ما بالُ من نوهتُ دهراً

ما بالُ من نوهتُ دهراً

فيه يتيهُ عليَّ كِبرا

فيه يتيهُ عليَّ كِبرا

What ails the man whom I extolled for so long,

Why have I praised you for so long,

that he struts over me in arrogance?

When you make me go astray in old age,

وكسوتُه العَليا فجرَّ

وكسوتُه العَليا فجرَّ

عليَّ ثوبَ الزهوِ فخرا

عليَّ ثوبَ الزهوِ فخرا

And I clothed him in eminence, so he trailed

And I clothed you in fine garments,

the robe of conceit over me in pride.

Yet you cast on me the dress of vainglory.

كم قمتُ فيكَ مُفاخراً

كم قمتُ فيكَ مُفاخراً

مَن كان أشرف منك قدرا

مَن كان أشرف منك قدرا

How often I stood, on your behalf, vying in glory with

How often did I boast of you,

one who was nobler than you in rank;

Who was nobler than you in rank,

ومُوازناً مَن لا يراك

ومُوازناً مَن لا يراك

بجنبِ طودِ عُلاه ذرَّا

بجنبِ طودِ عُلاه ذرَّا

and weighing you against one who does not regard you

And compare those who do not see you,

as even a mote beside the mountain of his eminence;

To the side of your towering height.

ومُسايراً مَن كان أسيرَ

ومُسايراً مَن كان أسيرَ

في المكارمِ منك ذِكرا

في المكارمِ منك ذِكرا

and keeping pace with one who was more widely

And keep pace with those who were captive

renowned than you for noble deeds;

To your virtues in renown,

ومُطاولاً مَن لم تَقِس

ومُطاولاً مَن لم تَقِس

أبداً بباعك منهُ فِترا

أبداً بباعك منهُ فِترا

and vying in stature with one you could not measure up to,

And contend with those who never

your arm-span never matching even a finger-span of his;

Fell short of your great achievements,

ومُباهياً مَن لا يعدّ

ومُباهياً مَن لا يعدّ

كفخره لعُلاك فخرا

كفخره لعُلاك فخرا

and boasting of you against one who does not count

And take pride over those who do not count

any glory in your eminence equal to his own.

Their pride like your loftiness as pride.

كنت الهلالَ فزدت في

كنت الهلالَ فزدت في

مدحي إلى أن صرت بدرا

مدحي إلى أن صرت بدرا

You were the crescent moon, so I added to

I was the crescent but increased in

my praise until you became a full moon.

My praise of you until I became the full moon.

أنت البغاثُ لمعشرٍ

أنت البغاثُ لمعشرٍ

فعلامَ صرت عليَّ صقرا

فعلامَ صرت عليَّ صقرا

You are a weak bird to a band of men;

You are the rain clouds, so why have you

why, then, have you become a falcon against me?

Become for me a predatory falcon?