أَراجِعَةٌ سُعدى عَلَيَّ هُجودي

أَراجِعَةٌ سُعدى عَلَيَّ هُجودي

وَمُبدِلَتي مِن أَنحُسٍ بِسُعودِ

وَمُبدِلَتي مِن أَنحُسٍ بِسُعودِ

Will Suʿdā restore my sleep to me,

My sadness over you returns, and my ill-fortune is changed to good fortune,

and exchange my misfortunes for good fortune?

The happiness of lovers was to see reunions with their beloved after separation.

وَكانَت سَعاداتُ المُحِبّينَ أَن يَرَوا

وَكانَت سَعاداتُ المُحِبّينَ أَن يَرَوا

وِصالاً مِنَ الأَحبابِ إِثرَ صُدودِ

وِصالاً مِنَ الأَحبابِ إِثرَ صُدودِ

And lovers' happiness lay in seeing

Does he who suffers from seperation find relief? My heart is not guided away from yearning for the absent one.

reunion with their beloveds after rejection.

The branches of my sorrow bloom anew with the intention of one who is absent, like threads woven of silk brocade.

أَيَشفي مِنَ الهِجرانِ لا يَهتَدي الجَوى

أَيَشفي مِنَ الهِجرانِ لا يَهتَدي الجَوى

لِقَلبِ بِهَجرِ الغانِياتِ عَميدِ

لِقَلبِ بِهَجرِ الغانِياتِ عَميدِ

Does it heal the hurt of estrangement? Love's anguish finds no way

How far we have extended our vain hopes, to a future reunion with you so far away.

to a heart stricken by fair women's abandonment.

He will be shamed by the extent of the enemy's enmity, and disappoint the envious with his generosity.

وَتَبتَعِثُ الأَشجانُ نِيَّةُ غادَةٍ

وَتَبتَعِثُ الأَشجانُ نِيَّةُ غادَةٍ

أَناةٍ كَخَوطِ الخَيزُرانَةِ رودِ

أَناةٍ كَخَوطِ الخَيزُرانَةِ رودِ

And sorrows are stirred by the departure of a maiden,

Sa'eed bin Abdullah - generosity has never ceased to be customary for Abdullah before Sa'eed.

unhurried and supple as a bamboo shoot.

Inheritances pass from generation to generation while the causes of the future are renewed from the past.

وَكَم قَد مَدَدنا مِن غُرورِ رَجائِنا

وَكَم قَد مَدَدنا مِن غُرورِ رَجائِنا

إِلى أَمَدٍ مِن وُدِّكُنَّ بَعيدِ

إِلى أَمَدٍ مِن وُدِّكُنَّ بَعيدِ

And how often, deceived by our hopes, have we reached

So hopes do not cease to turn their faces to some grace and tradition from them.

toward a far-off goal of your affection!

Your share from the family of Al-Mugheera - they are my treasure, I cherish them and their number.

سَيَكسِفُ مِن بالِ العَدُوِّ تَطَوُّلاً

سَيَكسِفُ مِن بالِ العَدُوِّ تَطَوُّلاً

وَيُخلِفُ بِالإِفضالِ ظَنَّ حَسودِ

وَيُخلِفُ بِالإِفضالِ ظَنَّ حَسودِ

He will darken the enemy's spirits through generosity,

Crescents white in the new moon, and at times, Pleiades black in the cluster - all radiant like the moons of paradise.

and through bounty belie an envier's expectations—

I thanked Abu Uthman for the glory of Al-Shafi'i, and if I wanted to be generous it would take the place of generosity.

سَعيدُ بنُ عَبدِ اللَهِ وَالجودُ لَم يَزَل

سَعيدُ بنُ عَبدِ اللَهِ وَالجودُ لَم يَزَل

عَتاداً لِعَبدِ اللَهِ قَبلَ سَعيدِ

عَتاداً لِعَبدِ اللَهِ قَبلَ سَعيدِ

Saʿīd ibn ʿAbd Allāh; generosity has ever been

He extends the rope of glory from Tamim and traces his noble lineage.

a resource for ʿAbd Allāh before Saʿīd.

He has fulfilled my needs, supporting me whether absent or present.

مَواريثُ مِن عَقبٍ فَعَقبٍ فَمُنقِضٍ

مَواريثُ مِن عَقبٍ فَعَقبٍ فَمُنقِضٍ

وَمُقتَبَلُ الأَسبابِ جِدُّ جَديدِ

وَمُقتَبَلُ الأَسبابِ جِدُّ جَديدِ

Legacies from generation after generation—one coming to an end,

and one whose course is newly begun, entirely fresh.

فَما تَبرَحُ الآمالُ تَثني وُجوهَها

فَما تَبرَحُ الآمالُ تَثني وُجوهَها

إِلى طارِفٍ مِن فَضلِهِم وَتَليدِ

إِلى طارِفٍ مِن فَضلِهِم وَتَليدِ

So hopes never cease to turn their faces

toward their bounty, both fresh and ancestral.

نَصيبُكَ مِن آلِ المُغيرَةِ إِنَّهُم

نَصيبُكَ مِن آلِ المُغيرَةِ إِنَّهُم

هُمُ عُدَّتي أَغلو بِهِم وَعَديدي

هُمُ عُدَّتي أَغلو بِهِم وَعَديدي

Your share comes from the house of al-Mughīra; indeed, they

are my support—I rise in worth through them—and my host.

بَهاليلُ بيضٌ في النَدِيِّ وَتارَةً

بَهاليلُ بيضٌ في النَدِيِّ وَتارَةً

شَراوى أُسودٍ في السَنَوَّرِ سودِ

شَراوى أُسودٍ في السَنَوَّرِ سودِ

Noble men, fair-faced in the assembly, and at times

lions' equals, black in their armor.

تَخَيَّرَ دينارُ بنِ دينارٍ العُلا

تَخَيَّرَ دينارُ بنِ دينارٍ العُلا

لِزُهرٍ كَأَقمارِ الدُجُنَّةِ صيدِ

لِزُهرٍ كَأَقمارِ الدُجُنَّةِ صيدِ

Dīnār ibn Dīnār chose the heights of glory

for radiant, proud men, like moons in the darkness.

شَكَرتُ أَبا عُثمانَ عَن جاهِ شافِعٍ

شَكَرتُ أَبا عُثمانَ عَن جاهِ شافِعٍ

وَلَو رُمتُ جوداً كانَ مَوضِعَ جودِ

وَلَو رُمتُ جوداً كانَ مَوضِعَ جودِ

I thanked Abū ʿUthmān for his influence as an intercessor;

and had I sought bounty, he would have been its source.

يَمُدُّ بِباعٍ مِن تَميمٍ وَيَنتَمي

يَمُدُّ بِباعٍ مِن تَميمٍ وَيَنتَمي

إِلى سَروِ آباءٍ لَهُ وَجُدودِ

إِلى سَروِ آباءٍ لَهُ وَجُدودِ

He stretches forth a long arm from Tamīm, and traces his descent

to the nobility of his fathers and grandfathers.

تَضَمَّنَ حاجاتي قِياماً وَنُصرَةً

تَضَمَّنَ حاجاتي قِياماً وَنُصرَةً

فَسَيّانَ فيها غَيبَتي وَشُهودي

فَسَيّانَ فيها غَيبَتي وَشُهودي

He took charge of my needs, attending to them and giving support;

so in these matters my absence and my presence are alike.