أشوقاً ومَن تَهوى خليُّ الجوانِح

أشوقاً ومَن تَهوى خليُّ الجوانِح

لك اللّهُ مِن وافي الأمانةِ ناصحِ

لك اللّهُ مِن وافي الأمانةِ ناصحِ

Do you long, while your beloved's breast is free of passion?

Longing for the one whose love has captivated my soul

God be with you, so faithful to your trust, so sincere!

May Allah send you a sincere advisor as a trustworthy ally

فما كلّ عهدٍ بالسليم على النوى

فما كلّ عهدٍ بالسليم على النوى

ولا كلّ ثاوٍ حافظٌ عهدَ نازحِ

ولا كلّ ثاوٍ حافظٌ عهدَ نازحِ

For not every pledge stays intact through separation,

Not every vow from one of pure intent lives up to what was sworn

nor does everyone who stays keep faith with one far away.

Nor does every complainer maintain the covenant he has broken

حبيبُك من خلَّفتَ بين ضلوعه

حبيبُك من خلَّفتَ بين ضلوعه

وسرتَ فؤاداً لا يلين لكاشح

وسرتَ فؤاداً لا يلين لكاشح

Your beloved is the one within whose ribs you left,

The beloved whom you left writhing between your ribs

when you departed, a heart that will not yield to a spiteful foe.

Concealing within a heart that will not soften to your touch

لمَن منزلٌ أنكرتَه فعرفتَه

لمَن منزلٌ أنكرتَه فعرفتَه

وقد راح أهلوه بطيبِ الروائحِ

وقد راح أهلوه بطيبِ الروائحِ

Whose dwelling is this, which you found strange, then recognized,

To whom you denied a dwelling once familiar

its people having left with their sweet fragrances?

While its people departed leaving a sweet fragrance

خليليَ والواشون حولي عصابةٌ

خليليَ والواشون حولي عصابةٌ

فمن مُسرفٍ في لومه ومُسامِح

فمن مُسرفٍ في لومه ومُسامِح

My two friends, the slanderers are a throng around me,

My friend, though fault-finders surround me like a band of raiders

some excessive in their blame, and some lenient.

Some are excessive in rebuke, and some are forgiving

أَجِلْ في جناب الركب طرفَك هل ترى

أَجِلْ في جناب الركب طرفَك هل ترى

أسى بارحاً أو طائراً غيرَ بارحِ

أسى بارحاً أو طائراً غيرَ بارحِ

Let your gaze roam beside the caravan: do you see

Turn your gaze among the travelers, can you see

a sorrow departing, or a bird that is not ill-omened?

One who grieved last night or a bird other than one who took flight?

وخلفَ الستور الرُّقمِ من كان بينُهُ

وخلفَ الستور الرُّقمِ من كان بينُهُ

على طولِ ما ستّرتُ حبِّيَ فاضحي

على طولِ ما ستّرتُ حبِّيَ فاضحي

And behind the patterned curtains is one whose parting,

Behind the embroidered curtain was one between whom

for all the time I hid my love, has laid me bare.

I have concealed my love however much it was exposed by me

وهبتُ له عيني وقلبي وإنما

وهبتُ له عيني وقلبي وإنما

لعزّته هانت عليَّ جوارحي

لعزّته هانت عليَّ جوارحي

I gave him my eye and my heart; it was only

I granted him my eyes and heart though in truth

his dearness that made my limbs seem cheap to me.

For his dignity my own limbs were humbled before him

أفي كل دارٍ صاحبٌ اصلَحتْ له

أفي كل دارٍ صاحبٌ اصلَحتْ له

الرعايةُ قلبي وهو لي غير صالحِ

الرعايةُ قلبي وهو لي غير صالحِ

Is there in every house a companion for whom

Does every house have an owner made fitting for it

devotion has made my heart faithful, though he is no good to me?

By the care my heart, though he is unworthy of me?

وخاطبُ شكرٍ يُرخِص البخلُ مهرَهُ

وخاطبُ شكرٍ يُرخِص البخلُ مهرَهُ

عليه فيُمسي وهو ألأمُ ناكحِ

عليه فيُمسي وهو ألأمُ ناكحِ

And a suitor for gratitude, whose bride-price stinginess cheapens

A suitor whose bargain the stinginess of his gift makes cheap

for him, so he becomes the meanest of bridegrooms?

Will pass his night as the most miserable bridegroom

أهزُّ بعتبي منه طودأً كأنني

أهزُّ بعتبي منه طودأً كأنني

أريد لأكسو العَيْرَ جلدةَ سابحِ

أريد لأكسو العَيْرَ جلدةَ سابحِ

With my reproaches I try to shake a mountain of a man, as though

I spurn him with my blame like one seeking

I wished to clothe an ass in a swift horse's hide.

To clothe a camel's back with the skin of a swimming lizard

إذا ما عليل البخل لم يُبرِ داءَه

إذا ما عليل البخل لم يُبرِ داءَه

مهافةُ هاجٍ لم يُثبْ قولَ مادحِ

مهافةُ هاجٍ لم يُثبْ قولَ مادحِ

If one sick with stinginess has not had his sickness cured

When chronic stinginess is ill, the flattery of a passionate praiser

by fear of a satirist, he will not reward a praiser's words.

Does not cure its sickness or confirm the words of one who flatters

بلى في فتىً من أسرتي إن شكرتها

بلى في فتىً من أسرتي إن شكرتها

منائحُ تُعطيه حلالاً مدائحي

منائحُ تُعطيه حلالاً مدائحي

Yes, a young man of my family has—if I give thanks for them—

Rather, for a youth of my clan, if I thank him

gifts that make my praises his rightful due.

My praises give him lawful, not profane, praise

هنيئاً لكم يا طالبي سيبِ كفِّه

هنيئاً لكم يا طالبي سيبِ كفِّه

أبيحت قَلِيباً فليفز دلوُ ماتحِ

أبيحت قَلِيباً فليفز دلوُ ماتحِ

May you enjoy it, seekers of the bounty of his hand!

Congratulations to you, my requesters, for the palm of his generosity

It is opened freely as a well; let a drawer's bucket win its share.

My heart has been freed, so let the buckets of the water-drawers pour forth

يُختِّمُ غادٍ للسؤال ورائحٌ

يُختِّمُ غادٍ للسؤال ورائحٌ

بساحةِ غادٍ للسماحةِ رائحِ

بساحةِ غادٍ للسماحةِ رائحِ

A morning petitioner and an evening petitioner encamp

A departing visitor concludes his request, and a departing one

in the courtyard of one who sets forth morning and evening to give.

Exits with the noble quality of one who pardons and reconciles

صباحُك والنيروز يجلوه فانعمن

صباحُك والنيروز يجلوه فانعمن

رأى خيرَ مصبوحٍ رأى خيرَ صابحِ

رأى خيرَ مصبوحٍ رأى خيرَ صابحِ

Your morning, with Nowruz making it shine—rejoice!—

May your morning and New Year's Day be made radiant

has seen the finest man it greets, who has seen the finest morning greeter.

Whoever sees the best of dawns sees the best of mornings

هو الجَذْع فاستقبل به بَكرَ عامه

هو الجَذْع فاستقبل به بَكرَ عامه

وإن كان مما كرَّ في سنِّ قارحِ

وإن كان مما كرَّ في سنِّ قارحِ

It is a young horse: welcome its year's fresh beginning with it,

He is the vine stock, so welcome with it his springtime

though its repeated returns have brought it to a mature horse's age.

Even if he is one who mixed the dried with the green

إذا وجه يومٍ غيره كان عابساً

إذا وجه يومٍ غيره كان عابساً

تبسّم عن ساعاتِ أبلجَ واضح

تبسّم عن ساعاتِ أبلجَ واضح

When the face of any other day is frowning,

When a day other than it was gloomy, he smiled

it smiles, revealing the hours of a radiant, clear day.

With hours brighter than white cheeked ones beaming

وعش بين جَدٍِّ للخطوب محاربٍ

وعش بين جَدٍِّ للخطوب محاربٍ

حريٍّ وجدٍّ للسعود مُصالحِ

حريٍّ وجدٍّ للسعود مُصالحِ

And live between a fortune that battles calamities,

Live amid seriousness for hardships and seriousness

fit for the fight, and a fortune at peace with happy omens,

For fortunes reconciled and doors opened easily

سليما على الأيام طرّاً طِوالُها

سليما على الأيام طرّاً طِوالُها

رقاقُ العشايا صالحاتُ المفاتحِ

رقاقُ العشايا صالحاتُ المفاتحِ

unharmed through all the days, their long spans

Safe throughout days whose evenings were supple

gentle at evening, auspicious in their beginnings.

Righteous women of righteous keys