أَتَحسِبُ سوءَ الظَنِّ يَجرَحُ في فِكري

أَتَحسِبُ سوءَ الظَنِّ يَجرَحُ في فِكري

إِذاً فَاِحتَوي بي العَجزَ مِن كَنَفِ الصَبرِ

إِذاً فَاِحتَوي بي العَجزَ مِن كَنَفِ الصَبرِ

Do you suppose ill suspicion can wound my mind?

Do you think ill suspicion can wound my mind?

Then helplessness must have engulfed me beyond patience’s shelter,

Then helplessness has hemmed me in beneath patience's wing,

وَعاقَت يَدي عِندَ النِزالِ عَوائِقٌ

وَعاقَت يَدي عِندَ النِزالِ عَوائِقٌ

عَنِ السَيفِ لا تُدني يَدَيَّ مِنَ النَصرِ

عَنِ السَيفِ لا تُدني يَدَيَّ مِنَ النَصرِ

and at the clash, obstacles must have stayed my hand

and obstacles have held back my hand in combat

from the sword, bringing neither hand of mine nearer victory.

from the sword, bringing my hands no nearer victory.

فَلا تَقرِنا ظَنّي بِظَنِّ مُسَفَّهٍ

فَلا تَقرِنا ظَنّي بِظَنِّ مُسَفَّهٍ

يَظُنُّ بِوَقعِ الأَثرِ في غُرَّةِ البَدرِ

يَظُنُّ بِوَقعِ الأَثرِ في غُرَّةِ البَدرِ

So do not couple my judgment with a witless fool’s suspicion—

So do not couple my judgment with that of a fool

one who imagines a mark upon the full moon’s radiant brow.

who imagines a mark can appear on the full moon's bright brow.

فَقَلبِيَ يَأبى أَن يُدَنَّسَ سِرُّهُ

فَقَلبِيَ يَأبى أَن يُدَنَّسَ سِرُّهُ

بِرَيبٍ وَوُدّي أَن يُعَنَّفَ مِن غَدري

بِرَيبٍ وَوُدّي أَن يُعَنَّفَ مِن غَدري

For my heart refuses to let its secret be sullied

For my heart refuses to have its secret defiled

by your mistrust, or my affection be blamed for treachery of mine.

by suspicion, and my affection refuses reproach for my treachery.

وَقَد جُدتُ بِالنُعمى عَليكَ لِأَنَّني

وَقَد جُدتُ بِالنُعمى عَليكَ لِأَنَّني

حَلَلتُ عُرى ضِغنى وَكَفكَفتُ مِن وِتري

حَلَلتُ عُرى ضِغنى وَكَفكَفتُ مِن وِتري

I have indeed lavished favor upon you, because I

And I have lavished favors upon you because I

unfastened the knots of my rancor and restrained my claim to vengeance.

loosed the bonds of my rancor and curbed my vengeance.

وَلَو أَنَّني جازَيتُ قَوماً بِفِعلِهِم

وَلَو أَنَّني جازَيتُ قَوماً بِفِعلِهِم

لَأَلبَستُهُم حَلِياً مِنَ البيضِ وَالسُمرِ

لَأَلبَستُهُم حَلِياً مِنَ البيضِ وَالسُمرِ

Had I repaid a people according to their deeds,

Had I repaid a people for their deeds,

I would have arrayed them in ornaments of white blades and dark-shafted spears.

I would have clad them in jewelry of bright swords and brown spears.

وَأَخلاقُنا ماءٌ زُلالٌ عَلى الرَضى

وَأَخلاقُنا ماءٌ زُلالٌ عَلى الرَضى

وَإِن أُسخِطَت عادَت عَلى السُخطِ مِن صَخرِ

وَإِن أُسخِطَت عادَت عَلى السُخطِ مِن صَخرِ

Our tempers are limpid water when goodwill reigns;

And our dispositions are clear, sweet water when content;

but if provoked, in wrath they turn to rock.

but when angered, they become rock in their wrath.

إِذا ما غَضِبنا كادَتِ الأَرضُ تَنطَوي

إِذا ما غَضِبنا كادَتِ الأَرضُ تَنطَوي

حِفاظاً وَيَرمي الأُفقُ بِالأَنجُمِ الزُهرِ

حِفاظاً وَيَرمي الأُفقُ بِالأَنجُمِ الزُهرِ

Whenever we grow angry, the earth nearly folds upon itself

When we grow angry, the earth almost folds upon itself

in jealous defense of honor, and the horizon hurls radiant stars.

in our zeal for honor, and the horizon hurls its radiant stars.

وَما نَحنُ إِلّا عارِضٌ إِن قَصَدتَهُ

وَما نَحنُ إِلّا عارِضٌ إِن قَصَدتَهُ

لِجودٍ حَباكَ النائِلَ الغَمرَ بِالقَطرِ

لِجودٍ حَباكَ النائِلَ الغَمرَ بِالقَطرِ

We are nothing but a rain cloud: if you seek it

And we are but a rain cloud: if you seek it

for bounty, its boundless largesse showers you with rain.

for bounty, it grants you abundant gifts in its rain.

وَإِن هُزَّ لِلأَضغانِ عادَت بُروقُهُ

وَإِن هُزَّ لِلأَضغانِ عادَت بُروقُهُ

حَريقاً عَلى الأَعداءِ مُضطَرِمَ السَعرِ

حَريقاً عَلى الأَعداءِ مُضطَرِمَ السَعرِ

But if it is stirred by enmities, its lightning flashes become

But if stirred by rancor, its lightning turns

a blaze against the foes, its flame fiercely burning.

to a fire upon its foes, with fiercely raging flames.

غَفَرتُ ذُنوباً مِنكَ أَذكَت عَزايمي

غَفَرتُ ذُنوباً مِنكَ أَذكَت عَزايمي

وَكادَ شِهابُ السُخطِ يَطلَعُ مِن صَدري

وَكادَ شِهابُ السُخطِ يَطلَعُ مِن صَدري

I forgave sins of yours that set my resolve ablaze,

I forgave offenses of yours that had kindled my resolve,

though wrath’s meteor nearly burst from my breast.

and wrath's meteor almost rose from my breast.

صَفَحتُ وَقَد كانَ التَغَصُّصُ ذادَني

صَفَحتُ وَقَد كانَ التَغَصُّصُ ذادَني

عَنِ الصَفحِ لَكِن أَنتَ مِن كَرَمِ البَحرِ

عَنِ الصَفحِ لَكِن أَنتَ مِن كَرَمِ البَحرِ

I pardoned, though choking anguish had driven me farther

I pardoned, though choking bitterness had driven me

from pardon; but you are born of the sea’s generosity.

from pardon—but you partake of the sea's generosity.

وَمَن قَيَّدَ الأَلفاظِ عِندَ نِزاعِها

وَمَن قَيَّدَ الأَلفاظِ عِندَ نِزاعِها

بِقَيدِ النُهى أَغنَتهُ عَن طَلَبِ العُذرِ

بِقَيدِ النُهى أَغنَتهُ عَن طَلَبِ العُذرِ

Whoever bridles words when they are in contention

And whoever fetters words, when they struggle to break free,

with reason’s bridle is spared the need to seek an excuse.

with reason's fetter is spared the need to seek pardon.

فَرُح غانِماً بِالعَفوِ مِمَّن لَوِ اِنطَوى

فَرُح غانِماً بِالعَفوِ مِمَّن لَوِ اِنطَوى

عَلى حَنَقٍ ماتَ الحَمامُ مِنَ الذُعرِ

عَلى حَنَقٍ ماتَ الحَمامُ مِنَ الذُعرِ

Go rejoicing, having won pardon from one who, were he to harbor

So depart with pardon as your prize, from one who, if he harbored

a grudge, Death itself would die of fright.

anger, would make Death itself die of terror.

بِكَفِّيَ أَنّى شِئتُ ناصِيَةَ العُلى

بِكَفِّيَ أَنّى شِئتُ ناصِيَةَ العُلى

أَهُزُّ وَأَعناقُ المَكارِمِ في أَسري

أَهُزُّ وَأَعناقُ المَكارِمِ في أَسري

In my two hands, wherever I wish, is glory’s forelock;

In my hand, as I please, is the forelock of glory;

I shake it, while the necks of noble deeds remain captive to me.

I shake it, while the necks of noble deeds are my captives.