فديتك لو لم تكن لي قريبا

فديتك لو لم تكن لي قريبا

وكنت أمرأ أجنبياً غريبا

وكنت أمرأ أجنبياً غريبا

May I be your ransom! Even if you were not my kinsman,

I would sacrifice myself for you, even if you were not close to me

and were an unrelated man, a stranger,

And if you were a foreign stranger

مع البر منك وما تنجز

مع البر منك وما تنجز

به مستخفاً اليك اللبيبا

به مستخفاً اليك اللبيبا

with your kindness and what you fulfill,

With kindness from you, and what you accomplish

drawing the discerning man swiftly to you thereby,

Making light of it, calling the intelligent to you

لما أن جعلت لخلقٍ سوا

لما أن جعلت لخلقٍ سوا

ك مثل نصيبك مني نصيبا

ك مثل نصيبك مني نصيبا

I would not have allotted to anyone other than

If I had not made for any other creation

you a share from me equal to yours.

A portion like your share from me, a portion

وكنت المقدم ممن أود

وكنت المقدم ممن أود

وازداد حقك عندي وجوبا

وازداد حقك عندي وجوبا

And you would be foremost among those I love,

And you were the foremost of those I love

and your claim upon me would grow more binding.

And your right with me has increased and become obligatory

تلطف لما قد تكلمت فيه

تلطف لما قد تكلمت فيه

فما زلت في الحاج شهماً نجيبا

فما زلت في الحاج شهماً نجيبا

Deal gently with the matter I have spoken of,

Refine what you have spoken about

for you have always been gallant and noble in meeting needs.

For I have not ceased being nobly steadfast in love

وراوض أبا حسنٍ ان رأيت

وراوض أبا حسنٍ ان رأيت

واحتل برفقك حتى يجيبا

واحتل برفقك حتى يجيبا

And coax Abu Hasan, if you see fit,

And convince Abu Hasan if you see

and contrive with your gentleness until he assents.

And take gently until he responds

فان هو صار الى ما تريد

فان هو صار الى ما تريد

والا استعنت عليه الحبيبا

والا استعنت عليه الحبيبا

Then if he comes round to what you want—

If he agrees to what you want

otherwise, seek the beloved's help against him.

Otherwise seek help against him, O beloved

ومن لا يخالف ما أشتهيه

ومن لا يخالف ما أشتهيه

لتلفيه من غير شكٍ مجيبا

لتلفيه من غير شكٍ مجيبا

And the one who does not oppose what I desire,

And whoever does not oppose what I desire

you will surely find responsive, without doubt.

You will surely find him obedient without any doubt

يودك خاقان وداً عجيبا

يودك خاقان وداً عجيبا

كذاك الأديب يود الاديبا

كذاك الأديب يود الاديبا

Khaqan loves you with a wondrous love;

The ruler loves you with a wondrous love

thus one man of letters loves another.

Just as the literary man loves the literary man

وانت تكافيه لابل تزيـ

وانت تكافيه لابل تزيـ

ـد عليه وتجمع فيه ضروبا

ـد عليه وتجمع فيه ضروبا

And you repay him—no, rather you out—

And you reciprocate him, no, you

—do him, combining many forms of kindness toward him.

Increase upon him and gather in him diverse kinds

تثيب أخاك على الود منه

تثيب أخاك على الود منه

وذو اللب يأنف ألا يثيبا

وذو اللب يأنف ألا يثيبا

You reward your brother for the love he gives,

You reward your brother for his affection

and a man of sense disdains leaving it unrepaid.

While one of discernment disdains not to reciprocate

ولا سيما اذ براه الاله كالبدر

ولا سيما اذ براه الاله كالبدر

يدعو اليه القلوبا

يدعو اليه القلوبا

And especially since God fashioned him like the full moon,

Especially when the Divine has blessed him like the full moon

calling hearts toward him.

Calling hearts to him

يرى المتمني له ردفه

يرى المتمني له ردفه

كثيباً وأعلاه يحكي القضيبا

كثيباً وأعلاه يحكي القضيبا

The one who longs for him sees his rump

The longing one sees his prominence

as a sand dune, while his upper body resembles a slender branch.

Like a hill, and its top telling of a banner

وقد فاق في العلم والفهم منه

وقد فاق في العلم والفهم منه

كما تم ملحاً وحسناً وطيبا

كما تم ملحاً وحسناً وطيبا

And he has excelled in his learning and understanding,

And he has surpassed in knowledge and understanding

just as he is perfect in charm, beauty, and sweetness.

As salt is perfect, beautiful and good

ويبلغ فيما يقولون ليس

ويبلغ فيما يقولون ليس

يعاف اذا ناولوه القضيبا

يعاف اذا ناولوه القضيبا

And it is reported, as they say, that he does not

And he attains in what they say none

disdain the rod when they offer it to him.

Can equal if they extend to him the banner

ولكنه وافق الزاهدين

ولكنه وافق الزاهدين

فخاب وقد ظن أن لن يخيبا

فخاب وقد ظن أن لن يخيبا

But he fell in with the ascetics,

But he agreed with the ascetics

and was disappointed, though he had thought he would not be.

So he failed while he thought he would not fail

وان ركب المرء فيه هواه

وان ركب المرء فيه هواه

عاث فتطهيره ان يتوبا

عاث فتطهيره ان يتوبا

And if a man rides his passion for him,

And if a man in it follows his desire

he wreaks havoc; his purification is to repent.

He wreaks corruption - his purification is to repent

اذ زارت الشاة ذئباً طبيبا

اذ زارت الشاة ذئباً طبيبا

فلا تأمنن على الشاة ذيبا

فلا تأمنن على الشاة ذيبا

When the sheep visited a wolf as physician,

When the ewe visited the wolf, a healer

never trust a wolf with the sheep.

Do not trust the wolf over the ewe

وعند الطبيب شفاء السقيم

وعند الطبيب شفاء السقيم

اذا أعتل يوماً وجاء الطبيبا

اذا أعتل يوماً وجاء الطبيبا

And with the physician lies the sick man's cure,

And with the healer is the cure of the sick

when one day he falls ill and comes to the physician.

When he falls ill one day and comes to the healer

ولست ترى فارساً في الأنا

ولست ترى فارساً في الأنا

م الا وثوبا يجيد الركوبا

م الا وثوبا يجيد الركوبا

And you see no horseman among man—

And you will not see a horseman among people

—kind but one quick to leap who rides skillfully.

Except with a robe skilled at riding