كَمْhow many تَوالَتْcame in succession ياO سَعِيدُSaʿīd بْنَson of عَلِيʿAlī
كَمْ تَوالَتْ يا سَعِيدُ بْنَ عَلِي
لَكَof yours عِنْدِيwith me مِنْof أَيادٍfavors هُطُلِpouring abundantly
لَكَ عِنْدِي مِنْ أَيادٍ هُطُلِ
How many have followed one another, O Saʿīd ibn ʿAlī—
How many have come in succession, O Saʿīd son of ʿAlī—
favors of yours, held in my grateful remembrance, pouring down in torrents,
your favors upon me, pouring down like rain!
بادِئاتٍfirst bestowed عائِداتٍreturning again أَبَداًforever
بادِئاتٍ عائِداتٍ أَبَداً
لاnot تَرىyou see الْوَسْميَّthe first autumn rain إِلاّexcept بِالْوَلِيwith the following rain
لا تَرى الْوَسْميَّ إِلاّ بِالْوَلِي
first bestowed, then returning, forever.
First bestowed, then bestowed again, forever;
The wasmī is never seen except with the walī close behind.
you never see the first autumn rain without a following shower.
كُلَّماwhenever وافَتْarrived يَدٌa favor بَعْدَafter يَدٍa favor
كُلَّما وافَتْ يَدٌ بَعْدَ يَدٍ
هَوَّنَmade seem slight الآخِرُthe later one قَدْرَthe worth of الأَوَّلِthe first one
هَوَّنَ الآخِرُ قَدْرَ الأَوَّلِ
Whenever one gracious hand comes after another,
Whenever one favor comes after another,
the latter makes the former’s worth seem slight.
the later makes the first seem small.
كَرَمٌgenerosity يَضْعُفُfalls short شُكْرِيmy gratitude عِنْدَهُbeside it
كَرَمٌ يَضْعُفُ شُكْرِي عِنْدَهُ
وَنَدىًand bounty يَقْصُرُfalls short عَنْهُof it أَمَلِيmy hope
وَنَدىً يَقْصُرُ عَنْهُ أَمَلِي
Such generosity that my gratitude falters before it,
Generosity beside which my thanks fall short,
and bounty that my hope falls short of;
and bounty beyond the reach of my hopes;
وَسَجاياand virtues لَوْif عَدَتْpassed by أَخْلاقَهُhis character
وَسَجايا لَوْ عَدَتْ أَخْلاقَهُ
لَمْnot تَجِدْهاyou would find them فِيin الْغَمامِthe clouds الْمُسْبِلِpouring rain
لَمْ تَجِدْها فِي الْغَمامِ الْمُسْبِلِ
and innate graces which, were they to pass beyond his character,
and virtues that, were they to pass his character by,
you would not find even in the cloud streaming rain.
you would not find even in the rain-pouring clouds.
شامِلُall-embracing الْفَضْلِin bounty غَرِيبُexceptional الْحِلْمِin forbearance لاnot
شامِلُ الْفَضْلِ غَرِيبُ الْحِلْمِ لا
يَنْظُرُhe looks upon الْعَلْياءِthe heights إِلاّexcept مِنْfrom عَلِabove
يَنْظُرُ الْعَلْياءِ إِلاّ مِنْ عَلِ
All-embracing in virtue, peerless in forbearance, he never
All-embracing in bounty, exceptional in forbearance, he never
looks upon the heights except from above.
looks upon the heights save from above.
