سيّديmy lord أنتَyou لاnot تُخِلٌfail in your duty بِخلٍّtoward a friend
سيّدي أنتَ لا تُخِلٌ بِخلٍّ
لمdid not يُكَدِّرْmuddy لوِرْدِat the watering place وُدِّكَyour affection شِرباa draught
لم يُكَدِّرْ لوِرْدِ وُدِّكَ شِربا
My lord, you do not forsake a friend
My lord, you are not flawed with any flaw
who has not muddied a draught at your affection's watering place.
That could embitter the rose of your love
وتذكَّرْand remember سَوابِقيmy past services إنّindeed فيهنin them (continued)
وتذكَّرْ سَوابِقي إنّ فيهن
نَpronoun ending completing 'them' لِسَرحِfor the grazing herd الآمالِhopes مَرعىpasture وأَبَّاand fodder
نَ لِسَرحِ الآمالِ مَرعى وأَبَّا
And remember my past services, for in them
Remember my old poems, for in them
lie pasture and fodder for the grazing herd of hopes.
There is pasture for the meadows of hope
رُبَّmany a شِعرٍpoem لَّمامَدَحتُكَwhen I praised you فيهِin it
رُبَّ شِعرٍ لَّمامَدَحتُكَ فيهِ
سارَtravelled فيamong العالَمِينَhumankind بُعداًfar وقُرْباand near
سارَ في العالَمِينَ بُعداً وقُرْبا
Many a poem, when I praised you in it,
How much poetry have I composed praising you
travelled among humankind, far and near.
That has spread through the world, far and near
فكأنِّيso, as though I أودَعتُهُI placed it فَلَكَthe orbit الشَّمthe sun (continued)
فكأنِّي أودَعتُهُ فَلَكَ الشَّم
سِword ending completing 'sun' فَعَمَّand so it spread throughout البِلادَthe lands شَرقاًeastward وغَرْباand westward
سِ فَعَمَّ البِلادَ شَرقاً وغَرْبا
So it was as though I had placed it in the sun's orbit,
As if I had entrusted it to the sun
and it spread throughout the lands, east and west.
To illuminate all lands, east and west