أَتَأمَلُ أَن تَنالَ نَدى كَريمٍ

أَتَأمَلُ أَن تَنالَ نَدى كَريمٍ

نَداهُ أَوَّلُ وَالغَيثُ ثانِ

نَداهُ أَوَّلُ وَالغَيثُ ثانِ

Do you hope to gain a generous man's bounty,

I hope to attain the bounty of a generous cloud

Whose bounty comes first, and rain second,

Whose first rain is bountiful and the latter rain copious

وَيَجري وَالمَجَرَةُ في عَنانِ

وَيَجري وَالمَجَرَةُ في عَنانِ

فَلا يَخفى عَلى ناءٍ وَدانِ

فَلا يَخفى عَلى ناءٍ وَدانِ

And races abreast of the Milky Way,

It flows freely and unhindered

Hidden from neither far nor near?

So it is not concealed from any valley or hill

تَصَوَّرَ في القُلوبِ فَلَيسَ يَنأى

تَصَوَّرَ في القُلوبِ فَلَيسَ يَنأى

عَلى نَأيِ المَحَلَّةِ وَالمَكانِ

عَلى نَأيِ المَحَلَّةِ وَالمَكانِ

He has taken shape in hearts and does not grow distant,

It has imprinted itself in hearts so it does not distance

Despite the remoteness of his abode and dwelling place.

Itself from any place or region

إِذا عَبَسَ الزَمانُ فَمِل إِلَيهِ

إِذا عَبَسَ الزَمانُ فَمِل إِلَيهِ

تَجِدهُ البِشرَ في وَجهِ الزَمانِ

تَجِدهُ البِشرَ في وَجهِ الزَمانِ

When Time frowns, turn to him:

When times are gloomy, it is the bringer of glad tidings

You will find him the smile on Time's face.

You will find it the bearer of good news in the face of trying times

تَقاصَرَ عَن نَداهُ باعُ شُكري

تَقاصَرَ عَن نَداهُ باعُ شُكري

قُصورَ الزَجِّ عَن زَلَقِ اللِسانِ

قُصورَ الزَجِّ عَن زَلَقِ اللِسانِ

The reach of my gratitude fell short of his bounty,

My gratitude falls short in thanking it

As a spear's butt falls short of its darting, tongue-like tip.

Like faulty eloquence falling short of a glib tongue

وَآسى أَن تَطولَ يَدايَ مِنهُ

وَآسى أَن تَطولَ يَدايَ مِنهُ

إِلى ما لا يُطاوِلهُ لِساني

إِلى ما لا يُطاوِلهُ لِساني

And I grieve that, through him, my hands should reach

I grieve that my hands cannot reach it

What my tongue cannot match.

Nor can my tongue equal it

كَأَنَّ نَدى يَدَيهِ عِناقُ بَينٍ

كَأَنَّ نَدى يَدَيهِ عِناقُ بَينٍ

فَلَيسَ يَسُرُّني إِلّا شَجاني

فَلَيسَ يَسُرُّني إِلّا شَجاني

His hands' bounty is like a parting embrace:

As if its bounty were a loving embrace

It never delights me without also grieving me.

And nothing delights me except my fervent longing

لَهَجتُ بِذِكرِهِ لِأُبَيَّنَ عَنهُ

لَهَجتُ بِذِكرِهِ لِأُبَيَّنَ عَنهُ

فَضاقَ بِوَصفِهِ ذَرعُ البَيانِ

فَضاقَ بِوَصفِهِ ذَرعُ البَيانِ

I kept speaking of him, seeking to describe him,

I talked of it to try to explain it

But eloquence's reach proved too narrow to portray him.

But describing it exceeds the bounds of expression

حَناني ثُقلُهُ وَلَوَ اِنَّ قَوساً

حَناني ثُقلُهُ وَلَوَ اِنَّ قَوساً

تَلَقّى مَنكَبَيَّ لَما حَناني

تَلَقّى مَنكَبَيَّ لَما حَناني

His weight bent me; even if a bow

My yearning for it is a burden, even if

Rested against my shoulders, it would not have bent me.

A bow spanned my shoulders, it would not relieve my yearning

فَها أَنا مِنهُ مُفتَقِرٌ وَغانٍ

فَها أَنا مِنهُ مُفتَقِرٌ وَغانٍ

وَقَلبي فيهِ مُنطَلِقٌ وَعانِ

وَقَلبي فيهِ مُنطَلِقٌ وَعانِ

So here I am, through him, both needy and rich,

So here I am, needy and longing for it

And my heart, where he is concerned, both free and captive.

With my heart set free towards it, finding relief