كَم مِن حَنينٍ إِلَيكَ مَجلوبِ

كَم مِن حَنينٍ إِلَيكَ مَجلوبِ

وَدَمعِ عَينٍ عَلَيكَ مَسكوبِ

وَدَمعِ عَينٍ عَلَيكَ مَسكوبِ

How much longing has been borne to you,

How much yearning for you has overwhelmed me

and how many tears an eye has poured out for you!

And tears from my eyes poured over you

وَأَنتَ في شَحطِ نِيَّةٍ قَذَفٍ

وَأَنتَ في شَحطِ نِيَّةٍ قَذَفٍ

يَهونُ فيها عَلَيكَ تَعذيبي

يَهونُ فيها عَلَيكَ تَعذيبي

And you are far away, at a remote destination,

While you are occupied with evil intentions

where my torment is a light matter to you.

Making light of tormenting me

شَتّانَ جَفلُ الدُموعِ بَينَهُما

شَتّانَ جَفلُ الدُموعِ بَينَهُما

شَوقُ مُحِبٍّ وَنَأيُ مَحبوبِ

شَوقُ مُحِبٍّ وَنَأيُ مَحبوبِ

How far apart, with tears streaming between them,

Far apart are the tears of the bereaved

are a lover's longing and a beloved's distance!

A lover's passion and the aloofness of the beloved

وَما يَزالُ الفِراقُ يَبحَثُ عَن

وَما يَزالُ الفِراقُ يَبحَثُ عَن

ثَأرٍ لَدى العاشِقينَ مَطلوبِ

ثَأرٍ لَدى العاشِقينَ مَطلوبِ

And separation keeps searching for

And separation continues to seek

vengeance to be exacted from lovers.

Vengeance among lovers demanded

أُقسِمُ بِالقُربِ بَعدَما بُعدٍ

أُقسِمُ بِالقُربِ بَعدَما بُعدٍ

وَكَفِّ لاحٍ مِن بَعدِ تَثريبِ

وَكَفِّ لاحٍ مِن بَعدِ تَثريبِ

I swear by nearness after distance,

I swear by the nearness after the distance

and by a censurer's desisting after reproach,

And the holding back of censure after reproach

أَنَّ أَبا جَعفَرٍ أَطالَ يَدي

أَنَّ أَبا جَعفَرٍ أَطالَ يَدي

بِنائِلٍ مِن نَداهُ مَوهوبِ

بِنائِلٍ مِن نَداهُ مَوهوبِ

that Abu Ja'far has extended my hand's reach

That Abu Ja'far's hands reached me

with a gift bestowed from his bounty.

With gifts from his generosity bestowed

أَبيَضُ لا قَولُهُ بِمُقتَعَدٍ

أَبيَضُ لا قَولُهُ بِمُقتَعَدٍ

فينا وَلا فِعلُهُ بِمَجنوبِ

فينا وَلا فِعلُهُ بِمَجنوبِ

A man of spotless honor: his word is not held back

Pure is his word, no pretense with us

among us, nor is his action shunned.

Nor is his deed disgraced

سَرَت يَداهُ بِكُلِّ سارِيَةٍ

سَرَت يَداهُ بِكُلِّ سارِيَةٍ

مِنَ النَدى ثَرَّةِ الشَآبيبِ

مِنَ النَدى ثَرَّةِ الشَآبيبِ

His hands journeyed with every night-traveling cloud

His hands excel in every lofty aspect

of bounty, abundant in showers.

Of fresh, glistening dew

لا سَبَبي واهِنٌ لَدَيهِ وَلا

لا سَبَبي واهِنٌ لَدَيهِ وَلا

وَجهِيَ عَن وَجهِهِ بِمَحجوبِ

وَجهِيَ عَن وَجهِهِ بِمَحجوبِ

My bond with him is not weak, nor

I have no base motive with him nor

is my face veiled from his face.

Is my face from his face concealed

يا اِبنَ نَهيكٍ أُحدوثَةٌ عَجَبٌ

يا اِبنَ نَهيكٍ أُحدوثَةٌ عَجَبٌ

وَالدَهرُ مُثرٍ مِنَ الأَعاجيبِ

وَالدَهرُ مُثرٍ مِنَ الأَعاجيبِ

O Ibn Nahik, a wondrous tale—

O son of Nahik, amazing novelty

and time is rich in marvels!

While time brings on wonders

أَقَلُّ إِخوانِكَ الحَميدُ غِنىً

أَقَلُّ إِخوانِكَ الحَميدُ غِنىً

وَأَكثَرُ الماءِ غَيرُ مَشروبِ

وَأَكثَرُ الماءِ غَيرُ مَشروبِ

The praiseworthy one is the least wealthy of your brothers,

The least wealthy of your brothers, yet rich

and most water goes undrunk.

And the most plentiful water unsipped

ما أَمَلي فيكَ بِالضَعيفِ وَلا

ما أَمَلي فيكَ بِالضَعيفِ وَلا

ظَنِّيَ في نُجحِهِ بِمَكذوبِ

ظَنِّيَ في نُجحِهِ بِمَكذوبِ

My hope in you is not weak, nor

I have no vain hope in you nor

is my confidence in its fulfillment belied.

False assumption of its success

وَلا قَبولي ما كُنتَ جُدتَ بِهِ

وَلا قَبولي ما كُنتَ جُدتَ بِهِ

عَلَيَّ بِالأَمسِ خُلسَةَ الذيبِ

عَلَيَّ بِالأَمسِ خُلسَةَ الذيبِ

Nor is my acceptance of what you had generously given

Nor do I accept what you tried furtively

me yesterday a wolf's furtive snatch.

To impose on me yesterday slyly

لي أَمَلٌ دائِمُ الوُقوفِ عَلى

لي أَمَلٌ دائِمُ الوُقوفِ عَلى

مُنتَظَرٍ مِن جَداكَ مَرقوبِ

مُنتَظَرٍ مِن جَداكَ مَرقوبِ

I have a hope that stands forever awaiting

I have an enduring hope of

an awaited, watched-for gift from your bounty,

Anticipation from your generosity tied

وَهِمَّةٌ ما تَزالُ حائِمَةً

وَهِمَّةٌ ما تَزالُ حائِمَةً

حَولَ رُواقٍ عَلَيكَ مَضروبِ

حَولَ رُواقٍ عَلَيكَ مَضروبِ

and an aspiration that never ceases to hover

And an ambition that continues to hover

around a canopy pitched over you.

Around a pillar at your threshold erected

فَكَيفَ أَلجَأتَني إِلى الأَمَدِ الأَب

فَكَيفَ أَلجَأتَني إِلى الأَمَدِ الأَب

عَدِ مِن يوسُفَ اِبنِ يَعقوبِ

عَدِ مِن يوسُفَ اِبنِ يَعقوبِ

So how have you driven me toward the farthest prospect

How could you push me to the uttermost despair

from Yusuf, son of Ya'qub,

Beyond Joseph the son of Jacob

المانِعي اليَأسَ مِن بَخالَتِهِ

المانِعي اليَأسَ مِن بَخالَتِهِ

وَالموسِعي مِن عِداتِ عُرقوبِ

وَالموسِعي مِن عِداتِ عُرقوبِ

who, out of miserliness, denies me even despair,

He who prevents me from despair of his stinginess

and lavishes on me 'Urqub's promises?

And who expands with the goods of generosity

لَستُ عَلى غِرَّةٍ بِمُشتَمِلٍ

لَستُ عَلى غِرَّةٍ بِمُشتَمِلٍ

وَلا إِلى مَطمَعٍ بِمَنسوبِ

وَلا إِلى مَطمَعٍ بِمَنسوبِ

I am not cloaked in heedlessness,

I am not fooled by false pretenses

nor am I associated with greed.

Nor misled by vain hopes

وَلا لِمِثلي في القَولِ مِنكَ رِضاً

وَلا لِمِثلي في القَولِ مِنكَ رِضاً

وَالقَولُ في المَجدِ غَيرُ مَحسوبِ

وَالقَولُ في المَجدِ غَيرُ مَحسوبِ

Nor is one like me content with words from you,

Nor for the likes of me is there acceptance of words from you

and words do not count toward glory.

For words of glory are not to be accounted for

إِمّا نَوالٌ يُدنيكَ مِن مِدَحي

إِمّا نَوالٌ يُدنيكَ مِن مِدَحي

أَوِ اِعتِذارٌ يَكفيكَ تَأنيبي

أَوِ اِعتِذارٌ يَكفيكَ تَأنيبي

Either a gift that brings you near my praises,

Either bounty bringing you close to my praise

or an apology that spares you my reproach.

Or apology sufficient to reproach me