُلْفَى لمن أنتَ سائلٌ

إذا ما طرحْتَ المَدْحَ عند سُؤالكا

إذا ما طرحْتَ المَدْحَ عند سُؤالكا

And you best praise the one you petition

But I praise what you request from one whose favor you seek

when you cast praise aside as you make your request,

When you cast off praise at his asking

وطالبْتَ جدْاوه بغيرِ وسيلةٍ

وطالبْتَ جدْاوه بغيرِ وسيلةٍ

كما طالبتْ يُمْناكَ ما في شِمالكا

كما طالبتْ يُمْناكَ ما في شِمالكا

and demand his bounty without a means of approach,

And seek his bounty through no means

just as your right hand demands what is in your left,

As you sought your right hand with your left

مُدِلّاً عليه واثِقاً بسماحِهِ

مُدِلّاً عليه واثِقاً بسماحِهِ

ترى مالهُ دلّاً عليه كمالِكا

ترى مالهُ دلّاً عليه كمالِكا

taking liberties with him, confident in his generosity,

Hinting at it, trusting in his generosity

seeing his wealth as your own, in familiar confidence with him.

Seeing his wealth as guide enough

هل المدحُ إلا تركُك المدحَ مُلقياً

هل المدحُ إلا تركُك المدحَ مُلقياً

على كرمِ المسئولِ عبء اتِّكالكا

على كرمِ المسئولِ عبء اتِّكالكا

Is praise anything but your abandoning praise and laying

For praise is but to relinquish praise

the burden of your reliance on the generosity of the one you ask?

Casting the burden of your need upon the generous man's nobility

ترى جودَهْ يُغنيك عن كل وُصْلةٍ

ترى جودَهْ يُغنيك عن كل وُصْلةٍ

وعن كُلِّ ما تُدْلي به من حِبالكا

وعن كُلِّ ما تُدْلي به من حِبالكا

You see his generosity freeing you from the need for any means of approach,

Seeing his liberality free you from every bond

or for any rope of yours you lower in appeal;

And from all the ropes you cast

ولا تتمارى في إحاطةِ علمِهِ

ولا تتمارى في إحاطةِ علمِهِ

بمَكْنون ما أخطرْتَ فيه ببالكا

بمَكْنون ما أخطرْتَ فيه ببالكا

and do not doubt that his knowledge encompasses

Do not compete with the reach of his knowledge

the secret thoughts you have entertained about him.

With what you entertained secretly in your mind

فتمدحُهُ بالفَهم والجودِ صامتاً

فتمدحُهُ بالفَهم والجودِ صامتاً

ولم يحتفلْ ذو منطق كاحتفالكا

ولم يحتفلْ ذو منطق كاحتفالكا

Thus you praise him for understanding and generosity, silently,

So praise him silently for his discernment and nobility

and no speaker has taken such pains as you.

Not clamoring as you did before

هنالك أسْمَعْتَ القلوبَ مديحَهُ

هنالك أسْمَعْتَ القلوبَ مديحَهُ

وإن أنتَ لم تُسْمِعْهُ أذْناً هنالكا

وإن أنتَ لم تُسْمِعْهُ أذْناً هنالكا

Then you have made hearts hear praise of him,

There you will hear hearts praising him

even if you have not made an ear hear it there:

Even if you do not make it reach the ears

مديحاً يعيه القلبُ لا السمعُ سالكاً

مديحاً يعيه القلبُ لا السمعُ سالكاً

مسالكَ ليس القولُ فيهنَّ سالِكا

مسالكَ ليس القولُ فيهنَّ سالِكا

praise that the heart grasps, not the ear, traveling

A praise the heart knows though the hearing does not

along paths where speech does not travel.

Traveling paths where speech cannot tread