هو اليأسُ إلا من حديثٍ مقوَّت

هو اليأسُ إلا من حديثٍ مقوَّت

يروحُ إليه باجتماع موَقَّتِ

يروحُ إليه باجتماع موَقَّتِ

It is despair, save for a sustaining conversation

All is despair, save for a ration of talk,

Despair is but a fleeting tale that strengthens hope,

to which he repairs at an appointed gathering.

to which one goes at an appointed gathering:

Which visits with beloved, appointed company,

يسيرُ ندىً يَبقى يَسيراً من المَدى

يسيرُ ندىً يَبقى يَسيراً من المَدى

وما مثلُ هذا الماء يُبردُ غُلَّتي

وما مثلُ هذا الماء يُبردُ غُلَّتي

A scant bounty remains, with but a scant span left;

a little dew that lasts but a little while;

Flowing gently, remaining gently across time and space,

no water like this can cool my burning thirst.

and water like this does not cool my burning thirst.

Nothing like this water cools my inflamed passion,

وقد جَمعوا أخبارَ من شفَّه الهوى

وقد جَمعوا أخبارَ من شفَّه الهوى

وتِلك أحاديثي وأخبارُ إخوتي

وتِلك أحاديثي وأخبارُ إخوتي

They have gathered the tales of one whom passion has wasted away—

They have gathered the tales of those whom passion wasted away,

They gathered the tidings of those enslaved by love,

and those are my tales, and the tidings of my brethren.

and those are my tales and the tales of my brothers.

These are my tales and stories of my brethren,

لحا اللَهُ داراً في الحشا تنزلونها

لحا اللَهُ داراً في الحشا تنزلونها

فإنَّكم شرُّ الجوارِ لِمُهجَتي

فإنَّكم شرُّ الجوارِ لِمُهجَتي

May God curse the dwelling you inhabit within my breast,

May God curse a dwelling you inhabit within my breast,

May God prepare a house in the wilderness for your dwelling,

for you are the worst of neighbors to my soul;

for you are the worst neighbors to my soul.

For you are the worst of neighbors to my tribe,

وأغيدَ لوَّى بغضَه لأَحبَّتي

وأغيدَ لوَّى بغضَه لأَحبَّتي

على ما أرى من بغضِه لِمَحَبَّتي

على ما أرى من بغضِه لِمَحَبَّتي

and may He curse a graceful youth who turned his hatred upon my loved ones,

And a graceful youth turned his hatred upon my loved ones,

I have turned away from those who hate my loved ones,

despite the hatred I see him bear for my love.

despite the hatred I see him bear my love.

Due to their hatred of my affection,

وقد كنت أمضى منه فيما يريده

وقد كنت أمضى منه فيما يريده

وأولى به لولا فؤادي ومقلتي

وأولى به لولا فؤادي ومقلتي

I had been more resolute than he in pursuing what he desires,

I would have been more resolute than he in what he wants,

I once indulged him in all he desired,

and had a better claim to him, but for my heart and my eyes.

and more entitled to it, but for my heart and my eye.

Were it not for my heart and intellect,

وقالوا أفِق واستأنفِ العمرَ سالياً

وقالوا أفِق واستأنفِ العمرَ سالياً

فقلتُ لهم بل مدَّة الحبِّ مدَّتي

فقلتُ لهم بل مدَّة الحبِّ مدَّتي

They said, “Awaken, and begin life anew, forgetful of love.”

They said, 'Come to your senses, and begin life anew, forgetting love.'

They said awake, live your life joyfully,

I told them, “No—the lifetime of love is my lifetime.”

I told them, 'No—the span of love is the span of my life.'

I said the days of love are the extent of my time,

وكأسٍ عليها مسحةٌ من مُديرها

وكأسٍ عليها مسحةٌ من مُديرها

مذاقاً وتشبيهاً بريقٍ ووَجنةِ

مذاقاً وتشبيهاً بريقٍ ووَجنةِ

And a cup bearing a trace of its pourer,

And a cup bearing a touch of the one who passes it round,

A goblet adorned with a hint of its Maker’s caress,

in taste and likeness: his saliva and his cheek.

tasting like his saliva and resembling his cheek:

In taste and image, glimmer and tenderness,

إذا عبَّ فيها قابلَتهُ تصفُّحا

إذا عبَّ فيها قابلَتهُ تصفُّحا

فصحَّ لها من وجهه ما استملَّتِ

فصحَّ لها من وجهه ما استملَّتِ

Whenever he drank deeply from it, it faced him as he studied it,

when he drinks deeply from it, it faces him, looking closely,

When the wine spills into it, it receives gracefully,

and his face confirmed for it the likeness it had copied.

and what it asked his face to dictate proves true.

As it gleams responsively with his visage it adores,

وقد كان قبلَ اليوم حرَّم وصلها

وقد كان قبلَ اليوم حرَّم وصلها

فحرَّمتها والآن حلَّ فحلَّتِ

فحرَّمتها والآن حلَّ فحلَّتِ

Before today he had forbidden union with her,

Before today, he had forbidden union with it,

Once forbidden, now permitted, their union sanctified,

so I forbade her to myself; now he permits it, and she is lawful.

so I forbade it; now he has alighted, and it is lawful.

Separated before, united again in the divine,

فهاتِ اسقِنيها وانسني الناس أنسَهم

فهاتِ اسقِنيها وانسني الناس أنسَهم

إذا اقتطعَتني نشوةٌ بعد نَشوةِ

إذا اقتطعَتني نشوةٌ بعد نَشوةِ

Come, pour it for me, and make me forget the solace people offer,

So bring it, serve it to me, and make me forget people; I shall forget them,

Pour me a drink, distract me from people’s cares,

when one rapture after another cuts me off from them.

when rapture after rapture cuts me off.

As intoxication upon intoxication seizes me,

كأن يد المعروف حسناء حرةٌ

كأن يد المعروف حسناء حرةٌ

من الفخر كلَّ الفَخرِ إن هي ضنَّتِ

من الفخر كلَّ الفَخرِ إن هي ضنَّتِ

The hand of beneficence is like a noble beauty,

As though the hand of kindness were a fair, freeborn woman,

The hand of kindness is beautiful and noble,

possessed of glory—all glory—even if she withholds.

if she withholds out of pride—utter pride.

Supreme in pride if it gives generously,

فأما حسِبتَ الجودَ من عثراتِهم

فأما حسِبتَ الجودَ من عثراتِهم

فخذ كلَّ رجلٍ بالمفضَّل زلَّتِ

فخذ كلَّ رجلٍ بالمفضَّل زلَّتِ

But if you count generosity among their stumbles,

Have you not, then, counted generosity among their missteps?

You think generosity is marred by their failings,

then measure every man against al-Mufaddal, through whom that hand slipped.

Then seize every foot that stumbled through al-Mufaddal.

Consider each person's faults and greatest deficit,

تجد عدَّةً يَستثقل البخلُ حملها

تجد عدَّةً يَستثقل البخلُ حملها

فإن حملتها راحة الجود خفَّتِ

فإن حملتها راحة الجود خفَّتِ

You will find a company too heavy for miserliness to carry;

You will find a reserve whose burden avarice deems heavy;

You will find many who find stinginess a burden,

but when the palm of generosity bears it, it grows light.

but if generosity's palm bears it, it grows light.

While giving freely lightens the load of generosity,

وكم ضَمنت عنه تباشيرُ وجههِ

وكم ضَمنت عنه تباشيرُ وجههِ

نجاحاً لراجيه فوفَّت وأوفَتِ

نجاحاً لراجيه فوفَّت وأوفَتِ

How often the glad promise of his face has guaranteed on his behalf

How often the glad tidings of his face have pledged on his behalf

How often has his cheerful countenance guaranteed,

success to one who hoped in him—and fulfilled, fully fulfilled, its pledge.

success to those who hope in him, then fulfilled their promise in full.

Success for the hopeful, fulfilling and bestowing,

أضافَ إلى القُربى القريبة مثلها

أضافَ إلى القُربى القريبة مثلها

من الجود واستَغنت به واستقلَّتِ

من الجود واستَغنت به واستقلَّتِ

To close kinship he added its equal

He added to close kinship its equal

He added to his immediate kin the like of them,

in generosity, so kinship was enriched by it and stood on its own.

in generosity; thereby it grew rich and stood on its own.

In munificence, free of need or independent,

وكانت صروفُ الدَّهر عندي مقيمةً

وكانت صروفُ الدَّهر عندي مقيمةً

إلى أن تولَّى صَرفَها فتولَّتِ

إلى أن تولَّى صَرفَها فتولَّتِ

The turns of fortune had taken up permanent residence with me

The vicissitudes of time were dwelling with me,

The turns of fate resided with me,

until he undertook to turn them away—and away they went.

until he undertook to dismiss them, and they departed.

Until he took over their course, so they departed,

يدٌ تتمنى أن ترى من تُنيلُه

يدٌ تتمنى أن ترى من تُنيلُه

على أنها لم تخلُ مما تمنَّتِ

على أنها لم تخلُ مما تمنَّتِ

A hand that longs to see someone upon whom it may bestow,

A hand that wishes to see someone it can give to,

A hand wishes to bestow upon one given its gifts,

though it has never lacked the very thing for which it longed.

though it has never lacked what it wished for.

Though it never lacked in what it wished to grant,

وكم كسبت مالاً قريباً منالُه

وكم كسبت مالاً قريباً منالُه

عليها فما استَغنت فجادت فأغنَتِ

عليها فما استَغنت فجادت فأغنَتِ

How much wealth, readily within its reach, that hand has gained;

How much wealth it gained, readily within reach

Often it gained ample wealth by his gifts,

yet it did not rest content with riches: it gave, and made others rich.

for it; yet it did not grow rich, but gave freely and enriched others.

Never self-sufficient, it gave generously, enriching others,

أخو نجدةٍ في المكرمات سريعةٍ

أخو نجدةٍ في المكرمات سريعةٍ

يكاد بها يصغي لمن لم يصوِّتِ

يكاد بها يصغي لمن لم يصوِّتِ

A man of swift succor in deeds of honor,

A man of swift succor in noble deeds,

A brother of Najdah, swift in noble deeds,

so swift that he almost heeds one who has yet to call.

through it, he almost listens to one who has not uttered a sound.

Nearly hearing those who never voiced a plea,

رأى الناسُ أسباب العلى فيه سهلةً

رأى الناسُ أسباب العلى فيه سهلةً

فهمت نفوسٌ لم تكن قطُّ همَّتِ

فهمت نفوسٌ لم تكن قطُّ همَّتِ

People saw in him that the paths to eminence were easy,

People saw the ways to eminence as easy in him,

People saw the means to glory were easy through him,

and souls that had never aspired before began to aspire.

so souls aspired that had never aspired before.

While souls that never dreamed were inspired,

ولم يعرفوا أفكارَه وهمومَه

ولم يعرفوا أفكارَه وهمومَه

ولو عَرفوا دقَّت عليهم وجلَّتِ

ولو عَرفوا دقَّت عليهم وجلَّتِ

They did not know his thoughts and his great concerns;

But they did not know his thoughts and his cares;

They knew not his thoughts and concerns,

had they known them, they would have found them too subtle and too immense.

had they known them, they would have found them too subtle and too lofty.

Had they known, they would have been humbled and in awe,