وَصَلَ كِتابُ مَولا يَ بَعدَما

وَصَلَ كِتابُ مَولا يَ بَعدَما

أَصاتَ المُنادي لِلصَلاةِ فَاِعتَما

أَصاتَ المُنادي لِلصَلاةِ فَاِعتَما

My lord's letter arrived after

My master's letter arrived after

the caller had cried out for prayer, as night fell.

The caller to prayer was done with his call

فَلَمّا اِستَقَرَّ لَدَيَّ

فَلَمّا اِستَقَرَّ لَدَيَّ

تَجَلّى الَّذي مِن جانِبِ البَدرِ أَظلَما

تَجَلّى الَّذي مِن جانِبِ البَدرِ أَظلَما

So when it settled with me,

When it settled before me

what had darkened on the full moon's side shone forth.

The one from the side of the full moon appeared darker

فَقَرَأتُهُ

فَقَرَأتُهُ

بِعَينٍ إِذا اِستَمطَرتُها أَمطَرَت دَما

بِعَينٍ إِذا اِستَمطَرتُها أَمطَرَت دَما

So I read it

So I read it

with an eye that, whenever I asked it to rain, rained blood.

With an eye that if I made it rain, it would rain blood

وَسَأَلتُهُ

وَسَأَلتُهُ

فَساءَلتُ مَصروفاً عَنِ النُطقِ أَعجَما

فَساءَلتُ مَصروفاً عَنِ النُطقِ أَعجَما

And I questioned it,

And I asked it

thus questioning a mute, barred from speech.

So I asked something unable to speak, mute

وَلَم يَرُدَّ جَواباً

وَلَم يَرُدَّ جَواباً

وَماذَا عَلَيهِ لَو أَجابَ المُتَيَّما

وَماذَا عَلَيهِ لَو أَجابَ المُتَيَّما

And it returned no answer,

And it gave no answer

yet what would it cost it to answer the love-stricken one?

What would be upon it if the blameful one answered

وَرَدَّدتُهُ قِراءَةً

وَرَدَّدتُهُ قِراءَةً

فَعوجِلتُ دونَ الحِلمِ أَن أَتَحَلَّما

فَعوجِلتُ دونَ الحِلمِ أَن أَتَحَلَّما

And I repeated my reading of it,

And I reread it

so I was given no time even to feign the composure I lacked.

So I hurried without wisdom to gain experience

وَحَفِظتَهُ

وَحَفِظتَهُ

كَما يَحفَظُ الحُرُّ الحَديثَ المُكَتَّما

كَما يَحفَظُ الحُرُّ الحَديثَ المُكَتَّما

And I kept it safe,

And I memorized it

as a noble man guards a tale kept secret.

As the free man memorizes the concealed talk

وَكَرَّرتُهُ

وَكَرَّرتُهُ

فَمِن حَيثُما واجَهتُهُ قَد تَبَسَّما

فَمِن حَيثُما واجَهتُهُ قَد تَبَسَّما

And I read it again,

And I repeated it

and from whatever side I faced it, it smiled.

So from wherever I faced it, it smiled

وَقَبَّلتُهُ

وَقَبَّلتُهُ

فَقَبَّلتُ دُرّاً في العُقودِ مُنَظَّما

فَقَبَّلتُ دُرّاً في العُقودِ مُنَظَّما

And I kissed it,

And I kissed it

thus kissing pearls strung in necklaces.

So I kissed a pearl arranged in necklaces

وَقُمتُ لَهُ

وَقُمتُ لَهُ

فَكُنتُ بِمَفروَضِ المَحَبَّةِ قَيِّما

فَكُنتُ بِمَفروَضِ المَحَبَّةِ قَيِّما

And I rose for it,

And I stood for it

so I was diligent in fulfilling the duty that love prescribes.

So I was, by the duty of love, upright

وَأَخلَصتُ لِكاتِبِهِ

وَأَخلَصتُ لِكاتِبِهِ

وَلَيسَ عَلى حُكمِ الحَوادِثِ مُحكَما

وَلَيسَ عَلى حُكمِ الحَوادِثِ مُحكَما

And I was devoted to its writer,

And I was sincere to its writer

nor is it bound by the decrees of fortune.

And not judging by the ruling of events, decisive

وَلَم أُصَدِّقُهُ

وَلَم أُصَدِّقُهُ

وَلَكِنَّهُ قَد خالَطَ اللَحمَ وَالدَما

وَلَكِنَّهُ قَد خالَطَ اللَحمَ وَالدَما

And I did not believe it,

And I did not believe it

yet it had mingled with flesh and blood.

But it had mingled with flesh and blood

وَأَرَّختُ وُصولَهُ

وَأَرَّختُ وُصولَهُ

فَكانَ لِأَيّامِ المَواسِمِ مَوسِما

فَكانَ لِأَيّامِ المَواسِمِ مَوسِما

And I recorded the date of its arrival,

And I dated its arrival

so it became a festival among festival days.

So it was for the days of seasons, seasonal

وَشَفَيتُ بِهِ غَليلَ

وَشَفَيتُ بِهِ غَليلَ

فُؤادٍ أُمَنّيهِ وَقَد بَلَغَ الظَما

فُؤادٍ أُمَنّيهِ وَقَد بَلَغَ الظَما

And with it I quenched the burning thirst

And with it I quenched the anguish

of a heart I feed with hopes, though it had grown parched.

Of a heart whose wishes had reached thirst

وَداوَيتُ عَليلَ

وَداوَيتُ عَليلَ

حَشاً ضَرَّ ما فيهِ مِنَ النارِ ضُرِّما

حَشاً ضَرَّ ما فيهِ مِنَ النارِ ضُرِّما

And I treated an ailing

And I cured the sick one

heart, harmed by the fire kindled within it.

Of an inner pain from the fire, pained

فَأَما تِلكَ الأَيّامُ الَّتي

فَأَما تِلكَ الأَيّامُ الَّتي

حَماها عَلى اللَومِ المُقامُ عَلى الحِمى

حَماها عَلى اللَومِ المُقامُ عَلى الحِمى

Now as for those days which

As for those days which

a stay at the sanctuary sheltered, despite reproach,

Blame protected by staying on the hot sands

وَاللَيالي العِذابُ الَّتي

وَاللَيالي العِذابُ الَّتي

مَلَأنَ بُحورَ اللَيلِ بيضاً وَأَنجُما

مَلَأنَ بُحورَ اللَيلِ بيضاً وَأَنجُما

and the sweet nights which

And the nights of torment which

filled the seas of night with fair ones and stars,

Filled the seas of night with white and stars

فَإِنّي لَأَذكُرُها

فَإِنّي لَأَذكُرُها

بِصَّبرِ كَما قَد صُرِّمَت قَد تَصَرَّما

بِصَّبرِ كَما قَد صُرِّمَت قَد تَصَرَّما

I do indeed remember them

Then I remember them

with patience now spent, just as they were cut short.

With patience as if they were, and had become, patient

وَأَرسَلتُ الزَفرَةَ

وَأَرسَلتُ الزَفرَةَ

فَلَو صافَحتَ رَضوى لَرُض وَهُدِّما

فَلَو صافَحتَ رَضوى لَرُض وَهُدِّما

And I let loose a sigh,

And I let out a sigh

which, had it clasped Radwa, would have crushed and demolished it.

That if it shook pleasure, pleasure would collapse and crumble

وَأَسبَلتُ العَبرَةَ

وَأَسبَلتُ العَبرَةَ

كَما أَنشَأَ الأُفُقُ السَحابَ المُدَيَّما

كَما أَنشَأَ الأُفُقُ السَحابَ المُدَيَّما

And I let tears flow,

And I let flow the tears

as the horizon brought forth a cloud of steady rain.

As the horizon sends out the gathering clouds

وَخَطَبتُ السَلوَةَ

وَخَطَبتُ السَلوَةَ

فَأَسأَلُ مَعدوماً وَأَقفُلُ مُعدِما

فَأَسأَلُ مَعدوماً وَأَقفُلُ مُعدِما

And I courted solace,

And I sought consolation

but I seek what does not exist and return empty-handed.

I ask the nonexistent and close the destroyer

فَأَمّا الشُكرُ فَإِنَّما

فَأَمّا الشُكرُ فَإِنَّما

أَفُضُّ بِهِ مِسكاً عَلَيهِ مُخَتَّما

أَفُضُّ بِهِ مِسكاً عَلَيهِ مُخَتَّما

But as for gratitude, I merely

As for thanks, I only

break open with it musk kept sealed.

Spill it as musk sealed upon it

وَأَقومُ مِنهُ بِفَرضٍ

وَأَقومُ مِنهُ بِفَرضٍ

أَراني بِهِ دونَ البَرِيَّةِ أَقوَما

أَراني بِهِ دونَ البَرِيَّةِ أَقوَما

And I fulfill a duty arising from it,

And I stand by an obligation

in which I see myself more diligent than the rest of mankind.

I see myself through it, beyond mankind, upright

وَأُوَفّى واجِبَ قَرضٍ

وَأُوَفّى واجِبَ قَرضٍ

وَكَيفَ تُوَفّي الأَرضُ قَرضاً مِنَ السَما

وَكَيفَ تُوَفّي الأَرضُ قَرضاً مِنَ السَما

And I repay the debt that is due—

And I fulfill the duty of a loan

but how can the earth repay a loan from the sky?

How can the earth fulfill a loan from the sky?