شَهِيٌّ إِلى الأَيامِ تَقليلُها وَفري

شَهِيٌّ إِلى الأَيامِ تَقليلُها وَفري

وَخِذلانُها إِيّايَ إِن سُمتُها نَصري

وَخِذلانُها إِيّايَ إِن سُمتُها نَصري

It pleases the days to diminish my wealth,

I long for the days to be few, though their abandonment of me, if I name it as my ally, is treacherous.

and to forsake me if I ask them for aid.

I see my life's toil would diminish, yet I see no beauty in my life like enriching myself.

أَرى وَكدَ دَهري أَن أُقِلَّ وَلا أَرى

أَرى وَكدَ دَهري أَن أُقِلَّ وَلا أَرى

لِدَهري جَمالاً ظاهِراً مِثلَ أَن أُثري

لِدَهري جَمالاً ظاهِراً مِثلَ أَن أُثري

I see my age intent on making me poor, yet I see no

I would have strived until the Tigris dried up and I said the mirage was flowing in its basin.

manifest beauty for my age to match my becoming rich.

If the delay of the miserly deceived me, I was fooled by the imagination that flows lightly.

لَأَكدَيتُ حَتّى خِلتُ دِجلَةَ شُبِّهَت

لَأَكدَيتُ حَتّى خِلتُ دِجلَةَ شُبِّهَت

وَقُلتُ السَرابُ في مَناقِعِها يَجري

وَقُلتُ السَرابُ في مَناقِعِها يَجري

Indeed, I found no bounty, till I thought the Tigris an illusion,

Is there in Abū Bakr the delivering of a message to the swift lord of Dakhma?

and said, 'A mirage flows in its pools.'

There is no seeking of distress from Abū l-Ṣaqr in words none but Abū l-Ṣaqr can remedy.

لَئِن غَرَّني مَطلُ البَخيلِ لَقَبلَهُ

لَئِن غَرَّني مَطلُ البَخيلِ لَقَبلَهُ

غُرِرتُ بِإِسعافِ الخَيالِ الَّذي يَسري

غُرِرتُ بِإِسعافِ الخَيالِ الَّذي يَسري

If the miser's delay deceived me, even before it

The seeker of attainment examined it: when they tasked the full moon, it was too much for the full moon.

I was deceived by the aid of the phantom that travels by night.

In the palace and the new month we hope for something new from him to follow the newness of the palace and month.

فَهَل في أَبي بَكرٍ أَداءُ رِسالَةٍ

فَهَل في أَبي بَكرٍ أَداءُ رِسالَةٍ

إِلى السَيِّدِ الدَخمِ الدَسيعَةِ مِن بَكرُ

إِلى السَيِّدِ الدَخمِ الدَسيعَةِ مِن بَكرُ

So can Abu Bakr deliver a message

They came to him in crowds like the sea, yet they thought nothing of the sea—it was added to the sea!

to the lord of lavish bounty, of Bakr?

He ascended the paths of the barefoot, though he intended the dawn visitor to be guided to him.

وَما عَن أَبي الصَقرِ اِرتِيادٌ لِموجَعٍ

وَما عَن أَبي الصَقرِ اِرتِيادٌ لِموجَعٍ

مِنَ الكَلمِ لا يَأسوهُ غَيرُ أَبي الصَقرِ

مِنَ الكَلمِ لا يَأسوهُ غَيرُ أَبي الصَقرِ

And there is no looking beyond Abu al-Saqr for one in pain

ʿAmr ibn Shaybān, while you are my Shaybān, even if my mother is attributed [to another lineage] and your ʿAmr is my ʿAmr!

from a wound, whom none but Abu al-Saqr can heal.

My palms complained of their swelling, though in truth it was to replace that complaint with gratitude.

تَأَمَّلَ فيهِ مُبتَغُ النَيلِ طَلعَةً

تَأَمَّلَ فيهِ مُبتَغُ النَيلِ طَلعَةً

إِذا كَلَّفوها البَدرَ شَقَّت عَلى البَدرِ

إِذا كَلَّفوها البَدرَ شَقَّت عَلى البَدرِ

The seeker of bounty contemplated his countenance,

When will you not block my solitude? My estrangement does not afflict you, nor does my poetry follow any course but its own.

which, if challenged to match the full moon, would be too much for the moon.

Is an excuse for one infatuated hoped for from me, when my excuse falls short for you in anger?

وَفي القَصرِ وَالشَهرِ الجَديدَينِ نَرتَجي

وَفي القَصرِ وَالشَهرِ الجَديدَينِ نَرتَجي

جَداً مِنهُ يَتلو جِدَّةَ القَصرِ وَالشَهرِ

جَداً مِنهُ يَتلو جِدَّةَ القَصرِ وَالشَهرِ

And in the new palace and the new month, we hope

You watched for the removal of my difficulty, yet my desire turned only toward your ease, my difficulty.

for good fortune from him to follow the newness of palace and month.

If our feet were on equal footing in wealth, I would deny my shame, or return to my proper place.

وَقَد وَرَدوهُ وارِدَ البَحرِ بَيتَهُ

وَقَد وَرَدوهُ وارِدَ البَحرِ بَيتَهُ

فَما ظَنُّهُم بِالبَحرِ زيدَ إِلى البَحرِ

فَما ظَنُّهُم بِالبَحرِ زيدَ إِلى البَحرِ

And they have come to him at his house, as one comes to the sea;

so what do they think of a sea added to a sea?

عَلا مُرتَقى طُرقِ العُفاةِ وَإِنَّما

عَلا مُرتَقى طُرقِ العُفاةِ وَإِنَّما

تَعَمَّدَ أَن يُهدى لَهُ طارِقُ الصَفرِ

تَعَمَّدَ أَن يُهدى لَهُ طارِقُ الصَفرِ

He rose to the summit of the petitioners' paths, only

intending that the empty-handed night visitor be guided to him.

أَعَمروُ بنَ شَيبانَ وَشَيبانُكُم أَبي

أَعَمروُ بنَ شَيبانَ وَشَيبانُكُم أَبي

إِذا نُسِبَت أُمّي وَعَمروُكُمُ عَمري

إِذا نُسِبَت أُمّي وَعَمروُكُمُ عَمري

O Amr son of Shayban, your Shayban is my father

when my mother's lineage is traced, and your Amr is my Amr.

شَكَت مَدَّها كَفّي وَكانَت حَقيقَةً

شَكَت مَدَّها كَفّي وَكانَت حَقيقَةً

بِإِبدالِها تِلكَ الشَكِيَّةِ بِالشُكرِ

بِإِبدالِها تِلكَ الشَكِيَّةِ بِالشُكرِ

My palm complained of being held out, though it deserved

to exchange that complaint for gratitude.

مَتى لا تَسُدّوا خَلَّتي لا تُصِبكُمُ

مَتى لا تَسُدّوا خَلَّتي لا تُصِبكُمُ

شَذاتي وَلا يَسلُك سِوى نَهجِهِ شِعري

شَذاتي وَلا يَسلُك سِوى نَهجِهِ شِعري

Whenever you do not relieve my need, you will not be struck by

my sting, nor will my verse follow any course but its own.

وَهَل يُرتَجى عِندي اِتِّساعٌ لِمَغرَمٍ

وَهَل يُرتَجى عِندي اِتِّساعٌ لِمَغرَمٍ

إِذا ضاقَ عَنكُم عِندَ مَسخَطَةٍ عُذري

إِذا ضاقَ عَنكُم عِندَ مَسخَطَةٍ عُذري

And can any leeway over a debt be expected of me,

if, in displeasure, I have little room to excuse you?

أَراقَبتُمُ إِجلاءَ عُسري وَإِنَّما

أَراقَبتُمُ إِجلاءَ عُسري وَإِنَّما

ثَنى رَغبَتي تِلقاءَ يُسرِكُمُ عُسري

ثَنى رَغبَتي تِلقاءَ يُسرِكُمُ عُسري

Are you waiting for my hardship to end, when it was only

my hardship that turned my hopes toward your prosperity?

إِذا ما اِستَوَت أَقدامُنا عِندَ ثَروَةٍ

إِذا ما اِستَوَت أَقدامُنا عِندَ ثَروَةٍ

قَنيتُ حَيائي أَو رَجَعتُ إِلى قَدري

قَنيتُ حَيائي أَو رَجَعتُ إِلى قَدري

When we stand on equal footing in wealth,

I shall preserve my modesty, or return to my proper standing.