عُذراً لِعَبدك قَد ماتَت قَرائِحُهُ

عُذراً لِعَبدك قَد ماتَت قَرائِحُهُ

وَالدَمع أَشغَلَهُ في السجن طافحهُ

وَالدَمع أَشغَلَهُ في السجن طافحهُ

Pardon your servant; his poetic gifts have died.

Forgive your servant, whose talents have died,

And in prison, the flood of tears has consumed him.

And whose tears have preoccupied him in overflowing prison.

مُستَوحش لا حَبيب فيهِ يُؤنسهُ

مُستَوحش لا حَبيب فيهِ يُؤنسهُ

وَإِن هَدى اللَيل لا وَرق تُطارحهُ

وَإِن هَدى اللَيل لا وَرق تُطارحهُ

Desolate, with no beloved there to keep him company.

Lonely, with no friend to console him,

And even if night grows still, no doves exchange songs with him.

And if the night comes with no paper on which to pour out his thoughts.

سَهران مِن بَعد ما قَد كانَ مُسعَفهُ

سَهران مِن بَعد ما قَد كانَ مُسعَفهُ

تَستَجلب النَوم لِلمضنى رَوائِحُهُ

تَستَجلب النَوم لِلمضنى رَوائِحُهُ

Sleepless, after what had once been his solace—

Sleepless, after once being helped to slumber

Its scents would draw sleep to the exhausted sufferer.

By scents that used to bring rest to the weary.

كَما ذا يُعاند آمالي وَيَعكسها

كَما ذا يُعاند آمالي وَيَعكسها

بِفعلِهِ فَلَكٌ قَد جالَ رامحهُ

بِفعلِهِ فَلَكٌ قَد جالَ رامحهُ

How long will it defy my hopes and overturn them,

How can the heavens oppose my hopes and invert them

Through its deeds—this celestial sphere whose lancer has roamed?

With its actions, when its orbit has strayed?

وَوَلت الناس لا برّ يُوازرهُ

وَوَلت الناس لا برّ يُوازرهُ

مُرؤَة فَلِذا ضاعَت مَصالِحُهُ

مُرؤَة فَلِذا ضاعَت مَصالِحُهُ

The people have turned away; no good man lends him aid

People have turned away, with no piety to support me,

Out of honor; thus his interests have gone to ruin.

So my interests are lost, lacking a protector.

لا خَير في بَلَد آسادها صغرت

لا خَير في بَلَد آسادها صغرت

قَدراً وَقَد عَظمت فيهِ نَوائحهُ

قَدراً وَقَد عَظمت فيهِ نَوائحهُ

No good lies in a land whose lions have dwindled

No good in a country whose glory has waned,

In stature, while its mourners there have grown great.

And whose grief has grown, its esteem diminished.

كَم اِدخرت لِهَذا اليَوم مِن رَجُل

كَم اِدخرت لِهَذا اليَوم مِن رَجُل

فَلَم يكنهُ وَأَخلاقي تَسامحهُ

فَلَم يكنهُ وَأَخلاقي تَسامحهُ

How many a man I kept in reserve for this day,

How many men have I prepared for this day,

Yet he proved not to be such a man, though my nature forgives him.

Yet their nature was not kind, nor forgiving.

وَمِن خَليل وَلا برضيهِ غَير دَمي

وَمِن خَليل وَلا برضيهِ غَير دَمي

غَضبان طَرفي عَلى روحي تُصالحهُ

غَضبان طَرفي عَلى روحي تُصالحهُ

And many a close friend whom nothing but my blood will satisfy.

How many friends, whose love was not like my blood,

My gaze is angry with my soul for making peace with him.

While my eyes were angry at my soul appeasing them.

وَكَم أَرانيَ لَيلاً مِن ذَوائِبِهِ

وَكَم أَرانيَ لَيلاً مِن ذَوائِبِهِ

مولياً بِصَباحي ما أصابحهُ

مولياً بِصَباحي ما أصابحهُ

And how often he has shown me night from his tresses,

How often I found myself at night possessed of passion,

Departing with my dawn whenever I greet him in the morning.

Then regretted it in the morning.

تَهفو إِلى قدهِ الوَرقاء مِن طَرَب

تَهفو إِلى قدهِ الوَرقاء مِن طَرَب

لَكنما لَحظُهُ تُخشى جَوارحهُ

لَكنما لَحظُهُ تُخشى جَوارحهُ

The gray dove flutters toward his figure in delight,

Gazelles of the horizon attract me in their beauty,

Yet the birds of prey in his glance are feared.

But approaching them brings misfortune's blow.

غَزالة الأُفق سَعدي حينَ قارنها

غَزالة الأُفق سَعدي حينَ قارنها

بِرَوعِها لِسَواد الحَظ ذابحهُ

بِرَوعِها لِسَواد الحَظ ذابحهُ

The horizon's gazelle—when my good fortune joined her,

My book of complaints, with all that saddens me,

Its slayer, through dark fortune, strikes terror into her.

Is an ocean to overwhelm its reader and explicator.

كِتاب شَكوايَ مِما جَلَ أَيسَرَه

كِتاب شَكوايَ مِما جَلَ أَيسَرَه

بحار قارئِه فيهِ وَشارحهُ

بحار قارئِه فيهِ وَشارحهُ

The book of my complaint concerns woes whose least is grievous;

Beacon of the age, our master and leader,

Its reader and its commentator are bewildered by it.

You whose advice has enriched us.

علّامة الدَهر مَولانا وَسيدنا

علّامة الدَهر مَولانا وَسيدنا

أَنتَ الَّذي كَثرت فينا نَصائِحهُ

أَنتَ الَّذي كَثرت فينا نَصائِحهُ

Great scholar of the age, our master and our lord,

You who through prayers for good have helped us attain,

You are he whose counsels among us have been many.

Forgiveness for sins, with a handshake as a gift.

أَنتَ الَّذي بِدُعاءِ الخَير أَدركنا

أَنتَ الَّذي بِدُعاءِ الخَير أَدركنا

وَفازَ بِالعَفو عَن ذَنب مُصافحهُ

وَفازَ بِالعَفو عَن ذَنب مُصافحهُ

You are he who came to our aid with prayers for good,

So live as you wish in my withdrawal, your fame

And whoever shakes his hand wins pardon for sin.

Is like musk exuding its fragrance for all.

فَعش كَما شئت في عزوفي دعة

فَعش كَما شئت في عزوفي دعة

ثَناكَ كَالمسك قَد فاحَت فَوائحهُ

ثَناكَ كَالمسك قَد فاحَت فَوائحهُ

So live as you wish, in honor and ease.

Surrender the days, generous brother,

Praise of you is like musk: its fragrances have spread.

Imposing your praise on all creation.

وَأَسلَم مَدى الدَهر نَفّاعاً أَخا كَرَم

وَأَسلَم مَدى الدَهر نَفّاعاً أَخا كَرَم

فَرض عَلى كُلِ مَخلوق مَدائحهُ

فَرض عَلى كُلِ مَخلوق مَدائحهُ

And remain safe for all time, ever helpful, a man of generosity;

His praises are a duty upon every creature.