لَو لَم يَكُن لي في عُلاكَ مَدائِحٌ

لَو لَم يَكُن لي في عُلاكَ مَدائِحٌ

لَكَفى نُزولي طارِقاً بِذَراكا

لَكَفى نُزولي طارِقاً بِذَراكا

Had I no praises for your eminence,

If I did not have praises for your loftiness,

My alighting as a night visitor in your shelter would suffice.

My descent to your abode would suffice, O radiant one.

لا أَبجَحَنَّ بِما مَدَحتُ بِهِ العُلا

لا أَبجَحَنَّ بِما مَدَحتُ بِهِ العُلا

اللَفظُ لَم يَحمِل سِوى مَعناكا

اللَفظُ لَم يَحمِل سِوى مَعناكا

I shall not boast of the words with which I praised greatness:

I shall not boast of what I have praised your loftiness with,

The words conveyed nothing but your essence.

For words carried naught but your meaning.

وَلَو اِتَّخَذتُ لَهُ شَريكاً في العُلا

وَلَو اِتَّخَذتُ لَهُ شَريكاً في العُلا

لَرَأَيتُ شَركي غَيرَهُ إِشراكا

لَرَأَيتُ شَركي غَيرَهُ إِشراكا

And if I assigned him a partner in greatness,

Had I taken for it a partner in loftiness,

I would deem my associating anyone else with him idolatry.

I would have seen my partner's association as polytheism.

وَلَئِن غَلِطتُ بِأَن أَعَرتُ جَماعَةً

وَلَئِن غَلِطتُ بِأَن أَعَرتُ جَماعَةً

شُكرَ اللِسانِ فَما المُرادُ سِواكا

شُكرَ اللِسانِ فَما المُرادُ سِواكا

And even if I erred by lending a group

If I erred by ignoring a group,

My tongue's thanks, none but you was meant.

Thankfulness of the tongue - you alone were intended.

فَالناسُ إِن نُحِلوا المَقالَ نَحَلتُهُم

فَالناسُ إِن نُحِلوا المَقالَ نَحَلتُهُم

مِنكَ الفِعالُ وَما رَزَأت عُلاكا

مِنكَ الفِعالُ وَما رَزَأت عُلاكا

For if people are granted words of praise, I have bestowed upon them

So people, if endowed with fine speech were granted it,

Deeds drawn from you, and I have not diminished your eminence.

The doing is yours - I never perceived any loftiness but yours.

وَبَسَطتُ عُذري حينَ لَم أُدرِك لَكُم

وَبَسَطتُ عُذري حينَ لَم أُدرِك لَكُم

وَصفاً وَكانَ العَجزُ لي إِدراكا

وَصفاً وَكانَ العَجزُ لي إِدراكا

And I set forth my excuse when I could not find for you

I made excuses when I could not attain, for you,

A description; for me, inability was understanding.

Description - and my incapacity was a perception.