رَأى الوَردَ مِن خَدَّيهِ يحتَملُ المحلا

رَأى الوَردَ مِن خَدَّيهِ يحتَملُ المحلا

فلَم تَسقِهِ عَيناهُ وَبلاً ولا طَلا

فلَم تَسقِهِ عَيناهُ وَبلاً ولا طَلا

He saw the rose of his cheeks enduring drought,

He saw the roses on his cheeks bearing beauty’s mark

yet his eyes watered it with neither downpour nor dew.

Yet his eyes did not water for it out of sorrow or yearning

فَما بالُنا نَسقي البَهارَ ولَم يَكُن

فَما بالُنا نَسقي البَهارَ ولَم يَكُن

أَرَقَّ ولا أَذكى نَسيماً وَلا أَحلَى

أَرَقَّ ولا أَذكى نَسيماً وَلا أَحلَى

Why, then, do we water the narcissus, though it is not

Why then should we water the blossoms that were

more delicate, more fragrant in scent, or sweeter?

Neither more precious, nor fresher, nor sweeter

تَعالوا نُشاكِل فعلَهُ فلَعَلَّهُ

تَعالوا نُشاكِل فعلَهُ فلَعَلَّهُ

إِذا لَم يَجُد فينا يُعلِّمُنا البُخلا

إِذا لَم يَجُد فينا يُعلِّمُنا البُخلا

Come, let us imitate his action; perhaps,

Come let us emulate his deed, perhaps

if he is not generous to us, he will teach us stinginess.

When he finds no generosity in us, he will teach us to be stingy

وأَبغَضُ شَيءٍ فيهِ شَيءٌ أُحِبُّهُ

وأَبغَضُ شَيءٍ فيهِ شَيءٌ أُحِبُّهُ

فَياطَيفَه أَهلاً وَيا لَيلُ لا أَهلا

فَياطَيفَه أَهلاً وَيا لَيلُ لا أَهلا

And the thing I hate most contains something I love:

I dislike in him a quality that I love in myself

So welcome, his phantom; and you, night, no welcome—

So hello beautiful one, and oh night with no loved ones

سِوَى غَمراتٍ تُشبِهُ النَّومَ رُبَّما

سِوَى غَمراتٍ تُشبِهُ النَّومَ رُبَّما

أنالُ بِإِحداهنَّ من هاجِرٍ وَصلا

أنالُ بِإِحداهنَّ من هاجِرٍ وَصلا

Except for spells of stupor resembling sleep; perhaps

Except for wine that resembles sleep at times

through one of them I gain union with one who shuns me.

Through which I attain the affection of the estranged one

وأعظمُ مَفقودٍ عَلى العاشِق الكَرى

وأعظمُ مَفقودٍ عَلى العاشِق الكَرى

إِذا لَم يَكُن إِلا الكَرى يَجمع الشَّملا

إِذا لَم يَكُن إِلا الكَرى يَجمع الشَّملا

And a lover's greatest loss is slumber,

The greatest loss for a lover is his sanity

when only slumber can bring the parted together.

When only madness can bring separated ones together

وحَمراء زادَ الماءُ فيها وإنَّهُ

وحَمراء زادَ الماءُ فيها وإنَّهُ

لَيَنقُصُ مِنها في زِيادَتِها فِعلا

لَيَنقُصُ مِنها في زِيادَتِها فِعلا

And a red wine, increased by water—yet the water

The red one, water increased in it yet

truly diminishes it in the very act of increasing it.

With the increase it produced less action

غَضِبتُ لَها مِنهُ فَقُلتُ اقتُلوا بِها

غَضِبتُ لَها مِنهُ فَقُلتُ اقتُلوا بِها

وَلا تَقتُلوها حَسبُها شربُها قَتلا

وَلا تَقتُلوها حَسبُها شربُها قَتلا

I grew angry with the water on its behalf and said, 'Kill with it,

I was angry at it, and said kill it

and do not kill it; drinking it is death enough for it.'

Do not kill it, its drinking killed it

ولا تَحسِبوا كُلَّ المِزاجِ مُوافِقاً

ولا تَحسِبوا كُلَّ المِزاجِ مُوافِقاً

كَمِثلِ العَطايا فَي سَجايا أَبي يَعلى

كَمِثلِ العَطايا فَي سَجايا أَبي يَعلى

Nor suppose every mixture is agreeable,

Do not think every temperament agrees

as gift-giving accords with the nature of Abu Ya'la.

Like the gifts in the nature of my father Ya’la

فَتى المَجدِ أَعواماً خَلَت ثُمَّ كهلُهُ

فَتى المَجدِ أَعواماً خَلَت ثُمَّ كهلُهُ

فَقَد مارَسَت مِنهُ المَعالي فَتىً كَهلا

فَقَد مارَسَت مِنهُ المَعالي فَتىً كَهلا

Glory's youth in bygone years, then its mature man;

The youth of glory, years have passed then its maturity

for lofty deeds have known in him a mature youth.

So the heights have practiced on it a youth, mature

بَناها فَأعلاها كَما بُنِيَت لَه

بَناها فَأعلاها كَما بُنِيَت لَه

وَذو النَّسبِ العَالي إِذا ما بَنَى عَلا

وَذو النَّسبِ العَالي إِذا ما بَنَى عَلا

He built them and raised them high, as they were built for him;

He erected it thus elevating it as it was built for him

and one of lofty lineage rises high when he builds.

And one of high lineage when he builds, rises high

مِن القَومِ أَعلامُ الولايَةِ فيهمُ

مِن القَومِ أَعلامُ الولايَةِ فيهمُ

فَأخبارُها تُروَى وآياتُها تُتلَى

فَأخبارُها تُروَى وآياتُها تُتلَى

Of a people among whom stand the emblems of authority;

The leaders of the people are their flags

so its accounts are related, and its verses recited.

Thus their affairs are narrated and their signs recited

فَإن كانَ مَولَى القَومِ مِنهُم فَإِنَّكم

فَإن كانَ مَولَى القَومِ مِنهُم فَإِنَّكم

يُؤدِّي بِكُم فَرضَ التَّشُهُّدِ مَن صَلَّى

يُؤدِّي بِكُم فَرضَ التَّشُهُّدِ مَن صَلَّى

So if a people's client is one of them, then you

If the master of the people is from amongst them, then you

are those through whom whoever prays fulfills the required testimony of faith.

Fulfill through him the duty of testification when praying

وأَفعالُكُم تُملي عَلى النَّاسِ مَدحَكُم

وأَفعالُكُم تُملي عَلى النَّاسِ مَدحَكُم

وكُلُّ امرِئٍ يُثني بِمِقدارِ ما استَملَى

وكُلُّ امرِئٍ يُثني بِمِقدارِ ما استَملَى

And your deeds dictate your praises to the people,

And your deeds dictate to the people your praise

and each man praises in proportion to what he has taken down.

And each person praises according to what he has attained

مَناقِبُ في الدُّنيا وَفي الدِّينِ حَملُها

مَناقِبُ في الدُّنيا وَفي الدِّينِ حَملُها

ثَقيلٌ عَلَى مَن لَم يُعوَّد لَها حِملا

ثَقيلٌ عَلَى مَن لَم يُعوَّد لَها حِملا

Virtues in worldly life and in faith, whose burden

Virtues in life and in religion, carrying them

is heavy for anyone unaccustomed to bearing them.

Is difficult upon one not accustomed to bearing them

وَإنَّكَ وَالغادِي إِلَيكَ بِحاجَةٍ

وَإنَّكَ وَالغادِي إِلَيكَ بِحاجَةٍ

لسِيان كُلٌّ مِنكُما يَبتَغي الفَضلا

لسِيان كُلٌّ مِنكُما يَبتَغي الفَضلا

And you and the morning visitor who comes to you in need

You and the one coming to you for a request

are surely alike: each of you seeks bounty.

Are equal, each of you seeking superiority

ولَكِنَّه المغبونُ فيما يَبيعُهُ

ولَكِنَّه المغبونُ فيما يَبيعُهُ

يَبيعُكَ ما يَبقَى عَلَيكَ بِما يَبلَى

يَبيعُكَ ما يَبقَى عَلَيكَ بِما يَبلَى

But he is the one shortchanged in what he sells:

But he is the cheated one in what he sells

he sells you what endures for you in exchange for what wears away.

Selling you that which will remain for what will perish