مَضَى زَمَنُ الصِّبَى فَدَعِ التَّصابي

مَضَى زَمَنُ الصِّبَى فَدَعِ التَّصابي

ولا تَبْغِ الشَّرابَ منَ السَّرابِ

ولا تَبْغِ الشَّرابَ منَ السَّرابِ

Youth’s season has passed; abandon youthful folly,

The days of youth have passed; leave off youthful dalliance.

and do not seek a drink from a mirage.

And do not seek a drink from a mirage.

ودَعْني من أماني النَّفْسِ إنّي

ودَعْني من أماني النَّفْسِ إنّي

رَضِيتُ من الغَنيمةِ بالإيابِ

رَضِيتُ من الغَنيمةِ بالإيابِ

Spare me the soul’s vain desires; truly,

And spare me the soul's wishes, for I

I am content to escape with my life as my only spoil.

Am content with returning as my share of the spoils.

ظَلَفتُ عَنِ ارتِكابِ العارِ نفسي

ظَلَفتُ عَنِ ارتِكابِ العارِ نفسي

وعِفْتُ دَلالَ سَلْمَى والرَّبابِ

وعِفْتُ دَلالَ سَلْمَى والرَّبابِ

I have kept myself from committing disgrace,

I restrained myself from deeds of shame,

and renounced the coy charms of Salmā and Rabāb.

And scorned the coquetry of Salma and al-Rabab.

إذا هَجَرَ الحبيبُ لغيرِ ذَنْبٍ

إذا هَجَرَ الحبيبُ لغيرِ ذَنْبٍ

فذاكَ الذَّنْبُ أولَى بالعِقابِ

فذاكَ الذَّنْبُ أولَى بالعِقابِ

If the beloved forsakes one without any fault,

If the beloved forsakes you though you have done no wrong,

then that offense itself most deserves punishment.

Then that offense is all the more deserving of punishment.

إذا زُرتُ الصَّديقَ ولم يزُرني

إذا زُرتُ الصَّديقَ ولم يزُرني

فذلكَ كالخِطابِ بلا جَوابِ

فذلكَ كالخِطابِ بلا جَوابِ

If I visit a friend and he does not visit me,

If I visit a friend and he does not visit me,

it is like an address that receives no reply.

That is like a letter without a reply.

إذا كَثُرتَ خبائثُ جارِ سَوْءٍ

إذا كَثُرتَ خبائثُ جارِ سَوْءٍ

ففُرقتُهُ أجَلُّ منَ العِتابِ

ففُرقتُهُ أجَلُّ منَ العِتابِ

When an ill neighbor’s wicked ways grow many,

If a bad neighbor's wicked deeds multiply,

parting from him is nobler than reproach.

Then parting from him is nobler than reproach.

على الدُّنيا السَّلامُ فإنَّ قلبي

على الدُّنيا السَّلامُ فإنَّ قلبي

عن الأهواءِ مشغولُ الشِّعابِ

عن الأهواءِ مشغولُ الشِّعابِ

Farewell to the world, for my heart

Farewell to the world, for my heart

has all its pathways closed to passions.

Is occupied in all its branching paths, away from passions.

لَقد ألقَى الأميرُ عَلَيَّ ظِلاًّ

لَقد ألقَى الأميرُ عَلَيَّ ظِلاًّ

فقلبي عن سِواهُ في حِجابِ

فقلبي عن سِواهُ في حِجابِ

The prince has indeed cast his shade over me,

The emir has indeed cast his shade over me,

so my heart is veiled from all besides him.

So my heart is veiled from all but him.

أنا عَبدٌ لدَولتِهِ ولكن

أنا عَبدٌ لدَولتِهِ ولكن

أعيبُ عليهِ تحريرَ الرِّقابِ

أعيبُ عليهِ تحريرَ الرِّقابِ

I am a servant of his realm, and yet

I am a slave to his rule, and yet

I fault him for setting slaves free.

I fault him for setting necks free.

أُردِّدُ مَدحَهُ مِثلَ المُصَلِّي

أُردِّدُ مَدحَهُ مِثلَ المُصَلِّي

يَمُرُّ مُردِّداً أُمَّ الكتِابِ

يَمُرُّ مُردِّداً أُمَّ الكتِابِ

I repeat his praise like one at prayer

I repeat his praise like one at prayer,

who goes on repeating the Mother of the Book.

Who goes on repeating the Mother of the Book.

وإنِّي غَرْسُ نِعمتِهِ قديماً

وإنِّي غَرْسُ نِعمتِهِ قديماً

نَشَأتُ بها كأغصانِ الرَّوابي

نَشَأتُ بها كأغصانِ الرَّوابي

Long have I been a sapling of his bounty;

And I have long been a sapling of his favor;

through it I grew like the branches on the hills.

Through it I grew like branches on the hills.

سَقاني ماؤُها كأساً طَهُوراً

سَقاني ماؤُها كأساً طَهُوراً

فما أسَفي على مَطَر السَّحابِ

فما أسَفي على مَطَر السَّحابِ

Its water gave me a cup of perfect purity—

Its water gave me a purifying cup to drink,

why, then, should I regret the raincloud’s showers?

So why should I miss the rain of clouds?

كريمٌ لا يَضِيعُ لَدَيهِ حَقٌّ

كريمٌ لا يَضِيعُ لَدَيهِ حَقٌّ

فقد سُمِّي أميناً بالصَّوابِ

فقد سُمِّي أميناً بالصَّوابِ

Generous—no rightful claim is lost with him;

He is generous; no rightful due is lost in his keeping,

rightly indeed has he been called Trustworthy.

Thus he was rightly named Amin, 'the trustworthy.'

وليسَ يُخِلُ في الدُّنيا بشيءٍ

وليسَ يُخِلُ في الدُّنيا بشيءٍ

لغَيرِ المالِ من حِفظِ الصِحابِ

لغَيرِ المالِ من حِفظِ الصِحابِ

In this world he is remiss in nothing,

And he neglects nothing in this world

except with wealth, when preserving friends.

Save wealth, out of care for his friends.

يَعيشُ بظِلِّهِ مَن عاشَ منَّا

يَعيشُ بظِلِّهِ مَن عاشَ منَّا

ويَقِضي تحتَهُ مَيْتُ التُّرابِ

ويَقِضي تحتَهُ مَيْتُ التُّرابِ

Whoever among us lives, lives beneath his shade,

Those of us who live live in his shade,

and beneath it rests whoever lies dead in the dust.

And beneath it, the one bound for the dust passes away.

ويُدرِكُنا نَداهُ حيثُ كُنَّا

ويُدرِكُنا نَداهُ حيثُ كُنَّا

على حالِ ابتعادٍ واقتِرابِ

على حالِ ابتعادٍ واقتِرابِ

His largesse reaches us wherever we may be,

And his bounty reaches us wherever we are,

whether far away or near.

Whether far away or near.

وتُكسِبُنا مَكارِمُهُ ارِتفاعا

وتُكسِبُنا مَكارِمُهُ ارِتفاعا

كصفِرٍ زادَ في رَقمِ الحِسابِ

كصفِرٍ زادَ في رَقمِ الحِسابِ

His noble deeds confer stature upon us,

And his noble deeds raise us high,

like a zero that enlarges a number’s value.

Like a zero that increases a number's value.

فدامَ نداهُ يَقرَعُ كلَّ بابٍ

فدامَ نداهُ يَقرَعُ كلَّ بابٍ

ويأتيهِ الثنا من كلِّ بابِ

ويأتيهِ الثنا من كلِّ بابِ

May his bounty endure, knocking at every door,

So may his bounty keep knocking at every door,

while praise comes to him from every door.

And may praise come to him from every door.