قل للذي أعجبتْ محاسِنُهُ

قل للذي أعجبتْ محاسِنُهُ

وَعَجَّبَتْ فَهْي لِلْوَرى سُبَحُ

وَعَجَّبَتْ فَهْي لِلْوَرى سُبَحُ

Say to him whose fine qualities have won admiration

Tell the one whose beauty amazed me,

and stirred wonder—occasions for mankind to glorify God—

And it amazed, so it is free for all,

وَمَنْ غدا والنَّوالُ من يَدِهِ

وَمَنْ غدا والنَّوالُ من يَدِهِ

يُطْلَبُ والرأيُ منه يُقْتَدَحُ

يُطْلَبُ والرأيُ منه يُقْتَدَحُ

and to him from whose hand bounty now

And whoever comes tomorrow and generosity is from his hand,

is sought, and from whom counsel is struck like a spark:

He is sought and his opinion is pierced.

حَرَّمَ مَدْحِي عليك أَنكَ تَسْـ

حَرَّمَ مَدْحِي عليك أَنكَ تَسْـ

ـتأهِلُ مَا لاَ تُطِيقُه المِدحُ

ـتأهِلُ مَا لاَ تُطِيقُه المِدحُ

What barred my praise of you was that you

My praise of you made unlawful for me that you

deserve what praise cannot bear.

Deserve what praise cannot bear.

وَسَاقَ مَدْحِي إليكَ أنَّ جَوَا

وَسَاقَ مَدْحِي إليكَ أنَّ جَوَا

بَاتِكَ عندَ المدائحِ المنَحُ

بَاتِكَ عندَ المدائحِ المنَحُ

Yet what drew my praise to you was that

And my praise of you led me to you that your

your responses to praises are gifts.

Answers to praises are rewards.

أقْبَلَ بِي إنَّني رأيتُك أقبلْـ

أقْبَلَ بِي إنَّني رأيتُك أقبلْـ

ـتَ على الشعر وهو مُطَّرَحُ

ـتَ على الشعر وهو مُطَّرَحُ

What brought me to you was seeing you turn

Come with me, for I saw you come,

to poetry when it lay cast aside.

You inclined toward poetry and it is neglected.

قَدَّرْتُ أنْ تَنْفُقَ الزُّيُوفُ عَلَى

قَدَّرْتُ أنْ تَنْفُقَ الزُّيُوفُ عَلَى

طَوْلِكَ لا أن يُزَيَّفَ الوَضحُ

طَوْلِكَ لا أن يُزَيَّفَ الوَضحُ

I expected counterfeit coins to gain currency through

I estimated that glory spends on

your bounty—not bright silver to be deemed counterfeit.

Your height, not that the morning light is counterfeited.

وأنتَ ذاكَ الذي به انْفَسَحَ الـ

وأنتَ ذاكَ الذي به انْفَسَحَ الـ

ـضيِّقُ لا مَنْ ضاقَتْ بِهِ الفُسَحُ

ـضيِّقُ لا مَنْ ضاقَتْ بِهِ الفُسَحُ

And you are the one through whom the

And you are the one through whom tightness opened,

narrow opens wide, not one who narrows open spaces.

Not one through whom spaciousness tightened.

مِفْتَاحُكَ العفْوُ لا التَّشدُّدُ بَلْ

مِفْتَاحُكَ العفْوُ لا التَّشدُّدُ بَلْ

لَسْتَ بِمُسْتَغْلِقٍ فَتُفْتَتَحُ

لَسْتَ بِمُسْتَغْلِقٍ فَتُفْتَتَحُ

Your key is leniency, not severity; rather,

Your key is pardon, not firmness, but

you are not shut fast, to need unlocking.

You are not locked so you need to be opened.