لا يُناجي في النَدى إِلّا النَدى

لا يُناجي في النَدى إِلّا النَدى

وَإِذا هَمَّ به لا يَستَثيرُ

وَإِذا هَمَّ به لا يَستَثيرُ

In generosity, he confides in generosity alone.

None converse in the dew but the dew,

In the realm of generosity, he communes with naught but generosity,

And when he resolves upon it, he raises no stir.

And if it intends otherwise, it cannot be stirred,

And when he resolves to give, he needs no urging.

زاد مَعورفَك عِندي عِظَماً

زاد مَعورفَك عِندي عِظَماً

أَنَّه عِندك مَستورٌ حَقير

أَنَّه عِندك مَستورٌ حَقير

Your kindness has grown greater in my eyes

Your bounty to me has grown mighty,

Your kindness has grown ever greater in my eyes,

because, to you, it is concealed and insignificant.

Though with you it remains hidden and humble,

Because to you, it remains hidden and deemed insignificant.

تَتَناساهُ كأن لَم تأتِهِ

تَتَناساهُ كأن لَم تأتِهِ

وَهوَ عِندَ الناس مَشهور خَطير

وَهوَ عِندَ الناس مَشهور خَطير

You put it out of mind, as though you had never done it,

You forget it as if you had never granted it,

You feign forgetfulness of it, as though you never performed it,

yet among people it is renowned and momentous.

While to people it remains famed and grand,

While among the people, it is celebrated and momentous.

كَم وَكَم أَولَيتَني من نِعمَةٍ

كَم وَكَم أَولَيتَني من نِعمَةٍ

تَدَعُ المُثني بِها وَهوَ حَسير

تَدَعُ المُثني بِها وَهوَ حَسير

How many and how many blessings you have bestowed upon me,

How often you have bestowed favors upon me,

How many, oh how many blessings have you bestowed upon me,

leaving whoever praises them exhausted.

Leaving the wisher in sorrow and despair,

Leaving the one who praises them exhausted by the task.

هاكَها غَرّاءَ تَسري في الدُجى

هاكَها غَرّاءَ تَسري في الدُجى

كُلُّ بَيت عائِر منها يَسير

كُلُّ بَيت عائِر منها يَسير

Take it, radiant, traveling through the darkness of night;

Every humble home has easy access to it,

Take this poem, a bright blaze traveling through the darkness,

every roving verse of it travels on.

It is robed in ink whose bend is straight,

Every wandering verse of it journeying far and wide.

حُلَّة حبرها ذو مِقة

حُلَّة حبرها ذو مِقة

بِالهَوى يُسدي وَبالو يُنير

بِالهَوى يُسدي وَبالو يُنير

A robe adorned by one full of affection:

With passion it gives light and with water gives life,

A raiment adorned by one possessing deep affection,

with love he lays its warp, and with [incomplete text] he weaves it.

So I deserve thanks just as

Warped with passion and woven with love.

فَجَدير أَنا بالشُكرِ كَما

فَجَدير أَنا بالشُكرِ كَما

أَنت بالإِحسان وَالفضل جَدير

أَنت بالإِحسان وَالفضل جَدير

Thus it befits me to give thanks, just as

You deserve kindness, favor and nobility.

For I am worthy of offering gratitude, just as

kindness and bounty befit you.

You are worthy of benevolence and grace.