أبُثُّكَ ما بِي وماذا عَسَى

أبُثُّكَ ما بِي وماذا عَسَى

أبثُّك أعيا عَليَّ البَيانُ

أبثُّك أعيا عَليَّ البَيانُ

I confide what ails me to you—and what could I

I confide in you what is with me and what can I do?

confide to you? Words have failed me.

I confide though eloquence has become difficult for me

حَوادِثُ يُضحِكُني مَسُّها

حَوادِثُ يُضحِكُني مَسُّها

ولكن كَما يَضحكُ الزَّعفَرانُ

ولكن كَما يَضحكُ الزَّعفَرانُ

Misfortunes whose touch makes me laugh,

Circumstances make me laugh when they touch me

but as saffron makes one laugh.

But I laugh like saffron laughs

أتَتني صِغاراً فما خِفتُها

أتَتني صِغاراً فما خِفتُها

كذاكَ القَنا عِرقُه الخَيزُرانُ

كذاكَ القَنا عِرقُه الخَيزُرانُ

They came to me small, so I did not fear them;

Minor issues came to me, so I did not fear them

so too with spears: their root is bamboo.

Like the palm tree is not bothered by its thin branches

وما كنتُ أحسَبُ أنيِّ أكونُ

وما كنتُ أحسَبُ أنيِّ أكونُ

بِمُستَقبلِ العُمرِ والنَّاسُ كانُوا

بِمُستَقبلِ العُمرِ والنَّاسُ كانُوا

And I never thought that I would be,

I never thought I would

in life's coming years—with people now gone—

With the future of life and people used to be

أعالجُ حالاً تهينُ العَزيزَ

أعالجُ حالاً تهينُ العَزيزَ

ونَفساً يَعزُّ عَليها الهَوانُ

ونَفساً يَعزُّ عَليها الهَوانُ

grappling with a plight that humiliates the noble,

Handle a situation that disgraces the honourable

and a soul to which humiliation is unbearable.

And a soul that humiliation is too hard on

وكلٌّ مَضَى لم يَدَع مثلَهُ

وكلٌّ مَضَى لم يَدَع مثلَهُ

علَى نسخَةِ الفَضلِ إلا بيانُ

علَى نسخَةِ الفَضلِ إلا بيانُ

And each who passed away left no equal

And everyone who passed did not leave anyone

on the page of excellence, except Bayan.

In the copy of excellence except as an example

فها يدُهُ بَعدَهم باليَرا

فها يدُهُ بَعدَهم باليَرا

عِ تَجري وخاطِرُهُ واللِّسانُ

عِ تَجري وخاطِرُهُ واللِّسانُ

So here, after them, his hand with the reed-

Proceeding and his thoughts and tongue

pen flows, as do his mind and tongue.

And between them in endeavours harmony

وهذا نَداهُ وذا مَجدُهُ

وهذا نَداهُ وذا مَجدُهُ

وبينَهما في المَساعي اقتِرانُ

وبينَهما في المَساعي اقتِرانُ

And this is his bounty, and that his glory,

And which traits of glory did I hear of

and in his endeavors the two are united.

Seek them, for I guarantee

وأيُّ خِصالِ المَعالي سَمعت

وأيُّ خِصالِ المَعالي سَمعت

بها فالتَمِس فعليَّ الضَّمانُ

بها فالتَمِس فعليَّ الضَّمانُ

And whatever qualities of greatness you have heard

Abu Faraj, trials have testified

of, seek them out; I stand as guarantor.

To the truth of what I said and sight

أبا فَرجٍ شَهِدَ الاختِبارُ

أبا فَرجٍ شَهِدَ الاختِبارُ

بصحَّةِ ما قلتُه والعِيانُ

بصحَّةِ ما قلتُه والعِيانُ

O Abu Faraj, experience has borne witness

I read your attentiveness and closeness to me

to the truth of what I said, as has direct observation.

So do not forget me wherever the place may be

قَرأتُ اهتمامَكَ بالقُربِ بي

قَرأتُ اهتمامَكَ بالقُربِ بي

فلا تَنسَني والمكانُ المكانُ

فلا تَنسَني والمكانُ المكانُ

I have lately read of your concern for me;

so do not forget me—the place is still the same.