صَدَدتِ ولي في النَّاسِ أهلٌ وجِيرانُ

صَدَدتِ ولي في النَّاسِ أهلٌ وجِيرانُ

فَصَدَّهمُ عنِّي ملامٌ وعِصيانُ

فَصَدَّهمُ عنِّي ملامٌ وعِصيانُ

You turned away, though among the people I have family and neighbors;

My people and neighbors turned against me,

so reproach and defiance turned them away from me.

Driven away by blame and defiance.

فَما لِعزيزٍ منكِ قد هانَ مِنهُمُ

فَما لِعزيزٍ منكِ قد هانَ مِنهُمُ

أما كلُّه لولا الصَّبابةُ هِجرانُ

أما كلُّه لولا الصَّبابةُ هِجرانُ

What, then, of a beloved of yours who has been humbled by them?

What can the mighty do when they spurn him?

Were it not for passionate longing, would it not all be estrangement?

Is not all, without youthfulness, estrangement?

رَأَوني شَديداً في هَواكِ فَشَدَّدُوا

رَأَوني شَديداً في هَواكِ فَشَدَّدُوا

عَليَّ فلمَّا لَم ألِن لهُمُ لانُوا

عَليَّ فلمَّا لَم ألِن لهُمُ لانُوا

They saw me steadfast in my love for you, so they pressed harder

Seeing my devotion for you, they hardened

on me; when I would not yield to them, they yielded.

Against me, but when I would not yield, they softened.

ذَرِيني فإنِّي شَرُّ من تَملِكِينَهُ

ذَرِيني فإنِّي شَرُّ من تَملِكِينَهُ

وكالشرِّ عندي حينَ لم يَك إحسانُ

وكالشرِّ عندي حينَ لم يَك إحسانُ

Leave me, for I am the worst of those you possess,

Leave me be, for I am worse when possessed,

and to me, the absence of kindness is like evil.

And to me, without kindness, evil is the same.

ألستِ تَريني إذ وَفَوا بنَصِيحَتي

ألستِ تَريني إذ وَفَوا بنَصِيحَتي

فعلتُ بهم ما كنتُ أفعلُ أو خانُوا

فعلتُ بهم ما كنتُ أفعلُ أو خانُوا

Do you not see that, when they faithfully counseled me,

Do you not see me, when they broke their word,

I did to them what I would have done had they betrayed me?

I did to them what I would have done, or they betrayed?

ومَوقِف تَوديعٍ عجبتُ لِنارِه

ومَوقِف تَوديعٍ عجبتُ لِنارِه

وقد غُرِسَت فيها مِن البانِ أغصانُ

وقد غُرِسَت فيها مِن البانِ أغصانُ

And at a farewell scene, I marveled at its fire,

At a farewell I marveled at its fire,

though branches of the bān tree had been planted within it.

Though branches of acacia were planted in it.

وقد حَملَت أقمارَ كلِّ دُجُنَّةٍ

وقد حَملَت أقمارَ كلِّ دُجُنَّةٍ

ولكن لشَحطِ البَينِ ما حَملَ البانُ

ولكن لشَحطِ البَينِ ما حَملَ البانُ

And they bore the moons of every dark night,

It bore the moons of every starry night,

but what the bān bore was destined for far-off separation.

But for the distance between us, the acacia did not.

فَواحَرَّتا ما بالُ نارِ وَداعِهم

فَواحَرَّتا ما بالُ نارِ وَداعِهم

أقامَت مَعي ألا تَبِينَ كما بانُوا

أقامَت مَعي ألا تَبِينَ كما بانُوا

So, oh, how I burn! Why has the fire of their farewell

How amazing a fire of farewell it was,

stayed with me, not departing as they departed?

Remaining with me, not revealing itself as they did.

أما كانَتِ الأيَّامُ فيما تَشُبُّها

أما كانَتِ الأيَّامُ فيما تَشُبُّها

تَخافُ عَليها أن يَجودَ سُليمانُ

تَخافُ عَليها أن يَجودَ سُليمانُ

Did not the days, while kindling it,

Were not those days, in their similarities,

fear for it lest Sulayman give generously,

Afraid that Sulayman in his generosity

فيُخمِدَها من جُودِ كفَّيهِ عارِضٌ

فيُخمِدَها من جُودِ كفَّيهِ عارِضٌ

له هَملانٌ لا يَزالُ وتَهتانُ

له هَملانٌ لا يَزالُ وتَهتانُ

and a raincloud from the bounty of his hands extinguish it,

Would quench them in the palms of his hands,

with ceaseless rainfall and downpours?

Whose pavilions persist and wander?

أخو فِتنَةٍ قد صارَ للنَّاسِ فتنةً

أخو فِتنَةٍ قد صارَ للنَّاسِ فتنةً

بِها وكَذا المَفتونُ بالمَجدِ فَتَّانُ

بِها وكَذا المَفتونُ بالمَجدِ فَتَّانُ

A man of passion, he has become an enchantment to people

A brother of strife has become for people strife,

through it; thus one enthralled by glory is himself enchanting.

As does the one infatuated with glory, the seducer.

وبينَهما ما لم تُكدِّرهُ فُرقَةٌ

وبينَهما ما لم تُكدِّرهُ فُرقَةٌ

ولم يَعترِض فيه وإن طالَ سِلوانُ

ولم يَعترِض فيه وإن طالَ سِلوانُ

And between the two is what separation has never clouded,

Between them is what no separation has troubled

nor has forgetfulness intruded upon it, however long it lasts:

Nor a diversion interrupted, however long the indifference.

علاقَةُ حُبٍّ فارَقَتها مَسرَّةٌ

علاقَةُ حُبٍّ فارَقَتها مَسرَّةٌ

وما فارَقَت قَطُّ المحسِّنَ أحزانُ

وما فارَقَت قَطُّ المحسِّنَ أحزانُ

a bond of love that joy has forsaken,

A loving bond parted from it is happiness,

and sorrows have never left al-Muhsin.

And no sorrows ever part from one who does good.

إذا كنتَ يوماً قائلاً كان فاعِلاً

إذا كنتَ يوماً قائلاً كان فاعِلاً

يُصدِّقُني والفِعلُ للقَولِ بُرهانُ

يُصدِّقُني والفِعلُ للقَولِ بُرهانُ

If ever you speak, he acts,

If one day you say, “He was a doer,”

bearing me out; deeds are proof of words.

Believe me, deeds prove words true.

فليسَ يَقومُ البيتُ ما لم يَقُم لَه

فليسَ يَقومُ البيتُ ما لم يَقُم لَه

أساسٌ من المَمدُوح باقٍ وأركانُ

أساسٌ من المَمدُوح باقٍ وأركانُ

For a verse cannot stand unless it has

No home stands unless a foundation for it

a lasting foundation and pillars drawn from the man praised.

Exists, of the praised one, lasting and pillars.

أبا البِشرِ قِف حيثُ انتهيتَ من النَّدى

أبا البِشرِ قِف حيثُ انتهيتَ من النَّدى

فَما جازَ هذا فهوَ جَورٌ وعُدوانُ

فَما جازَ هذا فهوَ جَورٌ وعُدوانُ

Abu al-Bishr, stop where you have reached in generosity;

O Father of humankind, stop where you ended with dew,

for whatever goes beyond this is injustice and transgression.

For what goes beyond this is injustice and aggression.

فإن كنتَ تَقفُو الأكرَمينَ وتَقتَدي

فإن كنتَ تَقفُو الأكرَمينَ وتَقتَدي

بهِم في الذَّي تأتي فما هكَذا كانُوا

بهِم في الذَّي تأتي فما هكَذا كانُوا

For if you follow the most generous and model yourself

If you stand with the noble and follow

on them in what you do, they were not like this.

Their path in what you do, it was not thus they were.