لا تَسَلْ عنه كيف أَصبح حَالُهْ

لا تَسَلْ عنه كيف أَصبح حَالُهْ

إِنَّه ضلَّ حين لاحَ هِلالُهْ

إِنَّه ضلَّ حين لاحَ هِلالُهْ

Do not ask about him, how he fares this morning.

Do not ask how he is,

He went astray when his crescent appeared.

For he went astray when his crescent disappeared.

بَكَرَ العاذلاتُ يَصْدُقْنه العَذْ

بَكَرَ العاذلاتُ يَصْدُقْنه العَذْ

لَ وأَحلى من صِدْقِهن مُحاله

لَ وأَحلى من صِدْقِهن مُحاله

The reproaching women came early, reproaching him sincerely,

The censurers rose early to censure him sincerely,

yet his falsehood is sweeter than their sincerity.

Yet nothing is sweeter than their sincerity.

وبِنَفْسِي وَغَيْرِ نَفْسِي حَبِيبٌ

وبِنَفْسِي وَغَيْرِ نَفْسِي حَبِيبٌ

راحلٌ قَدْ شَجَا الْفؤادَ ارتحالُه

راحلٌ قَدْ شَجَا الْفؤادَ ارتحالُه

With my soul and all besides it, I would ransom a beloved

He is a lover of mine and others’

departing, whose departure has grieved the heart.

Who went away, and whose leaving broke my heart.

ما أَبان السرورَ إِلا سُراه

ما أَبان السرورَ إِلا سُراه

وأَزال السكونَ إِلاَّ زِياله

وأَزال السكونَ إِلاَّ زِياله

Only his journey by night banished joy,

Happiness did not reveal itself except through its stealth,

and only his departure dispelled repose.

And tranquility was not removed except through its departure.

لم يَهِنيِّ إِلاَّ هَواهُ ولا د

لم يَهِنيِّ إِلاَّ هَواهُ ولا د

ل عليَّ السَّقامَ إِلاَّ دلاَلُه

ل عليَّ السَّقامَ إِلاَّ دلاَلُه

Nothing weakened me but love for him; nothing guided

Nothing humiliated me but his love,

illness toward me but his coquetry.

And no disease fell upon me but through his coquetry.

ما خلا خدُّه الصقيلُ من الخا

ما خلا خدُّه الصقيلُ من الخا

لِ ولكنْ سوادُ عينيَّ خالُه

لِ ولكنْ سوادُ عينيَّ خالُه

His polished cheek is not without a mole,

His smooth cheek is flawless,

but the darkness of my eyes is its mole.

But the blackness of my eyes has marked it.

سمهريُّ أَما الرُّدَيْنيُّ تَثَنِّيـ

سمهريُّ أَما الرُّدَيْنيُّ تَثَنِّيـ

ـه وأَمَّا عِناقُه فَاعْتِقَالُه

ـه وأَمَّا عِناقُه فَاعْتِقَالُه

A Samhari spear—is his swaying not that of a Rudayni shaft?

He is pliant yet tightly embraces,

And as for embracing him, it is couching that spear.

His handhold being tighter than his embrace.

غِيظَ منه ظَبيٌ وغصنٌ إِلى أَنْ

غِيظَ منه ظَبيٌ وغصنٌ إِلى أَنْ

شَفَّ ذائبُه وبَانَ هُزَالُه

شَفَّ ذائبُه وبَانَ هُزَالُه

A gazelle and a bough were angered by him, until

A gazelle and branch were angry at him

the one wasting away grew thin, its emaciation plain.

Until his wolfish nature and emaciation appeared.

إِنما الشمسُ أَشْرقَتْ حين قالوا

إِنما الشمسُ أَشْرقَتْ حين قالوا

إِنَّها ظِلُّه وإِلاَّ خيالُه

إِنَّها ظِلُّه وإِلاَّ خيالُه

The sun only shone when they said,

The sun only rose when they said

'It is his shadow, or else his image.'

it was his shadow—else it was his apparition.

وكذا البدرُ في الدُّجى ما حكاه الـ

وكذا البدرُ في الدُّجى ما حكاه الـ

ـحسنُ منه لكن حكاه انتقالُه

ـحسنُ منه لكن حكاه انتقالُه

So too the full moon in darkness: it is not the

And so too the moon in the darkness—

beauty in it that mirrors him, but its passing.

Beauty did not speak of it, rather its passage did.

ربَّ يومٍ قد نلتُ ما نلتُ فيـ

ربَّ يومٍ قد نلتُ ما نلتُ فيـ

ـه ما لم أَخَل بأَنِّي أَخَالُه

ـه ما لم أَخَل بأَنِّي أَخَالُه

Many a day I gained what I gained therein—

O Lord of a day in which I attained what I attained,

what I never thought I could even imagine.

In which I did not fall short in believing him to be my peer.

قد تقصَّيتُه بِلَثْمٍ ورَشْفٍ

قد تقصَّيتُه بِلَثْمٍ ورَشْفٍ

وعِناق قد أُوثِقَتْ أَقْفَالُه

وعِناق قد أُوثِقَتْ أَقْفَالُه

I spent it to the full in kisses and sips,

I bid him farewell with a kiss and a sip,

and an embrace whose locks were fastened tight.

With his necklaces tightly fastened.

أَمنعُ العِقْد أَنْ يجولَ لأَن الـ

أَمنعُ العِقْد أَنْ يجولَ لأَن الـ

ـعِقْد قَدْ ضَاقَ بالعِناق مَجالُه

ـعِقْد قَدْ ضَاقَ بالعِناق مَجالُه

I keep the necklace from moving, because the

I forbid the necklace to roam, for

necklace has scant room within the embrace.

The necklace has scarcely room in the embrace.

لم أَذُق غَيرَ ريقِه الحلْوِ والحلِّ

لم أَذُق غَيرَ ريقِه الحلْوِ والحلِّ

فلا غَرْوَ أَنْ حَلا لي حَلاَلُه

فلا غَرْوَ أَنْ حَلا لي حَلاَلُه

I tasted only his sweet and lawful saliva;

I have not tasted anything but his sweet saliva,

no wonder what was lawful of him tasted sweet to me.

So no wonder it has been made lawful to me.

ذاك عصرٌ مضَى ودهْرٌ تقضَّى

ذاك عصرٌ مضَى ودهْرٌ تقضَّى

وشبابٌ تغيَّرت أَحوالُه

وشبابٌ تغيَّرت أَحوالُه

That was an age gone by, a time now ended,

That was an age now past, a bygone epoch,

and youth whose conditions have changed.

And youth whose circumstances have changed.

وسلاَ القلبُ واستراح المُعَنَّى

وسلاَ القلبُ واستراح المُعَنَّى

لا صَباباتُه ولا عُذَّالُه

لا صَباباتُه ولا عُذَّالُه

The heart forgot its love; the tormented lover found rest—

The heart found peace and the lover found rest—

but neither his longings nor his reproachers did.

Not through his youthfulness or his censurers.

وحبِيبٌ سلوتٌ عنه فقال الـ

وحبِيبٌ سلوتٌ عنه فقال الـ

ـقلبُ سِيَّانَ هجرُه وَوِصالُه

ـقلبُ سِيَّانَ هجرُه وَوِصالُه

And a beloved I forgot; then spoke the

And a beloved whose estrangement I asked about, so the heart said:

heart: 'His estrangement and his union are alike.'

His abandonment and company are equal.

شفَّ قلبي اشتغالُه ولقد صحَّـ

شفَّ قلبي اشتغالُه ولقد صحَّـ

ـفتُ والحقُّ أَن يُقَالَ اشْتِعَالُه

ـفتُ والحقُّ أَن يُقَالَ اشْتِعَالُه

My heart's preoccupation wasted it; indeed, I have

His preoccupation cured my heart, and indeed

miswritten—the right word is its burning.

The truth is to say that it is his blazing fire.

كيف يَصفُو عيشِي وجودُ صَفي الدِّ

كيف يَصفُو عيشِي وجودُ صَفي الدِّ

ين قد أُترِعَتْ لِغيري سِجَالُه

ين قد أُترِعَتْ لِغيري سِجَالُه

How can my life be serene, while Safi al-Din's bounty

How can my life be serene when the devout worshipper of religion

has its buckets filled to the brim for others, not me?

Has had his disputations unleashed against someone other than me?

وعَدتْني نَعماؤُه وتخطَّا

وعَدتْني نَعماؤُه وتخطَّا

ني وحاشَا لِفضْله أَفْضَالُه

ني وحاشَا لِفضْله أَفْضَالُه

His blessings promised me, yet his favors passed

And his favors had promised me and eluded me—

me by—far be that from his graciousness!

Far be it from his exceeding favor.

أَنا صادٍ إشن لم تَجُدْ لي عطايا

أَنا صادٍ إشن لم تَجُدْ لي عطايا

هُ وغُفْل إِن لم يَسِمْني نَوالُه

هُ وغُفْل إِن لم يَسِمْني نَوالُه

I am thirsty if his gifts do not flow generously to me,

I am spurning him if his gifts did not find me,

and unbranded if his bounty does not mark me.

And ignoring him if his intimacies did not include me.

لفتةٌ منك تلفت الحظَّ نحوي

لفتةٌ منك تلفت الحظَّ نحوي

وبإِقبالِه يُرى إِقبالُه

وبإِقبالِه يُرى إِقبالُه

A glance from you turns fortune toward me,

A glance from you turns fortune toward me,

and in its approach, his favor is seen.

And through its inclining, his inclination is seen.

أَيُّ مَلْكٍ إِلاَّ إِليه تَصدِّيـ

أَيُّ مَلْكٍ إِلاَّ إِليه تَصدِّيـ

ـها ومُلكٍ إِلا عليه اتِّكالُه

ـها ومُلكٍ إِلا عليه اتِّكالُه

What king does not turn toward him,

What kingdom but to it you lead,

and what kingdom does not rely upon him?

And what sovereignty but on it you depend?

إِنما الملكُ ثلةٌ هو راعيـ

إِنما الملكُ ثلةٌ هو راعيـ

ـها وعُودٌ في راحتيه عِقالُه

ـها وعُودٌ في راحتيه عِقالُه

The kingdom is but a flock that he shepherds,

For sovereignty is but a flock

and an aged camel whose tether lies in his palms.

Whose shepherd he is, the tether of whose stallion is in his hands.

وَزَرٌ للملوكِ يُسْمى وزيراً

وَزَرٌ للملوكِ يُسْمى وزيراً

وتُزكِّي أَسماءَه أَفْعالُه

وتُزكِّي أَسماءَه أَفْعالُه

A refuge for kings, he is called a minister,

A burden upon kings called vizier,

and his deeds justify his titles.

Whose names his deeds have sanctified.

فهَدَى الملْكَ جودُه وجَدَاه

فهَدَى الملْكَ جودُه وجَدَاه

وحَمَى الملكَ بأْسُه ونَكَالُه

وحَمَى الملكَ بأْسُه ونَكَالُه

His generosity and bounty thus guided the kingdom,

So his generosity guided the king and his bounty granted him success,

and his might and chastisement protected it.

And his might protected the king and his vengeance subdued him.

وبتَدْبِيرِه رسا جبلُ الملـ

وبتَدْبِيرِه رسا جبلُ الملـ

ـكِ وخفَّت بحَمْلِه أَثقالُه

ـكِ وخفَّت بحَمْلِه أَثقالُه

Through his governance, the mountain of kingship stood firm,

And through his management the king's burden was eased

and its burdens grew light through his bearing them.

And through his undertaking its heaviness was alleviated.

فبأَعْمالِه العظيمةِ أَضْحَى

فبأَعْمالِه العظيمةِ أَضْحَى

والأَقاليمُ كلُّها أَعمالُه

والأَقاليمُ كلُّها أَعمالُه

Thus, through his mighty deeds, he has come to this:

So through his great works he has become

all the provinces are his domains.

One whose realms in their entirety are his achievements.

هُو قَاضٍ لا بل أَميرٌ وقد أَضحَت

هُو قَاضٍ لا بل أَميرٌ وقد أَضحَت

ملوك البلاد وهْي رِجَاله

ملوك البلاد وهْي رِجَاله

He is a judge—no, a prince—and now

He is a judge—no, but a prince, and the kings of the lands

the kings of the lands have become his men.

Have become his men.

فلهذا الدنيا وما قَد حَوتْه

فلهذا الدنيا وما قَد حَوتْه

دارُه والأَنامُ فيها عِيالُه

دارُه والأَنامُ فيها عِيالُه

Therefore the world, and all that it contains,

For this the world and what it contains

are his house, and humankind within are his dependents.

Is his house, and its people are his dependents.

والسماوَاتُ دارُه والثُّريَّا

والسماوَاتُ دارُه والثُّريَّا

نعلُه والهلاَلُ فيها قِبالُه

نعلُه والهلاَلُ فيها قِبالُه

The heavens are his house, and the Pleiades

The heavens are his house and the stars

his sandal; the crescent there is his sandal-strap.

His shoes, and the crescent moon therein his purse.

فهي أَمَّا سحابُها فَهو جدوا

فهي أَمَّا سحابُها فَهو جدوا

ه وأَمَّا نجومُها فهي آلُه

ه وأَمَّا نجومُها فهي آلُه

Thus, as for their clouds, they are his bounty,

As for its clouds, they are his generosity,

and as for their stars, they are his family.

And as for its stars, they are his family.

هُم أَقامُوا خِباءَه بعدمَا ما

هُم أَقامُوا خِباءَه بعدمَا ما

لَ عمودٌ له ورثَّت حِبالُه

لَ عمودٌ له ورثَّت حِبالُه

They raised his tent after

They erected his tent after the pillar had inclined

a pole of his had leaned and its ropes had frayed.

And the ropes had become decayed.

ليس يُندِي الغمامَ إِلاَّ نَداه

ليس يُندِي الغمامَ إِلاَّ نَداه

ويمينُ الغمامِ إِلاَّ شِمالُه

ويمينُ الغمامِ إِلاَّ شِمالُه

Nothing moistens the clouds but his bounty,

None calls the clouds but his call,

and the clouds' right hand is merely his left.

And none directs the clouds but his gesture.

قد رأَينَا منه الغرائبَ لمَّا

قد رأَينَا منه الغرائبَ لمَّا

أَشْرَقَتْ شمسُه ومُدَّت ظِلالُه

أَشْرَقَتْ شمسُه ومُدَّت ظِلالُه

We have seen wonders from him, when

We have seen wonders from him when

his sun shone and his shadows stretched.

His sun rose and his shadows stretched.

فعلا المجدَ حين حُلَّت عَزاليـ

فعلا المجدَ حين حُلَّت عَزاليـ

ـها وشُدَّت للمكرُمَاتِ حِبَالُه

ـها وشُدَّت للمكرُمَاتِ حِبَالُه

He scaled glory when its spouts were opened,

He brought glory when the times of dearth had arrived

and his ropes were drawn taut for noble deeds.

And the ropes were pulled toward the generous.

كَرمٌ لا يفيضُ فيضُ نواحيـ

كَرمٌ لا يفيضُ فيضُ نواحيـ

ـه وحِلْمٌ ليسَت تزولُ جِبالُه

ـه وحِلْمٌ ليسَت تزولُ جِبالُه

A generosity whose far-reaching outpouring never dies,

A generosity whose streams do not run dry,

and a forbearance whose mountains never move.

And a forbearance whose mountains do not pass away.

لستُ أَدري مقامُه هو أَعْلى

لستُ أَدري مقامُه هو أَعْلى

خَطراً في عُلُوّه أَم مَقالُه

خَطراً في عُلُوّه أَم مَقالُه

I do not know whether his station is loftier

I do not know whether his position is higher

in worth and eminence, or his speech.

In its loftiness or its word.

جلَّ من صوَّر البريَّة في شَخْـ

جلَّ من صوَّر البريَّة في شَخْـ

ـصٍ فسبحانَه وجل جلالُه

ـصٍ فسبحانَه وجل جلالُه

Exalted is He who formed all humankind in one

Sublime is He who fashioned the wild in a person—

person—glory be to Him, and exalted be His majesty!

So Glory be to Him and Exalted is His Sublimeness.

غبت عن عَبدِك الَّذي غَاب عَنْه

غبت عن عَبدِك الَّذي غَاب عَنْه

سعدُه واعتلاؤُه واعتِدالُه

سعدُه واعتلاؤُه واعتِدالُه

You were absent from your servant, from whom departed

You have been absent from Your servant who was absent from

his good fortune, his eminence, and his balance.

His good fortune, his supremacy, and his moderation.

وخَبَا نُوره وحُلَّت عُراه

وخَبَا نُوره وحُلَّت عُراه

ووَهى رُكْنُه ورثَّت حِبالُه

ووَهى رُكْنُه ورثَّت حِبالُه

His light grew dim, and his fastenings came loose;

His light has faded, his pillar has collapsed,

his pillar weakened, and his ropes grew frayed.

His foundation has weakened, and his ropes have decayed.

واشْتَفى حاسِدوه لما رأَوْه

واشْتَفى حاسِدوه لما رأَوْه

قد بدا نقصُه وغاب كمالُه

قد بدا نقصُه وغاب كمالُه

His enviers gloated when they saw him,

His enviers have exulted in seeing

his deficiency now plain, his perfection vanished.

His diminished state and absent perfection.

وإِذا شئتَ عاد مَا راح مِنه

وإِذا شئتَ عاد مَا راح مِنه

واستقامَتْ في الوقتِ للحال حالُه

واستقامَتْ في الوقتِ للحال حالُه

And if you wish, what he has lost will return,

And if You so will, that which has departed from him will return,

and his state will be set right at once, that very moment.

And the circumstances will straightaway be set right for his state.

وله موعدٌ على ذمَّة الأَنا

وله موعدٌ على ذمَّة الأَنا

عام قد تَمَّ حملُه وفِصالُه

عام قد تَمَّ حملُه وفِصالُه

He has a promise pledged by bounty,

He has a promised time upon the responsibility of the years

whose gestation and weaning are complete.

That has been fulfilled, its fruits having ripened.