أَفنى وَلَيلي لَيسَ يَفنى آخِرُه

أَفنى وَلَيلي لَيسَ يَفنى آخِرُه

هاتا مَوارِدُهُ فَأَينَ مَصادِرُه

هاتا مَوارِدُهُ فَأَينَ مَصادِرُه

I waste away, yet my night's last stretch will not end.

My youth has passed, yet my night does not end

Here are its entrances; where, then, are its exits?

Whence came its flow? Where went its source?

نامَت عُيونُ الشامِتينَ تَيَقُّناً

نامَت عُيونُ الشامِتينَ تَيَقُّناً

أَن لَيسَ يَهجَعُ وَالهُمومُ تُسامِرُه

أَن لَيسَ يَهجَعُ وَالهُمومُ تُسامِرُه

The gloaters' eyes have slept, knowing for certain

The eyes of my critics close satisfied

that he does not sleep while cares converse with him through the night.

That he will not rest though cares converse with him

أَسرَ الفِراقُ عَزائَهُ وَنَأى الَّذي

أَسرَ الفِراقُ عَزائَهُ وَنَأى الَّذي

قَد كانَ يَستَحيِيهِ إِذ يَستاسِرُه

قَد كانَ يَستَحيِيهِ إِذ يَستاسِرُه

Separation has taken his solace captive, and far away has gone the one

Parting has uncovered its sorrows and gone is he

who used to keep him alive when taking him captive.

Who once was shy to screen himself from me

لا شَيءَ ضائِرُ عاشِقٍ فَإِذا نَأى

لا شَيءَ ضائِرُ عاشِقٍ فَإِذا نَأى

عَنهُ الحَبيبُ فَكُلُّ شَيءٍ ضائِرُه

عَنهُ الحَبيبُ فَكُلُّ شَيءٍ ضائِرُه

Nothing harms a lover; but when far away goes

Nothing hurts a lover, so when the beloved

his beloved from him, then everything harms him.

Turns from him, everything hurts him

يا أَيُّهاذا السائِلي أَنا شارِحٌ

يا أَيُّهاذا السائِلي أَنا شارِحٌ

لَكَ غائِبي حَتّى كَأَنَّكَ حاضِرُه

لَكَ غائِبي حَتّى كَأَنَّكَ حاضِرُه

O you who ask me, I am explaining

O questioner, I explain my absent one until

to you my unseen circumstances, until you seem present at them.

You feel as if you are in his presence

إِنّي وَنَصراً وَالرِضا بِجِوارِهِ

إِنّي وَنَصراً وَالرِضا بِجِوارِهِ

كَالبَحرِ لا يَبغي سِواهُ مُجاوِرُه

كَالبَحرِ لا يَبغي سِواهُ مُجاوِرُه

Nasr and I, and my contentment beside him,

I and victory and acceptance of his neighbor

are like the sea and its neighbor, who seeks none but it.

Are like the sea that desires none but its neighbor

ما إِن يَخافُ الخَذلَ مِن أَيّامِهِ

ما إِن يَخافُ الخَذلَ مِن أَيّامِهِ

أَحَدٌ تَيَقَّنَ أَنَّ نَصراً ناصِرُه

أَحَدٌ تَيَقَّنَ أَنَّ نَصراً ناصِرُه

There is no fear of abandonment at the hands of his days

None who is sure of Nasr as his supporter

for anyone certain that Nasr is his supporter.

Fears any betrayal from his days

يَفدي أَبا العَبّاسِ مَن لَم يَفدِهِ

يَفدي أَبا العَبّاسِ مَن لَم يَفدِهِ

مِن لائِميهِ جِذمُهُ وَعَناصِرُه

مِن لائِميهِ جِذمُهُ وَعَناصِرُه

May Abu al-Abbas be ransomed by one not himself ransomed

Abu Al-Abbas’ constitution and pillars

from his reproachers by his stock and ancestry.

Would ransom those who do not ransom him

مُستَنفِرٌ لِلمادِحينَ كَأَنَّما

مُستَنفِرٌ لِلمادِحينَ كَأَنَّما

آتيهِ يَمدَحُهُ أَتاهُ يُفاخِرُه

آتيهِ يَمدَحُهُ أَتاهُ يُفاخِرُه

He frightens off those who praise him, as though

Inciting panegyrists as though he comes

one coming to praise him had come to vie with him in glory.

To eulogize him but finds him vying

ماذا تَرى فيمَن رَآكَ لِمَدحِهِ

ماذا تَرى فيمَن رَآكَ لِمَدحِهِ

أَهلاً وَصارَت في يَدَيكَ مَصايِرُه

أَهلاً وَصارَت في يَدَيكَ مَصايِرُه

What do you think of one who deemed you, for his praise,

What do you think of one who saw you eulogizing him

worthy, and whose fortunes have come into your hands?

As worthy and put his fate in your hands?

قَد كابَرَ الأَحداثَ حَتّى كَذَّبَت

قَد كابَرَ الأَحداثَ حَتّى كَذَّبَت

عَنهُ وَلَكِنَّ القَضاءَ يُكابِرُه

عَنهُ وَلَكِنَّ القَضاءَ يُكابِرُه

He has defied calamities until they recoiled

He resisted events until they denied

from him; but fate defies him.

Him, but destiny insists on overcoming him

مُر دَهرَهُ بِالكَفِّ عَن جَنَباتِهِ

مُر دَهرَهُ بِالكَفِّ عَن جَنَباتِهِ

فَالدَهرُ يَفعَلُ صاغِراً ما تامُرُه

فَالدَهرُ يَفعَلُ صاغِراً ما تامُرُه

Order his Time to keep away from his flanks;

Rein in the nights of his epoch with your palm

for Time, abased, does whatever you command it.

For time acts submissive to your command

لا تَنسَ مَن لَم يَنسَ مَدحَكَ وَالمُنى

لا تَنسَ مَن لَم يَنسَ مَدحَكَ وَالمُنى

تَحتَ الدُجى يَزعُمنَ أَنَّكَ ذاكِرُه

تَحتَ الدُجى يَزعُمنَ أَنَّكَ ذاكِرُه

Do not forget one who has not forgotten to praise you, while hopes

Do not forget one who did not forget your praise

beneath the darkness claim that you remember him.

And hopes under cover of darkness you remember him

اُبكُر فَقَد بَكَرَت عَلَيكَ بِمَدحِهِ

اُبكُر فَقَد بَكَرَت عَلَيكَ بِمَدحِهِ

غُرَرُ القَصائِدِ خَيرُ أَمرٍ باكِرُه

غُرَرُ القَصائِدِ خَيرُ أَمرٍ باكِرُه

Act early: already, with his praise, there have come early to you

Rise early, for the choicest lyrics have risen early

the choicest poems; the best of any undertaking is its early part.

To praise you; the earliest matter is the best

لاقاكَ أَوَّلُهُ بِأَوَّلِ شِعرِهِ

لاقاكَ أَوَّلُهُ بِأَوَّلِ شِعرِهِ

فَأَهِب بِأَوَّلِهِ يَكُن لَكَ آخِرُه

فَأَهِب بِأَوَّلِهِ يَكُن لَكَ آخِرُه

His beginning met you with the beginning of his verse;

The first of his poetry meets you, so begin

so spur on his beginning, and his end will be yours.

With its beginning that its end may be yours

لا شَيءَ أَحسَنُ مِن ثَنائِيَ سائِراً

لا شَيءَ أَحسَنُ مِن ثَنائِيَ سائِراً

وَنَداكَ في أُفقِ البِلادِ يُسايِرُه

وَنَداكَ في أُفقِ البِلادِ يُسايِرُه

Nothing is lovelier than my praise journeying forth,

Nothing is finer than my poetry circulating

and your bounty keeping pace with it along the horizon of the lands.

And your echo through the horizons accompanying it

وَإِذا الفَتى المَأمولُ أَنجَحَ عَقلَهُ

وَإِذا الفَتى المَأمولُ أَنجَحَ عَقلَهُ

في نَفسِهِ وَنَداهُ أَنجَحَ شاعِرُه

في نَفسِهِ وَنَداهُ أَنجَحَ شاعِرُه

And when the youth in whom hope is placed makes his reason effective

When the hoped-for youth has perfected his reason

in himself, and his bounty too, his poet prospers.

In himself and his call, his poet has perfected it