أُهْدِيI offer ثَنَاءًpraise مَتَىwhenever فُضَّتْare unsealed لَطَائمُهُits perfume caskets
أُهْدِي ثَنَاءً مَتَى فُضَّتْ لَطَائمُهُ
ضَاعَتْthey waft fragrance فَضَاعَand so is lost ذَكَاءُpotent fragrance المِسْكِmusk والعُودِand aloeswood
ضَاعَتْ فَضَاعَ ذَكَاءُ المِسْكِ والعُودِ
I offer praise which, whenever its bales of perfume are unsealed,
I offer praise—whenever its perfume caskets are unsealed,
spreads its fragrance, and the piercing scent of musk and agarwood fades.
they waft fragrance, and the potent scent of musk and aloeswood is lost—
لسيِّدٍto a lord لوif دَعَتْنِيcalled upon me بعضُsome أَنْعُمِهِof his favors
لسيِّدٍ لو دَعَتْنِي بعضُ أَنْعُمِهِ
بِشُكرِهَاto thank them ضَاقَwould fall short عَنهُof it وسعُthe full capacity مَجْهُودِيof my effort
بِشُكرِهَا ضَاقَ عَنهُ وسعُ مَجْهُودِي
to a lord—were some of his favors to call upon me
to a lord: were some of his favors to call upon me
to thank them, the utmost reach of my effort would fall short.
to thank them, my utmost effort would fall short.
لَوif سَاغَit were permissible أنto يَعبُدَworship النَّاسُthe people امرأًa man لِعُلاَfor greatness
لَو سَاغَ أن يَعبُدَ النَّاسُ امرأً لِعُلاَ
جَعلتُهُI would make him لِعُلاَهُfor his greatness الدَّهرَfor all time مَعْبودِيmy object of worship
جَعلتُهُ لِعُلاَهُ الدَّهرَ مَعْبودِي
If it were permissible for people to worship a man for his exalted rank,
If it were permissible for people to worship a man for greatness,
I would, for his exalted rank, make him my object of worship forever.
I would make him, for his greatness, my object of worship for all time.
جَلَّتْthey were immense فَلَمْand did not يَشْكُcomplain ظَهْريmy back ثِقْلَthe weight مَحْمَلِهاof bearing them
جَلَّتْ فَلَمْ يَشْكُ ظَهْري ثِقْلَ مَحْمَلِها
حَتَّىuntil تَخَاذَلَfaltered عنin bearing أطْواقِهَاtheir collars جِيدِيmy neck
حَتَّى تَخَاذَلَ عن أطْواقِهَا جِيدِي
His favors were immense, yet my back did not complain of the weight of bearing them,
His favors were immense, and my back did not complain of the weight of bearing them
until my neck faltered beneath their yokes.
until my neck faltered in bearing their collars.
فأسْألُso I ask اللَّهَGod أنto يُدْنِيbring near المَزَارَthe visit بِهِto him
فأسْألُ اللَّهَ أن يُدْنِي المَزَارَ بِهِ
بِرغمِdespite ماwhat حَالَstood between منof يَمٍّa sea ومنand of بِيْدِdesert wastes
بِرغمِ ما حَالَ من يَمٍّ ومن بِيْدِ
So I ask God to bring my meeting with him near,
So I ask God to bring a visit to him within reach,
despite whatever sea and desert wastes lie between.
despite the sea and desert wastes that lie between.
