أَلا يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ المُعَلّى

أَلا يا أَيُّها المَلِكُ المُعَلّى

إِذا بَعضُ المُلوكِ غَدا مَنيحا

إِذا بَعضُ المُلوكِ غَدا مَنيحا

Hark, O exalted King!

Lo, O exalted king, the highest-winning arrow,

Should one of the kings become a generous giver,

When some kings prove arrows that win no share,

أَعِر شِعري الإِصاخَةَ مِنكَ يَرجِع

أَعِر شِعري الإِصاخَةَ مِنكَ يَرجِع

طَوالَ الدَهرِ بارِحُهُ سَنيحا

طَوالَ الدَهرِ بارِحُهُ سَنيحا

lend my verse your attentive ear; from you it will return,

Lend my verse your attentive ear, and it shall turn

for all time, its ill-boding flight transformed into an auspicious one.

Its ill omen into a good one for all time.

أَنِلهُ بِاِستِماعِكَهُ مَحَلّاً

أَنِلهُ بِاِستِماعِكَهُ مَحَلّاً

يَفوتُ عُلُوُّهُ الطَرفَ الطَموحا

يَفوتُ عُلُوُّهُ الطَرفَ الطَموحا

By listening to it, grant it a station

Grant it, by listening to it, a station

whose loftiness outstrips the upward-straining gaze.

Whose height outstrips the upward-straining gaze.

فَلَم أَمدَحكَ تَفخيماً بِشِعري

فَلَم أَمدَحكَ تَفخيماً بِشِعري

وَلَكِنّي مَدَحتُ بِكَ المَديحا

وَلَكِنّي مَدَحتُ بِكَ المَديحا

For I did not praise you in my verse to magnify you;

For I did not praise you with my verse to exalt you;

rather, through you I praised praise itself.

Rather, through you I praised praise itself.