سمعت بأَمرٍ ليتني لا سَمعْتُه

سمعت بأَمرٍ ليتني لا سَمعْتُه

فعندِيَ منه مُقعِدٌ ومُقِيمٌ

فعندِيَ منه مُقعِدٌ ومُقِيمٌ

I heard of a matter I wish I had not heard,

I heard of something, I wish I had not heard of it

for it makes me sit down and spring up:

For I now have a resident and a lodger because of it

بأَنَّ الحَكيمَ الآنَ قَدْ تَرَكَ الطِّلاَ

بأَنَّ الحَكيمَ الآنَ قَدْ تَرَكَ الطِّلاَ

وتابَ فَقُلْنا مَا الحكيمُ حَكيمُ

وتابَ فَقُلْنا مَا الحكيمُ حَكيمُ

that al-Hakim has now given up wine,

That the wise man has now abandoned drinking wine

and repented; so we said, 'Al-Hakim is not wise.'

And repented, so we said how can the wise man be wise

أَتُتركُ شَمْسُ الرَّاحِ وَهْيَ منيرةٌ

أَتُتركُ شَمْسُ الرَّاحِ وَهْيَ منيرةٌ

ويُتركُ وجْهُ البدر وهْوَ وَسيمُ

ويُتركُ وجْهُ البدر وهْوَ وَسيمُ

Is the sun of wine to be forsaken while it shines,

Would the sun abandon its brilliance while it is luminous

and the full moon's face forsaken while it is handsome?

Would the beautiful face of the full moon be abandoned

وما كُنْتُ أَخْشَى أَن يتوبَ لظَرْفِه

وما كُنْتُ أَخْشَى أَن يتوبَ لظَرْفِه

كمَا لسْتُ أَخشى أَنَّهُ سَيصُومُ

كمَا لسْتُ أَخشى أَنَّهُ سَيصُومُ

I did not fear he would repent, given his wit,

I did not fear that he would repent due to his sophistication

just as I do not fear that he will fast.

Just as I don't fear that he would fast

وكَمْ مِنْ يدٍ عند الحكيم لِكَأسِه

وكَمْ مِنْ يدٍ عند الحكيم لِكَأسِه

غَدَتْ وَلَها حَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ عَظِيمُ

غَدَتْ وَلَها حَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ عَظِيمُ

And how many favors al-Hakim owes his cup—

And how many hands raised cups to the wise man

it has come to hold a mighty claim upon him!

That now have a right over him, great indeed

أَنامَتْ له مَن لا يَنامُ وربَّما

أَنامَتْ له مَن لا يَنامُ وربَّما

أَقامَتْ له ما لاَ يَكَادُ يَقُومُ

أَقامَتْ له ما لاَ يَكَادُ يَقُومُ

It put to sleep for him one who does not sleep, and sometimes

They stayed up for him, though they don't usually stay up

raised for him what could scarcely rise.

And got up for him, though they can barely stand

وذلكَ إِنْعامٌ قَضى بنعيمهِ

وذلكَ إِنْعامٌ قَضى بنعيمهِ

ومَن جَحَد الإِنعامَ فَهْوَ لَئِيمُ

ومَن جَحَد الإِنعامَ فَهْوَ لَئِيمُ

And that is a kindness that ordained his bliss;

That is a blessing whose pleasure decreed

and whoever denies such kindness is base.

And whoever denies blessing is miserable

وإِن قالَ إِنِّي قد سَقمتُ بِشُرْبِهَا

وإِن قالَ إِنِّي قد سَقمتُ بِشُرْبِهَا

فقد يعشَقُونَ الجَفْنَ وهْوَ سَقيم

فقد يعشَقُونَ الجَفْنَ وهْوَ سَقيم

And if he says, 'I have fallen ill from drinking it,'

And if he says I got sick from drinking it

people do love the eyelid even when it is languid.

Then they must love the eyelid even when it's sick

وإِن قالَ إِنِّي قد سَلِمْتُ فإِنَّه

وإِن قالَ إِنِّي قد سَلِمْتُ فإِنَّه

كما قيل قِدْماً للَّدِيغ سَلِيمُ

كما قيل قِدْماً للَّدِيغ سَلِيمُ

And if he says, 'I have recovered,' then he is

And if he says I'm safe now, he's like

'sound,' as the snakebitten was called in days of old.

One who said to the bitten man, you're fine

على الكوبِ من بَعْدِ الحكيم كآبةٌ

على الكوبِ من بَعْدِ الحكيم كآبةٌ

وفي الجام مِنْ بعدِ الحَكيمِ وُجُومُ

وفي الجام مِنْ بعدِ الحَكيمِ وُجُومُ

Gloom lies upon the cup in al-Hakim's absence,

There is gloom over the cup after the wise man

and in al-Hakim's absence, the goblet holds sullen silence.

And darkness in the glass after the wise man

ومن بعدهِ زَوْجُ الخلاعةِ طالِقٌ

ومن بعدهِ زَوْجُ الخلاعةِ طالِقٌ

ومن بعدِه أُمُّ السرورِ عَقِيمُ

ومن بعدِه أُمُّ السرورِ عَقِيمُ

And after him, revelry's spouse is divorced,

After him, the dress of revelry is divorced

and after him, the mother of joy is barren.

And after him the mother of joy is barren

وعادت كؤوسُ الرَّاح وهي سِمَائِمٌ

وعادت كؤوسُ الرَّاح وهي سِمَائِمٌ

لَديْنا وأَنفاسُ المُدامِ سُمُومُ

لَديْنا وأَنفاسُ المُدامِ سُمُومُ

And the cups of wine have become scorching winds

And the cups of comfort have returned drunk with wine

to us, and the breaths of wine are poisons.

While breaths of wine are toxic to us

وطمَّنني إِبليسُ حين عَتِبْتُه

وطمَّنني إِبليسُ حين عَتِبْتُه

بأَنْ قال هَذا الأَمرُ لَيْسَ يَدُومُ

بأَنْ قال هَذا الأَمرُ لَيْسَ يَدُومُ

And Iblis reassured me when I reproached him,

But Iblis reassured me when I complained to him

by saying, 'This affair will not last.

By saying this matter will not last

فإِنْ تَسْأَلُوني الحكيم فإِنَّني

فإِنْ تَسْأَلُوني الحكيم فإِنَّني

خَبيرٌ بأَدْواءِ الحكيمِ عَلِيمُ

خَبيرٌ بأَدْواءِ الحكيمِ عَلِيمُ

For if you ask me about al-Hakim, I am

So if you ask me of the wise man, I

an expert in al-Hakim's ailments, fully informed.

Am an expert in the wise man's remedies

إِذا ما خَبا وهْجُ المَصيِف فإنَّني

إِذا ما خَبا وهْجُ المَصيِف فإنَّني

بتحليلِ ناموسِ الحكيمِ زَعيمُ

بتحليلِ ناموسِ الحكيمِ زَعيمُ

When summer's blaze dies down, I

When the zeal of summer wanes, I

guarantee to undo al-Hakim's pious code.'

Am the leader in analyzing the wise man's law

على أَنَّهُ إِن كان قد تابَ مُخْلِصاً

على أَنَّهُ إِن كان قد تابَ مُخْلِصاً

وخاف عقابَ اللهِ وَهْوَ رَحِيم

وخاف عقابَ اللهِ وَهْوَ رَحِيم

Yet if he has indeed repented sincerely,

On the condition that if he sincerely repented

and feared God's punishment, though He is merciful,

And feared God's punishment, for He is Merciful

فتوبتُه من سوءِ ظنٍّ بربِّه

فتوبتُه من سوءِ ظنٍّ بربِّه

تَعالىَ وإِلاَّ فالكريمُ كَرِيمُ

تَعالىَ وإِلاَّ فالكريمُ كَرِيمُ

then his repentance comes from thinking ill of his Lord—

Then his repentance from ill thoughts of his Lord

exalted be He; otherwise, the Generous One is generous.

Most High is good, otherwise the generous one is generous