أبا حَسَنٍ لَئِنْ كانَتْ أَجابَتْ

أبا حَسَنٍ لَئِنْ كانَتْ أَجابَتْ

هِباتُكَ مَطْلَبِي قَبْلَ الدُّعاءِ

هِباتُكَ مَطْلَبِي قَبْلَ الدُّعاءِ

O Abu Hasan, if indeed

O Abu Hasan, if your gifts had answered

Your gifts answered my request before I asked,

my request before my prayer,

لَما ضاعَ اصْطِناعُكَ فِي كَرِيمٍ

لَما ضاعَ اصْطِناعُكَ فِي كَرِيمٍ

مَلِيٍّ حِينَ تَقْرِضُ بِالْجَزاءِ

مَلِيٍّ حِينَ تَقْرِضُ بِالْجَزاءِ

Your favor has surely not been wasted on a noble man,

your kindness would not have been lost

Well able, whenever you lend, to repay.

on a generous, gentle man when you repay with reward.

سَأُثْنِي بِالَّذِي أَوْلَيْتَ جَهْدِي

سَأُثْنِي بِالَّذِي أَوْلَيْتَ جَهْدِي

وَيُثْنِي السّامِعُونَ عَلَى ثَنائِي

وَيُثْنِي السّامِعُونَ عَلَى ثَنائِي

I shall praise you for what you bestowed, with all my might,

I will praise what you have devoted to me,

And those who hear will commend my praise.

and listeners will praise my praise.

وَكَيْفَ جُحُودُ مَعُرُوفٍ تَوالى

وَكَيْفَ جُحُودُ مَعُرُوفٍ تَوالى

فَكانَ مِنَ الْخُطُوبِ دَواء دائي

فَكانَ مِنَ الْخُطُوبِ دَواء دائي

And how could I deny kindness that came again and again,

How could persistent kindness bring

And became the cure for the affliction calamities brought me?

a cure for my troubles?

أَأَجْحَدُ مِنَّةً بَدَأَتْ وَعادَتْ

أَأَجْحَدُ مِنَّةً بَدَأَتْ وَعادَتْ

إِذَنْ فَعَدَلْتُ عَنْ سَنَنٍ الْوفاءِ

إِذَنْ فَعَدَلْتُ عَنْ سَنَنٍ الْوفاءِ

Could I deny a favor first bestowed, then renewed?

Shall I be ungrateful for a favor begun and repeated,

Then I would have strayed from the path of loyalty.

if I then turned from the ways of loyalty?

سَبَقْتَ إِلى جَمِيلِ الصُّنْعِ ظَنِّي

سَبَقْتَ إِلى جَمِيلِ الصُّنْعِ ظَنِّي

وَقَرْطَسَ جُودُ كَفِّكَ فِي رَجائِي

وَقَرْطَسَ جُودُ كَفِّكَ فِي رَجائِي

You outpaced my expectations in doing good,

You anticipated my wishful thinking,

And your hand's generosity struck the target of my hope.

and the palm of your hand was bountiful toward my hopes.

وَكاَن نَداكَ حِينَ يَسِيرُ نَحْوِي

وَكاَن نَداكَ حِينَ يَسِيرُ نَحْوِي

جَنِيباً لِلْمَوَدَّةِ وَالصَّفاءِ

جَنِيباً لِلْمَوَدَّةِ وَالصَّفاءِ

And your bounty, as it journeyed toward me,

Your calling, whenever it went toward me,

Was a steed led alongside affection and sincerity.

was graceful with affection and sincerity.

فَما أَدْرِي أَأَشْكُرِ مِنْكَ قَصْدِي

فَما أَدْرِي أَأَشْكُرِ مِنْكَ قَصْدِي

بِجُودِكَ وَاصْطِناعِكَ أَمْ إِخائِي

بِجُودِكَ وَاصْطِناعِكَ أَمْ إِخائِي

So I do not know whether to thank you for seeking me out

So I don’t know whether to thank you for my aim

With your generosity and favor, or for your brotherhood with me.

through your generosity and kindness, or for my brotherhood.

أَبَتْ أَخْلاقُكَ الْغُرُّ اللَّواتِي

أَبَتْ أَخْلاقُكَ الْغُرُّ اللَّواتِي

أَحَبُّ إِلى النُّفُوسِ مِنَ الْبَقاءِ

أَحَبُّ إِلى النُّفُوسِ مِنَ الْبَقاءِ

Your radiant virtues, which are

Your noble character refused destruction,

Dearer to souls than life itself,

which souls love more than remaining.

وَكَوْنُكَ وَالسَّماحُ إِلَيْكَ أَشْهى

وَكَوْنُكَ وَالسَّماحُ إِلَيْكَ أَشْهى

مِنَ الْماءِ الزُّلالِ إِلى الظِّماءِ

مِنَ الْماءِ الزُّلالِ إِلى الظِّماءِ

And your nature—with generosity dearer to you

Your being and clemency toward you are more delicious

Than limpid water is to the thirsty—

than cool water to the thirsty.

سِوى كَرَمٍ وَمَعْرُوفٍ وَحِلْمٍ

سِوى كَرَمٍ وَمَعْرُوفٍ وَحِلْمٍ

وَضَرْبٍ فِي التَّكَرُّمِ وَالسَّخاءِ

وَضَرْبٍ فِي التَّكَرُّمِ وَالسَّخاءِ

Reject all but generosity, kindness, and forbearance,

Nothing but generosity, kindness, forbearance,

And striving in magnanimity and bounty.

and exertion in magnanimity and liberality,

وَقَدْ أَسَّسْتُ بِالْمِعادِ شُكْرِي

وَقَدْ أَسَّسْتُ بِالْمِعادِ شُكْرِي

وَما بَعْدَ الأَساسِ سِوى الْبِناءِ

وَما بَعْدَ الأَساسِ سِوى الْبِناءِ

And I have laid the foundation of my thanks upon the promise;

For I have laid gratitude as my foundation,

And after the foundation comes only the building.

and after the foundation there is only the building.

فَإِنْ تَسْمَحْ يَداكَ فَلا عَجِيبٌ

فَإِنْ تَسْمَحْ يَداكَ فَلا عَجِيبٌ

وَمَنْ ذا مُنْكِرٌ قَطْرَ السَّماءِ

وَمَنْ ذا مُنْكِرٌ قَطْرَ السَّماءِ

So if your hands give freely, it is no wonder:

So if your hands are generous, that is no wonder,

And who could deny the rain of heaven?

for who would deny rainfall from the sky?