لك يبق نوع تقتضيه كرامة

لك يبق نوع تقتضيه كرامة

حتى أتى منها بما لم يعهد

حتى أتى منها بما لم يعهد

There remains for you a kind of gift that generosity calls for,

You still have a kind that is required by generosity

until he offered of it what had never been known.

Until he came with what was not accustomed

أهدى من الخلع النضار وما ارتضى

أهدى من الخلع النضار وما ارتضى

بهما فجاء بكل نهد أجرد

بهما فجاء بكل نهد أجرد

He gave robes of honor and gold, yet was not content

More guiding than the shedding of the delicate and what he was content with

with the two, so he brought every sturdy, sleek-coated steed.

So he came with every bare breast

ورأت عيون الناس من نفحاته

ورأت عيون الناس من نفحاته

كرماً يخبر عنه من لم يولد

كرماً يخبر عنه من لم يولد

People’s eyes saw, among his bountiful gifts,

And the eyes of the people saw from his breaths

a generosity that even the unborn will speak of.

Generosity that informs those who were not born

فأثابني عن حمده الخلع التي

فأثابني عن حمده الخلع التي

خلعت بحسرتها قلوب الحسد

خلعت بحسرتها قلوب الحسد

So he rewarded my praise of him with robes of honor that

So he rewarded me for his praise with the shedding which

wrenched the hearts of the envious with longing for them.

I shed with its sadness the hearts of envy

رقت كما رق الهوا وتجسمت

رقت كما رق الهوا وتجسمت

فلبست ذوب الماء لو لم يجمد

فلبست ذوب الماء لو لم يجمد

They were as delicate as the air, yet took bodily form,

It softened like the softening of love and it embodied

so I wore molten water, as though it had not frozen.

So it wore the melting of water if it did not freeze

وأجل ما في الأمر عندي أنه

وأجل ما في الأمر عندي أنه

شرف وبر لم يكن عن موعد

شرف وبر لم يكن عن موعد

And greatest in this, to my mind, is that it was

And the best thing for me in the matter is that it is

an honor and a kindness not owed to any prior promise.

Honor and righteousness not from an appointment

مدت بها يده إلى بداءة

مدت بها يده إلى بداءة

منه ولا طرفي مددت ولا يدي

منه ولا طرفي مددت ولا يدي

His hand reached out with it as an initiative

He extended his hand to the beginnings

of his own; I had extended neither my gaze nor my hand.

From him while neither my eyes nor my hands extended

جاءت كما اختار السماح مص

جاءت كما اختار السماح مص

ونة الإحسان عن تسويف يوم الموعد

ونة الإحسان عن تسويف يوم الموعد

It came as generosity chose—

It came as the generous chosen extraction

its kindness safeguarded from delay until the appointed day.

The habit of beneficence from the procrastination of the day of appointment

ملك إذا قابلت غرة وجهه

ملك إذا قابلت غرة وجهه

شفع الندى ببشاشة الوجه الندي

شفع الندى ببشاشة الوجه الندي

A king: when you face the radiance of his countenance,

A king, if the light of his face was met

he pairs bounty with the cheerfulness of his dewy face.

The dew interceded with the cheerfulness of the refined face

وأغب عن نادي نداه زيارتي

وأغب عن نادي نداه زيارتي

خجلاً فيأبى أن يغب تفقدي

خجلاً فيأبى أن يغب تفقدي

And I space out my visits to his court of bounty,

And I missed visiting his calling haunt

out of shyness; yet he refuses to let his inquiries after me grow infrequent.

Bashfully so he refuses that my check up be missed