لَم تَبلُغِ الحَقَّ وَلَم تُنصِفِ

لَم تَبلُغِ الحَقَّ وَلَم تُنصِفِ

عَينٌ رَأَت بَيناً فَلَم تَذرِفِ

عَينٌ رَأَت بَيناً فَلَم تَذرِفِ

It has not fulfilled its duty, nor done justice—

You have not reached the truth, nor been fair,

an eye that saw parting but shed no tears.

An eye that saw clearly but did not shed a tear,

مِن كَلَفٍ أَن تَنقَضي ساعَةٌ

مِن كَلَفٍ أَن تَنقَضي ساعَةٌ

يَأتي بِها الدَهرُ وَلَم أَكلَفِ

يَأتي بِها الدَهرُ وَلَم أَكلَفِ

It is love's anguish that an hour should pass,

I do not burden myself for an hour to pass

brought by time, without my falling in love.

That time brings and I did not burden myself,

لاتَدَعُ الأَحشاءَ إِلّا لَها

لاتَدَعُ الأَحشاءَ إِلّا لَها

تَحَرُّقٌ ذاتُ الحَشا المُرهَفِ

تَحَرُّقٌ ذاتُ الحَشا المُرهَفِ

She leaves the inward parts with nothing but

Do not leave the intestines except for it

burning—she of the slender waist.

The blazing guts of the shriveled,

يَضيعُ لُبُّ الصَبِّ في لَحظِها

يَضيعُ لُبُّ الصَبِّ في لَحظِها

ضَياعَهُ في القَهوَةِ القَرقَفِ

ضَياعَهُ في القَهوَةِ القَرقَفِ

The lovesick man's reason is lost in her glance,

The essence of youth is lost in its glance

as it is lost in shiver-inducing wine.

Lost in the shallow coffeehouse,

صِفوَتِيَ الراحُ وَساعٍ بِها

صِفوَتِيَ الراحُ وَساعٍ بِها

فَدونَكَ العَيشَ الَّذي تَصطَفي

فَدونَكَ العَيشَ الَّذي تَصطَفي

My choice is wine and one who brings it;

My elixir is the wide open wind, so yours is the life you choose,

so take the life you prefer.

I swear by God, and if not for the doubt

أَحلِفُ بِاللَهِ وَلَولا الَّذي

أَحلِفُ بِاللَهِ وَلَولا الَّذي

يَعرِضُ مِن شَكِّكَ لَم أَحلِفِ

يَعرِضُ مِن شَكِّكَ لَم أَحلِفِ

I swear by God, and were it not for what

That comes from you I would not have sworn,

arises from your doubt, I would not swear.

I accept a pledge from a betraying trustee

أَقبَلُ مِن مُؤتَمَنٍ خائِنٍ

أَقبَلُ مِن مُؤتَمَنٍ خائِنٍ

عَهداً وَلا مِن واعِدٍ مُخلِفِ

عَهداً وَلا مِن واعِدٍ مُخلِفِ

I accept from a faithless trustee

And not from one who promises but does not fulfill,

a pledge, but not from one who makes promises and breaks them.

When men’s generosity is clouded,

إِذا الرِجالُ اِعتَمَت أَجوادَهُم

إِذا الرِجالُ اِعتَمَت أَجوادَهُم

فَاِسمُ إِلى الأَشرَفِ فَالأَشرَفِ

فَاِسمُ إِلى الأَشرَفِ فَالأَشرَفِ

When men choose the generous among them,

Move towards the noblest, and the most noble,

so aspire to the noblest, then the next noblest.

Repel the accidents of time with the likes of my father Galib,

إِدفَع بِأَمثالِ أَبي غالِبٍ

إِدفَع بِأَمثالِ أَبي غالِبٍ

عادِيَةَ الدَهرِ أَوِ اِستَعفِفِ

عادِيَةَ الدَهرِ أَوِ اِستَعفِفِ

Ward off, through men like Abu Ghalib,

Or seek reconciliation,

time's onslaught, or refrain from begging.

He pleased al-Mu'tamid the Buyer,

أَرضاهُ لِلمُعتَمِدِ المُشتَري

أَرضاهُ لِلمُعتَمِدِ المُشتَري

حَظّاً وَلِلمُختَبِطِ المُعتَفي

حَظّاً وَلِلمُختَبِطِ المُعتَفي

I commend him to the man who looks to Jupiter

With a share, and the conniving profiteer,

for good fortune, and to the petitioner seeking gifts.

Moderation is his way but if

مِن شَأنِهِ القَصدُ وَلَكِنَّهُ

مِن شَأنِهِ القَصدُ وَلَكِنَّهُ

إِن يُعطِ في عارِفَةٍ يُسرِفِ

إِن يُعطِ في عارِفَةٍ يُسرِفِ

Moderation is his custom, yet

He gives freely he exceeds,

if he bestows a favor, he is lavish.

If people gathered for Okromah

لَو جُمِعَ الناسُ لِأُكرومَةٍ

لَو جُمِعَ الناسُ لِأُكرومَةٍ

وَلَم يَكُن في الجَمعِ لَم نَكتَفِ

وَلَم يَكُن في الجَمعِ لَم نَكتَفِ

If all men were gathered for a noble deed,

And none were there I would not be content,

and he were not among them, we would not be satisfied.

In an event with time in which I did not disgrace

وَوَقعَةٍ لِلدَهرِ بي لَم أَهِن

وَوَقعَةٍ لِلدَهرِ بي لَم أَهِن

لِحَزِّها فِيَّ وَلَم أَضعُفِ

لِحَزِّها فِيَّ وَلَم أَضعُفِ

Many a blow time dealt me—I did not falter

Or weaken against its injury to me,

from the gash it made in me, nor did I weaken.

I was not the abased begging from it

ماكُنتُ بِالمُنخَزِلِ المُختَتي

ماكُنتُ بِالمُنخَزِلِ المُختَتي

فيها وَلا بِالسائِلِ المُلحِفِ

فيها وَلا بِالسائِلِ المُلحِفِ

I was not one to withdraw and hide

Nor the insistent asker,

during it, nor an importunate beggar.

Another hosted him, so he transgressed,

ضافَتهُ أُخرى مِثلُها فَاِغتَدى

ضافَتهُ أُخرى مِثلُها فَاِغتَدى

مُسانِدي أَو واقِفاً مَوقِفي

مُسانِدي أَو واقِفاً مَوقِفي

Another like it visited him, and he became

My aides or those standing in my position,

my supporter, or stood in my place,

Relying on what came to him

مُستَظهِراً يَحمِلُ ما نابَهُ

مُستَظهِراً يَحمِلُ ما نابَهُ

وَنابَني في المَغرَمِ المُجحِفِ

وَنابَني في المَغرَمِ المُجحِفِ

standing strong, bearing what befell him

And what came to me in biased injustice,

and befell me, in the crushing financial burden.

Increasing from all of me to all of him

يَزدادُ مِن كَلّي إِلى كَلِّهِ

يَزدادُ مِن كَلّي إِلى كَلِّهِ

تَوكيدَ ثِقلِ الراكِبِ المُردِفِ

تَوكيدَ ثِقلِ الراكِبِ المُردِفِ

He adds my burden to his own,

Confirming the heaviness of the backseat rider,

as a rider's weight increases with a passenger behind.

How often did a hand raise my state to his

كَم رَفَعَت حالي إِلى حالِهِ

كَم رَفَعَت حالي إِلى حالِهِ

يَدٌ مَتى تَخلُف غِنىً تُتلِفِ

يَدٌ مَتى تَخلُف غِنىً تُتلِفِ

How often my fortune has been raised to his

Whenever it falls short, it destroys,

by a hand that exhausts wealth whenever it replenishes it!

You were rewarded when their transgressor was treacherous

جُزيتَ إِذ فاجِرُهُم غادِرٌ

جُزيتَ إِذ فاجِرُهُم غادِرٌ

مَثوبَةَ البِرِّ لَدَينا الوَفي

مَثوبَةَ البِرِّ لَدَينا الوَفي

May you be rewarded, while their wicked man is treacherous,

The reward of righteousness is loyal with us,

with the reward of goodness, for your faithfulness to us.

I sang to you many examples

غَنيتُ مِثلاً لَكَ في تالِدٍ

غَنيتُ مِثلاً لَكَ في تالِدٍ

مِن مالِكَ الرَغبِ وَمُستَطرَفِ

مِن مالِكَ الرَغبِ وَمُستَطرَفِ

I grew rich, your equal in long-held wealth

From your possession of desire and luxury,

from your ample fortune, and in newly acquired wealth.

And here the priority of one state over

وَهَهُنا رُجحانُ حالٍ عَلى

وَهَهُنا رُجحانُ حالٍ عَلى

حالٍ فَخُذ بِالعَفوِ أَو أَسعِفِ

حالٍ فَخُذ بِالعَفوِ أَو أَسعِفِ

And here one condition outweighs

Another so take to pardon or give relief,

another; so show forbearance, or give aid.

With you is virtue so prepare a distribution

عِندَكَ فَضلٌ فَأَعِد قِسمَةً

عِندَكَ فَضلٌ فَأَعِد قِسمَةً

تَرجِعُ في العَقدِ وَفي النَيِّفِ

تَرجِعُ في العَقدِ وَفي النَيِّفِ

You have a surplus; make a fresh division

That returns in the contract and in the fold,

that goes over the tens and the odd units.

Make it provision for the needy

تَجعَلُها رِفداً لِمُستَرفِدٍ

تَجعَلُها رِفداً لِمُستَرفِدٍ

أَو سَلَفاً قَرَضاً لِمُستَسلِفِ

أَو سَلَفاً قَرَضاً لِمُستَسلِفِ

Make it a gift to someone seeking a gift,

Or a loan, debt for the borrower,

or an advance, a loan to someone seeking to borrow.

Come let us bring together our states

هَلُمَّ نَجمَع طَرَفَي حالِنا

هَلُمَّ نَجمَع طَرَفَي حالِنا

إِلى سَواءٍ بَينَنا مُنصِفِ

إِلى سَواءٍ بَينَنا مُنصِفِ

Come, let us bring the two extremes of our fortunes

To equality between us, fair,

to a fair equality between us.

The states cannot match unless

وَما تَكافا الحالُ إِن لَم يَقَع

وَما تَكافا الحالُ إِن لَم يَقَع

رَدٌّ مِنَ الأَقوى عَلى الأَضعَفِ

رَدٌّ مِنَ الأَقوى عَلى الأَضعَفِ

And fortunes will not be equal unless there is

There is a retort from the stronger to the weaker.

a giving back from the stronger to the weaker.