لو أمكنتني في مدحي لك الشهب

لو أمكنتني في مدحي لك الشهب

لم يرضني في علاك الشعر والخطب

لم يرضني في علاك الشعر والخطب

If the bright stars were at my disposal in praising you,

If I were able in my praise of you to liken you to stars,

Neither verse nor oratory would satisfy me in extolling your eminence.

Poetry and oration would not satisfy me regarding your eminence.

ولو نظمت النجوم الزهر ممتدحاً

ولو نظمت النجوم الزهر ممتدحاً

لم أقض من حقك المفروض مايجب

لم أقض من حقك المفروض مايجب

And even if I strung the radiant stars together in praise,

Were I to string together pearls in praise,

I would not fulfill what your rightful due requires.

I could not fulfill what your due deserves.

أحسنت يا بدر إحساناً ملكت به

أحسنت يا بدر إحساناً ملكت به

ودي فصرت إلى نعماك أنتسب

ودي فصرت إلى نعماك أنتسب

You showed such kindness, O Badr, that through it you won

You have done good, O full moon, with a goodness that endowed you,

My affection, and so I now claim kinship with your bounty.

And my love, so I came to cling to your favors.

وعرفتك أياديك التي كرمت

وعرفتك أياديك التي كرمت

كيف السبيل إلى أن يملك العرب

كيف السبيل إلى أن يملك العرب

And your noble favors have taught you

Your generous hands let me know you;

The way to gain mastery over the Arabs.

how the way to rule the Arabs.

وسعت ما ضاق من رزقي وزدت على

وسعت ما ضاق من رزقي وزدت على

ما كنت أرجوه في نفسي وأحتسب

ما كنت أرجوه في نفسي وأحتسب

You enlarged my straitened livelihood and gave me more than

You expanded my limited livelihood and added to

What I had hoped for in my heart and expected.

what I hoped for in myself and counted on.

لعل حلمك وهو الحق ينصف من

لعل حلمك وهو الحق ينصف من

قضية يشتكي من جورها الأدب

قضية يشتكي من جورها الأدب

May your forbearance, which is justice, grant redress for

Perhaps your forbearance, which is the truth, will bring justice

A case whose injustice literature laments.

to a case which etiquette complains of its tyranny.

هذا ابن سبريه جاءته زيادته

هذا ابن سبريه جاءته زيادته

عفواً وما عنده هم ولانصب

عفواً وما عنده هم ولانصب

This Ibn Sabriyah has received his increase,

This is Ibn Sabrih, your supererogatory bounty came to him,

Unasked, with neither worry nor toil on his part.

while he has no concerns or burdens.

فكيف تأبى الليالي أن تنجز لي

فكيف تأبى الليالي أن تنجز لي

زيادة أنت في إثباتها السبب

زيادة أنت في إثباتها السبب

So how can the nights refuse to deliver to me

How then can the nights refuse to grant me

An increase whose confirmation you yourself brought about?

an increase which you are the cause of its affirmation?

لولا شفاعتك الحسنى لقصر بي

لولا شفاعتك الحسنى لقصر بي

عن البلوغ إليها السعي والطلب

عن البلوغ إليها السعي والطلب

But for your gracious intercession, I would have fallen short

Were it not for your fine intercession, my endeavor

Of reaching it through effort and petition.

and request to reach it would fall short.

أرويتني وأسود الغاب ظامئة

أرويتني وأسود الغاب ظامئة

فكيف يعطش من تعنى به السحب

فكيف يعطش من تعنى به السحب

You quenched my thirst while the lions of the forest were thirsty;

You watered me while the forests' darkness was thirsty,

So how can one cared for by the clouds go thirsty?

So how can one you care for thirst?