قد سمعنا مقاله واعتذاره

قد سمعنا مقاله واعتذاره

وأقلناه ذنبه وعثاره

وأقلناه ذنبه وعثاره

We have heard his words and his apology,

We have heard his words and his apology,

and forgiven him his sin and his stumbling.

And we told him of his fault and disgrace,

والمعاني لمن عنيت ولكن

والمعاني لمن عنيت ولكن

بك عرضت فاسمعي يا جاره

بك عرضت فاسمعي يا جاره

The meanings concern the one I intended, yet

Though the meanings were for she whom I meant,

through you I spoke obliquely—so listen, neighbor.

Through you I have presented, so listen, O neighbor:

من مراديه أنه أبد الده

من مراديه أنه أبد الده

ر تراه محللاً أزراره

ر تراه محللاً أزراره

One of his whims is that, for all time,

That he always unveils his secrets,

you see him with his buttons undone,

You will find him loosening his buttons,

عالم أنه عذاب من الل

عالم أنه عذاب من الل

ه مباح لأعين النظارة

ه مباح لأعين النظارة

knowing that he is a torment from God,

Knowing that it is a punishment from God,

freely offered to the eyes of onlookers.

Permissible for peering eyes to see,

هتك الله ستره فلكم هت

هتك الله ستره فلكم هت

ك من ذي تستر أستاره

ك من ذي تستر أستاره

May God tear away his veil! How often he has torn

God exposed his cover, so for you was exposed,

the veils of one who keeps himself concealed.

One who covers his curtains,

سحرتني ألحاظه وكذا ك

سحرتني ألحاظه وكذا ك

ل مليح لحاظه سحاره

ل مليح لحاظه سحاره

His glances bewitched me; likewise, every

His glances enchanted me, as well as

beautiful one's glances are spellbinding.

Every handsome glance is enchanting,

وما على مؤثر التباعد والإع

وما على مؤثر التباعد والإع

راض لو آثر الرضى والزياره

راض لو آثر الرضى والزياره

What harm to one who prefers distance and aversion,

And it is not upon the one who prefers distance and aversion,

if he chose goodwill and a visit?

If he had chosen consent and visitation,

وعلى أنني وإن كان قد عذ

وعلى أنني وإن كان قد عذ

ب بالهجر مؤثر إيثاره

ب بالهجر مؤثر إيثاره

And I, though he has indeed tormented me

And that even though he has been hurt,

with estrangement, favor what he favors.

By separation, preferring his avoidance,

لم أزل لا عدمته من حبيب

لم أزل لا عدمته من حبيب

أشتهي قربه وآبى نفاره

أشتهي قربه وآبى نفاره

I have never ceased—may I never lose such a beloved—

I have not ceased, missing him,

to desire his nearness and refuse his aversion.

To yearn for his nearness, though he refuses intimacy

لم يدع للعزيز في سائر الأر

لم يدع للعزيز في سائر الأر

ض عدواً إلا وأخمد ناره

ض عدواً إلا وأخمد ناره

For al-Aziz, throughout the whole earth, he left

He has left no enemy in all the land,

no enemy whose fire he had not quenched.

Without extinguishing their fire,

فلهذا اجتباه دون سواه

فلهذا اجتباه دون سواه

واصطفاه لنفسه واختاره

واصطفاه لنفسه واختاره

Thus he chose him rather than anyone else,

For this he was chosen above all others,

and singled him out for himself and selected him.

And selected for Himself and preferred,

لم تشيد له الوزارة مجداً

لم تشيد له الوزارة مجداً

لا ولا قيل رفعت مقداره

لا ولا قيل رفعت مقداره

The vizierate did not build his glory;

No ministry was established with glory for him,

no, nor was it said to have raised his standing.

Without it being said he raised its prestige,

بل كساها وقد تخرمها الده

بل كساها وقد تخرمها الده

ر جلالاً وبهجةً ونضاره

ر جلالاً وبهجةً ونضاره

Rather, though time had ravaged it, he clothed it

Rather he clothed it, though corroded by time,

in majesty, splendor, and freshness.

With majesty, radiance and youth,

كل يوم له علىنوب الده

كل يوم له علىنوب الده

ر وكر الخطوب بالبذل غاره

ر وكر الخطوب بالبذل غاره

Each day, against the vicissitudes of time

Every day he has raids upon the enemies,

and calamities' assaults, he mounts a raid with generosity.

And cave dwellings with open-handed giving,

ذو يد شأنها الفرار من البخ

ذو يد شأنها الفرار من البخ

ل وفي حومة الوغى كراره

ل وفي حومة الوغى كراره

He has a hand whose way is to flee from miserliness

With a hand whose nature is to flee stinginess,

and to charge repeatedly in the thick of battle.

And in the heat of battle, its caverns,

هي فلت عن العزيز عداه

هي فلت عن العزيز عداه

بالعطايا وكثرت أنصاره

بالعطايا وكثرت أنصاره

It drove his foes away from al-Aziz

It slipped away from the dear one's enemies,

with gifts, and multiplied his supporters.

With gifts, and his supporters multiplied,

هكذا كل فاضل يده تم

هكذا كل فاضل يده تم

سي وتضحي نفاعة ضراره

سي وتضحي نفاعة ضراره

So it is with every worthy man: his hand, at evening

Thus every noble person’s hand

and in the morning, brings great benefit and great harm.

Strikes and sacrifices the harm of his troubles,

فاستجره فليس يأمن إلا

فاستجره فليس يأمن إلا

من تفيا بظله واستجاره

من تفيا بظله واستجاره

So seek his protection, for none is safe except

So employ him, for none feels safe,

one who shelters in his shade and seeks his protection.

Except those who take refuge in his shade and protection,

فإذا ما رأيته مطرقاً يع

فإذا ما رأيته مطرقاً يع

مل فيما يريده أفكاره

مل فيما يريده أفكاره

And whenever you see him with his head bowed, setting

And when you see him pensive, working

his thoughts to work on what he intends,

On what his thoughts desire,

لم يدع بالذكاء والذهن شيئاً

لم يدع بالذكاء والذهن شيئاً

في ضمير الغيوب إلا أناره

في ضمير الغيوب إلا أناره

with intelligence and acumen he leaves nothing

He leaves nothing in the unseen's conscience,

in the secret depths of the unseen without bringing it to light.

That he does not illuminate with his intellect,

لا ولا موضعاً من الأرض إلا

لا ولا موضعاً من الأرض إلا

كان بالرأي مدركاً أقطاره

كان بالرأي مدركاً أقطاره

No, nor any place on earth

Nor any place on earth,

whose bounds he has not grasped through judgment.

That he does not comprehend its reaches through reason,

زاده الله بسطة وكفاه

زاده الله بسطة وكفاه

خوفه من زمانه وحذاره

خوفه من زمانه وحذاره

May God increase his abundance and spare him

May God increase his breadth and suffice him,

his fear of his times and his apprehension.

Fear for his time and caution,