أرَجّمُ فيكَ الظنَّ كلَّ مُرَجَّم

أرَجّمُ فيكَ الظنَّ كلَّ مُرَجَّم

وحاشاكَ لم أرْتَبْ ولم أتَنَدَّم

وحاشاكَ لم أرْتَبْ ولم أتَنَدَّم

I cast conjecture about you in every direction;

I interpret good faith in you in every interpretation

yet far be it from you! I have neither doubted nor regretted.

And far be it from you, I have never doubted nor regretted

وعِنْدِي من الودِّ الذي ما انتحى له

وعِنْدِي من الودِّ الذي ما انتحى له

سُلُوٌّ ولا أوْدى به لَوْمُ لُوّم

سُلُوٌّ ولا أوْدى به لَوْمُ لُوّم

And mine is an affection never assailed

And I have unwavering affection that has not diminished

by forgetfulness, nor destroyed by the reproach of reproachers.

Pristine, I do not blame it even if blamed by blamers

ذكرتُك ذكرَ النازحِ الدار دارَهُ

ذكرتُك ذكرَ النازحِ الدار دارَهُ

بحيثُ هواهُ من سحيلٍ ومُبْرَمِ

بحيثُ هواهُ من سحيلٍ ومُبْرَمِ

I remembered you as one far from home remembers his home,

I remembered you like an emigrant remembers his home

where his love lies, in strands untwisted and tightly twined.

Wherever his passion went, whether easy or difficult

وأنت بنيتَ المجدَ بالبأسِ والنّدى

وأنت بنيتَ المجدَ بالبأسِ والنّدى

وقد هدموه في لبُوسٍ ومطعَمِ

وقد هدموه في لبُوسٍ ومطعَمِ

And you built glory with valor and generosity,

While you built glory through valor and help

while they demolished it through clothing and food.

And they destroyed it in rags and finery

إذا ضلَّ طُلاّبُ المكارمِ سُبْلَها

إذا ضلَّ طُلاّبُ المكارمِ سُبْلَها

فأنتَ لها أهدى من اليد للفم

فأنتَ لها أهدى من اليد للفم

When seekers of noble deeds lose their paths,

When the seekers of honors lose their way

you are more surely guided to them than a hand to the mouth.

You are more guiding than a hand to a mouth

بأيِّ لسانٍ يدعي معَكَ العلا

بأيِّ لسانٍ يدعي معَكَ العلا

أخو الجَهْدِ لم يكْرُمْ ولم يتكرَّم

أخو الجَهْدِ لم يكْرُمْ ولم يتكرَّم

With what tongue can he claim eminence beside you—

With what tongue can anyone claim elevation with you

a man of hardship who has neither been noble nor acted generously?

The brother of effort who was not noble nor generous

تَوَهّمَ أن البدرَ حيثُ سرى له

تَوَهّمَ أن البدرَ حيثُ سرى له

فأمَّل يَعْلُوهُ بأقْصرِ سُلّم

فأمَّل يَعْلُوهُ بأقْصرِ سُلّم

He fancied the full moon was his wherever he journeyed by night,

He imagined he could reach the moon wherever it went

and hoped to climb above it with the shortest ladder.

So he hoped to ascend it with the shortest ladder

على رِسْلِهِ حتى يُرى بينَ أرْبع

على رِسْلِهِ حتى يُرى بينَ أرْبع

تصُدُّ عن العليا بها كلَّ مُحْرم

تصُدُّ عن العليا بها كلَّ مُحْرم

Let him take it slowly until he is seen among four qualities

With its ropes until he could be seen between four

with which you bar every luckless man from the heights:

Blocking the sublime from him, forbidden to every sacred place

تَلأْلؤَ دريٍّ وغفضالَ ديمةٍ

تَلأْلؤَ دريٍّ وغفضالَ ديمةٍ

وهيبةَ هنديٍّ وإقبالَ ضَيغم

وهيبةَ هنديٍّ وإقبالَ ضَيغم

the sparkle of a brilliant star, the bounty of steady rain,

The radiance of a pearl and the folds of a garment

the awe of an Indian sword, and the advance of a lion.

And the awe of an Indian and the ascent of a pulley

أبا قاسمٍ خُذها عتابَ تَذُّللٍ

أبا قاسمٍ خُذها عتابَ تَذُّللٍ

وَرُبَّتمَا كانتء عتابَ تَبَرُّم

وَرُبَّتمَا كانتء عتابَ تَبَرُّم

Abu Qasim, take this as a humble reproach,

Abu Qasim, take it as a reproach of humility

though at times it has been a reproach of vexation.

And often reproach was an expression of sulkiness

أَنمْضي الليالي لا تُقضّي مآري

أَنمْضي الليالي لا تُقضّي مآري

ولو شفّني همّي بها وَتَهمُّمي

ولو شفّني همّي بها وَتَهمُّمي

Shall we pass the nights with my wishes unfulfilled,

Shall I spend nights that do not fulfill my hopes

though my worry and fretting over them have worn me thin?

Even if my worries and determination cured me

غنيتُ بما أعْطِيْتُ عما حُرِمْتُهُ

غنيتُ بما أعْطِيْتُ عما حُرِمْتُهُ

فالاً أكن مُثْرٍ فلستُ بِمُعْدَم

فالاً أكن مُثْرٍ فلستُ بِمُعْدَم

What I was given has freed me from needing what I was denied;

I was content with what I was given, about what was deprived me

so if I am not wealthy, I am not destitute.

So I am not a pauper, even if not wealthy

وأنْكَرتُ ما لاقيتُ ثم عَرَفتُهُ

وأنْكَرتُ ما لاقيتُ ثم عَرَفتُهُ

إذا كان ما لا بدَّ منه فسلّم

إذا كان ما لا بدَّ منه فسلّم

And I rejected what befell me, then acknowledged it:

And I denied what I encountered, then recognized it

if the inevitable comes, then submit.

When the inevitable came, so I submitted

ولم أتحدَّثْ بالتي لا أنالُهَا

ولم أتحدَّثْ بالتي لا أنالُهَا

ومن يَتَعَلَّقْ بالأباطيلِ يُسْلَم

ومن يَتَعَلَّقْ بالأباطيلِ يُسْلَم

I have not spoken of what I cannot attain;

And I did not discuss what I cannot attain

and whoever clings to illusions is abandoned.

Who clings to falsehoods will be destroyed

وما تَطْلُبُ الأيّامُ منّي وإنما

وما تَطْلُبُ الأيّامُ منّي وإنما

أنا المشرفيُّ المُنتَضى في يدِ الكمي

أنا المشرفيُّ المُنتَضى في يدِ الكمي

What do the days seek from me? I am only

The days do not seek from me, rather

a Mashrafi sword, unsheathed in the armored warrior's hand.

I am the one made to triumph, in the hand of the Most Generous

بعَيشِكَ سَلْها كيف كنتُ وقد جَلَتْ

بعَيشِكَ سَلْها كيف كنتُ وقد جَلَتْ

عليَّ الرزايا بين بِكْرٍ وأيِّمِ

عليَّ الرزايا بين بِكْرٍ وأيِّمِ

By your life, ask them how I was, when there appeared

Ask it, given your livelihood, how I was when

before me calamities, virgins and widows alike.

Misfortunes exposed me, between young and old

وقد وَأبيها مُيّزَتْ حقَّ مَيْزِهَا

وقد وَأبيها مُيّزَتْ حقَّ مَيْزِهَا

فسلنيَ عنها غيرَ عيٍّ ولا عمي

فسلنيَ عنها غيرَ عيٍّ ولا عمي

And, by their father, they were fully discerned;

And it distinguished between rights their proper place

so ask me about them—I am neither tongue-tied nor blind.

So ask me about it, not blind, nor deaf

رأيتُ الغِنَى وَقْفاً على كلِّ جاهلٍ

رأيتُ الغِنَى وَقْفاً على كلِّ جاهلٍ

فيا عينَ ذي الجهلِ انْعَمي ثُمّتَ انْعَمي

فيا عينَ ذي الجهلِ انْعَمي ثُمّتَ انْعَمي

I have seen wealth held in trust for every ignorant man;

I saw wealth stopping at every ignorant person

so, eye of the ignorant, rejoice, then rejoice again!

So oh eye of ignorance, look well, then look again

أبَا قاسمٍ هاكَ الثَّنَاءَ وَإنما

أبَا قاسمٍ هاكَ الثَّنَاءَ وَإنما

هُوَ الشّوْقُ أرْمِيهِ إليكَ وَيَرْتَمي

هُوَ الشّوْقُ أرْمِيهِ إليكَ وَيَرْتَمي

Abu Qasim, take this praise; it is only

Abu Qasim, here is praise, and it is but

longing, which I cast toward you, and which flings itself your way.

Yearning I cast to you and it throws itself

تَأهّبَ لي صَرْفُ الزَّمَانِ بِزَعْمِهِ

تَأهّبَ لي صَرْفُ الزَّمَانِ بِزَعْمِهِ

لقد جُنَّ حتَّى ظنَّ أنّكَ مُسْلمي

لقد جُنَّ حتَّى ظنَّ أنّكَ مُسْلمي

Time's adversity has readied itself against me, or so it claims;

The turning of fate has prepared for me in its view

it has gone mad to think that you would surrender me.

It truly went mad, thinking you would surrender to it

أعِدْ نَظْرَةً في صَادقِ الودِّ غَضّهِ

أعِدْ نَظْرَةً في صَادقِ الودِّ غَضّهِ

يُواليك إلظَاظَ الحجيجِ بزمزم

يُواليك إلظَاظَ الحجيجِ بزمزم

Look again upon one whose affection is true and fresh,

Take another look at the sincerity of pure love for you

who clings to you as pilgrims cling to Zamzam.

It will ally with you to the jostling of pilgrims at Zamzam

تَيَمّمَ حتى عَايَنَ الماءَ مُطْلَقاُ

تَيَمّمَ حتى عَايَنَ الماءَ مُطْلَقاُ

فهل تُجْزِيَنْ عَنْهُ صَلاة التيمم

فهل تُجْزِيَنْ عَنْهُ صَلاة التيمم

He performed dry ablution until he beheld pure water;

It assumed the intention until it saw water unrestrained

can a prayer with dry ablution suffice for him now?

So does the prayer of those without water suffice for it?

أجِدَّكَ لم تَعْجَبْ لجدْبِ مَسَارحي

أجِدَّكَ لم تَعْجَبْ لجدْبِ مَسَارحي

بحيثُ رأيتُ الرَّوْضَ رَطْبَ التنمنم

بحيثُ رأيتُ الرَّوْضَ رَطْبَ التنمنم

In earnest, did you not marvel at the barrenness of my pastures,

I found you were not amazed by my barren gardens

where I saw the garden fresh in its patterned bloom?

Where I saw the meadows lush with growth

وكم نطفة منْ ماءِ وجهي أرَقْتُها

وكم نطفة منْ ماءِ وجهي أرَقْتُها

بودّيَ لو أنّي أرَقْتُ لها دمي

بودّيَ لو أنّي أرَقْتُ لها دمي

And how many a drop of my face's water—my honor—I have spilled,

And how many drops of water from my face have I shed

wishing I had spilled my blood in its stead.

In my love for you, if only I had shed my blood for you

وما لمتُ نفسي يومَ جئْتُكَ مادحاً

وما لمتُ نفسي يومَ جئْتُكَ مادحاً

ولكنّهُ مَنْ يَحْرِمِ اللهُ يُحْرَمِ

ولكنّهُ مَنْ يَحْرِمِ اللهُ يُحْرَمِ

And I did not blame myself the day I came to praise you;

And I never blamed myself the day I came praising you

but whoever God deprives is deprived.

But whoever God deprives, is deprived

أأكسِرُ قوْسِي بعدَ عِلمي بأَنَني

أأكسِرُ قوْسِي بعدَ عِلمي بأَنَني

رميتُ فما أخْطَيْتُ شاكلةَ الرَّمي

رميتُ فما أخْطَيْتُ شاكلةَ الرَّمي

Should I break my bow, knowing already that I

Should I break my bow after knowing that I

have shot and have not missed the mark?

Shot without missing the target of archery?