ما الشكرُ منّي لمَا أوْليتَني ثمناً

ما الشكرُ منّي لمَا أوْليتَني ثمناً

وإنْ أطَلْتُ به بين الورى لَسَنا

وإنْ أطَلْتُ به بين الورى لَسَنا

My thanks are no recompense for what you have bestowed on me,

I cannot adequately thank you for the gifts you have bestowed upon me,

even if I speak of it eloquently at length among humankind.

Even if I proclaim them throughout the world for years to come.

هيهاتَ لا تَعْسُرُ الأوصافُ من فَطنٍ

هيهاتَ لا تَعْسُرُ الأوصافُ من فَطنٍ

رَحْب المقالة منك الطَّوْلَ والمِنَنا

رَحْب المقالة منك الطَّوْلَ والمِنَنا

Far from it! Praise comes easily from a discerning man,

Far be it! No words can fully describe the virtues of one so wise.

fluent in speaking of your bounty and favors.

Your generosity and beneficence are boundless and sublime.

لم تُخلني ساعةً من بذْلِ عارفةٍ

لم تُخلني ساعةً من بذْلِ عارفةٍ

وأن أُرَى مُخْلياً من نشرها أُذُنا

وأن أُرَى مُخْلياً من نشرها أُذُنا

Not for an hour have you left me without a favor bestowed,

Never for an hour have you neglected to show me kindness,

nor let me be seen leaving an ear without hearing it proclaimed.

Were I to appear ungrateful by not spreading word of it, my ears would ring.

قد كَنتُ قِدماً أخا عَتْبٍ على زمن

قد كَنتُ قِدماً أخا عَتْبٍ على زمن

بادي الفساد فقد أصلحتَ لي الزمنا

بادي الفساد فقد أصلحتَ لي الزمنا

Long ago I was full of reproach for an age

Long have I complained of the corruption of this age,

plainly corrupt; you have set the age right for me.

Yet you made my time virtuous once more.

حسبُ العلى شرفاً والمكرماتِ بأنْ

حسبُ العلى شرفاً والمكرماتِ بأنْ

ظلتْ لكم ما بنى شيبانُها سَنَنا

ظلتْ لكم ما بنى شيبانُها سَنَنا

It is honor enough for high station and noble deeds

It is honor enough that your lofty deeds will remain

that what their Shayban built has remained your traditions.

As long as the white hair of old age remains black.

جُدتم فلا جودَ إلا دون جودكمُ

جُدتم فلا جودَ إلا دون جودكمُ

ونلتُمُ من عظيم الجود ما شَطَنا

ونلتُمُ من عظيم الجود ما شَطَنا

You have been generous; all generosity falls short of yours,

None can match your munificence,

and you have attained in great generosity what lay far beyond reach.

You have attained the utmost heights of noble generosity.

وإن طوى وطنٌ حبّاً لنُجْعتِه

وإن طوى وطنٌ حبّاً لنُجْعتِه

كنتم لآمالِ أهلِ النُّجعةِ الوطنا

كنتم لآمالِ أهلِ النُّجعةِ الوطنا

Even if a homeland harbors love for those seeking its pastures,

Though a homeland should spurn its dwellers,

you are the homeland for the hopes of pasture-seekers.

You remain the refuge of your people's hopes.

فمن يُناضلكم أو منْ يُطاولكم

فمن يُناضلكم أو منْ يُطاولكم

أو من يوازنُكم حِلماً وإن وزنا

أو من يوازنُكم حِلماً وإن وزنا

Who can vie with you, or rival your stature,

Who can compete or contend with you?

or match your forbearance, even if he weighs himself against you?

Who can equal your forbearance, even if they tried?

أنتم غيوثُ ندىً تُرجَى وَأُسْد وغىً

أنتم غيوثُ ندىً تُرجَى وَأُسْد وغىً

تُخشى وأقمارُ ليلٍ تكشف الدُّجُنا

تُخشى وأقمارُ ليلٍ تكشف الدُّجُنا

You are hoped-for rains of bounty, and lions of battle

You are rain clouds called upon in times of drought, lions to be feared in battle,

to be feared, and moons of night that dispel the darkness.

And moons illuminating the darkness of night.

وأنتَ سيدُ هذا الخلق كلهمُ

وأنتَ سيدُ هذا الخلق كلهمُ

طولاً وفضلاً وإنعاماً وسيِّدنا

طولاً وفضلاً وإنعاماً وسيِّدنا

And you are master of all these people,

You are the master of all people, in rank and excellence,

in bounty, excellence, and beneficence—and our master.

In your grace and kindness, you are our lord.

كم يا أبا الصقر من نُعمى تركتَ بها

كم يا أبا الصقر من نُعمى تركتَ بها

شُكري على غابرِ الأيامُ مُرتَهنا

شُكري على غابرِ الأيامُ مُرتَهنا

With how many a favor, O Abu al-Saqr, have you left

O Abu Al-Saqr, countless are the blessings

my gratitude pledged through the days to come!

For which I stand ever indebted to days gone by.

وكم صرفتَ حميدَ الفعل عن ظُلَمي

وكم صرفتَ حميدَ الفعل عن ظُلَمي

صرفَ الزمان ذميم الفعلِ مُدَّهنا

صرفَ الزمان ذميم الفعلِ مُدَّهنا

And how often, noble in deed, have you turned from my darkness

Many times you turned my wrongs to righteousness

the vicissitudes of time, ignoble in deed and deceitful!

As time itself turned good deeds to wickedness.

وكم مددت بإحسان إلى عُسُري

وكم مددت بإحسان إلى عُسُري

يوماً من اليُسر مأمونَ الردى حَسنا

يوماً من اليُسر مأمونَ الردى حَسنا

And how often, through kindness, have you brought into my hardship

Often you supported me in hardship with kindness

a beautiful day of ease, safe from ruin!

Granting fine days of ease after tribulation.

أبقاك ذو العرش أعواماً مُضاعفةً

أبقاك ذو العرش أعواماً مُضاعفةً

فلن نزال بخير ما بقيت لنا

فلن نزال بخير ما بقيت لنا

May the Lord of the Throne preserve you for years upon years,

May the Lord of the Throne grant you long life,

for we shall remain well as long as you remain with us.

For we thrive when you are with us.

وصانك الله من كل المكاره والْ

وصانك الله من كل المكاره والْ

أسواءِ ما دمت حيّاً بل وقاك بنا

أسواءِ ما دمت حيّاً بل وقاك بنا

And may God protect you from all adversities and

May God protect you from all harm and ill,

evils as long as you live—nay, may He shield you with us.

As long as you live, may He guard and keep you close.