رفعت إلى وُدِّيك أبصار همتي

رفعت إلى وُدِّيك أبصار همتي

لترفع من قدري فهل أنت رافعُ

لترفع من قدري فهل أنت رافعُ

I raised the eyes of my ambition toward your affection,

I raised my ambitions to you, my beloved

that you might raise my rank—will you raise it?

That you may raise my worth, will you raise me?

وإني وصدق المرء من خير قوله

وإني وصدق المرء من خير قوله

لراضٍ بحظي من ضميرك قانعُ

لراضٍ بحظي من ضميرك قانعُ

And I—truthfulness is among a man's best utterances—

And I, the sincerity of a person is the best of his words

am content and satisfied with my share in your heart.

I am content with my share of your conscience, satisfied

ومستيقن أني لديك بربوة

ومستيقن أني لديك بربوة

لها شرف مما تُجِنُّ الأضالع

لها شرف مما تُجِنُّ الأضالع

And I am certain that, with you, I stand on a height

And certain that with you I have an eminence

whose loftiness comes from what your ribs conceal.

Of honor beyond what ribs can endure

ولكنَّ بي من بعد ذلك حاجةً

ولكنَّ بي من بعد ذلك حاجةً

إلى أن يرى راء ويسمع سامع

إلى أن يرى راء ويسمع سامع

Yet beyond that I still have a need:

But after that I still have a need

for an observer to see and a listener to hear,

For an onlooker to see and a listener to hear

ليكبت أعدائي ويرغم حسَّدي

ليكبت أعدائي ويرغم حسَّدي

ويقمعهم عن شِرَّةِ البغي قامع

ويقمعهم عن شِرَّةِ البغي قامع

to confound my enemies and humble my enviers,

To suppress my enemies and compel my enviers

and for a restrainer to curb their fierce aggression.

And thwart them from the evils of enmity, a thwarter

فقد شك في حالي لديك معاشر

فقد شك في حالي لديك معاشر

وفي مثل حالي للشكوك مواضع

وفي مثل حالي للشكوك مواضع

For some people have doubted my standing with you,

For they doubted my state with you, company

and in a situation like mine there is room for doubts.

And in my state doubts have occasions

ولن يوقن الشكَّاك ما لم يقم لهم

ولن يوقن الشكَّاك ما لم يقم لهم

على السر برهان من الجهر ناصع

على السر برهان من الجهر ناصع

The doubters will not be convinced unless there arises for them

And the skeptic will not be certain unless proof rises for them

clear public proof of what is private.

In secret from the overt, radiant

أأن قلت إني ما انتجعتك مجدباً

أأن قلت إني ما انتجعتك مجدباً

أبا أحمد تُحمَى عليَّ المراتع

أبا أحمد تُحمَى عليَّ المراتع

Is it because I said I had not sought you out in drought,

Will I say that I did not seek you out barren

Abu Ahmad, that the grazing grounds are barred to me?

Abu Ahmed, the pastures are guarded for me

فلست غنياً عنك ما ذر شارقٌ

فلست غنياً عنك ما ذر شارقٌ

ولو سال بالرزق التلاع الدوافع

ولو سال بالرزق التلاع الدوافع

I cannot do without you as long as the sun rises,

For I am not free from need of you as long as a bright one shines

even if the rushing ravines flowed with sustenance.

And sustenance pours down from the clouds

شهدت متى استغنيت عنك بأنني

شهدت متى استغنيت عنك بأنني

غني عن الماء الذي أنا جارع

غني عن الماء الذي أنا جارع

If ever I could do without you, I would testify

You witnessed when I was free from need of you that I

that I could do without the water I drink.

Am free from the water which I gulp down

فكيف الغنى عمن بمعروفه الغنى

فكيف الغنى عمن بمعروفه الغنى

وعمن بكفيه الغيوث الروابع

وعمن بكفيه الغيوث الروابع

How, then, could I do without one whose kindness brings wealth,

So how can I be free from one whose kindness is richness

and whose palms hold the springtime rains?

And from one whose hands are pouring rains

مديحي وإن نزهته لك مِبذَلٌ

مديحي وإن نزهته لك مِبذَلٌ

وخدي وإن صعرته لك ضارع

وخدي وإن صعرته لك ضارع

My praise, though I have kept it unsullied, is freely offered to you;

My praise of you, though I purified it for you, is a gift

and my cheek, though I have proudly turned it away, bows humbly to you.

And my cheek, though I laid it down for you, a petitioner

لمثلك يستبقي العفيف سؤاله

لمثلك يستبقي العفيف سؤاله

ويقنى الحياءَ الحرُّ والرمح شارع

ويقنى الحياءَ الحرُّ والرمح شارع

For one like you, the self-respecting man reserves his request,

For the likes of you the chaste keeps his request

and the freeborn man guards his modesty, even with a spear leveled.

And the free, the spear-noble, the modesty

أتعلمني من مدح غيرك صائماً

أتعلمني من مدح غيرك صائماً

صياماً له قِدماً على فِيَّ طابع

صياماً له قِدماً على فِيَّ طابع

Do you know me to be fasting from praise of anyone else,

Do you teach me to fast from praising other than you

a fast whose seal has long lain upon my mouth?

A fast for it, on me, imposed

وحلَّأتُ نفسي عن شرائع جمة

وحلَّأتُ نفسي عن شرائع جمة

لترويني مما لديك الشرائع

لترويني مما لديك الشرائع

And I have driven myself away from many watering places,

And I refined myself from the noble laws

so the watering places you possess might quench my thirst.

That you may water me from what laws you have

وما كنت أخشى أن تخيب ذريعتي

وما كنت أخشى أن تخيب ذريعتي

لديك إذا خابت لديك الذرائع

لديك إذا خابت لديك الذرائع

I never feared that my means of approach would fail

And I did not fear that my pretext would disappoint you

with you, when other means had failed with you.

If pretexts failed you

فلا أكنِ المحرومَ منك نصيبه

فلا أكنِ المحرومَ منك نصيبه

بلا أسوة إني لذلك جازع

بلا أسوة إني لذلك جازع

So let me not be the one denied his share from you,

So I will not be deprived of my share from you

with no fellow sufferer for solace; that would indeed distress me.

Without precedent, I will lament that

متى استبطأ العافون رفدك أم متى

متى استبطأ العافون رفدك أم متى

تقاضاك أثمان المدائح بائع

تقاضاك أثمان المدائح بائع

When have seekers of your bounty found your aid slow—or when

When did the prosperous delay provision from you

has a seller pressed you for the price of praises?

Or when did peddlers of praise sell to you?

وقد وعدت عنك الأماني مواعداً

وقد وعدت عنك الأماني مواعداً

مَطَلنَ بها والحادثات فواجع

مَطَلنَ بها والحادثات فواجع

Yet hopes have made promises on your behalf;

And I was promised from you wishes

they have delayed them, while calamities bring anguish.

With which hardships are tried, agonies

أحاذر أن يرمينيَ الدهر دونها

أحاذر أن يرمينيَ الدهر دونها

بحتف وحاشاك الحتوف الصوارع

بحتف وحاشاك الحتوف الصوارع

I fear that Time may strike me before they come

I fear that fate will throw me under them

with death—may the deaths that strike men down spare you.

With misfortune, and protect me from misfortunes, defender

وإني لأرجو أن يكون مطالها

وإني لأرجو أن يكون مطالها

لِتُجنِيَني ما أثمرت وهو يانع

لِتُجنِيَني ما أثمرت وهو يانع

And I do hope that their delay is

And I do hope that their procrastination will

to let me gather the fruit they have borne, fully ripe.

Reap me what sprouted while it was burgeoning

قبولك ميلي وانقطاعي وخدمتي

قبولك ميلي وانقطاعي وخدمتي

قُصارِي ولكن للقضاء توابع

قُصارِي ولكن للقضاء توابع

Your acceptance of my attachment, my exclusive devotion, and my service

Your acceptance is my inclination and my service

is my utmost aim; yet fulfillment has its accompaniments.

My utmost, but fate has consequences

ومقصودُ ما يُبغَى من السيف مضربٌ

ومقصودُ ما يُبغَى من السيف مضربٌ

حسام إذا لاقى الضريبة قاطع

حسام إذا لاقى الضريبة قاطع

And the chief thing sought in a sword is a striking edge,

And the purpose of what is sought from the sword is a stroke

keen and cutting when it meets its target.

A sword, when it meets the blow, severing

على أنه من بعد ذلك يُبتَغى

على أنه من بعد ذلك يُبتَغى

له رونق يستأنق العينَ رائع

له رونق يستأنق العينَ رائع

Yet, beyond that, one also seeks

After that, moreover, what is sought for it

a dazzling sheen in it that delights the eye.

Is a brilliance adorning the eye, splendid

كذلك محض الود منك فريضتي

كذلك محض الود منك فريضتي

ونافلتي فيك الجدا والمنافع

ونافلتي فيك الجدا والمنافع

Likewise, pure affection from you is my prescribed share,

Likewise, pure affection for you is my duty

and your bounty and benefits are my extra portion.

And my supererogation in you is effort and benefits

فكن عندما أمَّلت منك فلم تكن

فكن عندما أمَّلت منك فلم تكن

لتُخلِفَني منك البروق اللوامع

لتُخلِفَني منك البروق اللوامع

So be as I have hoped of you, for never would

So be when I hoped from you, you were not

your gleaming flashes of lightning fail me.

To disappoint me of your flashing lights, radiant

وعش أبداً في غبطة وسلامة

وعش أبداً في غبطة وسلامة

وأمنٍ إذا راعت سواك الروائع

وأمنٍ إذا راعت سواك الروائع

And live forever in happiness and safety,

And live forever in bliss and wellness

and security, when terrors frighten others.

And safety when alarms rouse all but you

فأنت لنا واد خصيب جنابه

فأنت لنا واد خصيب جنابه

وأنت لنا طود من العز فارع

وأنت لنا طود من العز فارع

For you are our valley, fertile in its reaches,

For you are to us a fertile valley, its side

and you are our towering mountain of glory.

And you are to us a towering mountain peak, lofty