نَعَمْ أنتَ أعلى من نُؤمّلُهُ قدرا

نَعَمْ أنتَ أعلى من نُؤمّلُهُ قدرا

وأكرمُ مَنْ نُهدي المديحَ لَهُ دراً

وأكرمُ مَنْ نُهدي المديحَ لَهُ دراً

Yes, you are highest in rank among those on whom we pin our hopes,

Yes, you are higher than we hope as fate,

and the most generous of those to whom we offer praise as pearls.

And more generous than who we give praise, a treasure.

وما أنتَ إلا ديمة

وما أنتَ إلا ديمة

تَسُحُّ فَيحْيي سَحُّها البلدَ القفرا

تَسُحُّ فَيحْيي سَحُّها البلدَ القفرا

And you are nothing but a steady rain,

You are but a cloud,

pouring down, its downpour bringing the barren land to life.

That pours and brings life to the barren land.

ولو لم تَكَنْ يا بنَ الأكارمِ دَيمةً

ولو لم تَكَنْ يا بنَ الأكارمِ دَيمةً

تجودُ لما استهديتُ من صَوْبِك القطرا

تجودُ لما استهديتُ من صَوْبِك القطرا

And had you not been, O son of the noble, a steady rain,

If you were not, o son of generosity, a cloud

pouring generously, I would not have sought syrup from your downpour.

That gives freely, I would not have sought your raindrops.

فجدُ لي بهِ من ساعتي أنني امرؤ

فجدُ لي بهِ من ساعتي أنني امرؤ

أخافُ إذا جُرِّعتُ في عَسَلٍ صَبْرا

أخافُ إذا جُرِّعتُ في عَسَلٍ صَبْرا

So give me some at once, for I am a man

So give me respite in my hour, for I am a man

who is afraid when made to swallow bitter aloes in honey.

Who fears if given honey, to have patience.

وَدَعْني من رَفعِ النحاةِ ونَصْبهم

وَدَعْني من رَفعِ النحاةِ ونَصْبهم

وجرهمِ أنْ يملؤا جَرِّيَ جرّا

وجرهمِ أنْ يملؤا جَرِّيَ جرّا

And spare me the grammarians' nominatives and accusatives,

Leave me from grammarians' raising and lowering,

and their genitives—draw them into filling my jars!

And dragging to fill my mind fully.

فقد لَهَثَتْ عندي القطايفُ غلَّةً

فقد لَهَثَتْ عندي القطايفُ غلَّةً

عليه وابدَتْ ألسُناً للظّما حَرَّى

عليه وابدَتْ ألسُناً للظّما حَرَّى

For the qatayif here with me are panting with burning thirst

For with me, dry lips thirst

for it, and have bared tongues parched with thirst.

For it, and tongues blaze for the hot wind.

وشقّت له أيد الكنافةِ جيبَها

وشقّت له أيد الكنافةِ جيبَها

وقد ضيقَتْ من طولِ وَحْشَتِه الصدرا

وقد ضيقَتْ من طولِ وَحْشَتِه الصدرا

And the kunafa's hands have rent its neckline for it,

And hands of longing rend open its bosom,

and its breast has tightened from the long desolation of missing it.

My chest tightened from the length of its absence.

وَقَدْ صَدَعَ البين المشِتُّ لِبُعدِهِ

وَقَدْ صَدَعَ البين المشِتُّ لِبُعدِهِ

قلوباً فقلبُ اللوزِ منكَسر كَسرا

قلوباً فقلبُ اللوزِ منكَسر كَسرا

And sundering separation, with it far away, has shattered

Separation's blade split

hearts, so the almond's heart is utterly broken.

Hearts, so hearts of almond trees are cracked to pieces.

وإنْ جاءَني مَعْ ذلك القطرِ سكّرٌ

وإنْ جاءَني مَعْ ذلك القطرِ سكّرٌ

أنَقطُهُ حتى يعودَ لَكُمْ شُكرا

أنَقطُهُ حتى يعودَ لَكُمْ شُكرا

And if sugar comes to me along with that syrup,

And if after that, drops come with sweetness,

I shall add dots to it until it becomes 'thanks' to you.

I will reject them until they return as thanks to you.