أحقّاً يا أبا نصرٍ فتُرجَى

أحقّاً يا أبا نصرٍ فتُرجَى

وُعودُك أم تسوِّفني مُحالا

وُعودُك أم تسوِّفني مُحالا

Is it true, Abu Nasr—may one hope

Truly, O Abu Nasr, your promises are hoped for,

in your promises, or do you put me off with the impossible?

Or are you deceiving me without possibility?

ضربتَ لحاجتي أجلاً قصيراً

ضربتَ لحاجتي أجلاً قصيراً

عليك سما له عنقي وطالا

عليك سما له عنقي وطالا

You set a short deadline for my need,

You set for my need a short period,

binding on you; my neck rose and stretched toward it.

Upon you the heavens elongated my neck.

تمادت مدّة الشهر المسمَّى

تمادت مدّة الشهر المسمَّى

له حتى ظننت الحولَ حالا

له حتى ظننت الحولَ حالا

The month's span dragged on—the month appointed

The time of the named month has been prolonged,

for it—until I thought a year had passed.

Until I thought the year was the state.

عَلِقْتُ الغربَ أرقبه بعينٍ

عَلِقْتُ الغربَ أرقبه بعينٍ

ترى نجماً فتحسبه الهلالا

ترى نجماً فتحسبه الهلالا

I fixed upon the west, watching it with an eye

I hung the west, observing it with an eye,

that sees a star and mistakes it for the crescent moon.

That sees a star and thinks it the crescent.

إذا سهرتْ بكت لي من جُمادى

إذا سهرتْ بكت لي من جُمادى

وإن رقدتْ رأت رجباً خيالا

وإن رقدتْ رأت رجباً خيالا

When it stays awake, it weeps for me over Jumada;

If she stayed up at night, Jumada cried for me,

and when it sleeps, it sees Rajab in a dream.

And if she slept, she saw Rajab as an illusion.

شربت الصبرَ أجنيه انتظاراً

شربت الصبرَ أجنيه انتظاراً

ليومٍ يُعقب الظفَر الزُّلالا

ليومٍ يُعقب الظفَر الزُّلالا

I drank bitter aloe, gathering it as I waited

I drank patience, collecting it while waiting

for a day when triumph would yield clear, sweet water.

For a day to follow the pure success.

وقفتُ عليك من ظنّي مصوناً

وقفتُ عليك من ظنّي مصوناً

إذا استدنته مطمِعةٌ تعالى

إذا استدنته مطمِعةٌ تعالى

I reserved for you a guarded measure of my trust;

I stood by you, protected in my assumption,

when a tempting prospect beckons it near, it rises aloof.

If an avaricious one drew near saying come!

تذُبُّ يدُ الإِباء المرِّ عنه

تذُبُّ يدُ الإِباء المرِّ عنه

وترفعه القناعةُ أن يُنالا

وترفعه القناعةُ أن يُنالا

The hand of bitter pride guards it,

The hand of denial melts away from it

and contentment lifts it beyond reach.

And contentment lifts it so it cannot be attained.

وبعتُك أرخصَ البيعاتِ قلباً

وبعتُك أرخصَ البيعاتِ قلباً

به وعلى نفاسته يُغالَى

به وعلى نفاسته يُغالَى

And I sold you, at the cheapest of sales, a heart

And I offered you the cheapest of sales, a heart

for which, precious as it is, high bids are made.

In which and by its fineness is made valuable.

رأتك مودّتي كفئاً فقرّت

رأتك مودّتي كفئاً فقرّت

وكانت ناشزاً تُعيي البِعالا

وكانت ناشزاً تُعيي البِعالا

My affection found you a fitting match and settled down,

My love saw you as a peer so it cherished,

having been a rebellious wife who wore husbands out.

Though it was defiant, exhausting elephants.

فما طَرْفٌ طريفٌ من نبوٍّ

فما طَرْفٌ طريفٌ من نبوٍّ

تجدّد لا أطيق له احتمالا

تجدّد لا أطيق له احتمالا

So what is this strange new hint of estrangement

So, not an elegant glance renewing

that has arisen, which I cannot bear,

Which I cannot endure to carry.

وتقصيرٌ يراه الودُّ حَظْراً

وتقصيرٌ يراه الودُّ حَظْراً

إذا ما العُجْبُ أبصره حلالا

إذا ما العُجْبُ أبصره حلالا

and this neglect that affection deems forbidden,

And shortcoming which affection views as forbidden

while self-conceit regards it as lawful?

If pride beholds it as permitted.

نفى عاداتِ ذاك البِرِّ عنّي

نفى عاداتِ ذاك البِرِّ عنّي

وبدّل ماءَ ذاك البشر آلا

وبدّل ماءَ ذاك البشر آلا

It drove the accustomed ways of that kindness away from me,

It negated the morals of that righteousness from me

and changed the water of that smiling welcome into a mirage.

And changed the water of that humanity to bitter.

تَشَكَّكُ حين تُعرِض فيه نفسي

تَشَكَّكُ حين تُعرِض فيه نفسي

أإعراضاً رأته أم اشتغالا

أإعراضاً رأته أم اشتغالا

When you turn away, my soul doubts what it means:

It was uncertain when my soul turned away in it

has it seen avoidance, or merely preoccupation?

Did it turn away or was it preoccupied?

وكم نفَرتْ لتنشُزَ عنك حتّى

وكم نفَرتْ لتنشُزَ عنك حتّى

نشَطتُ من الوفاء لها عِقالا

نشَطتُ من الوفاء لها عِقالا

And how often it recoiled, seeking to rebel against you, until

And how often it recoiled to rebel against you until

I knotted for it a tether of loyalty.

I chastised it from loyalty to it.

وقلت لها أُحسُّ بفرط حبّي

وقلت لها أُحسُّ بفرط حبّي

له فازوَرَّ جانبه دلالا

له فازوَرَّ جانبه دلالا

And I told it: 'I feel my love's excess

And I said to it, “I feel the excess of my love

for him; and so he turned his side away in coy disdain.'

For it so visit its side gently.”

أُجلُّك أن أقول دنا فلما ان

أُجلُّك أن أقول دنا فلما ان

حططتُ له بحاجتِيَ استطالا

حططتُ له بحاجتِيَ استطالا

I hold you too high to say: 'He drew near, but when

I make you wait that I say come close but when

I stooped to him with my need, he grew haughty.'

I lower myself to it with my need it lengthens.

حلفتُ موافقاً نظري وقلبي

حلفتُ موافقاً نظري وقلبي

هوىً فيما يُعادى أو يُوالى

هوىً فيما يُعادى أو يُوالى

I swore, with my judgment and my heart agreeing

I swore, my sight and heart in accord,

in feeling about what is opposed or befriended:

A passion for that which is opposed or allied.

أطالع صاحباً فأرى بظنِّي

أطالع صاحباً فأرى بظنِّي

خِلالَ تجاربي منه الخِلالا

خِلالَ تجاربي منه الخِلالا

I study a companion, and by my judgment discern,

I meet a friend so I see, in my assumption,

through my experiences with him, his qualities.

Through my trials from him the refined.

فأخبرُهُ فلا أرضاه قولاً

فأخبرُهُ فلا أرضاه قولاً

لأخبُرَهُ فأرضاه فعالا

لأخبُرَهُ فأرضاه فعالا

Then I test him, not accepting him on words alone,

So I tell him but do not please him with words

to know him by trial and approve him for deeds.

That I may please him with deeds.

أُحِبُّ المرءَ إن لم تسقِ ريّاً

أُحِبُّ المرءَ إن لم تسقِ ريّاً

يداه تعدُّراً رشحتْ بِلالا

يداه تعدُّراً رشحتْ بِلالا

I love a man who, if unable to give a full draught,

I love a person if dry hands

still lets his hands, in hardship, seep a little moisture.

Do not pour him drink niggardly but pour freely.

فإن هو ضاق أن يُعطي صِلاءً

فإن هو ضاق أن يُعطي صِلاءً

بجذوةِ ناره وسِعَ الذُّبالا

بجذوةِ ناره وسِعَ الذُّبالا

And if his means are too straitened to offer warmth

And if he is stingy to give a request

from a brand of his fire, they still stretch to wicks.

With the embers of his fire, even the kindlers were too narrow.

وأكره كلَّ معتذر المساعي

وأكره كلَّ معتذر المساعي

إلى التقصير نال فما أنالا

إلى التقصير نال فما أنالا

And I hate every man whose efforts plead excuses

And I dislike all who make excuses for disregard

for falling short: he received, but gave nothing.

To shortcoming - he attained but did not attain.

إذا نشأتْ سحائبُه بوعدٍ

إذا نشأتْ سحائبُه بوعدٍ

أهبَّ قنوطُهُ ريحاً شَمالا

أهبَّ قنوطُهُ ريحاً شَمالا

When his clouds rise with a promise,

When his clouds rise with a promise

his despair sets a north wind blowing.

His despair blows a north wind.

أعيذك جُلُّ من تلقَى وجوهٌ

أعيذك جُلُّ من تلقَى وجوهٌ

تَوامَق فوق أفئدة تقالى

تَوامَق فوق أفئدة تقالى

I pray you be spared: most people you meet are faces

I seek refuge for you, most glorious, from faces

showing mutual love above hearts that hate one another.

That display cunning above hearts that rise high.

تسالُمُ ألسن زعمته زوراً

تسالُمُ ألسن زعمته زوراً

عيونُ تشازُرٍ تصفُ القتالا

عيونُ تشازُرٍ تصفُ القتالا

A truce of tongues, judged a falsehood

Tongues that greet falsely as if in agreement -

by hostile, sidelong eyes that portray battle.

Eyes that plot pretending conciliation.

وليس أخاك إلاّ من تَحُطُّ ال

وليس أخاك إلاّ من تَحُطُّ ال

أمورَ به فيحملها ثِقالا

أمورَ به فيحملها ثِقالا

And your brother is none but the one upon whom you lay

Your brother is none but one you place

your affairs, and who bears them, heavy as they are.

Your matters with so he carries their weight.

وما للسيف إلا القطعُ معنىً

وما للسيف إلا القطعُ معنىً

وإن هو راق حَلْياً أو صِقالا

وإن هو راق حَلْياً أو صِقالا

And a sword has no purpose but to cut,

The sword has no meaning but cutting

however pleasing its ornament or polish.

Even if it shines, adorned and polished.

إذا استسعدتَ في خطبٍ جليلٍ

إذا استسعدتَ في خطبٍ جليلٍ

ينوبُ وفاتك الإسعادُ حالا

ينوبُ وفاتك الإسعادُ حالا

If you seek help in a grave crisis

When you find good fortune in a momentous affair

that strikes, and assistance fails you then,

Your absence profits then with good timing.

فلم يكن الصديق سوى المواسي

فلم يكن الصديق سوى المواسي

فراخاها إذا ما بنتَ مالا

فراخاها إذا ما بنتَ مالا

then the friend was merely one offering sympathy;

So a friend was none but one who condoled

So he eased it; if you departed, he turned aside. [Reading uncertain.]

When you built wealth, he stretched his palm.