لك الخيرُ إنّي أستزِيدُ ولا أشكو

لك الخيرُ إنّي أستزِيدُ ولا أشكو

ولا أكْفُر النَّعماءَ ما جرتِ الفُلْكُ

ولا أكْفُر النَّعماءَ ما جرتِ الفُلْكُ

May goodness be yours: I ask for more, and do not complain.

Goodness is yours, though I ask for more and do not complain,

Nor am I ungrateful for your bounty, as long as ships sail.

Nor show ingratitude for blessings flowing like ships.

بلى رُبَّما حاولْتُ توثيقَ عُروةٍ

بلى رُبَّما حاولْتُ توثيقَ عُروةٍ

وليس لحظٍّ منكَ أحرزْتُه تَرْكُ

وليس لحظٍّ منكَ أحرزْتُه تَرْكُ

Yes, at times I have tried to secure a binding loop,

Perhaps I've tried to strengthen a bond,

nor do I forsake a share I have secured from you.

Yet not a moment with you have I secured as mine own.

فلا تَلْحَيَنّي في العتاب فإنّما

فلا تَلْحَيَنّي في العتاب فإنّما

عركْتُ أديماً لا يقصّفُه العَركُ

عركْتُ أديماً لا يقصّفُه العَركُ

So do not blame me for reproaching you, for I have merely

So rebuke me not for blaming, I just

rubbed a hide that rubbing cannot crack.

Rubbed a hide not pierced by rubbing.

أأحمدُ نفسي أن تُطيبَ لك الثَّنا

أأحمدُ نفسي أن تُطيبَ لك الثَّنا

وأنت الذي تذكو وأنت الذي تزكو

وأنت الذي تذكو وأنت الذي تزكو

Should I praise myself for sweetening praise of you,

Shall I praise myself if you think well of my praise

when you are the one who burns bright, and you the one who flourishes?

When you are the one who remembers and you are the one who purifies?

حُرِمْتُ إذاً حظّي من الخير كلّه

حُرِمْتُ إذاً حظّي من الخير كلّه

ولا كان لي في المجد إسٌّ ولا سَمْكُ

ولا كان لي في المجد إسٌّ ولا سَمْكُ

Then may I be deprived of my share of all goodness,

Then I'm deprived of all the good from you,

and may I have neither foundation nor height in glory.

And have no share or plenitude of glory.

وما ليَ أستعدي وعدلُك شاملٌ

وما ليَ أستعدي وعدلُك شاملٌ

وما لي أستجفي ومُلكك لي مُلكُ

وما لي أستجفي ومُلكك لي مُلكُ

And why should I seek redress when your justice embraces all?

Why should I transgress when your justice embraces all,

And why should I deem you aloof, when your dominion is mine?

And why should I resent when your dominion is mine own dominion?

وكُنْتُ متى استحلَلْتُ إخفارَ حُرمةٍ

وكُنْتُ متى استحلَلْتُ إخفارَ حُرمةٍ

سفكْتُ دماءً لا يحلُّ لها سَفْكُ

سفكْتُ دماءً لا يحلُّ لها سَفْكُ

And were I ever to deem it lawful to violate a sacred trust,

When I made sacred bounds lawful, I shed

I would shed blood that may not lawfully be shed.

Blood unlawful to be shed.

ولو كان حظّي منك حظّاً مقارباً

ولو كان حظّي منك حظّاً مقارباً

صبرْتُ لهضميْ فيه لكنَّه المُلْكُ

صبرْتُ لهضميْ فيه لكنَّه المُلْكُ

And were my share from you a moderate share,

If my share of you were nearly a match,

I would endure being denied my due in it—but it is a kingdom.

I'd swallow my resentment, but yours is the dominion.

ولو كان رُزئي حسنَ رأيِك نكبةً

ولو كان رُزئي حسنَ رأيِك نكبةً

ربطتُ لها جأشي ولكنَّه الهلْكُ

ربطتُ لها جأشي ولكنَّه الهلْكُ

And were my loss of your good opinion a mere calamity,

If my opinion brought me your good pleasure's reversal,

I would steady my heart for it—but it is ruin.

I'd leash my soul, but that would be perdition.

وما كان مَنْ تَحْنُو عليه مُحامياً

وما كان مَنْ تَحْنُو عليه مُحامياً

ليُلْقَى عليه من زمانٍ له بَرْكُ

ليُلْقَى عليه من زمانٍ له بَرْكُ

Nor could anyone whom you tenderly shelter and defend

One whom you champion is not tossed

have Time press its breast down upon him.

The vicissitudes of time and its blessedness withdrawn.

وما انْبَتَّ حبلُ الوصْل منك أُعِيذهُ

وما انْبَتَّ حبلُ الوصْل منك أُعِيذهُ

بفضلك لكنْ ليس في متنِهِ حَبْكُ

بفضلك لكنْ ليس في متنِهِ حَبْكُ

Nor has the cord of union with you snapped—I seek protection for it

Any bond of union from you I seek refuge for it

through your grace—but its strands are not firmly braided.

In your grace, though no intricacy is in its strand.

وما مَرِضَتْ تلك العنايةُ مَرْضَةً

وما مَرِضَتْ تلك العنايةُ مَرْضَةً

تُميتُ ولكنْ قد تطرَّقها نَهْكُ

تُميتُ ولكنْ قد تطرَّقها نَهْكُ

Nor has that care fallen ill with a sickness

That care has not fallen ill with any

that kills; but exhaustion has crept into it.

Malady that kills, though it may have cracks.

وما ضلَّ رأيٌ فيك مُذْ عرف الهدى

وما ضلَّ رأيٌ فيك مُذْ عرف الهدى

ولا شابَ إيماني بسُؤْددك الشكُّ

ولا شابَ إيماني بسُؤْددك الشكُّ

Nor has my judgment of you strayed since it learned the right path,

No opinion of you has gone astray since knowing guidance,

nor has doubt tainted my faith in your nobility.

Nor has faith in you been marred by any doubt.

أتاني بظهْر الغَيْبِ أنَّكَ عاتبٌ

أتاني بظهْر الغَيْبِ أنَّكَ عاتبٌ

وتلك التي رحْبُ الفضاءِ لها ضَنْكُ

وتلك التي رحْبُ الفضاءِ لها ضَنْكُ

Word reached me indirectly that you are displeased with me,

Word came to me from beyond perceiving that you blame

and that makes even the wide expanse feel cramped.

And your vastness for it has constraint.

وأنْتَ الذي يُمضي الأمور بحُكْمه

وأنْتَ الذي يُمضي الأمور بحُكْمه

فلا منْعهُ لوْمٌ ولا بذْلُه مَحْكُ

فلا منْعهُ لوْمٌ ولا بذْلُه مَحْكُ

And you are the one who settles affairs by his decree,

You whose authority decides all affairs,

so no blame attends his withholding, nor dispute his giving.

Neither preventing blame nor sanction has effect.

وإنَّ جفاءً منك محضاً وقسْوة

وإنَّ جفاءً منك محضاً وقسْوة

لَتَركُك خِلّاً لا يساعده التركُ

لَتَركُك خِلّاً لا يساعده التركُ

Indeed, sheer coldness and cruelty on your part

Any coldness from you, sheer and harsh,

lie in your abandoning a friend whom abandonment cannot help.

Would leave you empty, with no aid from cessation.

أتحسبُني أدللتُ إدلالَ جاهلٍ

أتحسبُني أدللتُ إدلالَ جاهلٍ

عليْك بمدْحٍ لا يخالطُهُ إفْكُ

عليْك بمدْحٍ لا يخالطُهُ إفْكُ

Do you think I have presumed with a fool's presumption

Do you think I lavished a fool's lavishing

upon you, through praise unmixed with falsehood?

Of praise on you mixed with any deceit?

وإنِّيَ لم أحْمِلْ بمدْحِكَ مَحْمَلاً

وإنِّيَ لم أحْمِلْ بمدْحِكَ مَحْمَلاً

من الإثْم ينهى عنه نُسْكٌ ولا فَتْكُ

من الإثْم ينهى عنه نُسْكٌ ولا فَتْكُ

And in praising you I have borne no burden

I did not take your praise as a burden

of sin that piety or lawless daring forbids.

Of sin forbidden by ritual purity or bloodshed.

ولا حمدَ لي في أن نَشْرك طيّبٌ

ولا حمدَ لي في أن نَشْرك طيّبٌ

ولا حمدَ للمجداحِ أنْ نفحَ المِسْكُ

ولا حمدَ للمجداحِ أنْ نفحَ المِسْكُ

Nor do I deserve praise because your fragrance is sweet,

I deserve no credit if perfume is diffused,

nor does the stirring rod deserve praise because musk wafts its scent.

Nor the censer if it spreads the musk.

بلى ربما أنصفْتَهُ فحمدْتَهُ

بلى ربما أنصفْتَهُ فحمدْتَهُ

أليس له في نَشْر أرواحِه شركُ

أليس له في نَشْر أرواحِه شركُ

Yes, perhaps you have done it justice and praised it:

But perhaps you were just to it, praising it—

does it not share in spreading the musk's fragrant breaths?

Does it not share in diffusing its spirits?

تذكَّرْ هداكَ اللَّه إنّيَ سابكٌ

تذكَّرْ هداكَ اللَّه إنّيَ سابكٌ

وأنك تبرٌ لا يُغيِّرهُ السَّبْكُ

وأنك تبرٌ لا يُغيِّرهُ السَّبْكُ

Remember—may God guide you—that I am a metal-caster,

Remember God guided you, I follow,

and you are raw gold that casting does not change.

And you are devout, unchanged by alloy.

وما لي في دُرٍّ تحلَّيْتَ عِقْدَهُ

وما لي في دُرٍّ تحلَّيْتَ عِقْدَهُ

مِنَ الصُّنْعِ إلا جوْدة النظْمِ والسلكُ

مِنَ الصُّنْعِ إلا جوْدة النظْمِ والسلكُ

And in the pearls whose necklace you wear, I claim no share

Of the pearl whose strand you adorned

in the craft except fine stringing and the thread.

With artifice, my share is just order and stringing.