أتاني ما طرِبتُ له سُروراً

أتاني ما طرِبتُ له سُروراً

وأنت تَجُلُّ عنه وعن سُروري

وأنت تَجُلُّ عنه وعن سُروري

What reached me made me thrill with joy,

Joy came to me, though you kept aloof from it and my joy,

yet you stand above it and above my joy.

So I congratulated events for having reached you, though I did not congratulate you for events.

فهنَّئتُ الأمورَ بأن تناهَت

فهنَّئتُ الأمورَ بأن تناهَت

إليك ولم أهنِّكَ بالأُمورِ

إليك ولم أهنِّكَ بالأُمورِ

So I congratulated the affairs for having finally come

Did you not see that when blind they went astray,

to you, and did not congratulate you on them.

So they were led to an all-seeing guide?

ألم ترَ أنها عمِيت فضلَّت

ألم ترَ أنها عمِيت فضلَّت

فقادوها إلى هادٍ بَصيرِ

فقادوها إلى هادٍ بَصيرِ

Did you not see that they went blind and lost their way,

I was not aware of them until they shone out,

and so were led to a clear-sighted guide?

And showed me the insight of al-Qushayri.

ولم أشعُر بها حتى استَضاءَت

ولم أشعُر بها حتى استَضاءَت

فدلَّتني على نَظرِ القشوري

فدلَّتني على نَظرِ القشوري

And I was unaware of them until they were illumined,

Were you an astrologer, O Fate, that with them

and so they pointed me to al-Qushuri’s oversight.

You inferred what was in my mind?

أكنتَ منجِّماً يا دهرُ حتى

أكنتَ منجِّماً يا دهرُ حتى

أبَنتَ بها على ما في ضَميري

أبَنتَ بها على ما في ضَميري

Were you an astrologer, O Time, that

Abu'l-Faraj, calamities have hemmed me in,

through them you revealed what lay in my mind?

While you are a fine neighbor for one seeking refuge.

أبا الفرجِ النوائبُ قد أحاطَت

أبا الفرجِ النوائبُ قد أحاطَت

وأنتَ فنعم جارُ المُستَجيرِ

وأنتَ فنعم جارُ المُستَجيرِ

O Abu al-Faraj, misfortunes have closed in,

I have none but you to occupy me, else without

and you—how excellent a protector of one seeking refuge!

Hope in you I would have set out on my way

وما لي غيرُكم شغلٌ ولولا

وما لي غيرُكم شغلٌ ولولا

رجاؤكم وكنتُ على المَسيرِ

رجاؤكم وكنتُ على المَسيرِ

I have no concern but you; were it not for

In a state that my staying on was almost revealing—

my hope in you, I would have been on my way.

I watch what our Lord the Emir will do.

بحالٍ كادَ يكشفُها مَقامي

بحالٍ كادَ يكشفُها مَقامي

أُراقبُ أمرَ سيِّدنا الأميرِ

أُراقبُ أمرَ سيِّدنا الأميرِ

In a plight my staying has almost laid bare,

I await the command of our lord, the emir.