وسيِّدٍ قد عمرتنْي أنعمُهْ

وسيِّدٍ قد عمرتنْي أنعمُهْ

يحلُم عني وتحُوم حُوَّمُهْ

يحلُم عني وتحُوم حُوَّمُهْ

And a lord whose favors have sustained my life

A lord whose kindness aged me prosperous

shows me forbearance, while his circling followers hover

Who dreams away my faults, his mercy moves

حَوْلي وقد لظَّاهُ نَقْمٌ ينْقَمُهْ

حَوْلي وقد لظَّاهُ نَقْمٌ ينْقَمُهْ

لكنَّه ينهاه عني كرمُهْ

لكنَّه ينهاه عني كرمُهْ

around me, though the resentment he harbors has set him aflame.

Around me, though vengeance kindles its blaming coals

Yet his generosity holds him back from me,

Yet his nobility restrains it from me

وإنني ممن حماه حَرَمُهْ

وإنني ممن حماه حَرَمُهْ

وُهِّمَ جُرماً ليس مِثلي يَجْرمُهْ

وُهِّمَ جُرماً ليس مِثلي يَجْرمُهْ

and I am among those his sanctuary has protected.

I'm of those his sanctuary has kept safe

He was made to imagine a crime that one like me would never commit.

Though seeming a crime, mine unlike others' dooming

وُهِّمَ أنِّي قد عزمتُ أشتِمُهْ

وُهِّمَ أنِّي قد عزمتُ أشتِمُهْ

وذاك عزمٌ ليس مثلي يعزِمُهْ

وذاك عزمٌ ليس مثلي يعزِمُهْ

He was made to imagine I had resolved to insult him,

Though seeming I was resolute to revile him

and that is a resolve that one like me would never make.

That resolve, unlike me, I'd not make it

بلْ إنما يشتمه مُوَهِّمُهْ

بلْ إنما يشتمه مُوَهِّمُهْ

أقسمتُ إن أقدمتُ أني أظلمُهْ

أقسمتُ إن أقدمتُ أني أظلمُهْ

Rather, only the one who misleads him insults him.

Rather it's imaginer who reviles him

I have sworn that, if I dared, I would be wronging him—

I swear if I proceed I wrong him

يعفو كُلومِي دائباً فأكلمُهْ

يعفو كُلومِي دائباً فأكلمُهْ

أني لَأخنى قائلٍ وألامُهْ

أني لَأخنى قائلٍ وألامُهْ

he constantly heals my wounds, yet I would wound him—

Ever gently my misdeeds he'll speak to

that I would be the foulest and basest of speakers,

That I of speakers am the lowest ilk

إن كان ذاك الثَّلْمُ مما أثلِمُهْ

إن كان ذاك الثَّلْمُ مما أثلِمُهْ

صبَّحني الله لِغُرْمٍ أغرمُهْ

صبَّحني الله لِغُرْمٍ أغرمُهْ

if that breach were of my making.

If that misdeed's a thing I can do

May God make me wake to a penalty I must pay,

At morn may God requite a debt I owe

إن كان ذاك الغيبُ غيباً يعلمُهْ

إن كان ذاك الغيبُ غيباً يعلمُهْ

وهْو الذي لا يَنْطوِي ما أكْتُمُهْ

وهْو الذي لا يَنْطوِي ما أكْتُمُهْ

if that hidden matter is a secret known to Him.

If that unseen is one he knows

And He is the One—nothing I conceal can be hidden

And He who my concealments can't enfold

عنْه ولا يغفُل عني قلمُهْ

عنْه ولا يغفُل عني قلمُهْ

ولا تزالُ ثِقتي تَسْتعصمُهْ

ولا تزالُ ثِقتي تَسْتعصمُهْ

from Him, nor does His pen overlook me;

From Him nor His pen neglects me

and my trust ever seeks His protection.

Still my trust seeks His refuge

فلا شفاني من سقام ألمُهْ

فلا شفاني من سقام ألمُهْ

أو أجرعُ الموتَ مَذُوقاً علْقَمُهْ

أو أجرعُ الموتَ مَذُوقاً علْقَمُهْ

Then may He never cure me of an illness whose pain I bear,

No health's cured my pain with its sign

or may I swallow death, tasting its bitter colocynth,

Or I'll taste death's bitterness proffered

بحسرتي على شفاءٍ أعدمُهْ

بحسرتي على شفاءٍ أعدمُهْ

بل أنا والله الذي أسترحمُهْ

بل أنا والله الذي أسترحمُهْ

in my anguish over a cure I lack.

Longing vainly for recovery denied

Rather, I—by God, whose mercy I implore—

Nay, by God whom I implore

مما يُسدِّي كاشحي ويلحمُهْ

مما يُسدِّي كاشحي ويلحمُهْ

مُبرَّأُ المغمر لا مُتَّهَمُهْ

مُبرَّأُ المغمر لا مُتَّهَمُهْ

of what my spiteful foe lays in warp and weft,

From what mars and welds my cheek

am blameless at heart, not suspect,

Freed of blame no guilt on me

عند هُمام ذَبَنَتْهُ هِمَمُهْ

عند هُمام ذَبَنَتْهُ هِمَمُهْ

في أفقٍ تَقْصُر عنه أنْجُمُهُ

في أفقٍ تَقْصُر عنه أنْجُمُهُ

in the eyes of a magnanimous man whose aspirations have propelled him

With the zeal that melted my concerns

into a horizon whose stars fall short of him.

In a horizon beyond stars' reach