وَقَفَتني عَلى نَداكَ الظُنونُ

وَقَفَتني عَلى نَداكَ الظُنونُ

وَثَنائي عالي السَناءِ ثَمينُ

وَثَنائي عالي السَناءِ ثَمينُ

Expectations have kept me waiting for your bounty,

Doubt stood me next to your generosity

and my praise, lofty in splendor, is precious.

And my praise, though high, was remiss

ما عَلى قَدرِ ما اِبتُليتَ أَتاكَ ال

ما عَلى قَدرِ ما اِبتُليتَ أَتاكَ ال

شُكرُ مِنّي إِنّي إِذاً لَغَبينُ

شُكرُ مِنّي إِنّي إِذاً لَغَبينُ

Not in proportion to what you have endured has the

Gratitude from me was not equal to your trials

thanks from me reached you; then I would indeed be cheated.

Else I’d truly be unwise

وَإِذا ما أَخَلَّ بي فيكَ ظَنٌّ

وَإِذا ما أَخَلَّ بي فيكَ ظَنٌّ

وَجَلا الشَكَّ عَنهُ مِنكَ اليَقينُ

وَجَلا الشَكَّ عَنهُ مِنكَ اليَقينُ

And when an expectation concerning you fails me,

When doubt of you ever entered me

and certainty from you dispels its doubt,

It was soon dispelled by your certainty

عَزَّ فيهِ الرَجاءُ مِنّي بِعودٍ

عَزَّ فيهِ الرَجاءُ مِنّي بِعودٍ

وَاِستَبَدَّت بِهِ عَسى وَيَكونُ

وَاِستَبَدَّت بِهِ عَسى وَيَكونُ

my hope for a return grows faint,

Hope in it from me was frustrated by return

and “perhaps” and “it will be” hold sole sway over it.

Perhaps and maybe persisted

وَحَمَتكَ العِتابَ نَفسِيَ حَتّى

وَحَمَتكَ العِتابَ نَفسِيَ حَتّى

سَلِسَت لِلقِيادِ وَهِيَ حَرونُ

سَلِسَت لِلقِيادِ وَهِيَ حَرونُ

And my soul shielded you from reproach, until

Your rebuke saddled my soul

it yielded to the reins, stubborn though it was.

Until it was docile to the bridle though stubborn

وَلَعَمري لَئِن طَلَبتُ لِشُكري

وَلَعَمري لَئِن طَلَبتُ لِشُكري

ثَمَناً إِنَّني إِذاً لَضَنينُ

ثَمَناً إِنَّني إِذاً لَضَنينُ

And by my life, if I sought for my thanks

By my life, if I ever sought payment

a price, then I would surely be miserly.

For my thanks, I'd be miserly indeed

وَأَخٍ شِمتُهُ العَطاءَ فَأَكدَى

وَأَخٍ شِمتُهُ العَطاءَ فَأَكدَى

وَهوَ مَلآنُ مِن يَسارٍ بَطينُ

وَهوَ مَلآنُ مِن يَسارٍ بَطينُ

And a brother from whom I expected bounty gave nothing,

A brother who envied gifts and was distraught

though he was full of wealth, potbellied.

Though filled to the brim with affluence

لَو أَتَتكَ الدُنيا بِما قَد أَتَتهُ

لَو أَتَتكَ الدُنيا بِما قَد أَتَتهُ

لاِستُقِلَّت عَلى يَدَيكَ المِئينُ

لاِستُقِلَّت عَلى يَدَيكَ المِئينُ

Had the world brought you what it had brought him,

If the world had given you what it gave him

hundreds would have been deemed little in your hands.

Millions would be paltry in your hands

عاقَني مِنهُ بَعدَ شارِفِ حِلمٍ

عاقَني مِنهُ بَعدَ شارِفِ حِلمٍ

خُلُقٌ عَن نَدى الدُناةِ مَصونُ

خُلُقٌ عَن نَدى الدُناةِ مَصونُ

After long forbearance, I was held back from him

After the prime of life estranged me

by a character shielded from the bounty of the base.

A nature safe from the world's blandishments

خَلَطَتهُ الأَسى بِمَن ماتَ حَتّى

خَلَطَتهُ الأَسى بِمَن ماتَ حَتّى

هَوَّنَت فَقدَهُ عَلِيَّ المَنونُ

هَوَّنَت فَقدَهُ عَلِيَّ المَنونُ

Grief mingled him with those who had died, until

Grief mixed him with those now dead

death made losing him easy for me.

Diminishing for me his loss's blow