أقصَرَ عن لوميَ اللائمُ

أقصَرَ عن لوميَ اللائمُ

لما درى أنني هائم

لما درى أنني هائم

The reproacher desisted from blaming me

The blamer shortened blaming me

when he learned that I was love-struck.

When he knew I was a fancier

ما زلت في حبه منصفاً

ما زلت في حبه منصفاً

من لم يزل وهو لي ظالم

من لم يزل وهو لي ظالم

I have always been fair in loving him,

I remained equitable in his love

who has always been unjust to me.

Though he has been unjust to me

مهفهفٌ ماس في بردهِ

مهفهفٌ ماس في بردهِ

غضٌ ثنته الصَّبا ناعمُ

غضٌ ثنته الصَّبا ناعمُ

Slender, he swayed in his cloak,

Soft, supple in its coolness

fresh and delicate, bent by the east wind.

Continually folded by the gentle breeze

شمسٌ ولكنَّها فرعُهُ

شمسٌ ولكنَّها فرعُهُ

ليلٌ على صبحها فاحم

ليلٌ على صبحها فاحم

A sun—yet his tresses

Sun, but it is its branch

are coal-black night upon its dawn.

Night over its dawn with obscure dense shadows

أسهر ليلي غراماً به

أسهر ليلي غراماً به

وهو أخو سلوةٍ نائم

وهو أخو سلوةٍ نائم

I stay awake all night for love of him,

I’m awake all night enamored with him

while he, brother to forgetfulness, sleeps.

Though he’s a companion of negligent repose

إنّ ابن ذكوان ذو راحةٍ

إنّ ابن ذكوان ذو راحةٍ

ديمتها صوبُها دائم

ديمتها صوبُها دائم

Indeed, Ibn Dhakwan has a palm

Ibn Zikwan is really at ease

whose steady rain pours without end.

Its continuance facing his permanent maxim

لم يأتلق برقها خُلّباً

لم يأتلق برقها خُلّباً

ولا اتقى خُلفَها الشائم

ولا اتقى خُلفَها الشائم

Its lightning never flashed with empty promise,

No lace has clasped it with sunny flashes

nor did the lightning-watcher fear its promise would fail.

Nor has any backbiter recoiled from it

ومن أبوه حاتمٍ

ومن أبوه حاتمٍ

قصَّر عن جودهِ حاتمُ

قصَّر عن جودهِ حاتمُ

And he whose father is Hatim—

His father is Hatim

Hatim fell short of his generosity.

So Hatim has shortened of his generosity

يبني العلا بالنَّدى جاهداً

يبني العلا بالنَّدى جاهداً

وغيره للعلا هادمُ

وغيره للعلا هادمُ

He strives to build glory through generosity,

He builds high with dew struggling

while others tear glory down.

And another demolishes heights

مٌحكَّكٌ حُولٌ قُلَّبٌ

مٌحكَّكٌ حُولٌ قُلَّبٌ

مُحَنَّكٌ عازمٌ حازم

مُحَنَّكٌ عازمٌ حازم

Well-tested, resourceful, versatile,

Smooth-skinned flowing transformed

experienced, resolute, judicious.

Agreeable determined resolute

تُبصِرُهُ دهرَه قاعداً

تُبصِرُهُ دهرَه قاعداً

وهو بأعبائهِ قائمُ

وهو بأعبائهِ قائمُ

You see him seated all his days,

You see him spending his days sitting

yet he stands bearing his burdens.

While he’s standing with all his burdens

إن لقي الخطب في جيشهِ

إن لقي الخطب في جيشهِ

لاقاه من بطشه هازمُ

لاقاه من بطشه هازمُ

If he meets calamity amid his army,

If troubles meet him amongst his army

it meets a vanquisher in his fierce might.

He faces and defeats them with his might

إذا انتضى سيفه مُعلِماً

إذا انتضى سيفه مُعلِماً

لم تدر من منهما الصارمُ

لم تدر من منهما الصارمُ

When he unsheathes his sword, bearing his battle-mark,

When he bares his sword teaching

you cannot tell which of the two is the keen blade.

You can’t recognize which of the two cuts

شمائلٌ مالها عائبُ

شمائلٌ مالها عائبُ

وسؤددٌ ماله لائمُ

وسؤددٌ ماله لائمُ

Traits that no one can fault,

Visage with no defect

and lordly honor none can reproach.

And generosity with no critic

يا أحمداً حمدُهُ رفعةٌ

يا أحمداً حمدُهُ رفعةٌ

أنفُ حسودي بها راغمُ

أنفُ حسودي بها راغمُ

O Ahmad, praising you brings eminence,

O Ahmad eulogized with nobility

by which my envier's nose is rubbed in dust.

The nose of my envious one is broken

من لم يكن شاعراً عالماً

من لم يكن شاعراً عالماً

فإنَّني الشاعرُ العالمُ

فإنَّني الشاعرُ العالمُ

Whoever is not a poet and a scholar—

If one is not knowing scholar-poet

for I am indeed the poet and the scholar.

Then I’m the most knowledgeable poet

البدر في أخمصي شسعةٌ

البدر في أخمصي شسعةٌ

والنجم في خنصري خاتمُ

والنجم في خنصري خاتمُ

The full moon is a sandal-strap at my foot's arch,

Full moon on the bottom of my foot

and the star a ring on my little finger.

And the star on my heel a seal

والشمسُ لو حكّمت حرّةً

والشمسُ لو حكّمت حرّةً

أبصرتها وهي لي خادمُ

أبصرتها وهي لي خادمُ

And the sun, if allowed to choose freely,

And if free sun arbitrates

you would see it as my servant.

You see it as my maid

والدُّرُّ لو بلّغوه المنى

والدُّرُّ لو بلّغوه المنى

نظَّمه في فمي الناظمُ

نظَّمه في فمي الناظمُ

And pearls, were they granted their wishes,

And if they communicated your place to pearls

the stringer would string them in my mouth.

I’d thread them as the arranger in my mouth

أفديك من سيدٍ شكره

أفديك من سيدٍ شكره

فرضٌ على عبده اللازمُ

فرضٌ على عبده اللازمُ

I would ransom you—a lord to whom gratitude

I ransom you generous master

is a duty binding upon his servant.

Gratitude binding on slaves

لا زال في دهرهِ سالما

لا زال في دهرهِ سالما

فالكلُّ منه به سالمُُ

فالكلُّ منه به سالمُُ

May he remain safe throughout his days,

Never did cease in his days well

for all are safe from him, and safe through him.

So all of him by him are well