جَزَتْنيَ غَرْناطَةٌ بعْدَ ما

جَزَتْنيَ غَرْناطَةٌ بعْدَ ما

جَلَوْتُ مَحاسِنَه بالجَلا

جَلَوْتُ مَحاسِنَه بالجَلا

Granada repaid me after

Granada rewarded me after I

I had polished her beauties to a shine,

Praised its beauty in verse

ولمْ تُبْقِ جاهاً ولا حُرْمَةً

ولمْ تُبْقِ جاهاً ولا حُرْمَةً

ولمْ تُبْقِ مالاً ولا منْزِلا

ولمْ تُبْقِ مالاً ولا منْزِلا

and left me neither standing nor respect,

Leaving me no prestige or sanctity

and left me neither wealth nor home,

No wealth or home

كأنّي انْفرَدْتُ بقَتْلِ الحُسَيْنِ

كأنّي انْفرَدْتُ بقَتْلِ الحُسَيْنِ

وجرّدْتُ سَيْفيَ في كَرْبَلا

وجرّدْتُ سَيْفيَ في كَرْبَلا

as though I alone had killed al-Husayn

As if I alone killed Al-Hussein

and bared my sword at Karbala.

And unsheathed my sword at Karbala

ولمْ أجْنِ ذَنْباً سِوى أنّني

ولمْ أجْنِ ذَنْباً سِوى أنّني

صدَعْتُ بأمْداحِها في المَلا

صدَعْتُ بأمْداحِها في المَلا

And I committed no sin save that I

My only crime being

proclaimed her praises before the assembly,

That I praised it in public

وأنّيَ صنّفْتُ فيها الغَريبَ

وأنّيَ صنّفْتُ فيها الغَريبَ

فصِرْتُ الغَريبَ أجوبُ الفَلا

فصِرْتُ الغَريبَ أجوبُ الفَلا

and that I wrote wondrous things about her—

And composed the exotic about it

so I became the stranger, roaming the desert wastes.

Thus becoming the exile wandering in the wilderness

يَميناً لقَدْ أنْكَرَتْ ما جَرى

يَميناً لقَدْ أنْكَرَتْ ما جَرى

نُفوسُ الوَرى وأبَتْهُ العُلا

نُفوسُ الوَرى وأبَتْهُ العُلا

I swear: what happened was indeed condemned

By God, its people rejected what transpired

by the souls of humankind, and lofty honor rejected it.

And the noble refused it

وما خَصّني زمَني بالعُقوقِ

وما خَصّني زمَني بالعُقوقِ

فكَمْ رِيءَ منْ فاضِلٍ مُبْتَلَى

فكَمْ رِيءَ منْ فاضِلٍ مُبْتَلَى

Nor did my age reserve its ingratitude for me alone:

My time was not ungrateful to me

for how many worthy men have been seen afflicted!

So why were many virtuous ones tried?

وإنْ ظهَرَتْ نِعْمَةٌ للإلاهِ

وإنْ ظهَرَتْ نِعْمَةٌ للإلاهِ

عليَّ فأُلْبِسْتُ منْها حُلا

عليَّ فأُلْبِسْتُ منْها حُلا

And though a blessing from God appeared

If a blessing from God was bestowed upon me

upon me, so that I was clothed in its finery,

I was clad in it entirely

وإنْ قرّبَتْني المُلوكُ الكِرامُ

وإنْ قرّبَتْني المُلوكُ الكِرامُ

يُقَلِّدُ آخرُها الأُوَلا

يُقَلِّدُ آخرُها الأُوَلا

and though the noble kings drew me near,

And if I was brought near by noble kings

the last of them emulating the first,

The last would appoint the first

وإنْ مكّنَتْني منْ أمْرِها

وإنْ مكّنَتْني منْ أمْرِها

فشِمْتُ السّيوفَ وصُنْتُ الطّلا

فشِمْتُ السّيوفَ وصُنْتُ الطّلا

and though they gave me authority over their affairs,

And if I was empowered in its affairs

I sheathed the swords and safeguarded necks,

I unsheathed swords and donned armor

وقابَلْتُ بالشّكْرِ منْها الصّنيعَ

وقابَلْتُ بالشّكْرِ منْها الصّنيعَ

وحاشا لمِثْليَ أن يُثْقِلا

وحاشا لمِثْليَ أن يُثْقِلا

and repaid their kindness with gratitude—

And reciprocated its grace with thanks

and far be it from one like me to impose a burden.

Far be it from the likes of me to show ingratitude

فأُقسِمُ باللهِ لوْلا أنوفٌ

فأُقسِمُ باللهِ لوْلا أنوفٌ

لجَرّدْتُ منْ مِقْوَلي مُنْصُلا

لجَرّدْتُ منْ مِقْوَلي مُنْصُلا

So I swear by God: were it not for proud noses,

By God, were it not for noses that would sneer

I would unsheathe a blade from my tongue,

I would have stripped my words bare

فيَتْرُكُ في النّاسِ أمْثالَهُ

فيَتْرُكُ في النّاسِ أمْثالَهُ

تُحدِّثُ لي رَغْمَ أنْفِ البِلا

تُحدِّثُ لي رَغْمَ أنْفِ البِلا

so it would leave its sayings among the people,

Leaving the likes of me

speaking for me, humbling the nose of decay.

To tell my tale despite the spiteful

ولا خلْقَ أجْهَلُ ممّن يظُنّ

ولا خلْقَ أجْهَلُ ممّن يظُنّ

بمِقْدارِ مِثْليَ أنْ يجْهَلا

بمِقْدارِ مِثْليَ أنْ يجْهَلا

And no creature is more ignorant than one who thinks

None are more ignorant than those

the stature of one like me could go unrecognized,

Who think the likes of me ignorant

إذا ما ركِبْتُ الدُّجا إذْ سَما

إذا ما ركِبْتُ الدُّجا إذْ سَما

يقَلِّدُ للنّجْمِ نضْرَ الحُلا

يقَلِّدُ للنّجْمِ نضْرَ الحُلا

whenever I rode the darkness as it rose,

When I rode the stars at night

decking the stars with radiant ornaments,

Bestowing celestial necklaces upon them

وكانَ لِسانيَ سيْفاً صَقيلاً

وكانَ لِسانيَ سيْفاً صَقيلاً

وكانَتْ يَراعي قَناً ذُبَّلا

وكانَتْ يَراعي قَناً ذُبَّلا

and my tongue was a polished sword,

My tongue was a polished sword

and my reed pen was slender spears.

And my poems pearls to treasure

ولكِنْ لَقيتُ بصَبْرٍ جَميلٍ

ولكِنْ لَقيتُ بصَبْرٍ جَميلٍ

قضاءَ الذي لمْ يزَلْ مُجْمَلا

قضاءَ الذي لمْ يزَلْ مُجْمَلا

But I met with beautiful patience

But with graceful patience I accepted

the decree of Him who has always been gracious.

That which fate unchanging dealt

وحاسَبْتُ نفْسيَ فيما أمَرَّ

وحاسَبْتُ نفْسيَ فيما أمَرَّ

فألْفَيْتُهُ البَعْضَ ممّا حَلا

فألْفَيْتُهُ البَعْضَ ممّا حَلا

And I reckoned with myself over what grew bitter,

And reckoned with myself concerning what transpired

and found it but a fraction of what was sweet.

Finding some of what befell agreeable

وأسْكَنْتُ ثأرِيَ لمّا دَعا

وأسْكَنْتُ ثأرِيَ لمّا دَعا

وأسْكَنْتُ بأسيَ لمّا غَلا

وأسْكَنْتُ بأسيَ لمّا غَلا

And I stilled my vengeance when it called,

I calmed my vengeance when called upon

and stilled my warlike fury when it boiled.

And calmed my fury when it raged

سَلامٌ علَيْها وإنْ أخْفَرَتْ

سَلامٌ علَيْها وإنْ أخْفَرَتْ

ذِمامي ووُدّي جزَتْ بالقِلا

ذِمامي ووُدّي جزَتْ بالقِلا

Peace upon her, though she violated

Peace be upon it even if

my covenant, and repaid my love with hatred.

It loosened my reins and love scarce

وألْبَسْتُها الأمْنَ سِتْراً حَصيناً

وألْبَسْتُها الأمْنَ سِتْراً حَصيناً

وإنْ هتَكَتْ سِتْريَ المُسْبَلا

وإنْ هتَكَتْ سِتْريَ المُسْبَلا

And I clothed her in safety, an impregnable veil,

Clothing it in the secure garb of safety

though she tore apart my lowered veil.

Even if it removed my garb in one pull

ومِثْليَ يبْقَى علَى عهْدِهِ

ومِثْليَ يبْقَى علَى عهْدِهِ

إذا أعْرَضَ الخِلُّ أو أقْبَلا

إذا أعْرَضَ الخِلُّ أو أقْبَلا

And one like me remains true to his pledge,

The likes of me keeps their word

whether the friend turns away or draws near.

Whether fortune turns its face or back