لولا تبسُّمُ ذاك الظَّلمِ والبَرَدِ

لولا تبسُّمُ ذاك الظَّلمِ والبَرَدِ

قبلتُ نُصحَكَ إلاَّ في هوى الغَيدِ

قبلتُ نُصحَكَ إلاَّ في هوى الغَيدِ

Were it not for that smile of gleaming, hail-white teeth,

Had it not been for the smile of that darkness and cold

I would have heeded your counsel—except in loving graceful women.

I would have heeded your advice, except in the passion of love.

بل لا أطيعك في غُصن أهيم به

بل لا أطيعك في غُصن أهيم به

كأنه نابت في طيِّ معتقدي

كأنه نابت في طيِّ معتقدي

No, I will not obey you about a bough I passionately adore,

Rather, I do not obey you regarding a branch I am obsessed with,

as though it had sprouted in the folds of my belief.

As if it grew in the folds of my beliefs.

وأين بي وبصبري عن جفون رشا

وأين بي وبصبري عن جفون رشا

غوامض السحرِ لا ينفثن في العقد

غوامض السحرِ لا ينفثن في العقد

Where can I and my patience flee from a fawn's eyelids—

Where am I and where is my patience from the eyelids of Reesha

mysterious in their magic, never blowing upon knots?

Whose magic mysteries blow into pearls.

يعدي على اللوم قلبي وهي تؤلمه

يعدي على اللوم قلبي وهي تؤلمه

كما تضرُّ كَميّاً شِكَّةُ الزَّرد

كما تضرُّ كَميّاً شِكَّةُ الزَّرد

The fawn aids my heart against reproach, though those eyes torment it,

My heart transgresses blame and it hurts him

as chain-mail armor hurts an armored warrior.

As amber hurts the difficult task.

قل للرشيد وقد هبَّت نوافحها

قل للرشيد وقد هبَّت نوافحها

أسرفت يا ديمةَ المعروف فاقتصد

أسرفت يا ديمةَ المعروف فاقتصد

Tell al-Rashid, as its fragrant breezes blow:

Say to Al-Rashid, when his winds blew,

You have been lavish beyond measure, O steady rain of kindness—be sparing.

You have been excessive, O Deema, so be moderate in good deed.

أشكو إليكَ الندى من حيث أحمده

أشكو إليكَ الندى من حيث أحمده

لو فاضَ فيضاً عليَّ البحرُ لم يزد

لو فاضَ فيضاً عليَّ البحرُ لم يزد

I complain to you of generosity even as I praise it;

I complain to you about the dew, from where I praise it,

were the sea to flood upon me, it would give no more.

If the sea overflowed upon me, it would not increase.

يا قاتلَ الشكرِ بالإحسانِ يعمره

يا قاتلَ الشكرِ بالإحسانِ يعمره

مهلاً أما لقتيلِ الجودِ من قَوَدِ

مهلاً أما لقتيلِ الجودِ من قَوَدِ

O slayer of gratitude with the kindness that nourishes it,

O killer of gratitude with benevolence inhabiting it

gently! Is there no retaliation for one slain by generosity?

Wait! Doesn't the victim of generosity have any bed?

عجبتُ من كَرَمٍ في راحتيك بدا

عجبتُ من كَرَمٍ في راحتيك بدا

إشراقُهُ كيف لم يُعزَ إلى الفند

إشراقُهُ كيف لم يُعزَ إلى الفند

I marveled at the generosity in your palms,

I was amazed at the generosity that appeared in your rest

its radiance shining forth—how was it not deemed folly?

How its brilliance did not honor the youth.

جادت سحابُكَ إذ جادت على أملي

جادت سحابُكَ إذ جادت على أملي

فقال أشياعها جادت على بلد

فقال أشياعها جادت على بلد

Your clouds poured lavishly when they rained upon my hope,

Your clouds rained when they rained on my hope

then their followers said, 'They have rained upon a land.'

So its followers said: They rained on the country.

أثريتُ عندَكَ من جاهٍ ومن نشب

أثريتُ عندَكَ من جاهٍ ومن نشب

حتى وجدتُ الغنى في همتي ويدي

حتى وجدتُ الغنى في همتي ويدي

With you I grew rich in standing and property,

I was enriched with glory and growth near you

until I found wealth in my aspiration and my hand.

Until I found wealth in my resolve and hand.

يا واحداً تقتضي آلاؤه جملاً

يا واحداً تقتضي آلاؤه جملاً

بَرَّحتَ بي وبنظم الشكلِ فاتئد

بَرَّحتَ بي وبنظم الشكلِ فاتئد

O peerless one, whose favors call for whole sums,

O you who your favors require phrases

you have sorely tried me and the ordering of peers—go gently.

You have relieved me and the prosody, so be moderate.

للناس بعدكَ في العَليا منازلُهُم

للناس بعدكَ في العَليا منازلُهُم

والواحدُ الفردُ يحوي مبدا العدد

والواحدُ الفردُ يحوي مبدا العدد

Others have their stations in eminence after you,

After you, people have their high positions

and the solitary one holds the beginning of number.

And the unique individual contains the origin of number.

يُدعَى الرشيدَ ولم تعدم به صفة

يُدعَى الرشيدَ ولم تعدم به صفة

يا مَن هو الفصلُ بين الغيِّ والرشد

يا مَن هو الفصلُ بين الغيِّ والرشد

He is called al-Rashid, and that quality is not lacking in him,

Al-Rashid is called, and no quality is absent in him

O you who are the dividing line between error and right guidance.

O you who are the separator between sin and righteousness.

لك الرشادةُ أخلاقاً وتسميةً

لك الرشادةُ أخلاقاً وتسميةً

مثل البسالة إذ تُعزَى إلى الأسد

مثل البسالة إذ تُعزَى إلى الأسد

Right guidance is yours, in character and in name,

Leadership is yours, in morals and naming

just as valor is ascribed to the lion.

Like bravery when attributed to the lion.

أيُّ الفضائلِ تَستَوفيه مكتهلاً

أيُّ الفضائلِ تَستَوفيه مكتهلاً

وذا شبابُك قد أربى على الأمد

وذا شبابُك قد أربى على الأمد

Which virtue will you perfect in middle age,

Which virtues does he fully possess

when this youth of yours has already surpassed the limit?

While his youth has grown over ages?

بادهتني بأيادٍ لا يقومُ بها

بادهتني بأيادٍ لا يقومُ بها

ما في لسانيَ من قصدٍ ومن لدد

ما في لسانيَ من قصدٍ ومن لدد

You surprised me with favors that cannot be matched

You have weakened me with hands that cannot be matched

by my tongue's measured speech or forceful argument.

By what my tongue holds of intention and sharpness.

عاد الزمانُ بما أوليتني غُصُناً

عاد الزمانُ بما أوليتني غُصُناً

غضاً فقمتُ مقام الطائرِ الغرد

غضاً فقمتُ مقام الطائرِ الغرد

Through what you bestowed on me, time became once more a bough,

Time has returned to me what you gave me as a green branch

fresh and tender, so I took the place of the warbling bird.

So I stood in place of the singing bird.

ما عذر طبعيَ أن ينبو وما تركت

ما عذر طبعيَ أن ينبو وما تركت

به أياديك من أمتٍ ومن أودِ

به أياديك من أمتٍ ومن أودِ

What excuse has my poetic gift for faltering, when nothing remains

What excuse for my nature to flourish, and you have not left

of unevenness or crookedness within it, thanks to your favors?

With your hands any pillar or tent peg.