رضيتُ بمعصيةِ العاتبِ

رضيتُ بمعصيةِ العاتبِ

ولا فرقة السقم اللازبِ

ولا فرقة السقم اللازبِ

I was content to disobey the reproacher,

I was content to disobey the reprover,

I am content with the disobedience of the reproacher

but not to part from the clinging malady.

but not to part with the clinging sickness.

And not the separation of persistent illness

وذلكَ أنَّ الذي هاجَه

وذلكَ أنَّ الذي هاجَه

تولّى وخلّفه صاحبي

تولّى وخلّفه صاحبي

For the one who stirred it up

For what he stirred up,

That is because the one who provoked him

departed, leaving it as my companion.

my companion left behind when he departed.

Took over and left my friend

ولستُ أضيعُ في حاضرٍ

ولستُ أضيعُ في حاضرٍ

وإن ساءني حرمةَ الغائبِ

وإن ساءني حرمةَ الغائبِ

I will not, for one who is present, squander—

And I do not neglect, in one present,

And I do not waste the present

though it grieves me—the absent one’s sanctity.

even if he pains me, the respect due to one absent.

Even if the absence of the reproached grieved me

وكأسٍ عصيتُ على شربها

وكأسٍ عصيتُ على شربها

صُروفاً من الزمنِ الغاصبِ

صُروفاً من الزمنِ الغاصبِ

And many a cup, by drinking which I defied

And many a cup I drank in defiance of

And a cup I disobeyed to drink

the vicissitudes of usurping Time.

the vicissitudes of usurping Time.

Times that snatched away the opportunity

فَلما رأى أنه لا يلي

فَلما رأى أنه لا يلي

نُ له بعدَها أبداً جانبي

نُ له بعدَها أبداً جانبي

Then, when it saw it could not soft—

So when it saw that never

So when he saw that he cannot

—en my side toward it ever afterward,

would my side yield to it thereafter,

Influence me anymore

رأى أن يسلِّمَ عقلي لها

رأى أن يسلِّمَ عقلي لها

فمِن سالبٍ وإلى سالبِ

فمِن سالبٍ وإلى سالبِ

it saw fit to surrender my reason to the cup:

it decided to surrender my mind to the cup—

He saw to deliver my sanity to it

from one plunderer to another.

thus from one plunderer to another.

From a dispossessor and to a dispossessor

فطافَت بها غادةٌ كاعبٌ

فطافَت بها غادةٌ كاعبٌ

وأغيدُ كالغادةِ الكاعبِ

وأغيدُ كالغادةِ الكاعبِ

A full-breasted maiden passed it around,

Then it was passed round by a graceful, budding-breasted maiden

So there circulated with it a mischievous flirt

and a graceful youth, like the full-breasted maiden,

and a supple youth like that budding-breasted maiden,

And I flirt like the mischievous flirt

على فتيةٍ يظلمونَ الزما

على فتيةٍ يظلمونَ الزما

نَ ولا يَنزلونَ على واجبِ

نَ ولا يَنزلونَ على واجبِ

among youths who wrong Ti—

among young men who wrong Time

With young men who wrong time

—me and never submit to an obligation.

and will not submit to any obligation.

And do not fulfill the duty

يحايدُهم فهو في جانبٍ

يحايدُهم فهو في جانبٍ

من الأرضِ والقومُ في جانبِ

من الأرضِ والقومُ في جانبِ

Time veers away from them: it is on one side

It avoids them: it is on one side

He antagonizes them so he is on one side

of the earth, and the company on another.

of the earth, while the company is on another.

Of the land and the people on the other side

كأنّهم أخذوا في النّدى

كأنّهم أخذوا في النّدى

برأي أبي الحَسَن الكاتِبِ

برأي أبي الحَسَن الكاتِبِ

It is as though, in generosity, they followed

As though in generosity they had followed

As if they took an excursion in the dew

the counsel of Abu al-Hasan the Secretary—

the counsel of Abu al-Hasan the Scribe.

By the opinion of the writer, Abul Hasan

فتىً لم يزل طالباً قاصداً

فتىً لم يزل طالباً قاصداً

إلى الشكر من قاصدٍ طالبِ

إلى الشكر من قاصدٍ طالبِ

a noble youth who never ceases seeking, intent

A youth always seeking, always aiming

A young man who did not stop seeking

on gratitude from every visitor who comes seeking;

for thanks from a visiting petitioner.

Gratitude from a seeking suitor

أخو عَزمةٍ ترشُقُ النائبا

أخو عَزمةٍ ترشُقُ النائبا

تِ بكلّ شهابٍ لها ثاقبِ

تِ بكلّ شهابٍ لها ثاقبِ

a man of resolve that pelts adversi—

A man of resolve that pelts calamities

The brother of Azma whom meteors strike

—ties with every piercing meteor at its command.

with every meteor that pierces them.

With every piercing comet

لقد حملت نفسُه مالَه

لقد حملت نفسُه مالَه

على خُلُق مسرفٍ غالبِ

على خُلُق مسرفٍ غالبِ

His spirit has driven his wealth

His soul has indeed subjected his wealth

His soul carried his money

under the sway of a lavish, irresistible nature.

to a lavish, overpowering disposition.

On the morals of a dominant squanderer

وقد أعوزَت كلَّ من يرتجي

وقد أعوزَت كلَّ من يرتجي

هِ معرفةُ الأمل الكاذبِ

هِ معرفةُ الأمل الكاذبِ

And there has eluded everyone who hopes in—

And all who place their hopes in

And it made everyone who hopes for

—him all knowledge of false hope.

him know nothing of false hope.

The knowledge of the false hope destitute

مناقبُ جاء بها خلقةً

مناقبُ جاء بها خلقةً

مسلَّمةً من يدِ العائبِ

مسلَّمةً من يدِ العائبِ

Virtues he possesses by innate nature,

Virtues he brought with him by nature,

Virtues came with a nature

conceded even by the faultfinder’s hand.

safe from the faultfinder's hand.

Handed over from the hand of the critic

أقرَّ بتصديقها ثالبوه

أقرَّ بتصديقها ثالبوه

وما أصدقَ المدحَ من ثالبِ

وما أصدقَ المدحَ من ثالبِ

His detractors themselves attested their truth—

His detractors acknowledged their truth,

Thalab certified them true

and how truthful is praise from a detractor!

and how truthful is praise from a detractor!

And praise is not more truthful than a praiser

وكم مرةٍ جاد لي واهباً

وكم مرةٍ جاد لي واهباً

ويحسبُ لي منَّةَ الواهبِ

ويحسبُ لي منَّةَ الواهبِ

How many times he has bestowed gifts upon me,

And how often he has given generously to me,

And how many times he was generous to me

yet credits me with the favor of the giver.

yet counts the giver's favor as mine!

And considers the favor of the giver to me

وفي الناسِ مالٌ بلا باذلٍ

وفي الناسِ مالٌ بلا باذلٍ

كثيرٌ وحمدٌ بلا كاسبِ

كثيرٌ وحمدٌ بلا كاسبِ

Among mankind there is wealth without a giver

And among people there is wealth with no giver—

And among the people is money without a spender

in plenty—and praise with no one to earn it.

much of it—and praise with no one to earn it.

Much and praise without a gainer