عَلى أَيِّ أَمرٍ مُشكِلٍ أَتَلَوَّمُ

عَلى أَيِّ أَمرٍ مُشكِلٍ أَتَلَوَّمُ

أُقيمُ فَأَشوى أَم أَهُمُّ فَأَعزِمُ

أُقيمُ فَأَشوى أَم أَهُمُّ فَأَعزِمُ

Over what perplexing matter do I hesitate?

For what difficult matter do I grieve?

Shall I stay and miss my aim, or form a purpose and resolve?

Shall I rise and lament, or keep still and be resolute?

وَلَو أَنصَفَتني سُرَّ مَن راءَ لَم أَكُن

وَلَو أَنصَفَتني سُرَّ مَن راءَ لَم أَكُن

إِلى العَيسِ مِن إيطانِها أَتَظَلَّمُ

إِلى العَيسِ مِن إيطانِها أَتَظَلَّمُ

And had Surra Man Ra'a treated me fairly, I would not be

Had the secret of my critic been just to me, I would not

complaining to the pale camels of my settling there.

Complain of her tyranny to anyone.

لَقَد خابَ فيها جاهِدٌ وَهوَ ناطِقٌ

لَقَد خابَ فيها جاهِدٌ وَهوَ ناطِقٌ

وَأُعطِيَ مِنها وادِعٌ وَهوَ مُفحِمُ

وَأُعطِيَ مِنها وادِعٌ وَهوَ مُفحِمُ

One striving hard has failed there, though articulate,

A fighter has failed with her though eloquent,

while one at ease was rewarded by it, though tongue-tied.

While a silent man has been favored by her though incoherent.

وَلَو وَصَلَتني بِالإِمامِ ذَريعَةٌ

وَلَو وَصَلَتني بِالإِمامِ ذَريعَةٌ

دَرى الناسُ أَيُّ الطالِبينَ يُحَكَّمُ

دَرى الناسُ أَيُّ الطالِبينَ يُحَكَّمُ

And had a means of access brought me to the Imam,

Had a means brought me to the Imam,

people would know which petitioner would be allowed to set his terms.

People would know which of the two seekers is worthy.

أُعاتِبُ إِخواني وَلَستُ أَلومُهُم

أُعاتِبُ إِخواني وَلَستُ أَلومُهُم

مُكافَحَةً إِنَّ اللَئيمَ المُلَوَّمُ

مُكافَحَةً إِنَّ اللَئيمَ المُلَوَّمُ

I chide my friends, but do not reproach them

I blame my brethren, but do not fault them;

face to face: it is the ignoble man who is reproached.

It is the despicable who is blamed.

وَقَد كُنتُ أَرجو وَالرَجاءُ وَسيلَةٌ

وَقَد كُنتُ أَرجو وَالرَجاءُ وَسيلَةٌ

عَلِيَّ بنَ يَحيى لِلَّتي هِيَ أَعظَمُ

عَلِيَّ بنَ يَحيى لِلَّتي هِيَ أَعظَمُ

And I had placed my hopes—hope is a means—

I had hoped – and hope is an avenue –

in Ali ibn Yahya for something greater.

For Ali bin Yahya, the greatest hope.

مُشاكَلَةُ الآدابِ تَصرِفُ ناظِري

مُشاكَلَةُ الآدابِ تَصرِفُ ناظِري

إِلَيهِ وَوُدٌّ بَينَنا مُتَقَدِّمُ

إِلَيهِ وَوُدٌّ بَينَنا مُتَقَدِّمُ

Our kinship in letters turns my gaze

My literary manners turn my companions’ looks to him

toward him, as does our longstanding affection,

While the affection between us continues to grow.

وَهِزَّتُهُ لِلمَجدِ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

وَهِزَّتُهُ لِلمَجدِ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

تَثَنّى بِهِ الخَطِّيُّ فيها المُقَوَّمُ

تَثَنّى بِهِ الخَطِّيُّ فيها المُقَوَّمُ

and his ardor for glory, so strong that it is as though

I have urged him to glory as though

a straightened Khatti spear swayed with him in that ardor.

The writer has bent his letters in good formation for him.

أَبا حَسَنٍ ما كانَ عَدلُكَ فيهِمِ

أَبا حَسَنٍ ما كانَ عَدلُكَ فيهِمِ

لِواحِدَةٍ إِلّا لِأَنَّكَتَفهَمُ

لِواحِدَةٍ إِلّا لِأَنَّكَتَفهَمُ

Abu Hasan, your fairness among them was not

Abu Hassan, your justice regarding them

for any reason but that you understand.

Was only because you understand.

وَما أَنتَ بِالثاني عِناناً وَنِ العُلا

وَما أَنتَ بِالثاني عِناناً وَنِ العُلا

وَلا أَنا بِالخِلِّ الَّذي يَتَجَرَّمُ

وَلا أَنا بِالخِلِّ الَّذي يَتَجَرَّمُ

You are not one to turn a rein away from greatness,

You are not the second in the lead, and I am not

nor am I a friend who fabricates grievances.

The daring one who transgresses.

خَلا أَنَّ باباً رُبَّما اِلتاثَ إِذنُهُ

خَلا أَنَّ باباً رُبَّما اِلتاثَ إِذنُهُ

وَوَجهاً طَليقاً رُبَّما يَتَجَهَّمُ

وَوَجهاً طَليقاً رُبَّما يَتَجَهَّمُ

Except that permission at a door is sometimes hard to obtain,

Except that his permission may sometimes be delayed,

and a welcoming face sometimes frowns.

And his cheerful face may sometimes frown.

وَإِنّي لَنَكسٌ إِن ثَقُلتُ عَنِ الغِنى

وَإِنّي لَنَكسٌ إِن ثَقُلتُ عَنِ الغِنى

وَكُنتُ خَفيفَ الشَخصِ إِذ أَنا مُعدِمُ

وَكُنتُ خَفيفَ الشَخصِ إِذ أَنا مُعدِمُ

And I am indeed a weakling if I hang back from seeking wealth,

I am dejected if I become burdensome when needy,

having been light of body when I was penniless.

Yet I was light when I had nothing.

سَأَحمِلُ نَفسي عَنكَ حَملَ مُجامِلٍ

سَأَحمِلُ نَفسي عَنكَ حَملَ مُجامِلٍ

وَأُكرِمُها إِن كانَتِ النَفسُ تُكرَمُ

وَأُكرِمُها إِن كانَتِ النَفسُ تُكرَمُ

I shall take myself away from you with courtesy,

I shall carry myself away from you like an intimate friend,

and honor myself, if the self is to be honored.

And highly value myself if the soul is to be valued.

وَأَبعُدُ حَتّى تَعرُضَ الأَرضُ بَينَنا

وَأَبعُدُ حَتّى تَعرُضَ الأَرضُ بَينَنا

وَيُمسي التَلاقي وَهوَ غَيبٌ مُرَجَّمُ

وَيُمسي التَلاقي وَهوَ غَيبٌ مُرَجَّمُ

And I shall go far away, until the earth stretches wide between us,

I shall keep away until the land comes between us,

and meeting becomes an unseen prospect, merely guessed at.

And meeting becomes an uncertain future.

عَلَيكَ السَلامُ أَقصَرَ الوَصلُ فَاِنطَوى

عَلَيكَ السَلامُ أَقصَرَ الوَصلُ فَاِنطَوى

وَأَجمَعَ تَوديعاً أَخوكَ الُسَلِّمُ

وَأَجمَعَ تَوديعاً أَخوكَ الُسَلِّمُ

Peace be upon you; our bond has ceased and folded away,

Peace be upon you. Farewell is short, so it has folded up,

and your brother who bids you peace has resolved on farewell.

And goodbye is concise. Greetings from your brother.

فَإِلّا تُساعِدني اللَيالي فَرُبَّما

فَإِلّا تُساعِدني اللَيالي فَرُبَّما

تَأَخَّرَ في الحَظِّ الرَئيسُ المُقَدَّمُ

تَأَخَّرَ في الحَظِّ الرَئيسُ المُقَدَّمُ

So if the nights do not favor me, there are times

Unless the nights assist me, the priority of fortune

when the foremost leader falls behind in fortune.

May be delayed.

وَما مَنَعَ الفَتحُ بنُ خاقانَ نَيلُهُ

وَما مَنَعَ الفَتحُ بنُ خاقانَ نَيلُهُ

وَلَكِنَّها الأَقدارُ تُعطي وَتَحرُمُ

وَلَكِنَّها الأَقدارُ تُعطي وَتَحرُمُ

And al-Fath ibn Khaqan has not withheld his bounty,

Nothing prevented Fath bin Khāqān from attaining it,

but it is the fates that give and deprive.

But destiny gives and deprives.

سَحابٌ خَطاني جودُهُ وَهوَ مُسبِلٌ

سَحابٌ خَطاني جودُهُ وَهوَ مُسبِلٌ

وَبَحرٌ عَداني فَيدُهُ وَهوَ مُفعَمُ

وَبَحرٌ عَداني فَيدُهُ وَهوَ مُفعَمُ

A cloud whose bounty missed me, though pouring down,

A cloud whose generosity rained upon me while pouring,

and a sea whose overflow passed me by, though brimming full,

And a sea whose hand favored me while flooding;

وَبَدرٌ أَضاءَ الأَرضَ شَرقاً وَمَغرِباً

وَبَدرٌ أَضاءَ الأَرضَ شَرقاً وَمَغرِباً

وَمَوضِعُ رِجلي مِنهُ أَسوَدُ مُظلِمُ

وَمَوضِعُ رِجلي مِنهُ أَسوَدُ مُظلِمُ

and a full moon that lit the earth in east and west,

And a full moon that illuminated the earth east and west,

yet where my foot stands is black and dark beneath it.

While my feet’s position is a dark gloomy place.

أَأَشكو نَداهُ بَعدَما وَسِعَ الوَرى

أَأَشكو نَداهُ بَعدَما وَسِعَ الوَرى

وَمَن ذا يَذُمُّ الغَيثَ إِلّا مُذَمَّمُ

وَمَن ذا يَذُمُّ الغَيثَ إِلّا مُذَمَّمُ

Should I complain of his bounty after it has embraced humankind?

Shall I complain of its vicinity after it encompassed the land?

And who blames the rain but one himself blameworthy?

Who would blame rain except the displeased?