أبا قاسِمٍ لازِلْتَ للفضْلِ قاسِماً

أبا قاسِمٍ لازِلْتَ للفضْلِ قاسِماً

بميزانِ عدْلٍ ينْصُرُ الحقَّ مَنْ نَصَرْ

بميزانِ عدْلٍ ينْصُرُ الحقَّ مَنْ نَصَرْ

O Abu Qasim, may you ever remain a dispenser of excellence,

O Abu Qasim, you have remained just in dispensing virtue,

With the scales of justice—whoever lends support champions the truth.

With the scale of justice, you aid the truth for those who aided it.

مِدادُكَ وهْوَ المسْكُ طيباً ومنْظراً

مِدادُكَ وهْوَ المسْكُ طيباً ومنْظراً

وإلا سَوادُ القلْبِ والفَوْدِ والبَصَرْ

وإلا سَوادُ القلْبِ والفَوْدِ والبَصَرْ

Your ink—which is musk in fragrance and appearance,

Your ink is fine musk, goodly scent and sight,

Or else the blackness of the heart, the temple-lock, and the eye—

Else the blackness of heart, emptiness, and blindness of vision.

عهِدْناهُ في كلِّ المَعارِفِ مُطْنِباً

عهِدْناهُ في كلِّ المَعارِفِ مُطْنِباً

فَما بالُهُ في حُرْمَةِ الوُدِّ مخْتَصِرْ

فَما بالُهُ في حُرْمَةِ الوُدِّ مخْتَصِرْ

We have known it to be expansive in every branch of learning;

We knew him as eloquent in every branch of knowledge,

Why, then, is it brief concerning the sanctity of affection?

Yet how brief in respecting the sanctity of affection!

أظنّكَ منْ ليْلِ الوِصالِ انْتَخَبْتَهُ

أظنّكَ منْ ليْلِ الوِصالِ انْتَخَبْتَهُ

إلَيْنا وذاك اللّيلُ يوصَفُ بالقِصَرْ

إلَيْنا وذاك اللّيلُ يوصَفُ بالقِصَرْ

I think you chose it from the night of union

I think you chose him from the night of union with us,

For us—and that night is said to be short.

And that night is known for being short.

أرَدْنا بكَ العُذْرَ الذي أنتَ أهْلُهُ

أرَدْنا بكَ العُذْرَ الذي أنتَ أهْلُهُ

ومثْلُكَ لا يُرْمى بعِيٍّ ولا حَصَرْ

ومثْلُكَ لا يُرْمى بعِيٍّ ولا حَصَرْ

We sought for you the excuse you deserve;

We wanted you to excuse what you are apt to excuse,

And one like you is not accused of inarticulacy or speechlessness.

And the like of you is not blamed or limited.