كَمالَ الدّينِ أَنتَ لِكُلِّ خَيرٍ

كَمالَ الدّينِ أَنتَ لِكُلِّ خَيرٍ

وَعارِفَةٍ تُفيدُ الشُكرَ أَهلُ

وَعارِفَةٍ تُفيدُ الشُكرَ أَهلُ

Kamal al-Din, you are worthy of every good deed

O Kamal al-Din, you are for all good

and every kindness that earns gratitude.

And wisdom that brings gratitude from the people

مُخائِلُكَ الجَميلَةُ أَخبَرَتنِي

مُخائِلُكَ الجَميلَةُ أَخبَرَتنِي

بِأَنَّكَ لا يَبُورُ لَدَيكَ فَضلُ

بِأَنَّكَ لا يَبُورُ لَدَيكَ فَضلُ

Your beautiful, promising traits told me

Your beautiful gatherings have told me

that no merit goes to waste with you.

That favor is never lost with you

وَها أَنا كُلَّما اِستَأذَنتُ قالَت

وَها أَنا كُلَّما اِستَأذَنتُ قالَت

لِيَ الحُجّابُ لِلمَخدُومِ شُغلُ

لِيَ الحُجّابُ لِلمَخدُومِ شُغلُ

And here I am: whenever I sought leave to enter,

And here I am, whenever I asked permission they said

the doorkeepers told me, 'The master is busy.'

To me the guards, "The master is busy"

فَإِن قُلتُ اِعلمُوهُ بِغَيرِ إِذنٍ

فَإِن قُلتُ اِعلمُوهُ بِغَيرِ إِذنٍ

مَقالَةَ مَن لَهُ أَدَبٌ وَعَقلُ

مَقالَةَ مَن لَهُ أَدَبٌ وَعَقلُ

And if I said, 'Inform him without seeking leave,'

So if I say let him know without permission

speaking as one with courtesy and sense,

It is the saying of one who has manners and intellect

رَأَيتُ لِكُلِّهِم عَنّي اِزوِراراً

رَأَيتُ لِكُلِّهِم عَنّي اِزوِراراً

جُنوحَ العِجلِ مالَ عَلَيهِ عِجلُ

جُنوحَ العِجلِ مالَ عَلَيهِ عِجلُ

I saw them all turn away from me,

I saw they all turned me away

like a calf swerving when another calf bears down on it.

Avoiding haste, haste led to it

وَطالَ عَناي يَوماً بَعدَ يَومٍ

وَطالَ عَناي يَوماً بَعدَ يَومٍ

وَكُلُّهُمُ عَلَيهِ ذاكَ سَهلُ

وَكُلُّهُمُ عَلَيهِ ذاكَ سَهلُ

And my suffering dragged on day after day,

And my time after day stretched

yet each of them found that easy.

And all of it to them was easy

وَلَولا كَثرَةُ الأَشغالِ فَاِعلَم

وَلَولا كَثرَةُ الأَشغالِ فَاِعلَم

لَما خَفَقَت إِلى ناديكَ نَعلُ

لَما خَفَقَت إِلى ناديكَ نَعلُ

And were it not for so many concerns—know this—

And were it not for many preoccupations, know

no sandal would have pattered toward your gathering.

My slippers would not flutter to your club

وَإِهداءُ السَلامِ إِلَيكَ شَأني

وَإِهداءُ السَلامِ إِلَيكَ شَأني

فَهَل لِسلامِ مُصفي الوُدِّ ثِقلُ

فَهَل لِسلامِ مُصفي الوُدِّ ثِقلُ

And offering you greetings is my purpose;

And wishing you peace is my way

so is a greeting from one sincere in affection a burden?

Does the weight of a pure friendship have weight?

وَلِلحُجّابِ وَهمٌ غَيرُ هَذا

وَلِلحُجّابِ وَهمٌ غَيرُ هَذا

وَلِلأَوهامِ في الأَذهانِ فِعلُ

وَلِلأَوهامِ في الأَذهانِ فِعلُ

But the doorkeepers entertain another suspicion,

The guards have other concerns

and suspicions have their effect on minds.

And imaginations in the minds have action

وَلا وَاللَهِ ما بِدُخُولِ مِثلي

وَلا وَاللَهِ ما بِدُخُولِ مِثلي

عَلَيكَ يَفُوتُ أَهلَ الذَنبِ ذَحلُ

عَلَيكَ يَفُوتُ أَهلَ الذَنبِ ذَحلُ

No, by God, the entrance of one like me

No, by God, with the likes of me entering

into your presence lets no offender escape vengeance.

The people of sin would not lose their swagger

فَإِنّي بِعتُ مَركُوبي وَما لي

فَإِنّي بِعتُ مَركُوبي وَما لي

سِواهُ يَدٌ أَنُوءُ بِهِ وَرَحلُ

سِواهُ يَدٌ أَنُوءُ بِهِ وَرَحلُ

For I sold my mount—and I have no

For I sold my mount and I have nothing

other support to rise with, nor a saddle—

Else, a hand to rely on and luggage

بِأَوكَسِ قِيمَةٍ في شَرِّ وَقتٍ

بِأَوكَسِ قِيمَةٍ في شَرِّ وَقتٍ

وَعَضلُ البَيعِ في الحاجاتِ بسلُ

وَعَضلُ البَيعِ في الحاجاتِ بسلُ

for the lowest price, at the worst of times;

For the lowest price at the worst time

and the difficulty of selling when in need is bitter.

And selling needs is humiliation

وَقُلتُ أَقي بِهِ عِرضي لِئَلّا

وَقُلتُ أَقي بِهِ عِرضي لِئَلّا

يَرَى حَسَبي بِعَينِ النَقصِ نَذلُ

يَرَى حَسَبي بِعَينِ النَقصِ نَذلُ

And I said, 'I shall guard my honor with it, lest

And I said I will protect my honor so that

a base man regard my standing as diminished.'

My status not be seen with eyes of contempt

وَكُلٌّ عالِمٌ لَكِن خَضُوعي

وَكُلٌّ عالِمٌ لَكِن خَضُوعي

لِغَيرِ عُلاكَ بَعدَ اللَهِ خَبلُ

لِغَيرِ عُلاكَ بَعدَ اللَهِ خَبلُ

And everyone knows; but my submission

And all are knowing but my humility

to anyone but your exalted self, after God, is madness.

To other than you after God is nonsense

فَما رابَ المُجاهِدَ مِن دُخولي

فَما رابَ المُجاهِدَ مِن دُخولي

وَأَبيَكَ إِنَّ ذا لَعَمىً وَجَهلِ

وَأَبيَكَ إِنَّ ذا لَعَمىً وَجَهلِ

What, then, troubled al-Mujahid about my entering?

So the fighter was not bothered by my entering

By your father, this is surely blindness and ignorance.

And your father, that would be blindness and ignorance

وَذا حِينَ الوداعِ وَسَوفَ يَأتي

وَذا حِينَ الوداعِ وَسَوفَ يَأتي

ثَناءٌ يُطرِبُ الأَسماعَ جَزلُ

ثَناءٌ يُطرِبُ الأَسماعَ جَزلُ

And this is at farewell; there will come

And this is the time of farewell and there will come

rich praise that delights the ears.

Praise that brings joy to listening ears

فَلا عَبَثَت بِساحَتِكَ اللَيالي

فَلا عَبَثَت بِساحَتِكَ اللَيالي

فَإِنَّكَ لِلصَّديقِ يَدٌ وَنَصلُ

فَإِنَّكَ لِلصَّديقِ يَدٌ وَنَصلُ

So may the nights never wreak havoc in your courtyard,

So the nights did not play in your yard in vain

for you are a helping hand and a blade to a friend.

For to a friend you are a helping hand and sword

وَلا بَرِحَت عِداتُكَ حَيثُ كانُوا

وَلا بَرِحَت عِداتُكَ حَيثُ كانُوا

وَكُلُّ حَياتِهِم حَربٌ وَثَكلُ

وَكُلُّ حَياتِهِم حَربٌ وَثَكلُ

And may your enemies, wherever they are, remain

Nor did your counted ones leave where they were

in war and bereavement all their lives.

And all their lives are war and adversity