سل الليل عن أفلاكه هل جرت سدى

سل الليل عن أفلاكه هل جرت سدى

وهيهات ما يجرين إلا إلى مدى

وهيهات ما يجرين إلا إلى مدى

Ask the night about its spheres: have they coursed in vain?

Ask the night about its cycles, do they flow in vain?

Far from it! They course only toward an end.

Never, they flow only to an appointed time.

تنظَّمن في هام الفضاء وصدره

تنظَّمن في هام الفضاء وصدره

وحلينه فرقا وزنّ المقلدا

وحلينه فرقا وزنّ المقلدا

They arrayed themselves on the crowns of space and upon its breast,

They are arranged in the expanse of space and its breast,

And adorned its hair-parting and graced its neck.

And orbit in order, adorned.

ولحنٌ به للقارئين قصيدة

ولحنٌ به للقارئين قصيدة

من الحكمة العلياء لم ترض منشدا

من الحكمة العلياء لم ترض منشدا

And in it is a melody, a poem for those who read,

There is in them a melody for readers, a poem

Of loftiest wisdom, which has accepted no reciter.

Of sublime wisdom no singer could satisfy.

تسيل بها نورا خلال كتابه

تسيل بها نورا خلال كتابه

وتجرى حواشيه لجينا وعسجدا

وتجرى حواشيه لجينا وعسجدا

Through it, wisdom streams as light throughout the night’s book,

It sheds through it a light across His book

And its margins run with silver and gold.

And its margins flow to us effortlessly.

سماءَ الدجى حركت ساكن خاطري

سماءَ الدجى حركت ساكن خاطري

فهيجي بنات الشعر فيه لتسعِدا

فهيجي بنات الشعر فيه لتسعِدا

O sky of night, you have stirred what lay still in my mind;

The night sky stirred the stillness of my thoughts

So rouse poetry’s daughters within it, that they may bring joy.

So it roused the daughters of poetry in me to happiness.

تبدّدت الظلماء والشهب قبلها

تبدّدت الظلماء والشهب قبلها

وشمل همومي ما يريد تبدّدا

وشمل همومي ما يريد تبدّدا

The darkness has dispersed, and the stars before it,

The darkness dispersed, and the meteors before it,

Yet my gathered cares refuse to disperse.

And my worries were shrouded in dispersal.

فيا ندمائي الظلماء والشهب قبلها

فيا ندمائي الظلماء والشهب قبلها

أرى الجام مهتزا بها متوقدا

أرى الجام مهتزا بها متوقدا

So, O my drinking companions—the darkness, and the stars before it—

So my regrets are the darkness and meteors past,

I see the goblet quivering with it, ablaze.

I see the cup shaking, ignited by them.

ولا تشفقوا بي من ضلال فإنما

ولا تشفقوا بي من ضلال فإنما

إلى ضِلتي في شربها ينتهى الهدى

إلى ضِلتي في شربها ينتهى الهدى

And do not fear for me lest I stray, for only

Have no pity for me in my misguidance, for

In my straying as I drink it does guidance reach its end.

The right way ends in my misguidance in drinking it.

لقد نهلت كفى وعلت بكأسها

لقد نهلت كفى وعلت بكأسها

مرارا وصدرى لا يُبلّ له صدى

مرارا وصدرى لا يُبلّ له صدى

Indeed, my hand has drunk once and again from its cup,

I have ladled it in my palm and, with its cup,

Many times, yet my breast’s thirst is not quenched.

Repeatedly risen, though my breast echoes it not.

وما قصِّرت بنت الكروم وإنما

وما قصِّرت بنت الكروم وإنما

مددتم بها الأيدي ومدّ الأسى يدا

مددتم بها الأيدي ومدّ الأسى يدا

The daughter of the vines has not fallen short; rather,

The daughter of the vine fell short not,

You stretched out your hands with it, and sorrow stretched out a hand.

Rather, you extended hands, and sorrow extended hands.

ولست امرأ ترقى الهموم لصدره

ولست امرأ ترقى الهموم لصدره

ولكنها نفس تحاول مقصدا

ولكنها نفس تحاول مقصدا

Nor am I a man to whose breast cares climb;

I am no man whom worries ascend to his breast,

But it is a soul striving for a goal.

But a soul attempting an aim.

أضيق بها حينا وطورا تضيق بي

أضيق بها حينا وطورا تضيق بي

كما عالج الغمد الحسام المهندا

كما عالج الغمد الحسام المهندا

At times I chafe at it; at others it chafes at me,

I am straitened by it a while, and it straitened by me,

As the sheath struggles with the keen, Indian-forged sword.

As the scabbard treats the sharpened sword.

وأشقى بها هما وأعيا مطالبا

وأشقى بها هما وأعيا مطالبا

وأتعب فيها بالمحبين حسدا

وأتعب فيها بالمحبين حسدا

And through it I suffer anxiety and grow weary in pursuit,

And I struggle with it in worry and tire in demands,

And over it I am wearied by the envy of those who love me.

And in it I fatigue lovers in envy.

ومن يك قد ذم الأعادي فإنني

ومن يك قد ذم الأعادي فإنني

لدائي من الأحباب لا أظلم العدى

لدائي من الأحباب لا أظلم العدى

And whoever may have condemned his enemies—as for me,

And whoever blames enemies, I do not wrong friends

Since my ailment comes from loved ones, I do not wrong my foes.

For my affliction from loved ones.

وما كنت من يرجوهم لمهمة

وما كنت من يرجوهم لمهمة

ولكنما استقضيت حقا مؤكدا

ولكنما استقضيت حقا مؤكدا

Nor was I one to look to them for help in a task;

I was not one hoping them for a task,

But I only sought fulfillment of a firmly established right.

But I demanded a right made clear.

وما مال ذو حق وإن جل حقه

وما مال ذو حق وإن جل حقه

إلى الحقد إلا ضيع الحق واعتدى

إلى الحقد إلا ضيع الحق واعتدى

And no one with a rightful claim, however great that claim, turns

No man of right, though mighty his right,

To rancor without squandering his right and transgressing.

Inclines to hatred but loses right and transgresses.

ولو شئت جاءتني المعالي مطيعة

ولو شئت جاءتني المعالي مطيعة

ولكن وجدت الصبر أعذب موردا

ولكن وجدت الصبر أعذب موردا

And had I wished, high honors would have come obediently to me,

If I wished, high places would come obedient to me,

But I found patience a sweeter wellspring.

But I found patience a sweeter draught.

أرى الصدق ملكا والرياء عبودة

أرى الصدق ملكا والرياء عبودة

وإن كان ملكا للكثير وسؤددا

وإن كان ملكا للكثير وسؤددا

I see truthfulness as sovereignty and hypocrisy as servitude,

I see truth as a kingdom and hypocrisy as servitude,

Even though for many it is sovereignty and eminence.

Though to many a kingdom and misery.

وأعلم أن اليوم بالأمس لاحق

وأعلم أن اليوم بالأمس لاحق

وأن لعباس وللأمة الغدا

وأن لعباس وللأمة الغدا

And I know that today will join yesterday,

I know today runs after yesterday

And that tomorrow belongs to Abbas and the nation.

And tomorrow belongs to Abbas and the nation.