حَطَطتُ المَكارِمَ عَن عاتِقي

حَطَطتُ المَكارِمَ عَن عاتِقي

وَجَرَّدَني الذُلُّ عَن مَحتِدي

وَجَرَّدَني الذُلُّ عَن مَحتِدي

May I cast noble virtues off my shoulder,

I have cast nobility from my shoulders,

and may humiliation strip me of my lineage;

And humiliation has stripped me of my pride.

وَإِلّا فَلا أَمَّني النازِلونَ

وَإِلّا فَلا أَمَّني النازِلونَ

وَلا جاءَني الطارِقُ المُجتَدي

وَلا جاءَني الطارِقُ المُجتَدي

or else, may no guests seek me out,

Neither have the settled given me security,

nor any gift-seeking night visitor come to me;

Nor has the resolute pioneer called upon me.

وَلا قُلتُ إِنّي عِندَ الفَخا

وَلا قُلتُ إِنّي عِندَ الفَخا

رِ إِلّا لِغَيرِ أَبي أَحمَدِ

رِ إِلّا لِغَيرِ أَبي أَحمَدِ

nor, when boasting, may I claim descent

I have not said that I am with the eminent,

except from someone other than Abu Ahmad,

Except for one other than my father Ahmad.

مَتى حُلتُ عَن وِدِّكَ المُصطَفى

مَتى حُلتُ عَن وِدِّكَ المُصطَفى

وَأَخلَفَ ما رُمتُهُ مَولِدي

وَأَخلَفَ ما رُمتُهُ مَولِدي

if ever I turn from my chosen affection for you;

When will I be free from your love, O Mustafa,

and may my birth belie what I have sought.

And fail to keep the promise of my birth?

سَأَلقاكَ بِالعَهدِ عِندَ المَخيبِ

سَأَلقاكَ بِالعَهدِ عِندَ المَخيبِ

وَها أَنا في حِليَةِ الأَمرَد

وَها أَنا في حِليَةِ الأَمرَد

I shall meet you true to the pledge when hopes fail,

I will meet you with the covenant at the disappointment,

and here I am, in the adornment of a beardless youth.

Yet here I am in the raiment of the everlasting.

وَإِنّي إِذا لَم أَجِد ناصِراً

وَإِنّي إِذا لَم أَجِد ناصِراً

وَجَدتُكَ أَنصَرَ لي مِن يَدي

وَجَدتُكَ أَنصَرَ لي مِن يَدي

And indeed, when I find no helper,

If I do not find a supporter,

I find you more helpful to me than my own hand.

I will find you a greater support for me than my own hand.

خُذِ الوَقتَ وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّ اللَبيبَ

خُذِ الوَقتَ وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّ اللَبيبَ

يَأخُذُ مِن يَومِهِ لِلغَدِ

يَأخُذُ مِن يَومِهِ لِلغَدِ

Seize the moment, and know that the wise man

Take your time and know that the intelligent one

takes from his day to provide for tomorrow.

Takes from his day for tomorrow.

فَما يَنفَعُ المَرءَ بَعدَ المَنونِ

فَما يَنفَعُ المَرءَ بَعدَ المَنونِ

قَولُ النَوادِبِ لا تَبعَدِ

قَولُ النَوادِبِ لا تَبعَدِ

For after death a man finds no benefit

For when one passes into death,

in the mourning women's cry: 'Do not go far!'

The lamentations of the wailers are of no benefit nor avail.

عَلى أَنَّني تُحفَةٌ لِلصَديقِ

عَلى أَنَّني تُحفَةٌ لِلصَديقِ

يَروحُ بِنَجوايَ أَو يَغتَدي

يَروحُ بِنَجوايَ أَو يَغتَدي

Yet I am a treasure to a friend

Yet I am a gift for the friend,

who goes forth with my confidences, evening or morning.

Who will whisper my secrets or transgress.

وَإِنّي لَيَأنَسُ بي الزائِرونَ

وَإِنّي لَيَأنَسُ بي الزائِرونَ

أَنيسَ النَواظِرِ بِالأُثمُدِ

أَنيسَ النَواظِرِ بِالأُثمُدِ

And visitors indeed find comfort in me,

The visitors are cheered by me

as eyes find comfort in antimony kohl.

Like eyes are cheered by collyrium.

تُغَمَّضُ لي أَعيُنُ الحاسِدينَ

تُغَمَّضُ لي أَعيُنُ الحاسِدينَ

كَالشَمسِ في ناظِرِ الأَرمَدِ

كَالشَمسِ في ناظِرِ الأَرمَدِ

The eyes of the envious are shut before me,

The eyes of the envious are narrowed at me

as a sore eye closes against the sun.

Like the sun in the eyes of the blind.

فَلا دَخَلَ البُعدُ ما بَينَنا

فَلا دَخَلَ البُعدُ ما بَينَنا

ولا فَكَّ مِنّا يَداً عَن يَدِ

ولا فَكَّ مِنّا يَداً عَن يَدِ

So may distance never come between us,

Neither has distance come between us

nor unclasp one of our hands from the other;

Nor a hand pulled away from hand.

وَطُوِّلَ أَيّامُنا بِالمُقامِ

وَطُوِّلَ أَيّامُنا بِالمُقامِ

في ظِلِّ عَيشٍ رَقيقٍ نَدي

في ظِلِّ عَيشٍ رَقيقٍ نَدي

and may our days be lengthened by abiding

And may our days be lengthened with dwelling

in the shade of a gentle, dew-fresh life.

In the shade of a delicate, tender life.