يُحَمِّلني مالا أُطيقُ فأَحملُ

يُحَمِّلني مالا أُطيقُ فأَحملُ

وَيأمُرَني أَن لا أُفيقَ فَأَقبَلُ

وَيأمُرَني أَن لا أُفيقَ فَأَقبَلُ

He burdens me with what I cannot bear, so I bear it.

He burdens me with more than I can bear, so I bear it,

And he orders me not to regain my senses, so I consent.

And commands me not to awake, so I obey,

وَيَقتلني عَمداً لأَنّي أُحِبُّهُ

وَيَقتلني عَمداً لأَنّي أُحِبُّهُ

وَمن عَجَبٍ أَنّي أُحِبُّ فأقُتَلُ

وَمن عَجَبٍ أَنّي أُحِبُّ فأقُتَلُ

And he kills me deliberately because I love him.

And kills me intentionally, because I love him,

And how strange that I love, only to be killed.

And is it any wonder that I love and am killed?

وَيَمنَعُني من أَن أَمرّ بِبابِهِ

وَيَمنَعُني من أَن أَمرّ بِبابِهِ

وَأَرمُقُه أَنّي أَمرُّ فَيَخجَلُ

وَأَرمُقُه أَنّي أَمرُّ فَيَخجَلُ

And he prevents me from passing by his door.

And he prevents me from passing by his door,

And I glance at him as I pass, and he blushes.

And catching a glimpse - though I pass, so he is bashful,

أَذلّ إِذا ما عَزَّ في الحُبِّ أَوسَطا

أَذلّ إِذا ما عَزَّ في الحُبِّ أَوسَطا

وَهَل لي إِذا ما عَزَّ إِلّا التَذَلّلُ

وَهَل لي إِذا ما عَزَّ إِلّا التَذَلّلُ

I abase myself when he grows proud in love or tyrannizes;

I am humbled when love is mighty or moderate,

And when he grows proud, what have I but submission?

And when love is mighty, what can I do but humbly beseech?

وَأَشكو تَجنّيهِ فَيقضي لَهُ الهَوى

وَأَشكو تَجنّيهِ فَيقضي لَهُ الهَوى

وَقاضي الهَوى في حُكمِه كَيفَ يَعدلُ

وَقاضي الهَوى في حُكمِه كَيفَ يَعدلُ

And I complain of his unfair treatment, but passion rules in his favor;

I complain of his tyranny, but passion judges in his favor,

And how can passion's judge be just in his judgment?

And how can the judge of passion judge justly?

فَلَيتَ كَمالَ الحُسنِ يُؤتاهُ مُحسِنٌ

فَلَيتَ كَمالَ الحُسنِ يُؤتاهُ مُحسِنٌ

وَلَيتَ جَمالَ الوَجهِ يُؤتاه مُجمِلُ

وَلَيتَ جَمالَ الوَجهِ يُؤتاه مُجمِلُ

So would that perfect beauty were bestowed on one who does good,

Would that the perfection of beauty were given to one who makes beautiful,

And would that beauty of face were bestowed on one who acts graciously.

And the beauty of face to one who beautifies,

وَعاذِلَةٍ هَبَّت بَليلٍ تَلومُني

وَعاذِلَةٍ هَبَّت بَليلٍ تَلومُني

تَقولُ أَلا تصغي الا تَتوسَّلُ

تَقولُ أَلا تصغي الا تَتوسَّلُ

And a reproaching woman arose at night to blame me,

And a blamer, attacking at night, blames me,

Saying: Will you not listen? Will you not appeal?

Saying: "Do you not plead except by humble entreaty?"

فَقُلتُ أَقَلّي العذَلَ لي وَتأَمَّلي

فَقُلتُ أَقَلّي العذَلَ لي وَتأَمَّلي

فَلَم يَبقَ مَن يُرجى وَلا من يُؤَمَّلُ

فَلَم يَبقَ مَن يُرجى وَلا من يُؤَمَّلُ

So I said: Reproach me less, and reflect:

So I said: "Chide me less, and consider:

For no one remains in whom to place hope or expectation.

For none remains to be hoped for, or depended upon."

فَلَستُ عَلى مالٍ وان فاتَ مُعوِلاً

فَلَستُ عَلى مالٍ وان فاتَ مُعوِلاً

وانّي عَلى جود ابنِ شاديَ مُعوِلُ

وانّي عَلى جود ابنِ شاديَ مُعوِلُ

For I do not lament wealth, even if it is lost;

For though wealth fail me, I depend

And indeed I rely on the generosity of Ibn Shadi.

On the generosity of the son of Shadi,

وَلي ناصِرٌ مِن ناصِرِ الدين حاضِرٌ

وَلي ناصِرٌ مِن ناصِرِ الدين حاضِرٌ

كَفيٌّ وَلي مِن سُحبِ كَفيهِ منهلُ

كَفيٌّ وَلي مِن سُحبِ كَفيهِ منهلُ

And from Nasir al-Din I have a helper at hand,

And I have a helper in the helper of the faith, ever-present,

Who suffices me; and from the clouds of his palms I have a watering place.

Sufficient for me, and I have from his overflowing palms a fountain,

جَوادٌ بِما يحوي وَفيٌّ بِوَعدِهِ

جَوادٌ بِما يحوي وَفيٌّ بِوَعدِهِ

يَجودُ فَيُغني أَو يَقول فَيَفعل

يَجودُ فَيُغني أَو يَقول فَيَفعل

Generous with what he possesses, faithful to his promise;

Generous with what he contains, and faithful to his promise,

He gives and enriches, or speaks and acts.

He gives generously and enriches, or speaks and acts.

وَبَحرُ نَدىً لِلمجتدين وَوابِلٌ

وَبَحرُ نَدىً لِلمجتدين وَوابِلٌ

وَطودُ حِمىً للآجئينَ وَموئِلُ

وَطودُ حِمىً للآجئينَ وَموئِلُ

And a sea of bounty for those seeking gifts, and a downpour;

A sea of bounty for the needy, a rain pouring down,

And a mountain of shelter for those seeking refuge, and a haven.

A towering refuge for those who come to him, a shelter,

يَعدُّ كَثير النَيلَ قلاً وَلا يَرى

يَعدُّ كَثير النَيلَ قلاً وَلا يَرى

نَوالاً نَوالاً لا يعمُّ وَيفضلُ

نَوالاً نَوالاً لا يعمُّ وَيفضلُ

He counts abundant bounty as little, and does not consider

Deeming abundant bestowal to be little, he sees

A gift truly a gift unless it reaches all and overflows.

No gift, however repeated, to be inclusive and exceeding.

إِذا شَدَّ فُرسانُ الوَغى كانَ سابِقاً

إِذا شَدَّ فُرسانُ الوَغى كانَ سابِقاً

وان عُدَّ فِتيانُ الوَرى فَهو أَوَّلُ

وان عُدَّ فِتيانُ الوَرى فَهو أَوَّلُ

When battle's horsemen charge, he takes the lead;

When the heroes of war spurred on their steeds, he was foremost,

And if the world's young men are counted, he is first.

And if the youths of the land were counted, he was the first,

لَهُ يَومَ انعامِ وَبؤسٍ كِلاهُما

لَهُ يَومَ انعامِ وَبؤسٍ كِلاهُما

أَغَرُّ إِذا الأَيّام عُدَّت مُحَجَّلُ

أَغَرُّ إِذا الأَيّام عُدَّت مُحَجَّلُ

He has a day of bounty and one of hardship, both of them

In days of bounty and privation he was the most generous,

White-blazed and white-stockinged when days are counted.

When days were appraised and enumerated.

ليهنِكَ يَومٌ لا يَرى الدَهرَ مِثلُه

ليهنِكَ يَومٌ لا يَرى الدَهرَ مِثلُه

أَجَلُّ وَأَوفى في سُرورٍ وَأَفضَلُ

أَجَلُّ وَأَوفى في سُرورٍ وَأَفضَلُ

May you rejoice in a day whose like time never sees,

Good fortune to you, a day the ages have not seen the like of,

More glorious, fuller in joy, and more excellent.

More glorious, faithful, joyous, and excellent!

ظُهورٌ أَعادَ الدَهر طُهرا وَفَرحَةٌ

ظُهورٌ أَعادَ الدَهر طُهرا وَفَرحَةٌ

أَعادَتِ بَكايا لَهوِهِ وَهيَ حُفَّل

أَعادَتِ بَكايا لَهوِهِ وَهيَ حُفَّل

An appearance that restored purity to time, and a joy

Appearances that made the ages pure again, and a joy

That revived the [remnants] of its revelry, brimming full.

That returned the laughter of its wantonness, adorned anew.

فَيالَك قِطعاً فاصِلاً كُلّ لذَّةٍ

فَيالَك قِطعاً فاصِلاً كُلّ لذَّةٍ

وَنَقصاً يَزيدُ المَجدَ فَخراً وَيُكمِلُ

وَنَقصاً يَزيدُ المَجدَ فَخراً وَيُكمِلُ

So, what a cut you are, severing every delight,

So good fortune to you, severing every pleasure,

And a lessening that adds pride to glory and completes it!

And a loss that increases glory and perfects it!

وَإِنَّ دماً أَجراهُ داوودُ دونَهُ

وَإِنَّ دماً أَجراهُ داوودُ دونَهُ

سُيوفُ إِلى الهاماتِ أَوحى وَأَعجلُ

سُيوفُ إِلى الهاماتِ أَوحى وَأَعجلُ

And indeed, guarding the blood Dawud shed are

The blood that David shed, the swords attested,

Swords swifter and quicker to reach heads.

Inspired to thrust against the skulls, and hastened.

يعزُّ عَلى صيدِ المُلوكِ مَنالُه

يعزُّ عَلى صيدِ المُلوكِ مَنالُه

وَيحكُمُ فيهِ سُوقَةٌ مُتَذَلِّلُ

وَيحكُمُ فيهِ سُوقَةٌ مُتَذَلِّلُ

Proud kings find it hard to reach,

It pains him to attain the prey of kings, while his reaching

Yet a lowly commoner has command over it.

Is judged by a humble petitioner.

يَمُدُّ يَداً نَحوَ الَّذي دونَ نَيلهِ

يَمُدُّ يَداً نَحوَ الَّذي دونَ نَيلهِ

تَقطَّعُ أَيدٍ مِن رِجالٍ وَأَرجُلُ

تَقطَّعُ أَيدٍ مِن رِجالٍ وَأَرجُلُ

He stretches a hand toward what cannot be reached before

He extends a hand toward one whose attainment is beyond him,

Men's hands and feet are cut off.

Though hands of men and legs be cut off.

وَلَولا التُقى ما مَدَّ للسَيل كَفّه

وَلَولا التُقى ما مَدَّ للسَيل كَفّه

ليؤلمهُ وَاللَيثُ جَذلان يَرفُل

ليؤلمهُ وَاللَيثُ جَذلان يَرفُل

And but for piety, he would not have stretched his palm toward the torrent

And were it not for piety, he would not have stretched his palm

To hurt him, while the lion struts in delight.

To the torrent, to afflict it, while the lion cub frolics.

وَلا بَرحَ الاقبالُ وَالنًصرُ وَالهُدى

وَلا بَرحَ الاقبالُ وَالنًصرُ وَالهُدى

لرحلِك صَحباً اذ تحلُّ وَتَرحَلُ

لرحلِك صَحباً اذ تحلُّ وَتَرحَلُ

And may good fortune, victory, and guidance remain forever

Neither have favor, victory, and guidance ceased

Companions to your camp, when you settle and depart.

To accompany your travel, when you lodge and depart.