هَذا الَّذي كُنتُ بِهِ أوعَدُ

هَذا الَّذي كُنتُ بِهِ أوعَدُ

أَنجَزَ وَعدَ الأَمسِ هَذا الغَدُ

أَنجَزَ وَعدَ الأَمسِ هَذا الغَدُ

This is what I was threatened with.

This is what I had promised

This morrow has fulfilled yesterday's promise.

Yesterday's promise was fulfilled by today

فَالغَدُ قَد أَعجَلَني حَثُّهُ

فَالغَدُ قَد أَعجَلَني حَثُّهُ

عَن أَن أَقولَ اليَومَ لا تَبعُدوا

عَن أَن أَقولَ اليَومَ لا تَبعُدوا

For the morrow's urging has left me no time

So today urged me on

to say today, “Do not go far away.”

Not to say "do not go far"

ما لَكَ إِلّا اليَومَ في شِدَّتي

ما لَكَ إِلّا اليَومَ في شِدَّتي

أَنتَ صَديقٌ أَنتَ أَنتَ العَدو

أَنتَ صَديقٌ أَنتَ أَنتَ العَدو

You have only today, in my distress:

You have only today during my firmness

You are a friend? You—you are the enemy!

You are a friend you are, you are the enemy

قُليتَ لا كانَ لِساني لِمَن

قُليتَ لا كانَ لِساني لِمَن

لَيسَ لَهُ في كَشفِ خَطبٍ يدُ

لَيسَ لَهُ في كَشفِ خَطبٍ يدُ

May you be hated! May my tongue never serve one

I said no, was my tongue for whom

who has no hand in dispelling calamity.

He has no hand in revealing worries

وَأَغيَدٍ أَهيَفَ وَالحُبِّ بي

وَأَغيَدٍ أَهيَفَ وَالحُبِّ بي

لَم يَهفُ إِلّا الأَهيَفُ الأَغيَدُ

لَم يَهفُ إِلّا الأَهيَفُ الأَغيَدُ

And a supple, slender-waisted one—by Love, I

And the love in me did not sigh

have been swept away by none but the slender-waisted, supple one.

Except the most sighing of lovers

بَدا بِهِ البُخلُ فَأَلحاظُهُ

بَدا بِهِ البُخلُ فَأَلحاظُهُ

عَطشى وَفي ريقَتِهِ المَورِدُ

عَطشى وَفي ريقَتِهِ المَورِدُ

Miserliness showed itself in him: his glances

Stinginess appeared in him, so his glances

are thirsty, while in his saliva lies the watering place.

Were thirsty while in his saliva there was drink

تَستَشهِدُ الأَغصانُ في أَنَّها

تَستَشهِدُ الأَغصانُ في أَنَّها

كَعِطفِهِ اللَدنِ وَما أَشهَدُ

كَعِطفِهِ اللَدنِ وَما أَشهَدُ

The boughs seek testimony that they

The branches claim they

are like his supple waist—but I will not testify.

Are like his gentle disposition, and I do not claim

وَالناسُ حُسّادٌ عَلى وَصلِهِ

وَالناسُ حُسّادٌ عَلى وَصلِهِ

وَما أَلومُ الناسَ أَن يَحسُدوا

وَما أَلومُ الناسَ أَن يَحسُدوا

And people envy closeness to him;

And people are jealous of his connection

and I do not blame people for envying.

And I do not blame people for being jealous

إِن شَبَّهوهُ صَنَماً فَاِنْهَهُم

إِن شَبَّهوهُ صَنَماً فَاِنْهَهُم

فَإِنَّهُم في الحُبِّ قَد أَلحَدوا

فَإِنَّهُم في الحُبِّ قَد أَلحَدوا

If they liken him to an idol, tell them to stop;

If they compared him to an idol, they

for in love they have indeed fallen into heresy.

Have strayed in love

وَذَلِكَ الجَمرُ عَلى خَدِّهِ

وَذَلِكَ الجَمرُ عَلى خَدِّهِ

يُقبِسُكَ النورَ وَلا يوقَدُ

يُقبِسُكَ النورَ وَلا يوقَدُ

And that ember upon his cheek

And that ember on his cheek

gives you light, though it is not kindled.

Lights you up but does not ignite

النارُ في خَدِّكَ لا تَنطَفي

النارُ في خَدِّكَ لا تَنطَفي

وَالنارُ في قَلبِيَ لا تَبرُدُ

وَالنارُ في قَلبِيَ لا تَبرُدُ

The fire in your cheek never goes out;

The fire on your cheek does not extinguish

and the fire in my heart never cools.

And the fire in my heart does not cool

كَأَنَّما قامَ بِمِحرابِهِ

كَأَنَّما قامَ بِمِحرابِهِ

مِن صُدغِهِ ذو خَشيَةٍ يَسجُدُ

مِن صُدغِهِ ذو خَشيَةٍ يَسجُدُ

As though in his prayer niche there stood

As if he stood in his prayer niche

a reverent figure from his temple-lock, prostrating himself,

From his temple, one who bows down devoutly

يَدعو لِأَيّامِ العَزيزِ الَّتي

يَدعو لِأَيّامِ العَزيزِ الَّتي

بِالعَدلِ في أَحكامِها تَخلُدُ

بِالعَدلِ في أَحكامِها تَخلُدُ

praying for the days of al-Aziz, which

Supplicating for the days of the honorable one which

endure forever through justice in their judgments.

Through justice in its rulings, eternalize

فَكُلُّ أَرضٍ بِالنَدى جَنَّةٌ

فَكُلُّ أَرضٍ بِالنَدى جَنَّةٌ

وَكُلُّ دارٍ لِلدُعا مَسجِدُ

وَكُلُّ دارٍ لِلدُعا مَسجِدُ

Thus every land, through bounty, is a garden;

So every land with dew is a paradise

and every house is a mosque for prayer.

And every house for prayer is a mosque

يا نِعمَةَ اللَهِ الَّتي فَضلُها

يا نِعمَةَ اللَهِ الَّتي فَضلُها

يوجِدُ إيمانَ الَّذي يَجحَدُ

يوجِدُ إيمانَ الَّذي يَجحَدُ

O blessing of God, whose bounty

O God's favor which His grace

creates faith in the one who denies!

Brings faith to the one who denies

يَستَنفِدُ الآمالَ مَعروفُهُ

يَستَنفِدُ الآمالَ مَعروفُهُ

وَهوَ عَلى المَعهودِ لا يَنفَدُ

وَهوَ عَلى المَعهودِ لا يَنفَدُ

His beneficence leaves no hope unfulfilled;

His kindness depletes hopes

yet, as ever, it is never exhausted.

Yet regarding the promise, it does not run out

لِلَهِ بابٌ مِنكَ في أَرضِهِ

لِلَهِ بابٌ مِنكَ في أَرضِهِ

ما دونَهُ مَلجاً وَلا مَقصِدُ

ما دونَهُ مَلجاً وَلا مَقصِدُ

In you, God has a gate upon His earth;

Through you there is a door for Him in His land

apart from it there is no refuge or destination.

With no refuge or destination other than it

وَيَستَوي مَورِدَ مَعروفِهِ

وَيَستَوي مَورِدَ مَعروفِهِ

مَسودُ هَذا الخَلقِ وَالسَيِّدُ

مَسودُ هَذا الخَلقِ وَالسَيِّدُ

And at the wellspring of his beneficence stand as equals

And the dark-skinned of this creation attains

the ruled among these people and the ruler.

The watering place of His favor, and the master

عَبدُهُم حُرٌّ بِإِعتاقِهِ

عَبدُهُم حُرٌّ بِإِعتاقِهِ

وَحُرُّهُم بِالجودِ مُستَعبَدُ

وَحُرُّهُم بِالجودِ مُستَعبَدُ

Their slave is free through his manumission;

His servant is free through His emancipation

and their freeman is enslaved by his generosity.

And His freeman by generosity is enslaved

كُلُّهُمُ أَسرى نَدىً سَرَّهُم

كُلُّهُمُ أَسرى نَدىً سَرَّهُم

أَنَّهُمُ في كَفِّهِ أَعبُدُ

أَنَّهُمُ في كَفِّهِ أَعبُدُ

All of them are captives of bounty; it gladdens them

All of them are captives delighted

that they are slaves in his palm.

That they are most enslaved to Him