أبَعْدَ أَنْ صَنَعَ البينُ الذي صَنَعا

أبَعْدَ أَنْ صَنَعَ البينُ الذي صَنَعا

وقطَّع الهجرُ حَبْلَ الوصلِ فانقطعا

وقطَّع الهجرُ حَبْلَ الوصلِ فانقطعا

After parting has done what it has done,

After separation caused the severance

and estrangement has cut the cord of union till it snapped,

And estrangement cut the cord of connection

أَقبلتَ تحسبُ أَنّ العذلَ ينفعُني

أَقبلتَ تحسبُ أَنّ العذلَ ينفعُني

وقد ترى عذلَ مثلي قلَّ ما نفعا

وقد ترى عذلَ مثلي قلَّ ما نفعا

have you come thinking that reproach will help me,

You came thinking reprimand would benefit me

though you see how seldom reproaching one like me has helped?

While reprimand seldom profits one like me

يُسَكِّنُ الشوقَ ريَّا الريحِ إن نَسَمتْ

يُسَكِّنُ الشوقَ ريَّا الريحِ إن نَسَمتْ

من الشآم وضوءُ البرقِ إن لمعا

من الشآم وضوءُ البرقِ إن لمعا

The breeze's fragrance stills longing, if it blows

The breeze of the Levant calms longing if it blows

from al-Sham, and the lightning's light, if it flashes.

And lightning illuminates if it flashes

كيف التصبر عمّن لا يزال له

كيف التصبر عمّن لا يزال له

طيفٌ يؤرِّقُ طَرْفي كلَّما هجعا

طيفٌ يؤرِّقُ طَرْفي كلَّما هجعا

How can I bear separation from one whose ever-present

How can I be patient with one whose

phantom robs my eyes of sleep whenever they doze?

Phantom always perturb my eyelids whenever I sleep

علامَ لم تنصدعْ يومَ النوى كبدٌ

علامَ لم تنصدعْ يومَ النوى كبدٌ

لو مسَّ ما مَسَّها ثهلانَ لانصدعا

لو مسَّ ما مَسَّها ثهلانَ لانصدعا

Why did my liver not split on the day of parting?

Why didn’t my liver split the day of parting

Had what struck it struck Thahlan, that mountain would have split.

Had what afflicted it afflicted a slab, it would have split

ها قد أَسِفتُ لأني لم أَمتْ أسَفاً

ها قد أَسِفتُ لأني لم أَمتْ أسَفاً

ها قد جزعتُ لأني لم أمُتْ جَزعا

ها قد جزعتُ لأني لم أمُتْ جَزعا

Lo, I have grieved because I did not die of grief;

Alas, I regret that I did not die of sorrow

lo, I have felt anguish because I did not die of anguish.

Alas, I grieve that I did not perish from anguish

ولو تَبينْتَ يومَ البينِ موقفَنا

ولو تَبينْتَ يومَ البينِ موقفَنا

إذن تجرَّعتَ من كاس الهوى جُرَعا

إذن تجرَّعتَ من كاس الهوى جُرَعا

And had you seen our plight on the day of parting,

Had you witnessed our stance the day of separation

you would then have gulped draughts from the cup of love.

You would have downed the cup of love in one gulp

سألته ردَّ تسليمي فضنَّ به

سألته ردَّ تسليمي فضنَّ به

وملتُ أَلثمُ منه الخدَّ فامتنعا

وملتُ أَلثمُ منه الخدَّ فامتنعا

I asked him to return my greeting, but he withheld it;

I asked him to return my greeting but he was stingy with it

and I leaned to kiss his cheek, but he refused.

And I wished to kiss his cheek but he refused

وكم توقَّفتُ يأساً وارتجعتُ أسىً

وكم توقَّفتُ يأساً وارتجعتُ أسىً

فما توقَّفَ عن هجري ولا ارتجعا

فما توقَّفَ عن هجري ولا ارتجعا

How often I stopped in despair and turned back in sorrow,

How often did I pause in despair and retreat in sorrow

yet he neither stopped shunning me nor turned back.

Yet he neither paused from estranging me nor retreated

أما وَمَن أُبْدعَتْ في الحسن صورتُه

أما وَمَن أُبْدعَتْ في الحسن صورتُه

فكلَّ يوم ترى من حُسنِهِ بدَعا

فكلَّ يوم ترى من حُسنِهِ بدَعا

Now, by him whose form was wondrously fashioned in beauty,

But the one whose image was innovated in beauty

so that each day you see marvels of his beauty—

Each day you see more and more beauty from him

لا زلتُ مدَّرعاً ثوبَ الظلامِ إلى

لا زلتُ مدَّرعاً ثوبَ الظلامِ إلى

مَنْ لا يزال بثوبِ المجدِ مُدَّرعا

مَنْ لا يزال بثوبِ المجدِ مُدَّرعا

may I ever be clad in the robe of darkness, bound for

I remain clad in the garb of darkness before

one who is ever clad in the robe of glory.

One who remains clad in the garb of glory

قلْ للعفاةِ إذا آبت ركائِبُهُمْ

قلْ للعفاةِ إذا آبت ركائِبُهُمْ

مُقْوَرّةً تتشكَّى الأيْنَ والظَّلعا

مُقْوَرّةً تتشكَّى الأيْنَ والظَّلعا

Tell the seekers of bounty, when their riding camels return,

Tell the delinquents when their ships arrive

emaciated, complaining of exhaustion and lameness:

Cavity-ridden, creaking of plank and rib

إلا وردتمْ بحاراً طالما وَرِدَتْ

إلا وردتمْ بحاراً طالما وَرِدَتْ

أَلا انتجعتمْ جَناباً طالما انْتِجُعَا

أَلا انتجعتمْ جَناباً طالما انْتِجُعَا

Why have you not come to seas so often frequented?

You have come to seas long since come to

Why have you not sought sustenance in a domain so often sought?

Why, you have alighted on a land long since alighted on

هذا أبو القاسمِ الميمونُ طائرُهُ

هذا أبو القاسمِ الميمونُ طائرُهُ

علا بجدٍّ على العلياءِ وارتفعا

علا بجدٍّ على العلياءِ وارتفعا

This is Abu al-Qasim, whose omen is auspicious;

This is Abu Al-Qasim Al-Maymoun whose fame

through good fortune he rose above the heights and ascended.

Soared with excellence above the sublime

مَنْ كان يُحْمَدُ في جودٍ تَكَلَّفَهُ

مَنْ كان يُحْمَدُ في جودٍ تَكَلَّفَهُ

فذا على جودِهِ مُذ كانَ قد طُبِعَا

فذا على جودِهِ مُذ كانَ قد طُبِعَا

If a man is praised for generosity he has had to cultivate,

Whoever is praised for generosity he affected

this man has been naturally disposed to generosity since he first existed.

Why, he has been naturally generous since he was created

كالبدرِ مُطَّلِعاً والسيفِ منتزعاً

كالبدرِ مُطَّلِعاً والسيفِ منتزعاً

والنجمِ مرتفعاً والسَّيلِ مندفعاً

والنجمِ مرتفعاً والسَّيلِ مندفعاً

Like the full moon rising and the sword unsheathed,

Like the rising moon, a drawn sword, a rising star, a surging flood

and the star ascending and the torrent surging.

In his grip a well-honed blade if he unsheathes

في كفِّه مُرهفٌ إِن يستمدّ به

في كفِّه مُرهفٌ إِن يستمدّ به

يكسو القراطيسَ من ألفاظه خِلعا

يكسو القراطيسَ من ألفاظه خِلعا

In his hand is a keen-pointed pen; if he draws ink with it,

Dazzles the eyes with script that almost

he clothes the pages in robes of honor from his words.

Blinds the eyes when its splendor radiates

تحيَّرُ العينُ في خطٍّ يكاد بأن

تحيَّرُ العينُ في خطٍّ يكاد بأن

يُعشي العيونَ إذا لألاؤهُ سَطَعا

يُعشي العيونَ إذا لألاؤهُ سَطَعا

The eye is bewildered by handwriting that almost

Every literati wishes to hear him

dazzles the eyes when its brilliance shines.

Never ceasing to be his audience as long as he lives

يودُّ كلٌّ أديبٍ ظلَّ يَسْمَعُهُ

يودُّ كلٌّ أديبٍ ظلَّ يَسْمَعُهُ

ألا يزالَ له ما عاشَ مستمعا

ألا يزالَ له ما عاشَ مستمعا

Every man of letters who keeps listening to him wishes

Mastery is the least you have been described with

to remain his listener for as long as he lives.

And no young man thrives unless he masters his craft

إن البراعةَ أدنى ما وُصِفْتَ به

إن البراعةَ أدنى ما وُصِفْتَ به

ولن يسودَ الفتى إِلا إذا برعا

ولن يسودَ الفتى إِلا إذا برعا

Indeed, brilliance is the least of the qualities ascribed to you,

If you follow your ancestor Al-Nu'man in generosity

and a young man will never attain eminence unless he excels.

People will trail you as followers tomorrow

إن تتَّبِعْ جَدَّكَ النُّعمانَ في كرَمٍ

إن تتَّبِعْ جَدَّكَ النُّعمانَ في كرَمٍ

فالناس قد أصبحوا طُرّاً لكمْ تبعا

فالناس قد أصبحوا طُرّاً لكمْ تبعا

If you follow your grandfather al-Nu'man in generosity,

You have surpassed the seal of Tayy in generosity

then the people have all become your followers.

Indeed, you have surpassed Uwais among us in piety

قد فُقْتَ حاتمَ طيٍّ عندنا كرماً

قد فُقْتَ حاتمَ طيٍّ عندنا كرماً

أجَلْ وفُقْتَ أُويساً عندنا ورعا

أجَلْ وفُقْتَ أُويساً عندنا ورعا

In our eyes you have surpassed Hatim of Tayy in generosity;

How many far corners of earth are inhabited

yes, and in our eyes you have surpassed Uways in piety.

By peoples who, but for you, would not have ample space

وكم تضمُّ أَقاصي الأرض من أُمَمٍ

وكم تضمُّ أَقاصي الأرض من أُمَمٍ

لولاك لم يجدوا في الأرض مُتسَّعَا

لولاك لم يجدوا في الأرض مُتسَّعَا

How many peoples the earth's farthest reaches contain,

Your gifts drew near them when you were generous

who, but for you, would have found no room on earth!

As the light of the full moon draws near the earth when it is full

دنا نوالُكَ منهمْ إذ شَسَعْتَ كما

دنا نوالُكَ منهمْ إذ شَسَعْتَ كما

دنا من الأرض نورُ البدرِ إذ شسعا

دنا من الأرض نورُ البدرِ إذ شسعا

Your bounty drew near them while you were distant, just as

You were not content to be followed in generosity

the full moon's light drew near the earth while the moon was distant.

Until you were emulated in innovation too

وما اكتفيتَ بأن أُلْفيتَ مُتّبعاً

وما اكتفيتَ بأن أُلْفيتَ مُتّبعاً

في الجود حتى لقد أُلفِيت مُبْتَدعا

في الجود حتى لقد أُلفِيت مُبْتَدعا

Nor were you content to be found a follower

Such is the reward of one who did good

in generosity: indeed, you went on to prove an innovator.

Man only reaps what he sows

هذا جزاءُ الذي أَولَيتَ من حَسَنٍ

هذا جزاءُ الذي أَولَيتَ من حَسَنٍ

وإنما يحصدُ الإنسانُ ما زرَعا

وإنما يحصدُ الإنسانُ ما زرَعا

This is the recompense for the goodness you have bestowed,

The weight of thanking you wearied my strength

and a person reaps only what he has sown.

I will not accomplish it until the end of my days

وَثِقْلُ شُكركَ قد أوهي قوايَ فما

وَثِقْلُ شُكركَ قد أوهي قوايَ فما

أُلْقى به آخرَ الأيام مُضْطلِعا

أُلْقى به آخرَ الأيام مُضْطلِعا

And the burden of thanking you has weakened my strength, so I shall not

be found able to bear it to the end of my days.