صَدِيقِي لَكَ العُتبَى وَما نتَ مُذنِبُ

صَدِيقِي لَكَ العُتبَى وَما نتَ مُذنِبُ

لكن عَساها أن تَرُوضَ ازورَارَكا

لكن عَساها أن تَرُوضَ ازورَارَكا

My friend, you shall have amends, though you are not at fault;

My friend, I am blamed though I am not at fault,

but perhaps they may tame your turning away.

Perhaps it will tame your anger,

أتاني كتاب منك لم أر وَجهَهُ

أتاني كتاب منك لم أر وَجهَهُ

فيا ليتَ شِعرِي أنِّي طِرتُ مَطَارَكا

فيا ليتَ شِعرِي أنِّي طِرتُ مَطَارَكا

A letter from you reached me; I did not see its face.

A letter came from you, I did not see its face,

Oh, would that I knew I had flown your course!

I wish I knew if I missed your mail.

أبا للوم تَرمِينِي وحاشاك فالتَمِس

أبا للوم تَرمِينِي وحاشاك فالتَمِس

لِيَ العذرَ لا تشننُن عليَّ مغاركا

لِيَ العذرَ لا تشننُن عليَّ مغاركا

Is it reproach you hurl at me? Far be it from you—then seek

You blame me unjustly, do not do so,

an excuse for me; do not launch your raids against me.

Seek excuse for me, do not attack me,

حكمتَ ولم تَعذُر وتلكَ حكومةٌ

حكمتَ ولم تَعذُر وتلكَ حكومةٌ

لِنَفسِكَ ما أبلغت فيها انتظاركا

لِنَفسِكَ ما أبلغت فيها انتظاركا

You passed judgment without excusing me; that is a ruling

You judged without excusing, such judgment

in your own favor, without allowing your waiting its full course.

Only serves your own waiting.

عتبتَ ولم تَعذُر وتَزعَمُ أنَّنِي

عتبتَ ولم تَعذُر وتَزعَمُ أنَّنِي

لك الصاحبُ الخوَّانُ مَلَّ وتَاركا

لك الصاحبُ الخوَّانُ مَلَّ وتَاركا

You reproached me without excusing me, and claim that I

You blamed without excusing, and claim I am

am your treacherous companion, grown weary and parted from you.

Your close loyal friend, then abandoned me.

أعيذُ الودادَ المحضَ والخطةَ التي

أعيذُ الودادَ المحضَ والخطةَ التي

جعلتََ التُّقَى والعَدلَ فيها شِعَارَكا

جعلتََ التُّقَى والعَدلَ فيها شِعَارَكا

I seek protection for pure affection and the course in which

I seek pure affection and the path

you made piety and justice your watchword.

You made piety and justice its motto.

صَدَعتَ فؤادي بالعتابِ وإنه

صَدَعتَ فؤادي بالعتابِ وإنه

لمنزلُكَ الأرضي فخربتَ دَارَكا

لمنزلُكَ الأرضي فخربتَ دَارَكا

You cracked my heart with reproach, though it

is your earthly dwelling; so you have ruined your own home.

You broke my heart with blame, though it is

فيا ثائرَ العتبِ الذي قد عكستَهُ

فيا ثائرَ العتبِ الذي قد عكستَهُ

بحقٍ ألا فارجع على مَن أشاركا

بحقٍ ألا فارجع على مَن أشاركا

O stirrer of reproach, which you have turned backward,

Your earthly abode, so you destroyed your home.

in justice, come now: turn against the one who advised you.

قدحتَ زِنَادي بالعتابِ فَهَاكَهَا

قدحتَ زِنَادي بالعتابِ فَهَاكَهَا

نَتِيجَةَ فِكرِ فِيهِ أضرمت نَارَكا

نَتِيجَةَ فِكرِ فِيهِ أضرمت نَارَكا

You struck my firesticks with reproach; here, take this:

O you whose blame is rebellion unjustly placed,

the fruit of thought in which you kindled your fire.

Come back to the one you made partner.

فها هي تُبدِي من وجُوه جَفَائِها

فها هي تُبدِي من وجُوه جَفَائِها

وتجزي سواءً بالنفار نفاركا

وتجزي سواءً بالنفار نفاركا

So here it is, revealing some facets of its coldness,

You ignited my flint with blame, so here it is

and repaying your aversion with aversion in equal measure.

A result of your thinking, you lit its fire.

ولو أنني أنصفتُ سلمتُ طائعاً

ولو أنني أنصفتُ سلمتُ طائعاً

لِتَأخُذَ مني باحتكامكَ ثَارَكا

لِتَأخُذَ مني باحتكامكَ ثَارَكا

Yet had I been fair, I would have yielded willingly,

It now shows aspects of its coldness

so you might exact your vengeance from me on your own terms.

And equally rewards detachment with detachment.

فإنَّ لَكَ الحبَّ الوثيقَ بناؤُهُ

فإنَّ لَكَ الحبَّ الوثيقَ بناؤُهُ

وإنَّ لَكَ الفَضلَ الذي لَن يُشَاركَا

وإنَّ لَكَ الفَضلَ الذي لَن يُشَاركَا

For yours is a love whose structure is firm,

Had I been just I would have willingly surrendered,

and yours is an excellence that will never be shared.

So you take revenge on me by your judgment.

وكم لَكَ عِندِي قَبلَهَا من قَصِيدَةٍ

وكم لَكَ عِندِي قَبلَهَا من قَصِيدَةٍ

أريت بها في رفع قدري اقتداركَا

أريت بها في رفع قدري اقتداركَا

And how many poems of yours I have from before this one,

For you have close love, steady its building,

in which you showed your power to raise my standing!

And you have superiority none will share.

حَشَدن عليَّ القَولَ مَثنَى ومَوحِدا

حَشَدن عليَّ القَولَ مَثنَى ومَوحِدا

وأعلَينَ في سَمكِ المَعالِي مَنَاركَا

وأعلَينَ في سَمكِ المَعالِي مَنَاركَا

They heaped words upon me, two by two and singly,

And you have with me many a poem before this

and raised your beacon into the heights of glory.

Which I showed, exalting my ability through your power.

رِياضٌ تروقُ القلبَ والطَّرفَ بَهجَةً

رِياضٌ تروقُ القلبَ والطَّرفَ بَهجَةً

فها أنا أجنِي في رُباها ثِمَاركَا

فها أنا أجنِي في رُباها ثِمَاركَا

Gardens that delight the heart and eye with beauty:

They rallied around me, in pairs and alone,

so here I am, gathering your fruits upon their hills.

And raised high on the pillars of glories your minarets.

فلو نُشِرَ الصَّادانِ مِن مَضجَعَيهِمَا

فلو نُشِرَ الصَّادانِ مِن مَضجَعَيهِمَا

ليومِ رهانٍ لم يشقَّا غُبَاركَا

ليومِ رهانٍ لم يشقَّا غُبَاركَا

If the two Ṣāds were raised from their resting places

Gardens that please the heart and eye with delight,

for a day of racing, they would not cut through your dust.

If the two bosom friends were roused from their resting place

تَثَبَّت ولا تَعجَل على مَن تُحِبُّهُ

تَثَبَّت ولا تَعجَل على مَن تُحِبُّهُ

فَمِثلُك من أولى الرضى وتداركا

فَمِثلُك من أولى الرضى وتداركا

Be deliberate, and do not be hasty with one you love;

For a day of wager, they would not stir your dust.

for one like you grants satisfaction and sets things right.

Be certain, and do not hasten against one you love,

فَعَهدِيَ محفوظٌ وحَسبِي بِحفظِهِ

فَعَهدِيَ محفوظٌ وحَسبِي بِحفظِهِ

شهادةُ ربٍّ العالمين تبارَكا

شهادةُ ربٍّ العالمين تبارَكا

My pledge is kept; to attest its keeping, I need only

The like of you most deserves consent and reconsideration.

the testimony of the Lord of the worlds—blessed is He.

My pledge is protected, and it suffices me to keep it,

رِياضٌ تروقُ القلبَ والطَّرفَ بَهجَةً

رِياضٌ تروقُ القلبَ والطَّرفَ بَهجَةً

فها أنا أجنِي في رُباها ثِمَاركَا

فها أنا أجنِي في رُباها ثِمَاركَا

Gardens that delight the heart and eye with beauty:

The testimony of the Lord of the Worlds, Blessed is He.

so here I am, gathering your fruits upon their hills.

Gardens that please the heart and eye with delight,

فلو نُشِرَ الصَّادانِ مِن مَضجَعَيهِمَا

فلو نُشِرَ الصَّادانِ مِن مَضجَعَيهِمَا

ليومِ رهانٍ لم يشقَّا غُبَاركَا

ليومِ رهانٍ لم يشقَّا غُبَاركَا

If the two Ṣāds were raised from their resting places

If the two bosom friends were roused from their resting place

for a day of racing, they would not cut through your dust.

For a day of wager, they would not stir your dust.

تَثَبَّت ولا تَعجَل على مَن تُحِبُّهُ

تَثَبَّت ولا تَعجَل على مَن تُحِبُّهُ

فَمِثلُك من أولى الرضى وتداركا

فَمِثلُك من أولى الرضى وتداركا

Be deliberate, and do not be hasty with one you love;

Be certain, and do not hasten against one you love,

for one like you grants satisfaction and sets things right.

The like of you most deserves consent and reconsideration.

فَعَهدِيَ محفوظٌ وحَسبِي بِحفظِهِ

فَعَهدِيَ محفوظٌ وحَسبِي بِحفظِهِ

شهادةُ ربٍّ العالمين تبارَكا

شهادةُ ربٍّ العالمين تبارَكا

My pledge is kept; to attest its keeping, I need only

My pledge is protected, and it suffices me to keep it,

the testimony of the Lord of the worlds—blessed is He.

The testimony of the Lord of the Worlds, Blessed is He.