أَتَحسَبُني باكَرتُ بَعدَكَ لَذَّةً

أَتَحسَبُني باكَرتُ بَعدَكَ لَذَّةً

أَبا الفَضلِ أَو رَفَّعتُ عَن عاتِقٍ خِدرا

أَبا الفَضلِ أَو رَفَّعتُ عَن عاتِقٍ خِدرا

Do you think I sought pleasure at dawn after you,

Do you think that after you I found delight,

Do you imagine I hastened to some pleasure in your absence,

O Abu al-Fadl, or lifted the curtain from a maiden,

Oh Abu al-Fadl, or lifted off my shoulder a burden,

O Abu al-Fadl, or bared a shoulder from its draping veil?

أَوِ انتَفَعَت عَيني بِغابِرِ نَظرَةٍ

أَوِ انتَفَعَت عَيني بِغابِرِ نَظرَةٍ

أَوَ اثبَتُّ في كَأسٍ لِأَشرَبَها ثَغرا

أَوَ اثبَتُّ في كَأسٍ لِأَشرَبَها ثَغرا

or that my eye enjoyed a lingering glance,

Or that my eyes benefited from a fleeting glance,

Or that my eye derived delight from any passing glance,

or that I set my mouth to a cup to drink it?

Or that I stood firmly to drink from a cup?

Or that I pressed my lips upon a wine-cup's rim to drink?

جَفاني إِذَن يَوماً إِلى اللَيلِ سَيِّدي

جَفاني إِذَن يَوماً إِلى اللَيلِ سَيِّدي

وَأَضحَت يَميني مِن مَواعيدِهِ صِفرا

وَأَضحَت يَميني مِن مَواعيدِهِ صِفرا

Then may my lord shun me all day until night,

So the days have left me dry until night, my master,

If so, may my master shun me from the daylight to the dark,

and may my right hand become empty of his promises.

And my right hand is empty of its promises,

And may my right hand remain empty of his promised boons.

وَلَكِنَّني استَشعَرتُ ثَوبَ استِكانَةٍ

وَلَكِنَّني استَشعَرتُ ثَوبَ استِكانَةٍ

فَبُتُّ وَكَفُّ المَوتِ تَحفِرُ لي قَبرا

فَبُتُّ وَكَفُّ المَوتِ تَحفِرُ لي قَبرا

But I donned a robe of submission next to my skin,

But I donned the garment of resignation,

Nay, rather I have donned the inner garment of humility,

so I spent the night while Death's hand dug a grave for me.

So I pass the night and the grip of death digs for me a grave.

And passed the night while Death’s own hand dug out my grave.

وَحُقَّ لِمَن أَصفَيتُهُ الوِدَّ كُلَّهُ

وَحُقَّ لِمَن أَصفَيتُهُ الوِدَّ كُلَّهُ

وَأَثبَتُّ في عالي المَحَلِّ لَهُ ذِكرا

وَأَثبَتُّ في عالي المَحَلِّ لَهُ ذِكرا

And it is right for him to whom I gave all my love,

It is right for someone in whom I placed all love

For it is fitting for the one to whom I pledged pure love entire,

and for whom I established renown in a lofty station,

And made enduring in the highest place a memory,

And whose renown I anchored firmly in the highest station,

بِأَن لا يَرى إِلّا لِأَمرِكَ طاعَةً

بِأَن لا يَرى إِلّا لِأَمرِكَ طاعَةً

وَأَن يَكسُوَ اللَذّاتِ إِذ عِفتَها هُجرا

وَأَن يَكسُوَ اللَذّاتِ إِذ عِفتَها هُجرا

to see obedience to your command alone,

That he sees nothing but obedience to your command

To see no course but strict obedience to your command,

and to cloak pleasures in abuse, since you loathed them.

And that he shun pleasures when you spurned them.

And to clothe all pleasures in estrangement, since you scorned them.