إن مسَّ مُسقِمَتي مِن طَرفِها سَقَمُ

إن مسَّ مُسقِمَتي مِن طَرفِها سَقَمُ

فما ألمَّ بها مِن مَسَّه ألَمُ

فما ألمَّ بها مِن مَسَّه ألَمُ

If sickness from her gaze has touched her who sickens me,

Her touch made me sick, from her hand came my illness,

then no pain has befallen her from its touch.

Yet I felt no pain from her touch, only rapture.

عَجبتُ منِّي أراها أنَّها ظلَمَت

عَجبتُ منِّي أراها أنَّها ظلَمَت

ولا نَمِينُ عَليها إنَّهم ظُلِمُوا

ولا نَمِينُ عَليها إنَّهم ظُلِمُوا

I marvel at myself for thinking she has acted unjustly,

I am amazed at myself, seeing her as unjust,

and we tell no lies against her: they have indeed been wronged.

Though she is innocent, they are the unjust ones.

عَلِمتُها فهيَ تَلقاني تَقولُ إذا

عَلِمتُها فهيَ تَلقاني تَقولُ إذا

عايَنتُها مثلَ قَولي في الهَوى لهُمُ

عايَنتُها مثلَ قَولي في الهَوى لهُمُ

I knew her; so she meets me, saying, whenever

When she meets me she says, if you but saw me

I behold her, words like mine to them about love.

Speaking of love like you, they would blame me too.

وقائمٍ مِن سُطُورِ الحُسنِ معُتَدِلٍ

وقائمٍ مِن سُطُورِ الحُسنِ معُتَدِلٍ

ما خطَّهُ اللَّهُ لا ما خَطَّهُ القَلَمُ

ما خطَّهُ اللَّهُ لا ما خَطَّهُ القَلَمُ

And an upright, well-proportioned stroke among beauty's lines—

With symmetry of beauty, lines drawn by God,

what God has traced, not what the pen has traced—

Not by the pen, the flawless work of the Divine.

أبصرتُ عُهدَةَ قلبي فيه بَيِّنَةً

أبصرتُ عُهدَةَ قلبي فيه بَيِّنَةً

بالأمسِ وهيَ عَلى الأبصارِ تَنعَجِمُ

بالأمسِ وهيَ عَلى الأبصارِ تَنعَجِمُ

I saw my heart's pledge clearly in it

Yesterday I saw clear in my heart its pledge to her,

yesterday, though it is unreadable to the eyes,

Though to eyes it was obscured, inexplicable.

في خدِّ أهيَفَ ما تَرضَى لواحِظُهُ

في خدِّ أهيَفَ ما تَرضَى لواحِظُهُ

لَولا عِذاراهُ إلا أن يُراقَ دَمُ

لَولا عِذاراهُ إلا أن يُراقَ دَمُ

on the cheek of a slender-waisted youth whose sidelong glances would settle for nothing

On the cheek of a fawn too shy to allow a glance -

but bloodshed, were it not for his two sideburns.

Only her excuses prevent blood being shed.

كَهِمَّةِ ابنِ عُبَيدِ اللَّهِ ما رَضِيت

كَهِمَّةِ ابنِ عُبَيدِ اللَّهِ ما رَضِيت

مِن المَعالي بِما تَرضَى لَه الهِمَمُ

مِن المَعالي بِما تَرضَى لَه الهِمَمُ

Like Ibn Ubayd Allah's ambition, which has never been content

I wouldn’t approve, like Ibn Ubayd Allah disapproved,

with the lofty honors that other ambitions deem enough for him.

Of glory compared to what lofty souls desire.

قُل لِلعُفَاةِ إِذا لاذُوا بِراحَتِهِ

قُل لِلعُفَاةِ إِذا لاذُوا بِراحَتِهِ

وعِندَها صاحِباهُ الجُودُ والعَدَمُ

وعِندَها صاحِباهُ الجُودُ والعَدَمُ

Tell the seekers of bounty, when they seek refuge in his palm,

Say to the virtuous, when they seek her rest,

and beside it are his two companions, generosity and destitution:

Where generosity and lack are both found:

لم يَبقَ في يدِهِ إلا مكارِمُهُ

لم يَبقَ في يدِهِ إلا مكارِمُهُ

فَلا تَلوذوا بِها ما يُوهَبُ الكَرمُ

فَلا تَلوذوا بِها ما يُوهَبُ الكَرمُ

Nothing remains in his hand except his noble virtues;

Only his virtues remain in his hands -

so do not seek refuge in it: generosity cannot be given away.

Do not seek rest where generosity cannot be granted.

لَن يصلِحَ المالُ خصم الجود حجَّتَه

لَن يصلِحَ المالُ خصم الجود حجَّتَه

وأنتَ بينَ الوَرى عند الوَرَى حَكَمُ

وأنتَ بينَ الوَرى عند الوَرَى حَكَمُ

Wealth, generosity's adversary, will never establish its case,

Wealth cannot defend itself against the argument of generosity,

while you, among humankind, are regarded as its arbiter.

And you are the arbiter between East and West.

ماذا رَشاكَ النَّدَى حتى حَكَمتَ له

ماذا رَشاكَ النَّدَى حتى حَكَمتَ له

حُكماً سِواك فأنتَ اليَومَ متَّهَمُ

حُكماً سِواك فأنتَ اليَومَ متَّهَمُ

What did generosity bribe you with, that you ruled in its favor?

What has the dew sprinkled on you, that you judge for it

Let someone other than you give judgment, for today you are under suspicion.

A judgement! None but you today is suspected.

قَد بانَ جُودُكَ عِندَ النَّاسِ كلِّهمُ

قَد بانَ جُودُكَ عِندَ النَّاسِ كلِّهمُ

وكادَ ينكرُ ذاكَ النَّاسُ كلُّهُمُ

وكادَ ينكرُ ذاكَ النَّاسُ كلُّهُمُ

Your generosity has become plain to all the people,

Your generosity is evident to all people,

yet all the people almost deny it.

Nearly all people reject and deny it.