يودّ من الأرواح ما لا تودّه

يودّ من الأرواح ما لا تودّه

ويفتك فيها مسرفا وهي جنده

ويفتك فيها مسرفا وهي جنده

He desires from souls what they do not desire,

He seeks from souls what they do not seek,

And deals death among them without restraint, though they are his troops.

And wrongs them excessively though they are his soldiers.

نمير تواليه المحاسن ورَّدا

نمير تواليه المحاسن ورَّدا

وتنهل منه النفس لو راق وِرده

وتنهل منه النفس لو راق وِرده

A limpid spring, to which graces flock as drinkers,

The succession of his virtues is endless,

And the soul would drink deep from it, were its watering-place inviting.

And the self drinks from him were his river sweet.

خذوه بنفسي إنه هو قاتلي

خذوه بنفسي إنه هو قاتلي

ولا تقتلوه إنني أنا عبده

ولا تقتلوه إنني أنا عبده

Seize him in requital for my life: he is indeed my killer;

Take me in my soul's place, for he is my killer,

And do not kill him, for I myself am his servant.

And do not kill him, for I am his servant.

ولا تسألوه ما ذنوبي واسألوا

ولا تسألوه ما ذنوبي واسألوا

قبول متابي قبل ذنب أعدّه

قبول متابي قبل ذنب أعدّه

And do not ask him what my sins are; ask instead

Do not ask him my sins, but ask

That he accept my repentance before a sin I am preparing.

For acceptance of my repentance before the sin he prepares.

ولا تذكروني عنده بشفاعة

ولا تذكروني عنده بشفاعة

فإن شفيع الواجد الصب وجده

فإن شفيع الواجد الصب وجده

And do not mention me before him by way of intercession;

Do not mention me to him with intercession,

For the yearning, lovesick lover's intercessor is his passion.

For the intercessor of the lover is his passion and fervor.

لحاني الذي لم يعرف السهد جفنه

لحاني الذي لم يعرف السهد جفنه

ولم تدر تقليب المضاجع كبده

ولم تدر تقليب المضاجع كبده

He whose eyelid has never known sleeplessness reproached me,

My eyelids were deprived of sleep by the one who knew no rest,

And whose liver has never known tossing in bed.

And my liver did not know the tossing of beds.

وقاطعني من كنت أرجو وفاءه

وقاطعني من كنت أرجو وفاءه

وأين أخو الود الذي دام وده

وأين أخو الود الذي دام وده

And the one whose faithfulness I hoped for cut me off;

He cut me off, though I hoped for his loyalty,

And where is the loving friend whose love has endured?

And where is the brotherly love that lasted his amity?

فيا مدنيَ العذال ماشاء عِطفه

فيا مدنيَ العذال ماشاء عِطفه

ويا مقصى العشاق ما شاء صده

ويا مقصى العشاق ما شاء صده

So, O one who draws reproachers as close as his inclination wills,

O you who reproached me, whatever your compassion dictates,

And O one who drives lovers as far away as his rejection wills!

And O you who ignored my passion, whatever your rejection dictates.

أيُمنح منك القرب من سار ذمه

أيُمنح منك القرب من سار ذمه

ويمنع منك اللفظ من سار حمده

ويمنع منك اللفظ من سار حمده

Is nearness to you granted to one whose censure has spread,

Is intimacy granted to one of blemished reputation,

While one whose praise has spread is denied a word from you?

And is conversation denied to one of praised repute?

ويأوي لظل من سواك رجاؤه

ويأوي لظل من سواك رجاؤه

ويعتنق الحرمان من أنت قصده

ويعتنق الحرمان من أنت قصده

And does one whose hope rests on another than you find shelter in shade,

Does he seek the shade of others though you are his hope,

While one whose goal is you embraces deprivation?

And embrace deprivation though you are his quest?

أعوذ بعيد الملك من أن يمرّ بي

أعوذ بعيد الملك من أن يمرّ بي

فلا يلتقي بي في غرامك سعده

فلا يلتقي بي في غرامك سعده

I seek refuge in the king's festival, lest it pass me by

I seek refuge in the Master, far exalted, that he pass me by

Without its good fortune meeting me in my love for you.

And not meet me in my love for you and your good fortunes.

فتى تشرق الدنيا إذا ذكر اسمه

فتى تشرق الدنيا إذا ذكر اسمه

ويهتز اشياخ الزمان ومرده

ويهتز اشياخ الزمان ومرده

A youth whose name, when spoken, makes the world shine,

A youth whose name illuminates the world when spoken

And the elders of the age and its beardless youths are stirred.

And time's elders tremble and quake.

إذا ما الليالي نمن لم يغف حزمه

إذا ما الليالي نمن لم يغف حزمه

وفوق سهاد الدهر في الخطب سهده

وفوق سهاد الدهر في الخطب سهده

Whenever the nights fall asleep, his resolve does not doze,

When the nights sleep, his resolve does not rest,

And in calamity his sleeplessness surpasses the sleeplessness of Time.

And above the cushions of fate, wakeful is his cushion.

وإن يرتجل وعدا وفي الليل هجعه

وإن يرتجل وعدا وفي الليل هجعه

تجلى على الصدق الصباح ووعده

تجلى على الصدق الصباح ووعده

And if he makes a promise offhand while he slumbers at night,

If he pledges a promise in the night, in his bedclothes,

Morning and his promise shine forth in truth.

Truth's morning shone, fulfilling his pledge.

فتى النيل أضحى عصمة بك ملكه

فتى النيل أضحى عصمة بك ملكه

وكان سلاما في يمينك عهده

وكان سلاما في يمينك عهده

O youth of the Nile, through you its kingdom has become a safeguard,

A youth by whom your kingdom became protected, Nile,

And its covenant has been peace in your right hand.

And well-being was in your hand, his covenant.

وشعب أطاش الدهر ثابت جأشه

وشعب أطاش الدهر ثابت جأشه

فخار فلما جئته جاء رشده

فخار فلما جئته جاء رشده

And a people whose steadfast courage Time had shaken

A people whom fate made waver, their valor broken,

Faltered; then, when you came to them, their good sense returned.

Became honorable when you came, following your guidance.

فلو أن حالا دام لم ينقض الأسى

فلو أن حالا دام لم ينقض الأسى

ولكنها الأيام حال وضده

ولكنها الأيام حال وضده

For if any state endured, sorrow would never cease;

If only a condition remained without changing, and grief concluded,

But such are the days: a state and its opposite.

But conditions change, as do their opposites.