بَلاءَكَ إِنّي غَيرُ مُستَعِبِ الرِضى

بَلاءَكَ إِنّي غَيرُ مُستَعِبِ الرِضى

وَلا مُستَقِلِّ القوتِ مِن مُعذِرٍ مُبلِ

وَلا مُستَقِلِّ القوتِ مِن مُعذِرٍ مُبلِ

I ask your kindness: I do not demand full satisfaction,

Your affliction, I am not one who is content with acceptance

nor deem sustenance scant from one who does his utmost and gives well.

Nor am I independent in subsistence from any excuse

أَعافُكَ إِن لَم يَصفُ عِندَكَ مَشرَبي

أَعافُكَ إِن لَم يَصفُ عِندَكَ مَشرَبي

وَأَرعاكَ إِن أَمرَعتَ في جانِبٍ سَهلِ

وَأَرعاكَ إِن أَمرَعتَ في جانِبٍ سَهلِ

I shun you if my drink with you is not clear,

I pardon you if my manner does not please you

and graze upon you if you grow lush on level ground.

And I indulge you if you incline to an easy side

وَإِنّي لَأَستَحيِيكَ بِالغَيبِ أَن أَرى

وَإِنّي لَأَستَحيِيكَ بِالغَيبِ أَن أَرى

خِلافَكَ مَطوَيَّ الضَميرِ عَلى ذَحلِ

خِلافَكَ مَطوَيَّ الضَميرِ عَلى ذَحلِ

And in your absence I am too ashamed before you to contemplate

Indeed I am too shy before you in absence to see

opposing you, my heart folded around a grudge.

Unlike you, one whose conscience is folded in meanness

سَخاءَكَ إِنّي لَم أُناجيكَ في المُنى

سَخاءَكَ إِنّي لَم أُناجيكَ في المُنى

فَتُرجِعَني إِلّا بِنائِلِكَ الجَزلِ

فَتُرجِعَني إِلّا بِنائِلِكَ الجَزلِ

I ask your generosity: I never confided my hopes to you

Your generosity, I did not whisper to you in intimacy

without your sending me back with lavish bounty.

Except you returned me with your abundant bestowal

سَيَخلُفُنا فيكَ الثَناءُ إِذا رَمى

سَيَخلُفُنا فيكَ الثَناءُ إِذا رَمى

بِنا غِبُّهُ وَالنَأيُ واسِطَةُ الرَحلِ

بِنا غِبُّهُ وَالنَأيُ واسِطَةُ الرَحلِ

Praise will take our place with you when we are cast

Praise of you will remain after us when separation

by its aftermath and distance onto the saddle's pommel.

And remoteness and the mediation of travel come between us

وَسامَحتَني بِالقَولِ حَتّى إِذا سَخَت

وَسامَحتَني بِالقَولِ حَتّى إِذا سَخَت

لَكَ النَفسُ عَن آمالِها ضِقتَ بِالبَذلِ

لَكَ النَفسُ عَن آمالِها ضِقتَ بِالبَذلِ

And you were generous to me in words, until, when my soul yielded

You forgave my words until when the soul hardened

its hopes to you, you recoiled from giving.

Against its hopes, you were stingy with giving

وَشِمتُكَ إِذ أَبرَقتَ لي عارِضَ المُنى

وَشِمتُكَ إِذ أَبرَقتَ لي عارِضَ المُنى

فَأَقبَلتَ لَم تُبضِض بَرَيٍّ وَلا ضَحلِ

فَأَقبَلتَ لَم تُبضِض بَرَيٍّ وَلا ضَحلِ

And I watched you for rain when you made hope's cloud flash for me;

I envied you when you smiled at me despite misfortunes

then you came on, yielding neither a full draught nor a shallow pool.

So you came, neither frowning at any distress or poverty

وَإِنَّ اِمرِءاً نالَ العُلا ثُمَّ أَصبَحَت

وَإِنَّ اِمرِءاً نالَ العُلا ثُمَّ أَصبَحَت

صَنائِعُهُ تَفتَرُّ عَنّي وَعَن مِثلي

صَنائِعُهُ تَفتَرُّ عَنّي وَعَن مِثلي

And indeed, a man who attained eminence, whose

And a man attained elevation, then his skills

benefactions then came to smile upon me and men like me,

Became too lofty for me and my like

لَغَيرُكَ إِلّا أَنَّ مَنبَتَ عودِهِ

لَغَيرُكَ إِلّا أَنَّ مَنبَتَ عودِهِ

وَعودِكَ فَرعا نَبعَةٍ طَيِّبا الأَصلِ

وَعودِكَ فَرعا نَبعَةٍ طَيِّبا الأَصلِ

is surely someone other than you—though his bough springs

Unlike you, except that the origin of his rod

with yours, as two branches of one bow-wood tree, noble at the root.

And your rod are branches of one fragrant root

ذَكَرتُ أَبا يَحيى فَخاضَت بِيَ المُنى

ذَكَرتُ أَبا يَحيى فَخاضَت بِيَ المُنى

بُحورَ الغِنا حَتّى اِستَرَحتُ إِلى الفِعلِ

بُحورَ الغِنا حَتّى اِستَرَحتُ إِلى الفِعلِ

I recalled Abu Yahya, and hopes waded with me through

I recalled Abu Yahya, so the wishes immersed me

seas of wealth, until I found comfort in action.

In oceans of melody until I gained respite in action