وَنَمى إِلَيَّ مِنَ العَجائِبِ أَنَّهُ

وَنَمى إِلَيَّ مِنَ العَجائِبِ أَنَّهُ

لَعِبَت بِعَقلِكَ حيلَةُ الخَوّانِ

لَعِبَت بِعَقلِكَ حيلَةُ الخَوّانِ

And among the marvels, word has reached me that

He told me of the strange things and said

the traitor's trick has played upon your mind,

Your mind was tricked by the cunning of traitors

وَتَمَلَّكَتكَ خَديعَةٌ مِن قَولَةٍ

وَتَمَلَّكَتكَ خَديعَةٌ مِن قَولَةٍ

غَرّارَةِ الأَقسامِ وَالأَيمانِ

غَرّارَةِ الأَقسامِ وَالأَيمانِ

and deception has taken hold of you through an utterance

And you were captured by the deceit of one who makes false oaths

deceptive in its oaths and vows.

With misleading vows and false promises

حَقّاً سَمِعتُ وَرُبَّ عَيني ناظِرٍ

حَقّاً سَمِعتُ وَرُبَّ عَيني ناظِرٍ

يَقِظٍ تَقومُ مَقامَها الأُذُنانِ

يَقِظٍ تَقومُ مَقامَها الأُذُنانِ

Truly, I heard it; often the eyes of an observer

Indeed I heard, though my wakeful eyes see for themselves

who is alert are replaced by the two ears.

Replacing what my ears convey

أَينَ الَّذي أَضمَرتُهُ مِن بُغضِهِ

أَينَ الَّذي أَضمَرتُهُ مِن بُغضِهِ

وَعَقَدتَهُ بِالسِرِّ وَالإِعلانِ

وَعَقَدتَهُ بِالسِرِّ وَالإِعلانِ

Where is the hatred of him that I harbored,

Where is what I felt of my hatred for him

and that you pledged in secret and in public?

That I kept secret and made public

أَم أَينَ ذاكَ الرَأيُ في إِبعادِهِ

أَم أَينَ ذاكَ الرَأيُ في إِبعادِهِ

حَنَقاً وَأَينَ حَمِيَّةُ الغَضبانِ

حَنَقاً وَأَينَ حَمِيَّةُ الغَضبانِ

Or where is that resolve to keep him far away

Or where is my opinion to keep him away

in fury, and where is the angry man's zeal?

Out of resentment? And where is the zeal of the angry?

سُبحانَ خالِقِ كُلَّ شَيءٍ مُعجِبٍ

سُبحانَ خالِقِ كُلَّ شَيءٍ مُعجِبٍ

ما فيكُمُ مِن كَثرَةِ الأَلوانِ

ما فيكُمُ مِن كَثرَةِ الأَلوانِ

Glory to the Creator of every wondrous thing!

Glory to the Creator of every wondrous thing

What a multitude of colors there is in you!

So much diversity among you

يَومٌ لِذا وَغَدٌ لِذاكَ وَهَذِهِ

يَومٌ لِذا وَغَدٌ لِذاكَ وَهَذِهِ

شِيَمٌ مُقَطِّعَةٌ قُوى الأَقرانِ

شِيَمٌ مُقَطِّعَةٌ قُوى الأَقرانِ

A day for this one, tomorrow for that—and these

One day belongs to this, the next to that

are traits that shatter the strength of peers.

Varying strengths among peers

فَالآنَ مِنكَ اليَأسُ يَنقَعُ غُلَّتي

فَالآنَ مِنكَ اليَأسُ يَنقَعُ غُلَّتي

وَاليَأسُ يَقطَعُ غُلَّةَ الظَمآنِ

وَاليَأسُ يَقطَعُ غُلَّةَ الظَمآنِ

So now despair of you quenches my thirst,

Now from you comes the despair that deflates my pride

and despair ends the thirsty man's thirst.

And despair cuts off the thirst of the thirsty

فَاِذهَب كَما ذَهَبَ الغَمامُ رَجَوتُهُ

فَاِذهَب كَما ذَهَبَ الغَمامُ رَجَوتُهُ

فَطَوى البُروقَ وَضَنَّ بِالهَتّانِ

فَطَوى البُروقَ وَضَنَّ بِالهَتّانِ

So go, as the cloud I had hoped for departed,

So go, as the hoped-for clouds went away

then folded away its lightning and withheld the downpour.

Lightning flashed and rumbled with thunder

أَو بَعدَ أَن أَدمى مَديحُكَ خاطِري

أَو بَعدَ أَن أَدمى مَديحُكَ خاطِري

بِصِقالِ لَفظٍ أَو طِلابِ مَعاني

بِصِقالِ لَفظٍ أَو طِلابِ مَعاني

And this after praising you made my mind bleed,

Or after praising you bruised my dignity

through polishing words or pursuing meanings?

With polished words or lyrical meanings

لا بارَكَ الرَحمَنُ في مالٍ بِهِ

لا بارَكَ الرَحمَنُ في مالٍ بِهِ

يُعدى البَعيدُ عَلى القَريبِ الداني

يُعدى البَعيدُ عَلى القَريبِ الداني

May the All-Merciful bless no wealth by which

May the Merciful not bless wealth used

the distant man is aided against the near and close.

To harm the near from afar

لي مِثلُ مُلكِكَ لَو أَطَعتُ تَقَنُّعي

لي مِثلُ مُلكِكَ لَو أَطَعتُ تَقَنُّعي

وَذوو العَمائِمِ مِن ذَوي التيجانِ

وَذوو العَمائِمِ مِن ذَوي التيجانِ

A kingdom like yours would be mine, if I heeded my contentment;

If I obeyed, I would have wealth like yours

and wearers of turbans are among the wearers of crowns.

And turbans like those with crowns

وَلَعَلَّ حالي أَن يَصيرَ إِلى عُلىً

وَلَعَلَّ حالي أَن يَصيرَ إِلى عُلىً

فَالدَوحُ مَنبِتُها مِنَ القُضبانِ

فَالدَوحُ مَنبِتُها مِنَ القُضبانِ

And perhaps my condition will rise to lofty heights,

Perhaps my state will reach heights

for great trees spring from shoots.

Palms grow from shoots

فَاِحذَر عَواقِبَ ما جَنَيتَ فَرُبَّما

فَاِحذَر عَواقِبَ ما جَنَيتَ فَرُبَّما

رَمَتِ الجِنايَةُ عُرضَ قَلبِ الجاني

رَمَتِ الجِنايَةُ عُرضَ قَلبِ الجاني

So beware the consequences of what you have done, for often

So beware the consequences of your crimes

a wrong has struck the very heart of the wrongdoer.

Often a crime wounds the heart of the criminal

أَعطَيتُكَ الرَأيَ الصَريحَ وَغَيرُهُ

أَعطَيتُكَ الرَأيَ الصَريحَ وَغَيرُهُ

تَنسابُ رَغوَتُهُ بِغَيرِ بَيانِ

تَنسابُ رَغوَتُهُ بِغَيرِ بَيانِ

I gave you frank counsel; as for any other,

I gave you candid advice, the rest

its froth flows on without clarity.

Babbles foam without clarity

وَعَرَضتُ نُصحي وَالقَبولُ إِجازَةٌ

وَعَرَضتُ نُصحي وَالقَبولُ إِجازَةٌ

فَإِذا أَبَيتَ لَوَيتُ عَنكَ عِناني

فَإِذا أَبَيتَ لَوَيتُ عَنكَ عِناني

And I offered my sincere advice; acceptance is a reward.

I presented my advice; accepting is approving

So if you refuse, I shall turn my reins away from you.

If you refuse, I will pull my reins from you

وَلَقَد يَطولُ عَليكَ أَن أُصغي إِلى

وَلَقَد يَطولُ عَليكَ أَن أُصغي إِلى

ذِكراكَ أَو يُثني عَليكَ لِساني

ذِكراكَ أَو يُثني عَليكَ لِساني

And you will wait long indeed before I listen to

It would be hard for me to listen to

mention of you, or my tongue praises you.

Talk of you or my tongue praise you