تيقنوا أن قلبي منهم يجب

تيقنوا أن قلبي منهم يجب

فاستعذبوا من عذابي فوق مايجب

فاستعذبوا من عذابي فوق مايجب

They knew for certain that my heart throbbed because of them,

Know that my heart for them will remain

so they relished more of my torment than was due.

So take my torment gently, more than deserved

وأعرضوا ووجوه الود مقبلة

وأعرضوا ووجوه الود مقبلة

وللمكارم قلب ليس ينقلب

وللمكارم قلب ليس ينقلب

They turned away while the faces of affection were approaching,

And turn your kind faces away

and noble virtues have a heart that does not change.

A generous heart does not turn away

ولو قدرت لأسلاني عقوقهم

ولو قدرت لأسلاني عقوقهم

وكم عقوق سلت أم به وأب

وكم عقوق سلت أم به وأب

Had I been able, their ingratitude would have made me forget;

If I could unleash their disobedience

and how often has ingratitude made a mother and a father forget!

How much disobedience did a father and mother endure

إن لم يكن ذلك الإعراض عن ملل

إن لم يكن ذلك الإعراض عن ملل

فسوف ترضيهم العتبى إذا عتبوا

فسوف ترضيهم العتبى إذا عتبوا

If that turning away did not spring from weariness,

If it's not boredom that turned them away

then amends will satisfy them when they take offense.

Then apologies will please them when they complain

وإن تكدر صاف من مودتهم

وإن تكدر صاف من مودتهم

فالشمس تشرق أحياناً وتحتجب

فالشمس تشرق أحياناً وتحتجب

And if what is clear in their affection becomes clouded,

Even if their affection becomes troubled

the sun sometimes shines and sometimes is veiled.

The sun still rises, though sometimes it hides

لم ترض عيذاب أني مسني نسب

لم ترض عيذاب أني مسني نسب

من أهلها وجرى لي منهم تعب

من أهلها وجرى لي منهم تعب

Aydhab was not content that kinship had touched me

She did not accept the torment that touched me

through its people, and that hardship had come to me from them,

From her people, and I suffered because of them

حتى لقيت بقوص لا سقت أبداً

حتى لقيت بقوص لا سقت أبداً

أكناف قوص ولا من حلها السحب

أكناف قوص ولا من حلها السحب

until I encountered in Qus—may the clouds never water

Until I came upon barren sands, which never

Qus's environs, nor those who dwell there—

Touched the bosoms of barren sands or clouds

عوارضاً كشف المريخ صفحته

عوارضاً كشف المريخ صفحته

لهن والمشتري عنهن محتجب

لهن والمشتري عنهن محتجب

adversities—Mars bared his face

Rejections the Mars uncovered his landscape

to them, while Jupiter was veiled from them.

For them, while Jupiter remains hidden

وكان إعراض سيف الدين أكبر ما

وكان إعراض سيف الدين أكبر ما

لقيت والبحر تنسى عنده القلب

لقيت والبحر تنسى عنده القلب

And Saif al-Din's turning away was the greatest thing

Yet the estrangement of Saif Al-Din was the greatest

I suffered; beside the sea, wells are forgotten.

I encountered, while beside it the heart forgets the sea

أتيت من مأمني فيه وفاجأني

أتيت من مأمني فيه وفاجأني

ما لم تكن أعين الآمال ترتقب

ما لم تكن أعين الآمال ترتقب

I was assailed where I had felt safe with him, and surprised by

I came from my refuge in him and was surprised

what the eyes of hope had not foreseen.

By what hopeful eyes had not foreseen

وأرجف الناس حتى قال قائلهم

وأرجف الناس حتى قال قائلهم

يا رائد الحي لا ماء ولا عشب

يا رائد الحي لا ماء ولا عشب

And the people spread alarming rumors until one of them said:

And people shook until one said

O scout of the tribe, there is no water and no grass.

O guide of life, no water or grass

فقلت هل أفقر الوادي أم افتقر النادي

فقلت هل أفقر الوادي أم افتقر النادي

أم انحل ذاك الكرب والكرب

أم انحل ذاك الكرب والكرب

So I said: Has the valley become desolate, or has the assembly grown poor,

So I said, did the valley run dry or the clan grow poor

or have that distress and those troubles been dispelled?

Or did that worry and sorrow dissolve

فقيل بل جملة الأحوال حالية

فقيل بل جملة الأحوال حالية

ومعقل العز معمور القنا أشب

ومعقل العز معمور القنا أشب

Then I was told: No, the whole state of affairs is splendid;

I was told, no, it's just the current state of affairs

the stronghold of might is inhabited, and the spears stand thick.

And the fortress of might is inhabited, the cups full

وإنما المجلس السيفي منحرف

وإنما المجلس السيفي منحرف

فإن تعذر مأمول فلا عجب

فإن تعذر مأمول فلا عجب

Only Saif al-Din's court has turned away,

It's just that the Saifi council has strayed

so if a hope proves unattainable, it is no wonder.

So if hopes are frustrated, it's no surprise

وكيف لا تعرض الدنيا متابعة

وكيف لا تعرض الدنيا متابعة

لرأيه وهو في إقبالها السبب

لرأيه وهو في إقبالها السبب

And how could the world not turn away, obedient

How could the world not turn away, following

to his judgment, when he is the cause of its favor?

His opinion, when he's the reason for its prosperity

لولا شفاعته الحسنى نائله الأسنى

لولا شفاعته الحسنى نائله الأسنى

لما أنجح المسعى ولا الطلب

لما أنجح المسعى ولا الطلب

Were it not for his gracious intercession and his exalted bounty,

Were it not for his blessed intercession, the aim of his wishes

neither striving nor petition would have succeeded.

Neither effort nor seeking would succeed

يا جامع العز والتقوى وبينهما

يا جامع العز والتقوى وبينهما

بون بعيد المرامي ليس يقترب

بون بعيد المرامي ليس يقترب

O you who unite might and piety, though between them

O gatherer of might and piety, and between them

lies a gulf of distant reaches that never narrows,

A distance too vast to approach or near

قد بان لي منك أمر كنت أجهله

قد بان لي منك أمر كنت أجهله

وغامض العلم بالتدريج يكتسب

وغامض العلم بالتدريج يكتسب

something about you has become clear to me that I did not know;

It has become clear to me something I was ignorant of

and hidden knowledge is acquired by degrees:

And the obscure becomes known gradually

بأنك المرء في أهل وفي وطن

بأنك المرء في أهل وفي وطن

لكنه بالسجايا البيض مغترب

لكنه بالسجايا البيض مغترب

that you are a man among kin and in a homeland,

That a man among family and homeland

yet in his white virtues he is a stranger.

Is a stranger in white clothes with good manners

صافي المروءة لولا فضل نخوته

صافي المروءة لولا فضل نخوته

ودينه أدرك الواشون ما طلبوا

ودينه أدرك الواشون ما طلبوا

Pure in honor—were it not for the excellence of his noble spirit

Of pure chivalry, were it not for the bounty of his nobility

and his faith, the slanderers would have attained what they sought.

And faith, the slanderers would have gotten what they sought

وكيف ينفق زور عند مجلسه

وكيف ينفق زور عند مجلسه

والغالبان عليه الدين والحسب

والغالبان عليه الدين والحسب

And how could falsehood find currency at his court,

How could lies spread in his council

when faith and ancestral honor are the two powers ruling him?

When religion and reputation prevail over it