لله أيامي بكم

لله أيامي بكم

لو لم تعاجلها السآمهُ

لو لم تعاجلها السآمهُ

By God, how blessed were my days with you,

How splendid, by God, were my days with you,

had weariness not overtaken them so soon.

had weariness not overtaken them so soon!

صدرت لحين ورودها

صدرت لحين ورودها

فكأنها كانت منامه

فكأنها كانت منامه

No sooner did they arrive than they departed,

They departed at the very moment they arrived,

as though they had been a dream.

as though they had been a dream.

هي كالحياة فقدتها

هي كالحياة فقدتها

فلقيتُ أهوال القيامه

فلقيتُ أهوال القيامه

Those days were like life itself: I lost them,

They were like life itself; I lost them,

and met the terrors of Resurrection.

and faced the terrors of Resurrection.

مال العيش بعدك صالحاً

مال العيش بعدك صالحاً

يابن المعز ولاكرامه

يابن المعز ولاكرامه

Nothing in life after you is good,

Life is no good after you,

O son of al-Muʿizz, nor has it any honor.

O son of al-Muʿizz—no, not at all.

يا سيدي ولديَّ ودٌّ

يا سيدي ولديَّ ودٌّ

قد تحققت التزامه

قد تحققت التزامه

My lord, I bear an affection

O my lord, I bear a love

whose constancy has proved true.

whose constancy you have ascertained.

إن النوى لم تنتقص

إن النوى لم تنتقص

مما عهدت ولا قلامه

مما عهدت ولا قلامه

Distance has not diminished

Indeed, separation has taken nothing away

anything you knew of it—not a nail-paring’s worth.

from what you knew—not even a nail-paring.

أنى تخونُ مودةٌ

أنى تخونُ مودةٌ

كانت لها التقوى دعامه

كانت لها التقوى دعامه

How could an affection prove false

How could a love prove faithless

when piety was its support?

when piety was its pillar?

ولقد نظمتُ على النوى

ولقد نظمتُ على النوى

شعراً فلم أحمد نِظَامه

شعراً فلم أحمد نِظَامه

Though far away, I have composed

And indeed, in separation I composed

verse whose ordering I cannot praise.

verse, yet did not admire its composition.

ويقلُ ذاك لحاضر

ويقلُ ذاك لحاضر

رام التبيُّن حين رامه

رام التبيُّن حين رامه

Yet even this is little for a poet with ready words

And that is little for one present

who seeks clarity whenever he wills.

who sought understanding when he attempted it,

في موقف لا ابن العميد

في موقف لا ابن العميد

يفوه فيه ولا قُدامه

يفوه فيه ولا قُدامه

At a station where not even Ibn al-ʿAmīd

in a setting where neither Ibn al-ʿAmīd

nor Qudāmah could utter a word.

can speak there, nor Qudāma.

حزتَ العلوم فلم تدع

حزتَ العلوم فلم تدع

فيها على نور كمامه

فيها على نور كمامه

You mastered all the sciences, leaving

You mastered the sciences and left no

no veil drawn over their light.

sheath over any blossom within them.

وزريتَ في شاوِ السَّماح

وزريتَ في شاوِ السَّماح

على علا كعب بن مامه

على علا كعب بن مامه

In the furthest reach of generosity, you surpassed

And in generosity’s race you eclipsed

even the lofty Kaʿb ibn Māmah.

the eminence of Kaʿb ibn Māma.

فاخلُد فإن الفضلَ ما

فاخلُد فإن الفضلَ ما

خُلِّدَتَ مرفوع الظُلامة

خُلِّدَتَ مرفوع الظُلامة

Live long—for virtue, as long as

So live forever, for excellence, so long as

you live, stands with its grievance lifted.

you endure, is freed from injustice.

وتوقَّ مكروه الزَّمان

وتوقَّ مكروه الزَّمان

من العلا بأجنٍّ لامه

من العلا بأجنٍّ لامه

And guard against the malice of time

And shield yourself from the harms of time

with loftiness as your most sheltering armor.

with glory’s most protective armor.

وقد ندمتُ على الفراق

وقد ندمتُ على الفراق

وغايتي فيه النَّدامه

وغايتي فيه النَّدامه

I have regretted the parting,

And I have regretted parting,

and its only end for me is regret.

and regret is its final outcome for me.

إن بنتم فَوِدَادُكُم

إن بنتم فَوِدَادُكُم

حسنُ الوسامة والقَسامه

حسنُ الوسامة والقَسامه

If you depart, your affection remains

If you depart, then your affection

beautiful in comeliness and grace.

is handsome and fair of face.

سيَّان قربك والنَّوى

سيَّان قربك والنَّوى

في خاطري لهما المقامه

في خاطري لهما المقامه

Your nearness and distance are alike:

Your nearness and separation are alike

both have their dwelling in my thoughts.

in my thoughts; both hold the same place.

فإذا دنوت فمرحباً

فإذا دنوت فمرحباً

وإذا نأيت فبالسَّلامه

وإذا نأيت فبالسَّلامه

When you draw near, welcome;

So if you draw near, welcome!

and when you go far, go in safety.

And if you go far, may you go safely.

ثم السّلام عليك ما

ثم السّلام عليك ما

غنَّت على فَنَنٍ حمامه

غنَّت على فَنَنٍ حمامه

Then peace be upon you, for as long as

Then peace be upon you, so long as

a dove sings upon a bough.

a dove sings upon a bough.