قليل لكم نفسي وإن كثرت عندي

قليل لكم نفسي وإن كثرت عندي

إذا لم أجد عن بذل نفسي من بد

إذا لم أجد عن بذل نفسي من بد

My life is a small offering to you, though precious to me,

However much I have, my soul is little for you,

If I find no alternative to giving up my life.

And if I find no alternative to sacrificing it, I will sacrifice it,

أجود بها منّ غير من عليكم

أجود بها منّ غير من عليكم

وأقدم في مرضاتكم بالغا جهدي

وأقدم في مرضاتكم بالغا جهدي

I give it freely, without holding the favor over you,

I expend it for your sake, without hesitation,

And advance to please you, exerting my utmost.

And I strive my utmost to please you.

فإني في قوم إذا رمت نصحهم

فإني في قوم إذا رمت نصحهم

أكن كالذي يستمخض الماء للزبد

أكن كالذي يستمخض الماء للزبد

For I am among people: if I seek their sincere goodwill,

For I am among a people, if I give them sincere advice,

I am like one who churns water for butter.

I become like one who strains water for scum.

أحاول صدقا من فتى غير صادق

أحاول صدقا من فتى غير صادق

واطلب ودا من فتى غير ذى ود

واطلب ودا من فتى غير ذى ود

I seek truthfulness from a man who is not truthful,

I seek truth from an insincere youth,

And seek affection from a man devoid of affection.

And affection from one devoid of love.

إذا ما سددنا من فتى باب مطمع

إذا ما سددنا من فتى باب مطمع

أتانا بابواب تجل عن السد

أتانا بابواب تجل عن السد

Whenever we close a door to a man's greed,

If we close the door of greed to a youth,

He comes to us with doors too great to be shut.

He comes to us through other doors beyond count.

فيا ليت مخدومي فدته جوارحي

فيا ليت مخدومي فدته جوارحي

يرى ما اقاسي وهو منه على بعد

يرى ما اقاسي وهو منه على بعد

If only my master—may my limbs ransom him—

Would that my lord ransom me - his protection is my limbs' redemption

Could see what I suffer, while he is far removed from it.

To see my suffering though he is far from me.

فو الله ما أشكو عدوي وحده

فو الله ما أشكو عدوي وحده

وإني لاشكو من عدوي ومن جندي

وإني لاشكو من عدوي ومن جندي

For, by God, I do not complain of my enemy alone;

By God, I do not complain of my foe alone,

And I certainly complain of my enemy and my own troops.

Though I complain of both my foe and my friend.

فذا طالب مالي وذا طالب دمي

فذا طالب مالي وذا طالب دمي

فاطرح نفسي في المهالك من عمد

فاطرح نفسي في المهالك من عمد

For this one seeks my wealth, and that one seeks my blood,

One seeks my money, another seeks my blood,

So I throw myself deliberately into deadly perils.

So I recklessly cast myself into perils.

فاوقفها بين المنايا وقد بدت

فاوقفها بين المنايا وقد بدت

وأولها قبلي وآخرها بعدي

وأولها قبلي وآخرها بعدي

So I station myself amid deaths now in sight,

I stand my soul among deaths that have appeared,

Their first before me and their last behind me.

Its first before me and its last after me.

أبيت أداري صحبتي خوف مكرهم

أبيت أداري صحبتي خوف مكرهم

وأصبح من حرب الأعادي على وعد

وأصبح من حرب الأعادي على وعد

I spend the night placating my companions, fearing their plots,

I pass the night evading my company, fearing their deception,

And at dawn I face the prospect of war with my foes.

And I meet the enemies' war with resolve.

وأنى التأني ثم أخشى ملامكم

وأنى التأني ثم أخشى ملامكم

فأقدم إقدام الهزبر على قصد

فأقدم إقدام الهزبر على قصد

And how can I hold back, when I also fear your reproach?

How can I be patient, yet fear your blame,

So I charge as a lion charges, with deliberate purpose.

So I rush like the reckless upon my aim?

فياليت شعري ما يقول حواسدي

فياليت شعري ما يقول حواسدي

أهل قدرثوا أم هم بقاء على العهد

أهل قدرثوا أم هم بقاء على العهد

If only I knew what those who envy me say:

Would that I knew what my enviers say -

Have they taken pity, or do they still abide by their pledge?

"Have they attained glory or kept their pledge?"

أظن عدوي قد رثى لي فقد رثى

أظن عدوي قد رثى لي فقد رثى

ورق لي القاسي من الحجر الصلد

ورق لي القاسي من الحجر الصلد

I think my enemy has pitied me, for I have been pitied

I think my foe has sung dirges for me, so he sang dirges,

And shown tenderness even by hard, unyielding stone.

And the harsh one showed tenderness from the solid rock.

وما لي خوف الموت والموت لازم

وما لي خوف الموت والموت لازم

وخوفي ان احيى ويستهزلوا بعدى

وخوفي ان احيى ويستهزلوا بعدى

And I do not fear death, for death is inescapable;

I have no fear of death, and death is certain.

My fear is that I live while they make light of my absence.

My fear is that I live and they ridicule me after.

وللموت خير للفتى من حياته

وللموت خير للفتى من حياته

ومن عيشة ليست بمنجحة القصد

ومن عيشة ليست بمنجحة القصد

And death is surely better for a man than his life,

For death is better for the youth than his life,

And than a life that fails to fulfill his aim.

And living that attains no worthy goal.

هنيئا لهم ناموا لديك بغبطة

هنيئا لهم ناموا لديك بغبطة

وبت لدا الأعداء منفردا وحدي

وبت لدا الأعداء منفردا وحدي

May they enjoy it: they slept beside you in bliss,

Congratulations to them who sleep in bliss with you!

While I spent the night among enemies, solitary and alone.

While I stay awake with the foes, alone.

يسامرني من لا أحب لقاءه

يسامرني من لا أحب لقاءه

فيوسعني مدحا وأوسعه رفدي

فيوسعني مدحا وأوسعه رفدي

One I do not like to meet converses with me by night;

He who I do not like to meet converses with me,

He showers me with praise, and I shower him with my bounty.

Praising me extensively, and I praise him more liberally.

ويحلف إيمانا وأعلم حنثها

ويحلف إيمانا وأعلم حنثها

فشاني أن أجدى عليه ولا يجدي

فشاني أن أجدى عليه ولا يجدي

And he swears oaths whose falsity I know.

He swears truthfully, though I know he is lying,

So my lot is to give to him, while he gives nothing in return.

So shame on me if I reciprocate, which will not benefit him.

لعل صلاح الدين تفديه مهجتي

لعل صلاح الدين تفديه مهجتي

يعوضني بالقرب منه عن البعد

يعوضني بالقرب منه عن البعد

Perhaps Salah al-Din—may my lifeblood ransom him—

May Saladin ransom me - my soul is his redemption -

Will compensate me for distance with nearness to him.

And compensate my remoteness with nearness to him.

فما نال خيرا نازح عن جنابه

فما نال خيرا نازح عن جنابه

ولا خاف ضيرا نازل منه في سعد

ولا خاف ضيرا نازل منه في سعد

For no one far from his presence has gained good,

No one gained good by leaving his side,

Nor has anyone dwelling with him in bliss feared harm.

Or feared harm while settled with him in prosperity.