حَل الرِحاب نَزيل ساقَه شَغف

حَل الرِحاب نَزيل ساقَه شَغف

لِلثم راحات مَولى خَص بِالهِمم

لِلثم راحات مَولى خَص بِالهِمم

A guest alighted in the spacious courts, driven by passionate longing,

The dweller of spacious meadows set forth with yearning

to kiss the palms of a lord distinguished by lofty resolve.

To kiss the palms of my Master who singled me out with determination

وَجِئتَ وَالشَوقُ وافى نَحوَ سدته

وَجِئتَ وَالشَوقُ وافى نَحوَ سدته

وَفي يَقيني أَن أَلقى أَخا شيم

وَفي يَقيني أَن أَلقى أَخا شيم

And you came, as longing drew near his threshold,

And you came while yearning moved towards its goal

while I was certain I would meet a man of noble traits.

And in my conviction, I will meet a brother of noble traits

فَتهت كَالنونِ في بَحر لَهُ ثَبج

فَتهت كَالنونِ في بَحر لَهُ ثَبج

مُذهزنى لاعج مِن صَدرى الضَرم

مُذهزنى لاعج مِن صَدرى الضَرم

So I wandered like a fish in a sea of swelling waves,

So I wandered like a 'nun' in an ocean that has swelling waves

a searing pang from my blazing breast [bewildering me].

That shook out from my chest concealed agonies

وَاِن حَظى عَقيل بِالكول وَلى

وَاِن حَظى عَقيل بِالكول وَلى

نَجم اِذا قُلتُ دم يا نَجم لَم يَدُم

نَجم اِذا قُلتُ دم يا نَجم لَم يَدُم

And my fortune is fettered by [an unclear term], and I have

And if the day is blessed with ease and comfort

a star that, when I say, 'Stay, O star,' does not stay.

A star whose light fades when I say: O star! Does not last

وَاللَهُ لَو اِن لي بِالشَملِ طائِلَة

وَاللَهُ لَو اِن لي بِالشَملِ طائِلَة

لَما فَعُدت عَصيب الكَف وَالقِدَم

لَما فَعُدت عَصيب الكَف وَالقِدَم

By God, if I had any power to reunite,

By God! If I had the means to reunite

I would not then have returned, bound hand and foot.

I would not have been with cracked palms and feet

ثبت يَدا سائِق الاِظعان ما رَسَمَت

ثبت يَدا سائِق الاِظعان ما رَسَمَت

يَداهُ لِلعيس سير الاِينق الرَسم

يَداهُ لِلعيس سير الاِينق الرَسم

The caravan-driver's two hands stood firm; what was prescribed

Keep steady the hands of the driver of sighs, what

by his hands for the pale camels was the gait of swift she-camels.

His hands sketched as provisions for the army's march

باحَت لَيالي النَوى بِالوَجد وَهُوَ عَلى

باحَت لَيالي النَوى بِالوَجد وَهُوَ عَلى

ضَعفي كَتَمت لَظاه أَي مُكتتم

ضَعفي كَتَمت لَظاه أَي مُكتتم

The nights of separation betrayed my longing, though despite

The nights of pining cried out with ecstasy while he

my weakness I had kept its blaze utterly hidden.

In my weakness concealed its flames, oh what a concealer!

مَولاى لي مِن بَسيط العَفو وافِره

مَولاى لي مِن بَسيط العَفو وافِره

وَأَفضَل العَتب ما يُبنى عَلى العشم

وَأَفضَل العَتب ما يُبنى عَلى العشم

My lord, let me have an ample share of your generous pardon;

My Master, for me from the vast plain of pardon its ample part

and the best reproach is founded on hopeful trust.

And the best reprimand is that built on hope

رَبَطت بِالتيهِ أَمراسى بِلا سَبب

رَبَطت بِالتيهِ أَمراسى بِلا سَبب

وَكانَ عَهدي مَديد الفَضل وَالكَرَم

وَكانَ عَهدي مَديد الفَضل وَالكَرَم

You tied my mooring ropes to bewilderment without cause,

I tied myself to bewilderment without reason

though I had known your abundant favor and generosity.

While my habit was of lasting grace and generosity

عَجِبتُ اِذ يُزدَرى المَولى بِتابِعِه

عَجِبتُ اِذ يُزدَرى المَولى بِتابِعِه

وَيُعلِن الصَد لِلمَحسوب في القَدم

وَيُعلِن الصَد لِلمَحسوب في القَدم

I marvelled when the lord was scorned by his follower,

I was surprised when the Master was spurned by his follower

and openly rebuffed one long counted among his own.

And coldness was openly declared to one considered close

تَؤم مزن الوَفا أَم الرِضا فَتَسقى

تَؤم مزن الوَفا أَم الرِضا فَتَسقى

عَطشى وَوَردِكَ صافى الماء لِلامم

عَطشى وَوَردِكَ صافى الماء لِلامم

You seek clouds of fidelity or goodwill, and give drink

Are you bringing the vessel of loyalty or consent, so you quench

to the thirsty, while your watering-place has pure water for the nations.

The thirsty, while your sweet water is for all people

يَسعى لِساحِلِكَ الصادى فَتَحرِمُه

يَسعى لِساحِلِكَ الصادى فَتَحرِمُه

وَوَردك العَذب يَشفى الجِسم مِن سَقم

وَوَردك العَذب يَشفى الجِسم مِن سَقم

The thirsty one hastens to your shore, yet you deny him,

He seeks your truthful shore, yet you deprive him

though your sweet water heals the body of sickness.

While your sweet water heals the body of sickness

هَب اِن عَبدِكَ قَد فاقَت جَريرَتِه

هَب اِن عَبدِكَ قَد فاقَت جَريرَتِه

رَضوى وَأَربَت مَساويه عَلى العِلم

رَضوى وَأَربَت مَساويه عَلى العِلم

Suppose your servant's offense has indeed surpassed

Come! Your servant's audacity has surpassed

Raḍwā, and his faults have gone beyond all knowing—

Acceptance, and his measures have increased in knowledge

أَلَيسَ قَد قيلَ خَيرُ الناسِ عاذَرَهُم

أَلَيسَ قَد قيلَ خَيرُ الناسِ عاذَرَهُم

وَأَحسَن الخَلقِ مِن يَعفو عَن اللَمم

وَأَحسَن الخَلقِ مِن يَعفو عَن اللَمم

has it not been said that the best of people is one who excuses them,

Has it not been said: the best of people are those who pardon

and the finest of mankind is one who forgives minor faults?

And the best of manners are to forgive faults

لا زالَ قَولُكَ قَسطاسا وَمَعدَلة

لا زالَ قَولُكَ قَسطاسا وَمَعدَلة

وَلا بَرِحَت تَقودُ الرُشد بِالحُكم

وَلا بَرِحَت تَقودُ الرُشد بِالحُكم

May your word ever remain a just balance and a measure of fairness,

Your word remains ever just and upright

and may you never cease guiding toward right conduct through judgment.

And never ceases to guide rightly with wisdom

وَهذِه مَدح تَمشى عَلى وَجَل

وَهذِه مَدح تَمشى عَلى وَجَل

وَفي الاِشارَة ما يَغنى عَنِ الكَلم

وَفي الاِشارَة ما يَغنى عَنِ الكَلم

And this praise walks in trepidation;

And this is praise walking with awe

and a hint holds what makes words unnecessary.

And gesture suffices over speech

وَلَها وَقَد أَصابَها رَمد سَرى أَلمه في الجفون

وَلَها وَقَد أَصابَها رَمد سَرى أَلمه في الجفون

اِذا شَكَت الوَرى سَقم العُيون

اِذا شَكَت الوَرى سَقم العُيون

And by her, after eye inflammation afflicted her, its pain spreading through her eyelids:

For it, though afflicted with an eye disease that spread its pain to the eyelids

When people complain of sickness in the eyes,

When people complain of sick eyes

فَأَبى أَشتَكي أَلَم الجُفون

فَأَبى أَشتَكي أَلَم الجُفون

أَبيت كَواله أَضناه وَجد

أَبيت كَواله أَضناه وَجد

[Then I] complain of pain in my eyelids.

I refused to complain of the pain of eyelids

I pass the night like a distraught lover worn out by longing,

I refused like an overwhelmed lover, an affliction and love

أَنادى مِن جُفوني مِن جُفوني

أَنادى مِن جُفوني مِن جُفوني

فَلا جِفن يُطاوِعُني فَاِبكَى

فَلا جِفن يُطاوِعُني فَاِبكَى

crying out because of my eyelids, because of my eyelids.

I call out from my eyelids, from my eyelids

For no eyelid will obey me and let me weep,

But no eyelid obeys me, so cry

وَلا صَبر أُزيلَ بِهِ شُجوني

وَلا صَبر أُزيلَ بِهِ شُجوني

nor is there patience with which I can dispel my sorrows.

Nor is there patience with which I can remove my anguish