لي كِساءٌ أَنعِم بِهِ مِن كِساءِ

لي كِساءٌ أَنعِم بِهِ مِن كِساءِ

أَنا فيهِ أَتيهُ مِثلَ الكِسائي

أَنا فيهِ أَتيهُ مِثلَ الكِسائي

I have a robe—how excellent a robe it is!

I have a cloak—what a splendid cloak it is!

And in it I strut proudly, like al-Kisāʾī.

In it I swagger like al-Kisa'i.

حاكَهُ العِزُّ مِن خُيوطِ المَعالي

حاكَهُ العِزُّ مِن خُيوطِ المَعالي

وَسَقاهُ النَعيمُ ماءَ الصَفاءِ

وَسَقاهُ النَعيمُ ماءَ الصَفاءِ

Glory wove it from threads of lofty distinction,

Glory wove it from threads of lofty distinction,

and bliss watered it with the water of purity.

and luxury soaked it in the water of purity.

وَتَبَدّى في صِبغَةٍ مِن أَديمِ ال

وَتَبَدّى في صِبغَةٍ مِن أَديمِ ال

لَيلِ مَصقولَةٍ بِحُسنِ الطِلاءِ

لَيلِ مَصقولَةٍ بِحُسنِ الطِلاءِ

It appeared in a hue drawn from the skin of—

And it appeared in a hue from the skin of the

night, burnished to a beautiful sheen.

night, polished with a beautiful finish.

خاطَهُ رَبُّهُ بِإِبرَةِ يُمنٍ

خاطَهُ رَبُّهُ بِإِبرَةِ يُمنٍ

أَوجَروا سَمَّها خُيوطُ الهَناءِ

أَوجَروا سَمَّها خُيوطُ الهَناءِ

Its maker stitched it with a needle of good fortune,

Its master stitched it with a needle of good fortune;

threading strands of happiness through its eye.

they fed its eye with threads of happiness.

فَكَأَنّي وَقَد أَحاطَ بِجِسمي

فَكَأَنّي وَقَد أَحاطَ بِجِسمي

في لِباسٍ مِنَ العُلا وَالبَهاءِ

في لِباسٍ مِنَ العُلا وَالبَهاءِ

Once it enfolds my body, I seem—

So, with it now wrapped around my body, I seem

clad in loftiness and splendor.

clad in eminence and splendor.

تُكبِرُ العَينُ رُؤيَتي وَتَراني

تُكبِرُ العَينُ رُؤيَتي وَتَراني

في صُفوفِ الوُلاةِ وَالأُمَراءِ

في صُفوفِ الوُلاةِ وَالأُمَراءِ

I loom great in every eye; it sees me—

The eye regards my appearance with awe, and sees me

in the ranks of governors and princes.

among the ranks of governors and princes.

أَلِفَ الناسُ حَيثُ كُنتُ مَكاني

أَلِفَ الناسُ حَيثُ كُنتُ مَكاني

أُلفَةَ المُعدِمينَ شَمسَ الشِتاءِ

أُلفَةَ المُعدِمينَ شَمسَ الشِتاءِ

Wherever I am, people grow fond of my presence,

People grew fond of my presence wherever I was,

as the destitute cherish the winter sun.

as the destitute cherish the winter sun.

يا رِدائي وَأَنتَ خَيرُ رِداءٍ

يا رِدائي وَأَنتَ خَيرُ رِداءٍ

أَرتَجيهِ لِزينَةٍ وَاِزدِهاءِ

أَرتَجيهِ لِزينَةٍ وَاِزدِهاءِ

O my hope—and you are the finest robe—

O my cloak, you are the finest cloak

the one I desire for adornment and flourishing.

I could hope for, for adornment and proud display.

لا أَحالَت لَكَ الحَوادِثُ لَوناً

لا أَحالَت لَكَ الحَوادِثُ لَوناً

وَتَعَدَّتكَ ناسِجاتُ الجِواءِ

وَتَعَدَّتكَ ناسِجاتُ الجِواءِ

May events never alter your color,

May life's vicissitudes never alter your color,

and may the weavers of the air pass you by.

and may the weavers of inner spaces pass you by.

غَفَلَت عَنكَ لِلبِلى نَظَراتٌ

غَفَلَت عَنكَ لِلبِلى نَظَراتٌ

وَتَخَطَّتكَ إِبرَةُ الرَفّاءِ

وَتَخَطَّتكَ إِبرَةُ الرَفّاءِ

May decay’s glances overlook you,

May decay's glances overlook you,

and the mender’s needle pass you by.

and may the darner's needle pass you by.

صَحِبَتني قَبلَ اِصطِحابِكَ دَهراً

صَحِبَتني قَبلَ اِصطِحابِكَ دَهراً

بِدلَةٌ في تَلَوُّنِ الحِرباءِ

بِدلَةٌ في تَلَوُّنِ الحِرباءِ

Before I took you as companion, for ages my companion was—

Before I took you as my companion, I was long accompanied

a suit whose colors changed like a chameleon.

by a suit as changeable in color as a chameleon.

نَسَبوها لِطَيلَسانِ اِبنِ حَربٍ

نَسَبوها لِطَيلَسانِ اِبنِ حَربٍ

نِسبَةً لَم تَكُن بِذاتِ اِفتِراءِ

نِسبَةً لَم تَكُن بِذاتِ اِفتِراءِ

They traced it to the ṭaylasān of Ibn Ḥarb—

They linked it to the mantle of Ibn Harb,

an attribution containing no falsehood.

an attribution that was no fabrication.

كُنتُ فيها إِذا طَرَقتُ أُناساً

كُنتُ فيها إِذا طَرَقتُ أُناساً

أَنكَروني كَطارِقٍ مِن وَباءِ

أَنكَروني كَطارِقٍ مِن وَباءِ

Whenever I wore it and came calling on people,

Whenever I called on people while wearing it,

they failed to recognize me, as though plague had come knocking.

they shunned me like a visitation of plague.

كَسَفَ الدَهرُ لَونَها وَاِستَعارَت

كَسَفَ الدَهرُ لَونَها وَاِستَعارَت

لَونَ وَجهِ الكَذوبِ عِندَ اللِقاءِ

لَونَ وَجهِ الكَذوبِ عِندَ اللِقاءِ

Time eclipsed its color, and it borrowed—

Time dulled its color, and it borrowed

the complexion of a liar’s face when confronted.

the color of a liar's face at a meeting.

يا رِدائي جَعَلتَني عِندَ قَومي

يا رِدائي جَعَلتَني عِندَ قَومي

فَوقَ ما أَشتَهي وَفَوقَ الرَجاءِ

فَوقَ ما أَشتَهي وَفَوقَ الرَجاءِ

O my robe, among my people you have raised me—

O my cloak, you have placed me among my people

above all I desire and beyond all hope.

above all I desire and beyond all hope.

إِنَّ قَومي تَروقُهُم جِدَّةُ الثَو

إِنَّ قَومي تَروقُهُم جِدَّةُ الثَو

بِ وَلا يَعشَقونَ غَيرَ الرُواءِ

بِ وَلا يَعشَقونَ غَيرَ الرُواءِ

Indeed, my people delight in the newness of a gar—

Indeed, my people are charmed by the newness of a

—ment, and love nothing but outward splendor.

garment, and love nothing but outward beauty.

قيمَةُ المَرءِ عِندَهُم بَينَ ثَوبٍ

قيمَةُ المَرءِ عِندَهُم بَينَ ثَوبٍ

باهِرٍ لَونُهُ وَبَينَ حِذاءِ

باهِرٍ لَونُهُ وَبَينَ حِذاءِ

For them, a person’s worth lies between a robe—

To them, a person's worth lies between a garment

dazzling in color—and a shoe.

whose color dazzles and a shoe.

قَعَدَ الفَضلُ بي وَقُمتُ بِعِزّي

قَعَدَ الفَضلُ بي وَقُمتُ بِعِزّي

بَينَ صَحبي جُزيتَ خَيرَ الجَزاءِ

بَينَ صَحبي جُزيتَ خَيرَ الجَزاءِ

Merit held me down, but through my prestige I rose—

Merit kept me down, but I stood tall in my glory

among my companions. May you receive the finest reward.

among my friends—may you receive the finest reward.