سَل مَن أَقامَ مَن استَقلا

سَل مَن أَقامَ مَن استَقلا

أَصُوَيحِباتُكَ هُنَّ أَم لا

أَصُوَيحِباتُكَ هُنَّ أَم لا

Ask those who stayed who has departed:

Ask whoever settled, whoever became independent,

are they your dear little companions, or not?

Are your female companions still there or not?

فَأرى كَأَمثالِ الدُّمى

فَأرى كَأَمثالِ الدُّمى

أَمثالَها يَجفِلنَ جَفلا

أَمثالَها يَجفِلنَ جَفلا

For I see, like figures of statues,

I see them like dolls,

their likenesses rushing headlong.

Their likes writhing in agony,

تَحتَ الهَوادِجِ كالهَوا

تَحتَ الهَوادِجِ كالهَوا

دِجِ أُو يَكدنَ يكُنَّ أَعلى

دِجِ أُو يَكدنَ يكُنَّ أَعلى

Beneath the howdahs, like howdahs

Under the howdahs like the darkness of night or higher,

themselves—or nearly taller still.

While man has become perplexed and confused,

وَالمَرءُ قَد أَضحَى وَبا

وَالمَرءُ قَد أَضحَى وَبا

تَ وَلَيسَ يَعلَمُ ما أَضَلا

تَ وَلَيسَ يَعلَمُ ما أَضَلا

And a man has passed his morning

Not knowing what he has lost,

and his night, not knowing what he has lost.

Perplexed, not obeying the passion of love, nor enjoying pleasure,

حَيرانَ لا فيمَن أَطا

حَيرانَ لا فيمَن أَطا

عَ هَوىً وَلا فيمَن تَسَلَّى

عَ هَوىً وَلا فيمَن تَسَلَّى

Bewildered, neither among those who obeyed

Until when you rouse him,

desire nor among those who found solace.

And he feels whoever turned away has turned away.

حتَّى إِذا نَبَّهتَه

حتَّى إِذا نَبَّهتَه

وأَحَسَّ مَن وَلَّى تَولَّى

وأَحَسَّ مَن وَلَّى تَولَّى

Until, when you rouse him,

So in modesty he lowers his voice,

and he senses who has departed, he departs.

But when he rises in rank, he greets proudly,

في الخَفضِ يَخفضُ صَوتَه

في الخَفضِ يَخفضُ صَوتَه

فَإِذا عَلا شَرَفاً أَهَلا

فَإِذا عَلا شَرَفاً أَهَلا

On low ground he lowers his voice;

And I followed him when I saw the female companions

when he mounts a rise, he calls aloud.

Moving faster than him in departure.

وتَبِعتُه لمَّا رأَيتُ ال

وتَبِعتُه لمَّا رأَيتُ ال

عيسَ أَسرَعَ مِنه نَقلا

عيسَ أَسرَعَ مِنه نَقلا

And I followed him when I saw

So I hurried him to catch up with them,

the pale camels moving faster than he.

But he said, “They are lighter in burden.”

فَحثَثتُه لِلحاقِهن

فَحثَثتُه لِلحاقِهن

نَ فَقال هنَّ أخَفُّ حَملا

نَ فَقال هنَّ أخَفُّ حَملا

So I urged him to catch up with them;

Can mountains be equal to camels in love’s heaviness?

he said, "They bear lighter loads.

The conscience of a cup whose bitterness I conceal and I conceal my deeds from it!

وَهَلِ الجِبالُ عَلى الجِما

وَهَلِ الجِبالُ عَلى الجِما

لِ فَتَستَوي بِالحبِّ ثِقلا

لِ فَتَستَوي بِالحبِّ ثِقلا

Are there mountains on the camels,

So it is as if this circulated in the cycle of fate and urged a pint,

that they should equal love in weight?"

And it distinguished me though injustice may be fear of injustice, justice.

وَضَميرِ كأسٍ بِتُّ أض

وَضَميرِ كأسٍ بِتُّ أض

مرُهُ وأضمرُ مِنه فِعلا

مرُهُ وأضمرُ مِنه فِعلا

And a thought of a cup I spent the night

To the point that I faced hardships for you, but my foot did not stand firm,

harboring, and intending a deed from it.

A drunkard, secluded in days, discarded in places.

فكَأنَّ ذلكَ دارَ في

فكَأنَّ ذلكَ دارَ في

خَلَدِ المُديرِ فحثَّ رَطلا

خَلَدِ المُديرِ فحثَّ رَطلا

As though that had passed through

But when serious events come,

the cupbearer's mind, he hastened to serve a ratl.

I remember our master, the most serious.

وَاختَصَّني وَلَقد يكو

وَاختَصَّني وَلَقد يكو

نُ الجَورُ خوفَ الجَورِ عَدلا

نُ الجَورُ خوفَ الجَورِ عَدلا

And he singled me out; indeed,

So it is as if my remembrance of him

injustice, for fear of injustice, may be justice.

Answers his call as if it were a bounty and favor.

حتَّى لَقَد رُمتُ النُّهو

حتَّى لَقَد رُمتُ النُّهو

ضَ لَكُم فَما أَثبَتُّ رِجلا

ضَ لَكُم فَما أَثبَتُّ رِجلا

Until I even tried to rise

The remembrance of him prevents catastrophes

for you, but could not steady a foot.

From befalling wherever they may befall.

سكران مُعتَزلاً عَلَى ال

سكران مُعتَزلاً عَلَى ال

أَيامِ مطَّرحاً مَحَلا

أَيامِ مطَّرحاً مَحَلا

Drunk, withdrawn throughout

And through him I ward them off, and my neglect of him

the days, cast aside and destitute.

Makes Syria sick because of his distance and his glory in it.

فَإِذا أَتى الخَطبُ الأَجَل

فَإِذا أَتى الخَطبُ الأَجَل

لُ ذَكرتُ سَيِّدَنا الأَجَلا

لُ ذَكرتُ سَيِّدَنا الأَجَلا

Then, when the gravest calamity comes,

And his most beloved came humiliated, fearing humiliation,

I remember our most august master.

So time took for himself a bond and fetter,

فَكَأنَّ ذِكريَ بَذلَهُ

فَكَأنَّ ذِكريَ بَذلَهُ

وَنَداهُ كانَ نَدىً وَفَضلا

وَنَداهُ كانَ نَدىً وَفَضلا

As though my recalling his giving

Lest he violate what he forbids, so he forbade what he made lawful,

and bounty were itself bounty and grace.

And it is he who earned tyranny, then returned and sought peace.

منعَ النَّوائِبَ ذِكرُهُ

منعَ النَّوائِبَ ذِكرُهُ

مِن أَن تَحُلَّ بِحَيثُ حَلا

مِن أَن تَحُلَّ بِحَيثُ حَلا

The remembrance of him barred calamities

Guidance refused to block

from settling wherever it had settled.

The path and refused to lead astray,

وَبِه أدافعُها وتَر

وَبِه أدافعُها وتَر

قبُ غَفلَتي عَنه فَكلا

قبُ غَفلَتي عَنه فَكلا

Through him I ward them off; they watch

And he was saved since no rancor remained

for my forgetting him—but never!

In a chest like that.

مَرِضَ الشآم لبُعهدِهِ

مَرِضَ الشآم لبُعهدِهِ

وَلِكَونِهِ فيهِ أَبلا

وَلِكَونِهِ فيهِ أَبلا

Al-Sham fell ill at his absence,

Then he regained his praiseworthy qualities,

and recovered through his being there.

So he sought favor through what he sought.

وأَتَت أعزَّته مذل

وأَتَت أعزَّته مذل

لَلَةً مَخافة أَن تَذِلا

لَلَةً مَخافة أَن تَذِلا

And its mighty ones came submissive,

And they are equal in praise

for fear of being humbled.

When they are equal in generosity and grace.

ولِذلَكَ اتَّخذَ الزَّما

ولِذلَكَ اتَّخذَ الزَّما

نُ لِنَفسِه قَيداً وغلا

نُ لِنَفسِه قَيداً وغلا

For that reason Time took

And O Jesus, excellence in precedence

a fetter and a neck-shackle for himself,

Makes you more preferable for preference.

كَي لا تُحلِّلَ ما يُحر

كَي لا تُحلِّلَ ما يُحر

رِمُه فحرَّمَ ما أَحَلا

رِمُه فحرَّمَ ما أَحَلا

lest you permit what he

The affairs of the kingdom were carried

forbids; he forbade what he had permitted.

From you to the glorious and most high.

وهوَ الذي اكتَسبَ الضَّغي

وهوَ الذي اكتَسبَ الضَّغي

نَةَ ثُمَّ عاوَدَ فَاستَسلا

نَةَ ثُمَّ عاوَدَ فَاستَسلا

And he is the one who incurred the rancor,

So you entrusted them to God when

then returned and sought to draw it out.

The trustee looked to the entrusted.

أبَتِ الهِدايَةُ أَن تَصُد

أبَتِ الهِدايَةُ أَن تَصُد

دَ عَنِ السَّبيلِ وأَن تُضِلا

دَ عَنِ السَّبيلِ وأَن تُضِلا

Guidance refused to turn him

I remember how I used to take shade

from the path or lead him astray.

In the shadow of your power.

ولَقَد نَجا إِذ لَم يَدَع

ولَقَد نَجا إِذ لَم يَدَع

في مِثلِ ذاكَ الصَّدر غِلا

في مِثلِ ذاكَ الصَّدر غِلا

He escaped indeed, since he did not leave

And if I ventured and fell short,

rancor in a breast like that.

I would return despondent, dying in jest.

ثُمَّ استَملَّ خِصالَهُ

ثُمَّ استَملَّ خِصالَهُ

فَقَد استَمالَ بِما استَملا

فَقَد استَمالَ بِما استَملا

Then he learned his virtues by dictation;

And I am frightened by the barren sands,

for he won favor through what he learned.

Which God has not watered with rain.

وتَساوَيا في الحَمدِ حي

وتَساوَيا في الحَمدِ حي

نَ تَساوَيا كَرماً وفَضلا

نَ تَساوَيا كَرماً وفَضلا

And the two became equal in praise

And by catastrophes I cannot

when they became equal in generosity and excellence.

Endure, while in your presence is what is little.

وَأراكَ يا عيسَى لِفَض

وَأراكَ يا عيسَى لِفَض

لِ السَّبقِ بِالتَّفضيلِ أَولى

لِ السَّبقِ بِالتَّفضيلِ أَولى

And I deem you, O Isa, by virtue

How easy catastrophes would be

of your precedence, more deserving of preference.

If reaching you were easy!

آوَت أُمورُ المُلكِ مِن

آوَت أُمورُ المُلكِ مِن

كَ إِلى المُجلِّي وَالمُعلَّى

كَ إِلى المُجلِّي وَالمُعلَّى

The affairs of kingship sought refuge

in you, the winning steed and the highest lot.

فَوليتَها لِلَّهِ ما

فَوليتَها لِلَّهِ ما

نَظرَ المُوَلِّي في المُولَّى

نَظرَ المُوَلِّي في المُولَّى

So you governed them—by God, how well

the appointer judged the appointee!

إِني لأَذكُرُ كَيفَ كُن

إِني لأَذكُرُ كَيفَ كُن

تُ بِظلِّ عِزِّكَ مُستَظِلا

تُ بِظلِّ عِزِّكَ مُستَظِلا

I do indeed remember how I was

sheltering in the shade of your glory.

وَإذا هَمَمتُ وقَصَّرت

وَإذا هَمَمتُ وقَصَّرت

حالِي رَجعتُ أَموتُ هَزلا

حالِي رَجعتُ أَموتُ هَزلا

And when I resolved, but

my means fell short, I turned back, wasting to death.

وَيَروعُني رَملُ الجِفا

وَيَروعُني رَملُ الجِفا

رِ فَلا سَقاه اللَّهُ رَملا

رِ فَلا سَقاه اللَّهُ رَملا

And the sands of al-Jifar terrify me;

may God not water them even with light rain!

ونَوائِبٍ لا أَستَقِل

ونَوائِبٍ لا أَستَقِل

لُ بِها وعندكَ ما أَقَلا

لُ بِها وعندكَ ما أَقَلا

And calamities I cannot

bear unaided, while you have what can sustain me.

ما أَسهَلَ النَّكباتِ لَو

ما أَسهَلَ النَّكباتِ لَو

كانَ الوُصولُ إِلَيكَ سَهلا

كانَ الوُصولُ إِلَيكَ سَهلا

How easy calamities would be, if

reaching you were easy!