لَقَد شَغَلتَني دونَ شُكرِكُم البُشرى

لَقَد شَغَلتَني دونَ شُكرِكُم البُشرى

فَلا تُنكِروا إِن كُنتُ لَم أُجملِ الشُّكرا

فَلا تُنكِروا إِن كُنتُ لَم أُجملِ الشُّكرا

The glad tidings have indeed kept me from thanking you.

You kept me from thanking you properly for the good news,

So do not take offense if I have not offered fitting thanks.

So do not deny me if I failed to grace my thanks.

فَما أَحسَنَتْ حَقَّ الوَفاءِ مسرّتي

فَما أَحسَنَتْ حَقَّ الوَفاءِ مسرّتي

وَلَكن عَساها أَحسنتْ عِنديَ العُذرا

وَلَكن عَساها أَحسنتْ عِنديَ العُذرا

For my joy has not done justice to the duty of loyalty,

Though my joy did not do justice to such loyalty,

Yet perhaps it has served me as a good excuse.

Perhaps it was excuse enough for me.

عَليَّ لَكُم حمدٌ عَلى عُظم منّةٍ

عَليَّ لَكُم حمدٌ عَلى عُظم منّةٍ

تَعذّر عِندي أَن أُقابلها قَدرا

تَعذّر عِندي أَن أُقابلها قَدرا

I owe you praise for a favor so great

I owe you much praise for tremendous favor

That I cannot repay it in equal measure,

That I cannot requite however hard I try.

وَفَضلٍ هُوَ البَحر الَّذي بِتُّ غارِقاً

وَفَضلٍ هُوَ البَحر الَّذي بِتُّ غارِقاً

بِهِ غَيرَ أَني اِصَطدتُ مِن جَوفِهِ الدُّرّا

بِهِ غَيرَ أَني اِصَطدتُ مِن جَوفِهِ الدُّرّا

And for bounty—the sea in which I spent the night submerged,

A sea of bounty in which I nearly drowned,

Save that I fished pearls from its depths.

Yet I drew out of its depths a precious pearl.

فَيا لَيتَ لي في كُلِ عُضوٍ صحِبتهُ

فَيا لَيتَ لي في كُلِ عُضوٍ صحِبتهُ

لِساناً وَلي في كُل جارِحَةٍ فِكرا

لِساناً وَلي في كُل جارِحَةٍ فِكرا

So, would that I had in every limb I possess

Would that I had, for each limb, a tongue

A tongue, and in every bodily member a thought,

And for each joint, a mind to think and express

لِأَنشُرَ طيبَ الحَمدِ مِن كُلِّ مَنطِقٍ

لِأَنشُرَ طيبَ الحَمدِ مِن كُلِّ مَنطِقٍ

وَمِن كُلِ فكرٍ أَنشئ النَّظم وَالنَثرا

وَمِن كُلِ فكرٍ أَنشئ النَّظم وَالنَثرا

So I might spread the fragrance of praise from every voice,

To spread the sweet words of praise through every voice

And from every thought compose verse and prose.

And compose poetry and prose through every thought,

وَبي إِخوة لا والدي كانَ وَالِداً

وَبي إِخوة لا والدي كانَ وَالِداً

لَهُم لا وَلا أُمي بِهِم شغلت حِجرا

لَهُم لا وَلا أُمي بِهِم شغلت حِجرا

And with me are brothers: my father was no father

Though not my father, I have brothers who are

To them—no, nor did my mother hold them in her lap.

As if my mother nursed and raised them too.

إِخاءٌ حَلا حَتّى ظَنَنتُ كُؤوسَهُ

إِخاءٌ حَلا حَتّى ظَنَنتُ كُؤوسَهُ

هِيَ الشَّهدُ ما بَينَ القُلوب لَهُ مَجرى

هِيَ الشَّهدُ ما بَينَ القُلوب لَهُ مَجرى

A brotherhood so sweet that I thought its cups

A brotherhood so strong I fancied at times

Were honey, with its stream running between hearts.

Its chalices poured honey between hearts.

أَبرَّ الوَرى بَعضاً بِبَعضٍ طويةً

أَبرَّ الوَرى بَعضاً بِبَعضٍ طويةً

وَأَوثَقَهُم وُدّاً وَأَبعَدَهُم غَدرا

وَأَوثَقَهُم وُدّاً وَأَبعَدَهُم غَدرا

The kindest of mankind to one another at heart,

They brought creation together, each to each,

And the truest in affection, and the furthest from treachery.

In closest amity and farthest from betrayal.

دَعَتنيَ بِالالحاح نَفسيَ نَحوَهُم

دَعَتنيَ بِالالحاح نَفسيَ نَحوَهُم

فَقُلت لَها صَبراً فَلَم تَستَطِع صَبرا

فَقُلت لَها صَبراً فَلَم تَستَطِع صَبرا

My soul insistently called me toward them;

My soul urged me insistently toward them,

So I told it, 'Patience!' But it could not be patient.

But I told it: patience. It could not be patient,

فَما بَرِحَت مُشتاقةً لِلقائِهم

فَما بَرِحَت مُشتاقةً لِلقائِهم

عَلى خَبَرٍ حَتّى أَحاطَت بِهُم خُبرا

عَلى خَبَرٍ حَتّى أَحاطَت بِهُم خُبرا

And it never ceased longing to meet them,

And restless for news, encompassed them

On the strength of reports, until it knew them fully.

With inquiries, until it learned of them all.

فَأَلفَت رِجالاً بِالكَمالِ تَزَيَّنوا

فَأَلفَت رِجالاً بِالكَمالِ تَزَيَّنوا

وَبِاللُّطفِ وَالآداب وَالشِّيَمِ الغرّا

وَبِاللُّطفِ وَالآداب وَالشِّيَمِ الغرّا

So it found men adorned with perfection,

My soul found men adorned with perfection,

And with graciousness, refinement, and radiant virtues.

Refinement, manners and nature most noble.

أَجَلّ الوَرى فَضلاً وَأَجمَلَهُم ذِكرا

أَجَلّ الوَرى فَضلاً وَأَجمَلَهُم ذِكرا

وَأَطولَهُم باعاً وَأَوسَعَهُم صَدرا

وَأَطولَهُم باعاً وَأَوسَعَهُم صَدرا

The noblest of mankind in merit, and the finest in repute,

The best of creation in merit and renown,

And the longest in reach, and the broadest of breast.

Of vast capacity and generous spirits.

عِصابة أَهل النُّور في كُلِ مَعشَرٍ

عِصابة أَهل النُّور في كُلِ مَعشَرٍ

بِكُلِ بِلادٍ أَشبَهوا الأَنجُم الزُّهرا

بِكُلِ بِلادٍ أَشبَهوا الأَنجُم الزُّهرا

A band of the people of light in every community,

A fellowship of enlightened souls everywhere,

In every land, they resembled the radiant stars.

Like stars adorning every group and land.

فَيا عَينُ قرِّي بِالمُنى بَينَ إِخوة

فَيا عَينُ قرِّي بِالمُنى بَينَ إِخوة

أَصَبت بِهِم في كُلِّ نائِبة ذُخرا

أَصَبت بِهِم في كُلِّ نائِبة ذُخرا

So, O eye, be gladdened by hopes fulfilled among brothers,

O my eyes, delight in wished-for brothers,

In whom I have found a reserve against every calamity.

My bulwark in every misfortune and calamity.

وَيا نَفسِ ما لِلدَّهرِ فَوقَكِ مِن يَد

وَيا نَفسِ ما لِلدَّهرِ فَوقَكِ مِن يَد

إِزاءَ أَيادٍ لَم تَكُن تُرهِبُ الدَّهرا

إِزاءَ أَيادٍ لَم تَكُن تُرهِبُ الدَّهرا

And O soul, Time has no upper hand over you,

O my soul, who in this world has power over you

In the face of hands that had not frightened Time.

When such hands do not fear even fate?

وَدُونَكِ حُسنُ الجهدِ في كُلِ غايةٍ

وَدُونَكِ حُسنُ الجهدِ في كُلِ غايةٍ

يَنالُكِ فيها البُؤسَ أَو تَبلُغي أَمرا

يَنالُكِ فيها البُؤسَ أَو تَبلُغي أَمرا

And give your best effort toward every goal,

And you have but to make the effort, in each goal,

Whether hardship befalls you there or you attain your aim.

To either suffer woes or attain your desire.

وَلا تَجنَحي نَحوَ التَّراخي إِذا بَدَت

وَلا تَجنَحي نَحوَ التَّراخي إِذا بَدَت

شَدائدُ هَذا الدَّهرِ قاذفةً ذُعرا

شَدائدُ هَذا الدَّهرِ قاذفةً ذُعرا

And do not incline toward slackness when there appear

So do not incline toward repose if ever

The hardships of this age, hurling terror.

The harsh turns of fate cast terror upon you.

وَيا مَن أَرى نَفسي سَعيداً لَدَيهِمُ

وَيا مَن أَرى نَفسي سَعيداً لَدَيهِمُ

وَمَن أَنَاْ لَا أَسطيعُ مِن دونَهُم نَصرا

وَمَن أَنَاْ لَا أَسطيعُ مِن دونَهُم نَصرا

And O you with whom I see myself happy,

O you in whose company I feel fortunate,

And you without whom I can win no victory,

While without you I cannot find any help,

أَتَيتُ إَلَيكُم رَغبَةً في إِخائِكُم

أَتَيتُ إَلَيكُم رَغبَةً في إِخائِكُم

وَأَخلَصتُكم مِن ودِّيَ السِّرَّ وَالجَهرا

وَأَخلَصتُكم مِن ودِّيَ السِّرَّ وَالجَهرا

I came to you out of desire for your brotherhood,

I came to you out of longing for your fraternity,

And devoted to you my love, in secret and openly.

Sincerely offering you my secret and open affection.

وَإِني كَما تَهوُون لا مُتهاوِناً

وَإِني كَما تَهوُون لا مُتهاوِناً

وَلا سائِلاً فيما أكلِّفهُ أَجرا

وَلا سائِلاً فيما أكلِّفهُ أَجرا

And I am as you wish: neither negligent

I am not - however you suspect - careless,

Nor asking wages for what I am charged to do.

Nor asking for wages for what I am charged to do.

وَلَكِنَّني أَبغي الوَفاءَ بِأَنَّني

وَلَكِنَّني أَبغي الوَفاءَ بِأَنَّني

نُسبتُ إَلَيكُم وَاِشتَددت بِكُم أَزرا

نُسبتُ إَلَيكُم وَاِشتَددت بِكُم أَزرا

But I seek to show faithfulness, for I

Rather, I aim to fulfill my duty, for I

Have been counted among you, and through you my back has grown strong.

Am associated with you, strengthened through you.

تَرَكتُ لَغَيري الذُّلَّ وَالرقَّ في الوَرى

تَرَكتُ لَغَيري الذُّلَّ وَالرقَّ في الوَرى

وَأَصبَحتُ مُعتَزّاً أَمامَكُم حُرّا

وَأَصبَحتُ مُعتَزّاً أَمامَكُم حُرّا

I have left humiliation and bondage to others among mankind,

I left degradation and servility to others,

And now, before you, I am proud and free.

And in your presence stand free and proud.