لَعَمرُكَ ما الناسُ أَثنَوا عَلَيكَ

لَعَمرُكَ ما الناسُ أَثنَوا عَلَيكَ

وَلا قَرَّظوكَ وَلا عَظَّموا

وَلا قَرَّظوكَ وَلا عَظَّموا

By your life, the people did not praise you,

By your life! People have not praised you,

Nor extol you, nor exalt you.

Nor versified you, nor exalted you,

وَلا سابَقوكَ عَلى ما بَلَغتَ

وَلا سابَقوكَ عَلى ما بَلَغتَ

مِن الصالِحاتِ وَلا قَدَّموا

مِن الصالِحاتِ وَلا قَدَّموا

Nor did they vie with you in what you attained

Nor preceded you in the good deeds you have attained,

Of righteous deeds, nor put anything forward.

Nor put you forward.

وَلَو وَجَدوا لَهُمُ مَطعَناً

وَلَو وَجَدوا لَهُمُ مَطعَناً

إِلى أَن يَعيبوكَ ما أَحجَموا

إِلى أَن يَعيبوكَ ما أَحجَموا

And had they found an opening for themselves

If they had found a way to disparage you, they would not have refrained.

To fault you, they would not have held back.

But you were patient with what they compelled you to do,

وَلكِن صَبَرتَ لِما أَلزَموكَ

وَلكِن صَبَرتَ لِما أَلزَموكَ

وَجُدتَ بِما لَم تَكُن تُلزَمُ

وَجُدتَ بِما لَم تَكُن تُلزَمُ

But you patiently bore what they imposed on you,

And did well what you were not compelled to do.

And gave generously what you were not obliged to give.

When they met you, their tongues were as you wished them to be.

وَكانَ قِراكَ إِذا ما لَقوكَ

وَكانَ قِراكَ إِذا ما لَقوكَ

لِساناً بِما سَرَّهُم يُنعِمُ

لِساناً بِما سَرَّهُم يُنعِمُ

And your hospitality, whenever they met you,

Lower your wing over them and success is at hand.

Was a tongue bestowing what delighted them.

Belittle not the Bestower of Favors!

وَخَفضُ الجَناحِ وَشيكُ النَجاحِ

وَخَفضُ الجَناحِ وَشيكُ النَجاحِ

وَتَصغيرُ ما أَعظَمَ المُنعِمُ

وَتَصغيرُ ما أَعظَمَ المُنعِمُ

And lowering the wing brings swift success,

By your favor they flock to be honored.

As does making little of what the benefactor deemed great.

وَأَنتَ بِفَضلِكَ ألجَأتَهُم

وَأَنتَ بِفَضلِكَ ألجَأتَهُم

إِلى أَن تَعالوا بِأَن يُكرَموا

إِلى أَن تَعالوا بِأَن يُكرَموا

And you, by your excellence, compelled them

To rise high through being honored.