فِداؤُكَ نَفسي دونَ رَهطي وَمَعشَري

فِداؤُكَ نَفسي دونَ رَهطي وَمَعشَري

وَمَبدايَ مِن عُلوِ الشَآمِ وَمَحضَري

وَمَبدايَ مِن عُلوِ الشَآمِ وَمَحضَري

May my soul ransom you, before my clan and my people,

My soul is yours to sacrifice for you, not my people or my tribe

and my desert abode in upper al-Sham, and my settled home.

My origin is from the heights of Syria and my dwellings

فَكَم شِعبِ جودٍ يَصغُرُ البَحرُ عِندَهُ

فَكَم شِعبِ جودٍ يَصغُرُ البَحرُ عِندَهُ

تَوَرَّدتُهُ مِن سَيبَكَ المُتَفَجِّرِ

تَوَرَّدتُهُ مِن سَيبَكَ المُتَفَجِّرِ

For how many a ravine of bounty, beside which the sea seems small,

So many valleys of generosity seem paltry next to you

have I visited amid your gushing largesse.

Whose springs burst forth abundantly

وَكَم أَمَلٍ في ساحَتَيكَ غَرَستُهُ

وَكَم أَمَلٍ في ساحَتَيكَ غَرَستُهُ

فَمِن مورِقٍ أَزكى النَباتِ وَمُثمِرِ

فَمِن مورِقٍ أَزكى النَباتِ وَمُثمِرِ

And how many a hope have I planted in your two courtyards,

And so many hopes have I planted in your courtyard

some leafing with the finest growth, others bearing fruit.

To grow into the most fruitful and flourishing trees

فَلا يَهنِئِ الواشينَ إِفسادُ بَينِنا

فَلا يَهنِئِ الواشينَ إِفسادُ بَينِنا

بِأَسهُمِهِم مِن بالِغٍ وَمُقَصِّرِ

بِأَسهُمِهِم مِن بالِغٍ وَمُقَصِّرِ

So may the slanderers find no joy in spoiling our bond,

So let not those who would sow dissension between us gloat

with their arrows, whether striking home or falling short.

With their piercing arrows of maturity and inadequacy

تَقَدَّمتُ في الهِجرانِ حَتّى تَأَخَّرَت

تَقَدَّمتُ في الهِجرانِ حَتّى تَأَخَّرَت

حُظوظِيَ في الإِحسانِ كُلَّ التَأَخُّرِ

حُظوظِيَ في الإِحسانِ كُلَّ التَأَخُّرِ

I pressed ahead in estrangement, until they fell behind—

My separation came early so my rewards for kindness were late

my shares in kindness, left utterly behind.

And were it not for you I would not have dared a break

وَلَولاكَ مارِمتُ القَطيعَةَ بَعدَما

وَلَولاكَ مارِمتُ القَطيعَةَ بَعدَما

وَقَفتُ عَلَيها وَقفَةَ المُتَحَيِّرِ

وَقَفتُ عَلَيها وَقفَةَ المُتَحَيِّرِ

But for you, I would not have abandoned estrangement after

After I had paused in hesitation

I had stood before it in bewilderment.

Whenever I missed your affection I would visit it

وَكُنتُ إِذا اِستَبطَأتُ وُدَّكَ زُرتُهُ

وَكُنتُ إِذا اِستَبطَأتُ وُدَّكَ زُرتُهُ

بِتَفويفِ شِعرٍ كَالرِداءِ المُحَبَّرِ

بِتَفويفِ شِعرٍ كَالرِداءِ المُحَبَّرِ

And whenever I found your affection slow in coming, I would visit it

With the perfumed poetry like embroidered gowns

with patterned verse, like a richly adorned robe.

You would have heard me in the darkness of estrangement invoke

لَأَسمَعتَني في ظُلمَةِ الهَجرِ دَعوَةً

لَأَسمَعتَني في ظُلمَةِ الهَجرِ دَعوَةً

عَلى الهَجرِ في وَقتٍ مِنَ العَفوِ مُقمِرِ

عَلى الهَجرِ في وَقتٍ مِنَ العَفوِ مُقمِرِ

You surely made me hear, in estrangement's darkness, a call

curses upon estrangement in a time of pardoning like a full moon

against estrangement, in an hour moonlit with forgiveness.

You brought kindness with pardon after I had brought

أَتَيتَ بِمَعروفٍ مِنَ الصَفحِ بَعدَ ما

أَتَيتَ بِمَعروفٍ مِنَ الصَفحِ بَعدَ ما

أَتَيتُ بِمَذمومٍ مِنَ الغَدرِ مُنكَرِ

أَتَيتُ بِمَذمومٍ مِنَ الغَدرِ مُنكَرِ

You brought a gracious act of pardon, after

rejected betrayal and denial

I had brought a blameworthy, odious act of betrayal.

Reproach with rhyming lines as if

عِتابٌ بِأَطرافِ القَوافي كَأَنَّهُ

عِتابٌ بِأَطرافِ القَوافي كَأَنَّهُ

طِعانٌ بِأَطرافِ القَنا المُتَكَسِّرِ

طِعانٌ بِأَطرافِ القَنا المُتَكَسِّرِ

A reproach with the tips of rhymes, as though it were

Stabbing with the tips of broken spears

thrusting with the tips of broken spears.

The face of brotherhood pales and my shyness

وَأَجلو بِهِ وَجهُ الإِخاءِ وَأَجتَلي

وَأَجلو بِهِ وَجهُ الإِخاءِ وَأَجتَلي

حَياءً كَصِبغِ الأُرجُوانِ المُعَصفَرِ

حَياءً كَصِبغِ الأُرجُوانِ المُعَصفَرِ

And with it I polish the face of brotherhood, and behold

Blushes like the yellow dye of purple

a blush like the hue of safflower-dyed crimson.

With your bounty, O House of Sahl, the rugged roads

بِنِعمَتِكُم يا آلَ سَهلٍ تَسَهَّلَت

بِنِعمَتِكُم يا آلَ سَهلٍ تَسَهَّلَت

عَلَيَّ نَواحي دَهرِيَ المُتَوَعِّرِ

عَلَيَّ نَواحي دَهرِيَ المُتَوَعِّرِ

Through your favor, O house of Sahl, there grew smooth

of my fate have been smoothed

for me the stretches of my rugged life.

I thanked you until your enemies submitted

شَكَرتُكُمُ حَتّى اِستَكانَ عَدُوُّكُم

شَكَرتُكُمُ حَتّى اِستَكانَ عَدُوُّكُم

وَمَن يولَ ما أَولَيتُمونيهِ يَشكُرِ

وَمَن يولَ ما أَولَيتُمونيهِ يَشكُرِ

I thanked you until your enemy grew submissive;

And whoever replaces what you have granted me will thank you

and whoever is granted what you bestowed on me gives thanks.

Am I not your son over other sons as you are

أَلَستُ اِبنَكُم دونَ البَنينَ وَأَنتُمُ

أَلَستُ اِبنَكُم دونَ البَنينَ وَأَنتُمُ

أَحِبّاءُ أَهلي دونَ مَعنٍ وَبُحتُرِ

أَحِبّاءُ أَهلي دونَ مَعنٍ وَبُحتُرِ

Am I not your son, before the other sons, while you

the loved ones of my family over others?

are my family's beloved, before Ma'n and Buhtur?

I return to the shaded orchards of towering Arnaba

أَعودُ إِلى أَفياءِ أَرعَنَ شاهِقٍ

أَعودُ إِلى أَفياءِ أَرعَنَ شاهِقٍ

وَأَدرُجُ في أَفنانِ رَيّانَ أَخضَرِ

وَأَدرُجُ في أَفنانِ رَيّانَ أَخضَرِ

I return to the shades of a towering mountain,

And enter the gardens of Riyad ever green

and walk among the branches of a lush green tree.

O Abu Al Fadl, if your deeds morn blooming

أَبا الفَضلِ إِن يُصبِح فَعالُكَ أَزهَراً

أَبا الفَضلِ إِن يُصبِح فَعالُكَ أَزهَراً

فَمِن فَضلِ وَجهٍ في السَماحَةِ أَزهَرِ

فَمِن فَضلِ وَجهٍ في السَماحَةِ أَزهَرِ

O Abu al-Fadl, if your deeds become radiant,

It is from the grace of a face most gracious

it is from the grace of a face radiant with generosity.

You granted what otherwise blame would have touched you

وَهَبتَ الَّذي لو لَم تَهَبهُ لَما اِلتَوى

وَهَبتَ الَّذي لو لَم تَهَبهُ لَما اِلتَوى

بِكَ اللَومُ إِنَّ العُذرَ عِندَ التَعَذُّرِ

بِكَ اللَومُ إِنَّ العُذرَ عِندَ التَعَذُّرِ

You gave what, had you not given it, would not have brought

Since excuses exist when ability lacks

blame upon you; there is an excuse when giving is impossible.

You gave what you gave as humans stand witness

فَأَعطَيتَ ما أَعطَيتَ وَالبِشرُ شاهِدٌ

فَأَعطَيتَ ما أَعطَيتَ وَالبِشرُ شاهِدٌ

عَلى فَرَحٍ بِالبَذلِ مِنكَ مُبَشِّرِ

عَلى فَرَحٍ بِالبَذلِ مِنكَ مُبَشِّرِ

So you gave what you gave, and your cheerful face bore witness

To the joy of your open-handed giving, heralding it

to your joy in giving, heralding glad tidings.

Lavish giving that your cheerful face failed to grace

وَكانَ العَطاءُ الجَزلُ ما لَم تُحَلِّهِ

وَكانَ العَطاءُ الجَزلُ ما لَم تُحَلِّهِ

بِبِشرِكَ مِثلَ الرَوضِ غَيرَ مُنَوِّرِ

بِبِشرِكَ مِثلَ الرَوضِ غَيرَ مُنَوِّرِ

And lavish giving, unless you adorn it

Was like an unsplendid garden

with your cheerful face, is like a meadow without blossoms.

And this gain of yours rivals the Nile, hearing of it

وَنَيلُكَ هَذا يَشرَكُ النِيلَ مَسمَعاً

وَنَيلُكَ هَذا يَشرَكُ النِيلَ مَسمَعاً

وَيَفضُلُهُ مِن بَعدُ في حُسنِ مَنظَرِ

وَيَفضُلُهُ مِن بَعدُ في حُسنِ مَنظَرِ

And this bounty of yours shares the Nile's sound,

And afterward surpasses it in the beauty of its view

and then surpasses it in beauty to the eye.

You obeyed the sultan of generosity and supremacy

أَطَعتَ لِسُلطانِ التَكَرُّمِ وَالعُلا

أَطَعتَ لِسُلطانِ التَكَرُّمِ وَالعُلا

وَعاصَيتَ سُلطانَ الجَوى وَالتَذَكُّرِ

وَعاصَيتَ سُلطانَ الجَوى وَالتَذَكُّرِ

You obeyed the rule of generosity and high honor,

And disobeyed the sultan of passion and reminiscence

and defied the rule of love's anguish and remembrance.

By God, I know not; did I indulge passion

فَوَاللَهِ ما أَدرى سَلَوتُ عَنِ الهَوى

فَوَاللَهِ ما أَدرى سَلَوتُ عَنِ الهَوى

فَأَكفَيتَنيهِ أَم حَسَدتَ اِبنَ مَعمَرِ

فَأَكفَيتَنيهِ أَم حَسَدتَ اِبنَ مَعمَرِ

So, by God, I do not know: did I forget love,

And you forbade me, or did you envy Ibn Ma’mar?

so you relieved me of it, or did you envy Ibn Ma'mar?