تَضيقُ صُدورُ العَتبِ وَالعُذرُ أَوسَعُ

تَضيقُ صُدورُ العَتبِ وَالعُذرُ أَوسَعُ

وَيجمَحُ طَرفُ الهَجرِ وَالوِدُّ أَطوَعُ

وَيجمَحُ طَرفُ الهَجرِ وَالوِدُّ أَطوَعُ

Reproach's breasts grow narrow, while excuse is more spacious.

The hearts that blame and excuse are more spacious,

And estrangement's steed runs wild, while affection is more docile.

And the glance of estrangement is more pliant than affection.

لَكَ اللَهُ مِن قَلبٍ مَلاهُ وَفاؤُهُ

لَكَ اللَهُ مِن قَلبٍ مَلاهُ وَفاؤُهُ

فَليسَ لِعُذرٍ في نَواحيهِ مَرتَعُ

فَليسَ لِعُذرٍ في نَواحيهِ مَرتَعُ

God bless you—what a heart, filled by its own loyalty,

God has given you a heart filled with loyalty,

So no excuse finds a pasture within its bounds.

So there is no room in it for excuses.

وَلي خاطِرٌ ما إِن سَلَكتُ مَضاءَهُ

وَلي خاطِرٌ ما إِن سَلَكتُ مَضاءَهُ

عَلى الهَمَّ إِلّا كادَ في الدَهرِ يُقطَعُ

عَلى الهَمَّ إِلّا كادَ في الدَهرِ يُقطَعُ

And I have a mind whose keenness I never turn

I have a purpose that, if I pursue it,

Against sorrow without its almost cutting through time

Will almost be severed by worries in this life.

إِلَيكَ فَما تَظما إِلى الغَدرِ هِمَّتي

إِلَيكَ فَما تَظما إِلى الغَدرِ هِمَّتي

إِذا ما سَقاني مِن وَدادِكَ مَشرَعُ

إِذا ما سَقاني مِن وَدادِكَ مَشرَعُ

Toward you; for my resolve does not thirst for treachery,

Toward you - my soul does not incline to betrayal

Whenever a watering-place of your affection gives me drink.

When your affection provides me with drink.

وَلَكِنَّني في مَعشَرٍ حَليُ وُدَّهِم

وَلَكِنَّني في مَعشَرٍ حَليُ وُدَّهِم

إِذا ما اِجتَلَتهُ النائِباتُ التَصَنُّعُ

إِذا ما اِجتَلَتهُ النائِباتُ التَصَنُّعُ

But I am among a people whose affection's adornment,

But I am in a company whose friendship,

When calamities lay it bare, is mere pretence.

When tested by adversities, is pretense.

إِذا رَكَضَت أَقوالَهُم في مَسامِعي

إِذا رَكَضَت أَقوالَهُم في مَسامِعي

عَلى العُذرِ جاءَت خاطِري وَهيَ ظُلَّعُ

عَلى العُذرِ جاءَت خاطِري وَهيَ ظُلَّعُ

When their words gallop in my ears,

When their words race into my hearing,

As excuses, they reach my mind limping.

My thoughts of excuse come while still bleary.

لَحا اللَهُ هَذا الدَهرُ سَيفاً عَلى المُنى

لَحا اللَهُ هَذا الدَهرُ سَيفاً عَلى المُنى

أُوَصِّلُ آرابي بِها وَيُقَطِّعُ

أُوَصِّلُ آرابي بِها وَيُقَطِّعُ

May God curse this age—a sword against hopes:

May God make this age a sword against desires

I knit my aims together through them, and it cuts them apart.

That severs my aspirations though they continue.

إِذا شِمتُ مِنهُ بارِقَ العَزمِ رَدَّني

إِذا شِمتُ مِنهُ بارِقَ العَزمِ رَدَّني

كَليلَ لِحاظِ الناسِ وَالخَطبِ يَهمَعُ

كَليلَ لِحاظِ الناسِ وَالخَطبِ يَهمَعُ

Whenever I glimpse from it a lightning-flash of resolve, it turns me back,

When I sense its flashing resolve, it returns me

With my gaze at men dulled, while calamity pours down.

Shy of people’s sights and troubles being heard.

صَحِبتُ الرِجالَ الخابِطينَ إِلى العُلى

صَحِبتُ الرِجالَ الخابِطينَ إِلى العُلى

فَشَبَّطَني لُؤمُ الزَمانُ وَأُسرِعُ

فَشَبَّطَني لُؤمُ الزَمانُ وَأُسرِعُ

I accompanied men forging their way toward the heights,

I accompanied men striving for the heights

Then time's baseness held me back as I hastened.

So the evils of time hurried me and impelled.

أَما لِيَ مِن حَظِّ المَكارِمِ أَن أَرى

أَما لِيَ مِن حَظِّ المَكارِمِ أَن أَرى

سَريعاً إِلى داعي العُلى حينَ يَسمَعُ

سَريعاً إِلى داعي العُلى حينَ يَسمَعُ

Have I no share in noble deeds, that I might see

Do I not have, from the share of noble deeds,

Someone swift to the caller of the heights when he hears the call?

That I quickly see the caller to heights when heard?

تَرُدُّ سِهامي الحادِثاتُ طَوائِشاً

تَرُدُّ سِهامي الحادِثاتُ طَوائِشاً

وَفي قَوسِ عَزمي لَو تَبَوَّعَ مَنزِعُ

وَفي قَوسِ عَزمي لَو تَبَوَّعَ مَنزِعُ

Calamities turn my arrows back, straying off-target,

My arrows of events turn back wayward,

Yet the bow of my resolve has a draw, if it could stretch its span.

And if the bow of resolve were flexible, it would snap.

أُصَرِّفُ فَهمي وَالمَقاوِلُ سُرَّعٌ

أُصَرِّفُ فَهمي وَالمَقاوِلُ سُرَّعٌ

وَأَملِكُ حِلمي وَالعَوامِلُ شُرَّعُ

وَأَملِكُ حِلمي وَالعَوامِلُ شُرَّعُ

I put my understanding to work while tongues race,

I guide my understanding while talks hurry on,

And I retain my forbearance while spearheads are leveled.

And I control my patience while factors flare up.