رضاكَ رضىً كلُّ الرِّضَى عنده سُخْطُ

رضاكَ رضىً كلُّ الرِّضَى عنده سُخْطُ

وسُخْطُكَ ما يعيا به القَبْضُ والبَسْطُ

وسُخْطُكَ ما يعيا به القَبْضُ والبَسْطُ

Your approval is such that all other approval is displeasure beside it;

Your pleasure is all pleasure to me, while

And your displeasure is what baffles withholding and giving.

Your displeasure makes worthless all power and possession.

وما الحلمُ إذ تحويه إلا كمركزٍ

وما الحلمُ إذ تحويه إلا كمركزٍ

أحاط به منْ شكْلِ دائرةٍ خطُّ

أحاط به منْ شكْلِ دائرةٍ خطُّ

And forbearance, when you encompass it, is only like a center

And forbearance, when it contains you, is but

Encircled by a line in the shape of a circle.

A circle's center encircled by its shape.

ألستَ أبا أيوب أقْسَطَ حاكمٍ

ألستَ أبا أيوب أقْسَطَ حاكمٍ

إذا رُجِيَ الإِقساطُ أو خُشي القِسْط

إذا رُجِيَ الإِقساطُ أو خُشي القِسْط

Are you not, Abu Ayyub, the most just of judges,

Are you not Abu Ayyub, the most just ruler,

When fairness is hoped for or injustice feared?

When equity is hoped for or injustice feared?

فما ليَ أُجْفى ثم أُلْحَى كأنني

فما ليَ أُجْفى ثم أُلْحَى كأنني

جفَوْتُ وما ألفيتني جافياً قط

جفَوْتُ وما ألفيتني جافياً قط

Why, then, am I shunned and then reproached, as though I

Why then am I spurned and then pressed, as though

Had been aloof, though you have never found me aloof?

I had been cold, when never cold was I?

وقد كان شَرْطي أَنْ يُشَرِّفَ منزلي

وقد كان شَرْطي أَنْ يُشَرِّفَ منزلي

لديك توالي الرُّسْل فانتقضَ الشَّرْط

لديك توالي الرُّسْل فانتقضَ الشَّرْط

And my stipulation had been that my standing be elevated

My pact was that your messengers should honor

With you by a succession of messengers; but the stipulation was broken.

My dwelling with their sequence, but the pact is void.

وما إن طواني ذاكَ لكنْ تشاغلي

وما إن طواني ذاكَ لكنْ تشاغلي

بترقيعِ عَيشٍ حين يُرْقَعُ يَنْعَطُّ

بترقيعِ عَيشٍ حين يُرْقَعُ يَنْعَطُّ

And it was not that which kept me away, but my preoccupation

Not that your neglect has caused this, but my own

With patching a livelihood that tears apart whenever it is patched.

Concern with patching up a life that comes unstitched.

أجلْ إِنّ مثلي لا يجاوزُ قَدْرَهُ

أجلْ إِنّ مثلي لا يجاوزُ قَدْرَهُ

ويطلبُ ما لا يستحقُّ فيَشْتَطُّ

ويطلبُ ما لا يستحقُّ فيَشْتَطُّ

Yes, one like me does not overstep his station

Indeed, the likes of me must not exceed their rights

Nor seek what he does not deserve and so overreach.

Or seek what they don't merit and thus overreach.

ولو لم يَقُدني الودُّ نحوَكَ قادني

ولو لم يَقُدني الودُّ نحوَكَ قادني

إليكَ الجنابُ اللَّدنُ والجانبُ البِسطُ

إليكَ الجنابُ اللَّدنُ والجانبُ البِسطُ

And even if affection had not led me toward you, I would have been led

And were it not that love has led me to you, led me

To you by your gentle bearing and welcoming manner,

Your habitual grace and ready kindness would have led.

ووجهٌ هو الشمسُ انفرى دونها الدجى

ووجهٌ هو الشمسُ انفرى دونها الدجى

وكفٌّ هي البحرُ الذي ما له شط

وكفٌّ هي البحرُ الذي ما له شط

And a face that is the sun, before which darkness is rent,

A face that outshone dawn, hands like the sea

And a palm that is the sea, with no shore.

That has no shore―where am I to be compared?

وأين بوجهي عنك لا أينَ لي به

وأين بوجهي عنك لا أينَ لي به

ولي أملٌ في شِعْبِ جودكَ مُنحَط

ولي أملٌ في شِعْبِ جودكَ مُنحَط

And where could I turn my face away from you? I have nowhere to turn it,

Yet I have hopes that in your land of bounty

While a hope of mine lies lodged in the ravine of your generosity.

I may find footing however insecure.