أقوَت عهودُهم فأين ذمامي

أقوَت عهودُهم فأين ذمامي

وخلت قلوبهمُ فأين مقامي

وخلت قلوبهمُ فأين مقامي

Their covenants lie desolate—what, then, of my pledged honor?

Their pledges lie desolate—where is my bond of honor?

Their hearts stand empty—where, then, is my place?

And their hearts are empty—where is my place?

وثنوا أعنَّتهم بغير موفِّقٍ

وثنوا أعنَّتهم بغير موفِّقٍ

فغدوتُ مشغولاً بجذبِ زمام

فغدوتُ مشغولاً بجذبِ زمام

They turned their reins away, with no success,

And they turned their reins without one to guide them rightly,

and I became absorbed in tugging at the rein.

So I became absorbed in tugging at a rein.

بتروا السلام بسيف غدرٍ فانثنى

بتروا السلام بسيف غدرٍ فانثنى

رجعُ السلام وَفاً بغير سلام

رجعُ السلام وَفاً بغير سلام

They severed peace with treachery’s sword, and so

They cut the greeting short with treachery's sword, and back came

peace’s echo turned back, repaid with no greeting.

The greeting's echo, faithfully yet without peace.

قد كنت أحسب ودَّهم كمودتي

قد كنت أحسب ودَّهم كمودتي

شتّان بين ذِمامهم وذمامي

شتّان بين ذِمامهم وذمامي

I once supposed their love to be like mine—

I had thought their affection was like my own.

how vast the gulf between their pledge and mine!

How far apart their bond of honor and mine!

حاولت قربهم فنادى بعدُهم

حاولت قربهم فنادى بعدُهم

الهجرُ أعذب من وصال لئام

الهجرُ أعذب من وصال لئام

I sought their nearness, but their distance cried:

I sought nearness to them; then their distance cried out:

“Estrangement is sweeter than the company of knaves.”

Estrangement is sweeter than union with the ignoble.

إن الكرام وإن تناءت دارهم

إن الكرام وإن تناءت دارهم

عني فإن القلب دار كرام

عني فإن القلب دار كرام

The noble, though their dwelling lies far off

Indeed, though the dwelling of the noble lies far

from me—the heart remains the noble people’s home.

From me, the heart is a home for the noble.

يا نائمين عن العهود وعندهم

يا نائمين عن العهود وعندهم

أنَّ الوفا ضربٌ من الأحلام

أنَّ الوفا ضربٌ من الأحلام

O you who sleep unmindful of your covenants, holding

O you who sleep heedless of pledges, and believe

that keeping faith is merely one kind of dream!

That faithfulness is a kind of dream!

هل تَقتضي الأثمار غصناً ذاوياً

هل تَقتضي الأثمار غصناً ذاوياً

أم هل يرويهنَّ حرُّ أُوام

أم هل يرويهنَّ حرُّ أُوام

Can fruit be expected from a withered bough,

Do you demand fruit from a withered branch?

or can the burning heat of thirst give it drink?

Or can the heat of parching thirst water them?

قولوا لمن قد نام عن عهدي فقد

قولوا لمن قد نام عن عهدي فقد

أمسيت سهراناً وعهديَ نامِ

أمسيت سهراناً وعهديَ نامِ

Tell him who slept through his pledge to me: now

Tell whoever has slept heedless of my pledge, for I have

I pass the evening wakeful, while my pledge sleeps.

Passed the evening sleepless, while my pledge flourishes.

غادرتُهم والغدر ملء جَنانهم

غادرتُهم والغدر ملء جَنانهم

فكأنهم صرعى بغير مُدام

فكأنهم صرعى بغير مُدام

I left them with treachery filling their hearts,

I left them, with treachery filling their hearts,

as though they lay felled, though no wine had touched them.

So they were as though felled, without wine.

إن كَلَّموا كَلَموا فؤادَ محبِّهم

إن كَلَّموا كَلَموا فؤادَ محبِّهم

أو سلَّموا ثَلَموا بغير كلام

أو سلَّموا ثَلَموا بغير كلام

If they speak, they wound the heart of one who loves them;

If they speak, they wound the heart of one who loves them,

and if they greet, they make a breach without a word.

Or, if they greet, they scar without a word.

إني على الحالين معْهم موجعٌ

إني على الحالين معْهم موجعٌ

راشوا سهامَ كَلامهم لكِلامي

راشوا سهامَ كَلامهم لكِلامي

In either state, I suffer pain among them:

Indeed, with them I suffer in either case;

they feathered the arrows of their words for my wounds.

They fletched the arrows of their speech to wound me.

الدهر قدَّمهم وهم لم يعلموا

الدهر قدَّمهم وهم لم يعلموا

أن العثار يكون في الإقدام

أن العثار يكون في الإقدام

Time advanced them, though they did not know

Time advanced them, yet they did not know

that stumbling lies within the act of pressing forward.

That stumbling comes with bold advance.

تمت سعودهمُ فإن تمامَها

تمت سعودهمُ فإن تمامَها

فيهم وبَدءُ النقص عند تمام

فيهم وبَدءُ النقص عند تمام

Their fortunes have attained their fullness—yet that fullness

Their good fortunes are complete; indeed, their completion

contains the start of loss, for loss begins at fullness.

Lies in them, and decline begins at completion.

ظنوا حسامَ الحكم فيهم فيصلاً

ظنوا حسامَ الحكم فيهم فيصلاً

فنبا وكان الفضل في الإحكام

فنبا وكان الفضل في الإحكام

They thought the sword of rule among them decisive,

They thought the sword of judgment among them a final arbiter,

but its edge turned; true merit lay in mastery.

But it glanced off; superiority lay in mastery.

إن العصا بيد الحكيم بحزمِه

إن العصا بيد الحكيم بحزمِه

أمضى له من ذابلٍ وحسام

أمضى له من ذابلٍ وحسام

A staff in a wise man’s hand, through his resolve,

Indeed, the staff in the wise man's hand, through his resolve,

serves him better than a supple spear or sword.

Is more effective for him than a slender spear and a sword.

هذي عصا داودَ أكبرُ شاهدٍ

هذي عصا داودَ أكبرُ شاهدٍ

في قتله جالوت ذا الصمصام

في قتله جالوت ذا الصمصام

In David’s staff there is the greatest proof:

This staff of David's is the greatest witness

with it he slew Goliath, lord of the keen sword.

To his slaying of Goliath, bearer of the keen-edged sword.

فلذاك لا أخشاهمُ فسيوفهم

فلذاك لا أخشاهمُ فسيوفهم

بإزاء عدل اللَه ذاتُ كَهام

بإزاء عدل اللَه ذاتُ كَهام

Therefore I do not fear them, for their swords,

Therefore I do not fear them, for their swords

set against God’s justice, are blunt.

Are blunt against God's justice.

كم رُمتُ إنسَهم لأحظى بالمنى

كم رُمتُ إنسَهم لأحظى بالمنى

فيهم فكان الموت دون مرامي

فيهم فكان الموت دون مرامي

How often I sought their company, hoping to win my wishes

How often I sought their companionship, to attain my wishes

among them—but death stood between me and my aims.

Among them, but death stood in the way of my goal.

إن خاتلوا أو خادعوا أو نافقوا

إن خاتلوا أو خادعوا أو نافقوا

فكأنهم بومٌ بذيلِ ظلام

فكأنهم بومٌ بذيلِ ظلام

Whether they practice guile, deceive, or play the hypocrite,

If they use guile, or deceive, or act hypocritically,

they are like owls beneath the hem of darkness.

They are like owls at the hem of darkness.

يُعميهمُ الحقُّ الصراحُ بشمسه

يُعميهمُ الحقُّ الصراحُ بشمسه

هذا جزاء المبصر المتعامي

هذا جزاء المبصر المتعامي

Plain truth, with its sun, blinds them:

Plain truth blinds them with its sun;

such is the recompense of one who sees yet feigns blindness.

This is the recompense of one who sees yet feigns blindness.

فاصبر على المتكبرين تجدْهمُ

فاصبر على المتكبرين تجدْهمُ

يتوشحون غداً بثوب ملام

يتوشحون غداً بثوب ملام

So bear patiently with the arrogant; you will find them

So be patient with the arrogant; you will find them

tomorrow mantled in a robe of blame.

Draping themselves tomorrow in a garment of reproach.

رَبِّ اَستميحُك طاعةً وتواضعاً

رَبِّ اَستميحُك طاعةً وتواضعاً

عن كبريائي قبل يوم حِمامي

عن كبريائي قبل يوم حِمامي

Lord, I beg Your pardon, obedient and humble,

Lord, I beg You for obedience and humility

for my pride, before the day of my death.

In place of my pride, before the day of my death.