صيرني في كلِّ وادٍ أهيم

صيرني في كلِّ وادٍ أهيم

من حظّ قلبي منه هاءٌ وميم

من حظّ قلبي منه هاءٌ وميم

He made me wander, raving, through every valley.

He has made me wander lovelorn in every valley;

My share of him is a hāʾ and a mīm.

my heart's share from him is hāʾ and mīm—grief.

مبخل يشبه ريم الفلا

مبخل يشبه ريم الفلا

وأطول شجوي من بخيل كريم

وأطول شجوي من بخيل كريم

A withholding one, resembled by the gazelle of the wild—

A miser who resembles a gazelle of the wilderness,

and I prolong my complaint of a generous one who withholds.

and how long my anguish for a generous miser!

لم أنس في حبه كم ليلةٍ

لم أنس في حبه كم ليلةٍ

خلّفني أرعى دجاها البهيم

خلّفني أرعى دجاها البهيم

I have not forgotten how many a night, for love of him,

I have not forgotten how many a night, in loving him,

he left me watching over its pitch-black gloom.

he left me keeping watch over its pitch-black darkness.

نظرت في أنجمها نظرةً

نظرت في أنجمها نظرةً

فقال لي جسميَ أني سقيم

فقال لي جسميَ أني سقيم

I cast a single glance upon its stars,

I cast a glance at its stars,

and my body told me that I was ill—

and my body told me that I was ill,

شوقاً لمن لست على حبّه

شوقاً لمن لست على حبّه

بصالح لكنّ قلبي كليم

بصالح لكنّ قلبي كليم

yearning for one whose love leaves me

from longing for one in whose love I am not

far from whole; indeed, my heart is wounded.

sound; yet my heart is wounded.

بدر على غصنٍ جديد الحيا

بدر على غصنٍ جديد الحيا

فخلّ عرجون الهلال القديم

فخلّ عرجون الهلال القديم

A full moon upon a bough, newly clothed in modesty—

A full moon on a bough fresh with rain:

so leave aside the crescent’s ancient palm-stalk.

so leave aside the crescent's old palm-fruit stalk.

وأقسم بواو القسم الصدق من

وأقسم بواو القسم الصدق من

صدغيه أن ليس له من قسيم

صدغيه أن ليس له من قسيم

I swear by the oath’s wāw—the lock curling

And I swear a true oath by the oath's wāw, formed from

beside one of his temples—that he has no equal.

his temple-locks, that he has no peer.

ولا تخلني سامعاً لومةً

ولا تخلني سامعاً لومةً

أعوذ بالله السميع العليم

أعوذ بالله السميع العليم

Do not suppose that I will listen to reproach;

And do not think me one who heeds reproach;

I seek refuge in God, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

I seek refuge in God, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

في شرعة البين وحكم الأسى

في شرعة البين وحكم الأسى

جفنٌ نزوحٌ وغرامٌ مقيم

جفنٌ نزوحٌ وغرامٌ مقيم

Under separation’s law and sorrow’s decree:

Under separation's law and sorrow's judgment:

a restless eyelid and an abiding passion.

a wandering eyelid, and an abiding passion.

وثابت الودّ لديغ الحشا

وثابت الودّ لديغ الحشا

يأتي إلى الله بقلبٍ سليم

يأتي إلى الله بقلبٍ سليم

Steadfast love dwells within my breast

And one steadfast in love, stung to the core,

and comes before God with a sound heart.

comes to God with a sound heart.

يا روضة تجني بألحاظها

يا روضة تجني بألحاظها

فتجتني حرّ الشقا من نعيم

فتجتني حرّ الشقا من نعيم

O garden that harvests with its glances,

O garden that wounds with its glances,

you make me reap searing misery out of bliss.

so you reap misery's scorching heat from bliss.

كن كيفما شئت وعن مهجتي

كن كيفما شئت وعن مهجتي

فلا تسل عن حال أهل الجحيم

فلا تسل عن حال أهل الجحيم

Be however you wish; but as for my soul,

Be however you wish; and as for my heart's blood,

do not ask about the state of hell’s inhabitants.

do not ask how the dwellers of Hell fare.

ما الشمس إلا وجهك المجتلى

ما الشمس إلا وجهك المجتلى

وما الحيا إلا ندى ابن العديم

وما الحيا إلا ندى ابن العديم

The sun is nothing but your radiant face,

The sun is nothing but your face revealed to sight,

and rain nothing but the bounty of Ibn al-ʿAdīm.

and rain is nothing but Ibn al-ʿAdīm's bounty.

كمال دين الله من غيثه

كمال دين الله من غيثه

قد ألحق النائي بخصب المقيم

قد ألحق النائي بخصب المقيم

The perfection of God’s religion comes from his raincloud;

Kamāl al-Dīn, perfection of God's faith, through his rain,

it has granted the distant man the settled man’s abundance.

has made the distant share the plenty of those at home.

لا يسأل القاصد عن بابه

لا يسأل القاصد عن بابه

إلا سنا النشر وطيب الشميم

إلا سنا النشر وطيب الشميم

No one making for his door need ask the way—

The seeker asks no one the way to his door

its spreading radiance and sweet perfume point it out.

but fragrance's radiance and the sweetness of scent.

ماذا لقينا في حديث الثنا

ماذا لقينا في حديث الثنا

من مجده المتّضح المستقيم

من مجده المتّضح المستقيم

What we have endured in speaking praise

What have we encountered in speaking praise

because of his manifest, undeviating glory!

of his manifest, upright glory?

الناطق الواصف في خجلة

الناطق الواصف في خجلة

بالعجز والساكت عين الأثيم

بالعجز والساكت عين الأثيم

The eloquent describer stands abashed,

The speaker who describes him is ashamed

confessing helplessness, while silence is sin itself.

at his inability; the silent one is a sinner through and through.

ذو طلعة في البشر كم ناظرت

ذو طلعة في البشر كم ناظرت

بدراً فأمسى خدّه كالّلطيم

بدراً فأمسى خدّه كالّلطيم

A countenance whose joyous brightness has often faced

He has a cheerful countenance that has often rivaled

a full moon, till its cheek seemed that of one slapped.

a full moon, till its cheek looked like that of one slapped;

وهمة في الفضل كم جاورت

وهمة في الفضل كم جاورت

غيثاً فولّى غيمه كالهزيم

غيثاً فولّى غيمه كالهزيم

And an aspiration in excellence that has often neighbored

and a lofty resolve in generosity that has often stood beside

a raincloud, whose clouds then fled in rout.

life-giving rain, till its cloud fled like one routed.

قاضٍ قضى العدل ولكنه

قاضٍ قضى العدل ولكنه

قضى على المال قضاء الغريم

قضى على المال قضاء الغريم

A judge who rendered judgment justly—yet

A judge who has dispensed justice, yet

sentenced wealth as a creditor would.

has passed sentence on wealth as a creditor would.

ما فطمت من كرم كفّه

ما فطمت من كرم كفّه

من قبل ما أدرك سنّ الفطيم

من قبل ما أدرك سنّ الفطيم

His hand was never weaned from generosity,

His hand has never been weaned from generosity,

even before he reached the age of weaning.

since before he reached the age of weaning.

جاء النهى يسأل ميلادَهُ

جاء النهى يسأل ميلادَهُ

فبشّروه بغلامٍ حليم

فبشّروه بغلامٍ حليم

Discernment came inquiring at his birth,

Reason came asking about his birth,

and was given glad tidings of a forbearing boy.

and they gave him glad tidings of a forbearing boy.

لا عيب فيه غير نعمى يدٍ

لا عيب فيه غير نعمى يدٍ

يمشي شذا أنفاسها بالنسيم

يمشي شذا أنفاسها بالنسيم

He has no fault except the beneficence of a hand

He has no fault save the bounty of a hand

whose breath’s fragrance travels upon the breeze.

the scent of whose breaths walks with the breeze.

من معشر سادوا وساسوا الورَى

من معشر سادوا وساسوا الورَى

ببأس قاسٍ وبجدْوَى رحيم

ببأس قاسٍ وبجدْوَى رحيم

He comes from a people who gained mastery and governed humankind

Of a people who held sway and governed mankind,

with stern might and merciful generosity;

with stern might and merciful generosity.

مثل النجوم الزهر كم مهتدٍ

مثل النجوم الزهر كم مهتدٍ

بها من الناس وكم من رجيم

بها من الناس وكم من رجيم

like radiant stars—how many people have found guidance

Like the radiant stars—how many find guidance

through them, and how many an outcast has been pelted away!

by them among men, and how many are pelted!

تطوّف الأشعار من حولهم

تطوّف الأشعار من حولهم

فائزةً ما سعيها بالذميم

فائزةً ما سعيها بالذميم

Poems circle all around them,

Poems circumambulate around them,

triumphant, their course deserving no blame.

triumphant, their striving never blameworthy.

وخير ما طاف لنسك العلى

وخير ما طاف لنسك العلى

بيتٌ نظيمٌ حول بيتٍ عظيم

بيتٌ نظيمٌ حول بيتٍ عظيم

And the finest thing to circle in devotion to high glory

And the best thing to circle in the rites of eminence

is a well-strung verse circling a mighty House.

is a finely strung verse around a mighty house.

يا عمر الخير لقد نبهت

يا عمر الخير لقد نبهت

منك المعالي طرف راعٍ حكيم

منك المعالي طرف راعٍ حكيم

O ʿUmar of goodness, the lofty virtues have awakened

O ʿUmar of goodness, there has indeed been awakened

through you the eye of a wise observer.

in you, by lofty virtues, a wise shepherd's eye.

لا زلت ذا ذكرٍ كثير السُّرى

لا زلت ذا ذكرٍ كثير السُّرى

بكلّ أرض وندى لا يريم

بكلّ أرض وندى لا يريم

May you never cease to possess fame that travels far by night

May you ever have renown that journeys often by night

through every land, and bounty that never departs.

through every land, and bounty that never departs.

كم عادنا منك ندًى مشهرٌ

كم عادنا منك ندًى مشهرٌ

لواحظ المدح وأمنٌ منيم

لواحظ المدح وأمنٌ منيم

How often has your renowned largesse returned to us,

How often have we been visited by bounty from you that reveals

with praise’s glances and security that lulls to sleep.

the glances of praise, and by security that lulls to sleep!

وكم رأيناك لمربى الثنا

وكم رأيناك لمربى الثنا

أباً فجئناك بدرٍّ يتيم

أباً فجئناك بدرٍّ يتيم

How often have we seen you as a father to praise’s nursling;

And how often have we seen you, to the nursling of praise,

so we have come to you with a peerless full moon.

as a father; so we came to you with an orphan pearl.