خَيرُ يَومَيكَ في الهَوى وَاِقتِبالِه

خَيرُ يَومَيكَ في الهَوى وَاِقتِبالِه

يَومَ يُدنيكَ هاجِرٌ مِن وِصالِه

يَومَ يُدنيكَ هاجِرٌ مِن وِصالِه

The better of your two days in love and its first bloom

The best days of your love and longing for him

Is the day an estranged beloved draws you near to union with him.

Are when a loved one draws near in union with you

كُلَّما قُلتُ ثابَ لِلقَلبِ رُشدٌ

كُلَّما قُلتُ ثابَ لِلقَلبِ رُشدٌ

عاوَدَ القَلبَ عائِدٌ مِن خَبالِه

عاوَدَ القَلبَ عائِدٌ مِن خَبالِه

Whenever I said, "Good sense has returned to the heart,"

Whenever I said to my heart be steadfast

A bout of its madness revisited the heart.

It was swayed by returning doubts

إِن تُبالِ الصُدودَ تَكلَف وَما أَن

إِن تُبالِ الصُدودَ تَكلَف وَما أَن

تَ بِحَيِّ الأَحشاءِ إِن لَم تُبالِه

تَ بِحَيِّ الأَحشاءِ إِن لَم تُبالِه

If you heed his rejection, you suffer love's torment; yet you

If you are aloof to affection it's pretense; you cannot

Are not alive at heart if you do not heed it.

Feign life if you don’t have feeling within

شَرَّدَ النَومَ عَن جُفونِكَ ضِنُّ

شَرَّدَ النَومَ عَن جُفونِكَ ضِنُّ

مِن حَبيبٍ بِزَورَةٍ مِن خيالِه

مِن حَبيبٍ بِزَورَةٍ مِن خيالِه

Sleep was banished from your eyelids by the stinginess

The pining for a lover with an illusion of him

Of a beloved who withholds a visit from his phantom,

Disturbed sleep from your eyelids

وَاِعتِلالٌ مِن وُدِّ أَوطَفَ لايُع

وَاِعتِلالٌ مِن وُدِّ أَوطَفَ لايُع

دَمُ بَثٌّ مِن طَرفِهِ وَاِعتِلالِه

دَمُ بَثٌّ مِن طَرفِهِ وَاِعتِلالِه

And sickness from loving a thick-lashed one: never

And an illness of passionate love that cannot

Is anguish lacking from his gaze and his languor.

Be cured by seeing him or his illness

تَتَكَفّا النُفوسُ إِثرَ تَكَفّي

تَتَكَفّا النُفوسُ إِثرَ تَكَفّي

هِ اِمتِثالاً لِمَيلِهِ وَاِعتِدالِه

هِ اِمتِثالاً لِمَيلِهِ وَاِعتِدالِه

Souls sway in the wake of his swaying,

Souls are predisposed to comply with

Following his leaning and his upright poise.

Its tendencies and balance

كادَ حاكي الهَوى يُعادُ وَكادَ ال

كادَ حاكي الهَوى يُعادُ وَكادَ ال

خِلوُ يُؤتى مُلكاً بِخَلوَةِ بالِه

خِلوُ يُؤتى مُلكاً بِخَلوَةِ بالِه

The teller of love is nearly visited as an invalid; and the

The storyteller of love is almost recreated and

Love-free man is nearly given a kingdom for his untroubled mind.

Solitude is almost made into the kingdom of his imagination

رُبَّ رُغبٍ نَقَّبتُ عَنهُ فَلَم يَب

رُبَّ رُغبٍ نَقَّبتُ عَنهُ فَلَم يَب

عُد وَنُجحٍ نَشَطتُهُ مِن عِقالِه

عُد وَنُجحٍ نَشَطتُهُ مِن عِقالِه

Many a desired prize I sought out, and it was not

Many desires I have probed but they did not

Far off—and many a success I freed from its tether.

Go away, and talents I have prodded out of their stables

وَقَوافٍ أَهدَيتُها لِمُراعٍ

وَقَوافٍ أَهدَيتُها لِمُراعٍ

حُسنَ أَمثالِها عَلى أَمثالِه

حُسنَ أَمثالِها عَلى أَمثالِه

And verses I offered to one who appreciates

And natural gifts I presented to the subtly discerning

The beauty of such verses in praise of men like him.

The likes of which are superior to their likes

هِبرِزِيٌّ يَرى وَإِن فاضَ غُزراً

هِبرِزِيٌّ يَرى وَإِن فاضَ غُزراً

لِاِمتِداحي فَضلاً عَلى إِفضالِه

لِاِمتِداحي فَضلاً عَلى إِفضالِه

A noble lord who sees, though he pours forth abundantly,

A Hibrizi who sees that even if my praise

My praise as surpassing his own generosity.

Overflows generously, it is still less than his generosity

وَالغِنى في القُنوعِ أَم سَيبُ مَن يُغ

وَالغِنى في القُنوعِ أَم سَيبُ مَن يُغ

نيكَ وَشكُ اِبتِدائِهِ عَن سُؤالِه

نيكَ وَشكُ اِبتِدائِهِ عَن سُؤالِه

And wealth lies in contentment—or in the bounty of one

For wealth lies in contentment. Or will he who makes you rich

Whose swift initiative spares you the need to ask him.

hesitate to start bestowing? And cease asking?

كَأَخيكَ اِبنِ صالِحِ اِبنِ عَلِيٍّ

كَأَخيكَ اِبنِ صالِحِ اِبنِ عَلِيٍّ

في اِحتِمالِ الجَليلِ وَاِستِقلالِه

في اِحتِمالِ الجَليلِ وَاِستِقلالِه

Like your brother, the son of Salih, son of Ali,

You’re like your brother the son of Salih, son of Ali

In bearing great burdens and reckoning them light.

In enduring majesty and independence

موسِرٌ مِن خَلائِقٍ تَتَراءى

موسِرٌ مِن خَلائِقٍ تَتَراءى

مِن ضُروبِ الرَبيعِ أَو أَشكالِه

مِن ضُروبِ الرَبيعِ أَو أَشكالِه

Rich in virtues that seem to be

Wealthy in qualities that seem to emanate

Varieties of spring, or likenesses of it.

From kinds of spring, or forms of it

يَتَصَرَّعنَ لِلرَجاءِ دُنُوَّ ال

يَتَصَرَّعنَ لِلرَجاءِ دُنُوَّ ال

غَيمِ وَالوَدقِ خارِجٌ مِن خِلالِه

غَيمِ وَالوَدقِ خارِجٌ مِن خِلالِه

They bow to hope, drawing near like the

It drizzles with hope, drawing near the clouds’ downpour

Cloud, with rain pouring from its midst.

As the watchman emerges from its midst

كَم عِداتٍ تَضَمَّنَ الجودُ فيها

كَم عِداتٍ تَضَمَّنَ الجودُ فيها

رَدَّ إِكثارِهِ إِلى إِقلالِه

رَدَّ إِكثارِهِ إِلى إِقلالِه

How many promises in which generosity undertook

How much generosity lies in his gifts

To make his abundant giving seem scant!

Where lavishing led to his frugality

أَلحَقَ المُقطِعَ الرَجاءَ وَأَدَّت

أَلحَقَ المُقطِعَ الرَجاءَ وَأَدَّت

يَدُهُ آمِلاً إِلى آمالِه

يَدُهُ آمِلاً إِلى آمالِه

He gave the destitute hope, and

He brought back hope to the hopeless and his hand

His hand brought a hopeful man to his hopes.

Guided the hopeful to their hopes

شَغَلَ الحاسِدينَ أَن لَم يَبيتوا

شَغَلَ الحاسِدينَ أَن لَم يَبيتوا

قَطُّ مِن هَمِّهِ وَلا أَشغالِه

قَطُّ مِن هَمِّهِ وَلا أَشغالِه

What preoccupied the envious was that they were never

He preoccupied the envious so they never

At all among his cares or his occupations.

Fretted over his concerns or busyness

فاضِحاً سَعيَهُم إِذا ما تعاطَوا

فاضِحاً سَعيَهُم إِذا ما تعاطَوا

سَعيَهُ فُحشٌ نَقصِهِم عَن كَمالِه

سَعيَهُ فُحشٌ نَقصِهِم عَن كَمالِه

Their efforts are shamed whenever they attempt

Exposing their efforts as despicable when they

His, by their glaring shortfall beside his perfection.

Vie with him, so deficient next to his perfection

لا تَسَل رَبَّكَ الخَطيرَ وَسَلهُ

لا تَسَل رَبَّكَ الخَطيرَ وَسَلهُ

خَصلَةً تَستَفيدُها مِن خِصالِه

خَصلَةً تَستَفيدُها مِن خِصالِه

Do not ask your Lord for a great boon; ask Him

Don’t ask your precious Lord for the risky, but ask

For a trait you may gain from his traits.

Him for a trait you can benefit from among his traits

لَو قَليلٌ كَفى اِمرَأً مِن كَثيرٍ

لَو قَليلٌ كَفى اِمرَأً مِن كَثيرٍ

لَاِكتَفَينا بِقَولِهِ مِن فَعالِهِ

لَاِكتَفَينا بِقَولِهِ مِن فَعالِهِ

If a little could suffice a man in place of much,

If a little sufficed a man instead of plenty

We would have been content with his words instead of his deeds.

We would have sufficed with his words instead of his deeds

مُشرِقُ البِشرِ كَالحُسامِ أَشا

مُشرِقُ البِشرِ كَالحُسامِ أَشا

عَ القَينُ مَكتومَ أَثرِهِ بِصِقالِه

عَ القَينُ مَكتومَ أَثرِهِ بِصِقالِه

Radiant in his smile, like a sharp sword whose

The radiant one of mankind gleams like an Indian sword

Hidden pattern the smith reveals by polishing it.

Sheathed, its effects concealed by its scabbard

يَتَجَلّى لِلراغِبينَ بِوَجهٍ

يَتَجَلّى لِلراغِبينَ بِوَجهٍ

تَلبَسُ الأَرضُ حَليَها مِن جَمالِه

تَلبَسُ الأَرضُ حَليَها مِن جَمالِه

He appears to those seeking his favor with a face

He reveals himself to yearners with a face that dressed

From whose beauty the earth dons her ornaments.

The earth in its jewels with his beauty

راعَ مَعروفُهُ فَأَربى وَبدرُ ال

راعَ مَعروفُهُ فَأَربى وَبدرُ ال

أُفقِ رَيعٌ مُستَأنَفٌ مِن هِلالِه

أُفقِ رَيعٌ مُستَأنَفٌ مِن هِلالِه

His bounty amazed, then grew still greater; and the full moon of the

His well-known benevolence cultivated and prospered

Horizon is fresh growth from its crescent.

And the full moon of the horizon is his renewed crescent

نَفَحَت كَأسُهُ بِطيبٍ فَقُلنا

نَفَحَت كَأسُهُ بِطيبٍ فَقُلنا

أُعطيتَ نَشرَ خِلَّةٍ مِن خِلالِه

أُعطيتَ نَشرَ خِلَّةٍ مِن خِلالِه

His cup wafted fragrance, and we said:

His cup exuded fragrance, so we said

"You were given the fragrance of one of his virtues."

You were given the diffusion of scent from his midst

إِن فَزِعنا إِلَيهِ في الراحِ أَدَّت

إِن فَزِعنا إِلَيهِ في الراحِ أَدَّت

نا إِلَيها طَولاً سُيوبُ سِجالِه

نا إِلَيها طَولاً سُيوبُ سِجالِه

If we turn to him for wine, we are brought

When we flee to him in times of distress, it led

To it, as a favor, by the outpourings of his buckets.

Us to tranquility, long are the journeys of his controversies

نَتَلَقّى المُدامَ مِن يَدِ حُرٍّ

نَتَلَقّى المُدامَ مِن يَدِ حُرٍّ

يَختَطيها لَنا إِلى جَزيلِ نَوالِه

يَختَطيها لَنا إِلى جَزيلِ نَوالِه

We receive wine from the hand of a noble man,

We receive the wine from the hand of a freeman

Who goes beyond it for us to his abundant bounty.

Who procures it for us through his abundant bestowal

إِن بَذَلنا لَهُ اِقتِصاراً عَلَيها

إِن بَذَلنا لَهُ اِقتِصاراً عَلَيها

جازَ عَنها إِلى جَزيلِ نَوالِه

جازَ عَنها إِلى جَزيلِ نَوالِه

If we offer him our contentment with it alone,

If we limit ourselves to it sparingly

He goes beyond it to his abundant bounty.

He exceeds it to his abundant bestowal

فَتَركنا يَمينَهُ لِجَداهُ

فَتَركنا يَمينَهُ لِجَداهُ

وَاِستَمَحنا ناجودَها مِن شِمالِه

وَاِستَمَحنا ناجودَها مِن شِمالِه

So we left his right hand for his gifts,

So we left his right hand for his generosity

And begged its wine-flask from his left hand.

And asked for it discreetly from his left hand