1. هو الشوقُ حتى ما تَقَرُّ المضاجِعُ

    وبَرْحُ الهَوى حتى تَضيق الأضالعُ

    It is longing, until the beds cannot rest,

    And the anguish of passion, until the ribs constrict.

  2. خليليَّ ما خَطْبُ الفِراقِ بهَيِّنٍ

    عليَّ ولا عَهْدُ الأحِبَّةِ ضائِعُ

    My two friends, the ordeal of separation is not easy

    to me, nor is the bond with loved ones lost.

  3. ولا الوجد إنْ بانَ الأحبَّةُ مقلِعٌ

    ولا الصبر إنْ دامَ التفرُّقُ نافعُ

    Nor does love's anguish cease if loved ones depart,

    Nor is patience useful if separation endures.

  4. وإن شِفاءَ الحُبِّ أنْ يُقْلِعَ الهَوى

    فَأَسلُو وهل عهدٌ بيبرِينَ راجِعُ

    And indeed love's cure is for passion to cease,

    so I may find solace—but can the days at Yabrin return?

  5. ولي مقلةٌ لا يَملِكُ النومَ جَفْنُها

    غِراراً إِذا انصبَّ النجومُ الضَّواجِعُ

    And I have an eye whose lid cannot obtain sleep,

    even briefly, when the reclining stars stream down.

  6. معوَّدةٌ ألّا تُذَمَّ دموعُها

    على السرِّ حتى السرُّ عُرْيانُ ذائِعُ

    Accustomed to having its tears go unblamed

    over the secret, until the secret lies naked and spread abroad.

  7. عذيري من الأيامِ لا العُتْبُ زاجِرٌ

    لهنَّ ولا التقريعُ فيهنّ ناجِعُ

    Who will vindicate me against the days? Reproach is no deterrent

    to them, nor is rebuke effective upon them.

  8. فلا هُنَّ بالعُتْبَى عليَّ عواطِفٌ

    ولا هنَّ بالحُسْنَى إليَّ رواجعُ

    They do not turn kindly toward me to make amends,

    Nor return to me with kindness.

  9. يُرنِّقْنَ شُربي وهو صافٍ جمامُهُ

    ويُحْرِجْنَ صدري وهو أفيحُ واسعُ

    They muddy my drink, though its brimming waters are clear,

    And constrict my breast, though it is broad and spacious.

  10. تَجَهَّمَني وجهُ المطالبِ والتوتْ

    أُموريَ وانسدتْ عليَّ المطالعُ

    The face of my pursuits scowled at me, and awry went

    my affairs; the ways upward were barred to me.

  11. ولولا مُعينُ الملكِ أخفقَ طالبٌ

    ورُدَّتْ على أعقابهنَّ المطامعُ

    Were it not for Mu'in al-Mulk, a seeker would fail,

    And hopes would be turned back upon their heels.

  12. بعيدُ مناطِ الهمِّ أروعُ لم يكنْ

    لتملأَ جنبيهِ الخُطوبُ الروائعُ

    Far-reaching in ambition, awe-inspiring, he would never

    let terrifying calamities fill his breast.

  13. خفيُّ مدَبِّ الكيدِ لا يستشفُّهُ

    لبيبٌ ولا يُفْضِي اليه مخادِعُ

    Hidden is the path of his stratagems, unfathomed

    by the discerning; nor can a deceiver reach him.

  14. ولو شَذَّ عن حكمِ المقاديرِ كائنٌ

    لما دَرَتِ الأقدارُ ما هو صانِعُ

    And if any being escaped the rule of destiny,

    the fates would not know what he was doing.

  15. طَلوبٌ لغاياتِ المكارمِ مجمِعٌ

    على الهمِّ ثَبْتُ الرأي يقظانُ هاجعُ

    An ardent seeker of the highest noble deeds, resolved

    upon his purpose, firm in judgment, wakeful while asleep.

  16. صَؤولٌ إِذا ما الخوفُ أوعَدَ أهلَهُ

    قؤولٌ إِذا التفّتْ عليه المجامِعُ

    Fierce in attack when fear threatens his people,

    Eloquent in speech when assemblies gather around him.

  17. إِذا لاحَ فالأبصارُ حَيْرَى شواخِصٌ

    وإن صالَ فالأعناقُ مِيلٌ خواضعُ

    When he appears, eyes are bewildered, fixed in a stare,

    And when he attacks, necks bend in submission.

  18. فما يَشْغَلُ الأبصارَ إلّا بهاؤُهُ

    ولا ترعوي إلّا إليه المسامعُ

    Nothing occupies the eyes but his splendor,

    And ears heed none but him.

  19. يلاحظُ أعقابَ الأمور كأنَّما

    بدائِهُهُ دونَ الغيوبِ طلائعُ

    He watches the outcomes of affairs, as though

    his intuitions were scouts before the unseen.

  20. فلا صدرهُ في أزمةِ الخَطْبِ ضَيِّقٌ

    ولا عُرْفُهُ من طالبِ الفضل شاسعُ

    His breast is not constricted in calamity's straits,

    Nor is his bounty remote from a seeker of favor.

  21. جرى فثَنى عنه الأعنَّةَ حُسَّراً

    فجارَوْهُ واجتازَ المدَى وهو وادعُ

    He raced, making exhausted rivals turn their reins away from him;

    They raced him, while he crossed the finish at ease.

  22. ألا يا أمينَ المُلْكِ دعوةَ عاتبٍ

    على الدهرِ أوهَى مَرْوَتيهِ القوارعُ

    Hear, O Amin al-Mulk, the appeal of one who reproaches

    Time—calamities have weakened his two flints.

  23. أَأُقصَى ويُدعَى مَنْ سوايَ فينثني

    بربحٍ وفي حظِّي لديك وضائِعُ

    Am I excluded while another is summoned and returns

    with profit, while losses fall to my share with you?

  24. أما أنا أهلٌ للجميلِ لديكمُ

    حقيقٌ بأنْ تُسدَى إليهِ الصّنائعُ

    Am I not worthy of kindness in your eyes,

    deserving that favors be bestowed upon me?

  25. أما فيَّ أن أُسْتَوْدَعَ اليدَ منكمُ

    فأحفظَها إنّ الأيادي ودائِعُ

    Have I not the worth to be entrusted with a favor from you,

    and safeguard it? Favors, indeed, are deposits in trust.

  26. أما أنا موزونٌ بكلِّ مُواربٍ

    يُكاتِمُ ما في قلبِه ويُخَادِعُ

    Am I not weighed against every dissembler

    who hides what is in his heart and deceives?

  27. فظاهِرُه سَلمٌ لديك موادعٌ

    وباطِنُه حربٌ عليك منازعُ

    His outward self is peace in your presence, conciliatory,

    But his inward self is war against you, contending.

  28. وما أنا من حِرمانِ مثلِك جازعاً

    ولكنَّني من حِرْفَةِ الجَدِّ جازعُ

    It is not denial by one like you that dismays me,

    But the adversity of fortune that dismays me.

  29. وأعظمُ ما بِي أنّني بفضائلي

    حُرِمْتُ وما لي غيرَهُنَّ ذَرائِعُ

    And my greatest affliction is that, because of my virtues,

    I am deprived, though I have no means of access but them.

  30. إِذا لم يَزِدني موردي غيرَ غُلَّةٍ

    فلا صدرتْ بالواردينَ المشارِعُ

    If my watering place only increases my thirst,

    Then may the watering places never send their visitors back!

  31. وإن لم تَجِدْ في السُّحْبِ إلّا صواعقاً

    فلا جادتِ الدنيا الغُيوثُ الهوامعُ

    And if you find nothing in the clouds but thunderbolts,

    Then may the pouring rains never water the world!

  32. أترضَى العُلَى أنّي عَلِقْتُ حبالَكُمْ

    فخانتْ قُواهَا في يديَّ القواطِعُ

    Does lofty glory approve that I clung to your ropes,

    only for severing forces to betray their strands in my hands?

  33. فحاشا مرجِّي نَيْلِك الغَمْرِ أنْ يُرَى

    كقابضِ ماءٍ لم تَسَعْهُ الأصابعُ

    Far be it that one hoping for your abundant bounty should be seen

    like one grasping water which his fingers cannot hold.

  34. فما لكَ تَعصي المجدَ فِيَّ وإنَّما

    تُطاوعُه فيما يَرى وتتابعُ

    Why do you defy glory in my case, when you only

    obey it in what it deems fit and follow its lead?

  35. ومالك تزوي الوجهَ عنّي وتنزوي

    ووجهُكَ وضَّاحٌ وبِشْرُكَ ناصعُ

    And why do you turn your face away from me and withdraw,

    when your face is radiant and your smile bright?

  36. وكنتُ أُرَجِّي أنْ أنالَ بكَ السُّهَى

    فها أنا نجمي هابِطٌ فيك راجِعُ

    And I had hoped to reach al-Suha through you,

    Yet here I am, my star sinking because of you, falling back.

  37. أذِلُّ لِمَنْ دوني وأُعِطي مقادَتِي

    وأُرجِعُ طرفِي وهو خَزيانُ خاشعُ

    I abase myself before those beneath me and surrender my reins,

    And turn my gaze away, shamed and downcast.

  38. ويقدُمُنِي من دون شِسْعِي نِجادُه

    فأُغِضي وَخدُّ الفضلِ أغبرُ ضارعُ

    And one whose sword-belt lies below my sandal thong takes precedence over me,

    So I lower my eyes, while merit's cheek is dusty and humbled.

  39. وهل نافعي أنّي أمُتُّ بحُرْمةٍ

    إِذا لم يكنْ من حُسْنِ رأيكَ شافعُ

    Will it avail me that I claim a bond of honor,

    if your good opinion offers no intercessor?

  40. وإني لأستحِيي لمجدِكَ أنْ يُرَى

    ومثليَ منه ناقصُ الحَظِّ ضائعُ

    Indeed, I feel shame for your glory, that it should be seen

    while one like me receives scant favor from it and is neglected.

  41. وما ذاك تقصيرٌ لشأويَ في العُلَى

    ولكنْ قضاءٌ بالذي حُمَّ واقعُ

    Nor is that a shortcoming in my striving for lofty rank,

    But a decree fulfilling what was ordained.

  42. أمستهدمٌ ركنَ الجميلِ مُشَيِّدٌ

    ومستَحْصِدٌ غَرْسَ الصنيعةِ زارعُ

    Does a builder seek to demolish the pillar of kindness,

    and a planter cut down the planting of favor?

  43. وراضٍ بأن يختصَّني البؤسَ منعمٌ

    نَداهُ ولا قَرْنُ الغزالةِ شائعُ

    And is a benefactor content to single me out for misery,

    whose bounty is abroad while the sun's horn is not?

  44. ولي أملٌ أن ساعدتْ منك عطفةٌ

    فما دونَ نَيْلِ المشتَهى منه مانعُ

    And I have a hope: if a kindly turn from you supports it,

    nothing bars obtaining from it what is desired.

  45. وإلّا فلي عن ساحةِ الهُونِ مذهبٌ

    وإن كان تُثْنِيني إليك النوازعُ

    Otherwise, I have a way out of humiliation's precinct,

    Even if yearnings were to turn me back toward you.

  46. وما ترتمي بي الأرضُ إلّا وخاطري

    بذكراك مشغوفٌ ونحوَكَ نازعُ

    Wherever the earth flings me, my mind

    is enamored of your memory and drawn toward you.

  47. فإن يَعْدُنِي منكَ الجميلُ فما عَدَا

    جنابَكَ منِّي للثناءِ وشائعُ

    And if your kindness passes me by, never have

    the skeins of praise from me passed your court by.