أُعاني هوىَ ليلى وكيفَ أعاني

وأدنو إلى منْ ليْسَ بالمتداني

I suffer the passion of Layla, how I suffer!

And I approach one who is not to be approached.

وأرعى لها أيامَ إذ هيَ جارتي

وإذ خدْرُها المضروبُ قيد عَيَاني

And I tend to her during the days when she was my neighbor,

When her cheek, smitten, had tied my eyes' rein.

وما خُنْتُ ليْلي يَعَلمُ الله عهدَها

ولا مِلْتُ للواشي غداةَ لحاني

I was never disloyal to Layla, God knows my pledge to her.

And I never wearied of whispering lovingly to her after we had parted.

ولا غيّرتني شقةٌ البُعْدِ بعدَها

إذا غيَّر الإِخوانَ جورَ زمانِ

Nor did any absence, after she left, change me

When time's tyranny changed even the truest of friends.

ولا اعتدتُ تسيدَ الجفونِ وإنما

جفتني ليلى والمنامُ جفاني

Nor did I accustom my eyes to sleep, but it was Layla who made them sleepless and wakeful.

Passion called her when passion called me to her,

دعاها الهوىَ لما دعاني الهوى لها

فَلبَّتْ كما لبَيْتُ حينَ دَعاني

So she answered just as I answered when called.

How many a lover is not loved,

وكم من مُحبٍ وهو غيرُ مُحَبَّب

وحَان على من لا يَرق لحالي

And the time turned against one whose state did not please it!

O my two friends from Sa'd ibn Abl Waqqas

خليليّ من سَعدِ بن بنت رقدتما

وبتُّ أشيمَ البرق وهو يماني

I spent the night tossing about restlessly while you slept.

Had you been as lovesick and sleepless as I,

فلو كنتما مِثلي مشوْقينِ أوْ معي

لأَشْجاكُما مَسْراهُ حينَ شجاني

Your sickness for her would have kept you awake when it made me sleepless.

Help me against my deep cares and thank

أعِينَا على ما بي مِنْ الهمّ وأشكرا

على ذاك من عافاكما وبلاني

Him who cured you while allowing me to be tried.

For a friend is one who shares my pain

فإن خليلي من يقاسمني الأسَى

ويشركني في نائب الحَدثان

And suffers with me the strokes of time.

From Qayl came a gift to me, to turn

أتتني من القيل اليماني هدّة

تُشَيِّبُ رأسَ الأسود بن قُنان

The head of a black lion gray.

And a howdah of Dhul Rummah to say farewell,

وزأرة ضرغام ببيشة لودعا

بنجران لانْدَقَّت سقوفَ عُمان

That would have made the roofs of Oman collapse.

Who am I to deny the son of Ma'bad

ومن أنا حتّى أجحد ابن مَعُيبْدٍ

ندآه وكم ابرٍ لذاك أتاني

His voice, and how much good news did he bring me!

Who am I to deny the sun its light

ومن أنا حتّى أجحد الشمسَ ضوءها

وأغمطُ جودَ الغيث ذي الهملان

And detract from the bounty of a pouring cloud?

What they related about me and Abu Bakr

ومَا كان مني في أبي بكرِ ما رَووا

ولكنَّ شأني عنه أحقرُ شأني

Did not happen, and my affair with him is too trivial.

Shall I ride the waves of doom deliberately,

أأركبُ أمواجُ الهلاكِ تعمداً

وأفتحُ شدقي والرّماحُ دواني

Opening my mouth while spears prod me?

And eat the flesh of snakes to satiation

وآكلُ لحم الأفعوانِ تشبّعاً

ولو مَسَّ جلدي جلدَهُ لكفاني

When just touching their skin would suffice me?

And show ingratitude for the kindness

واكفرُ احسانَ الذي في زمانِهِ

عرفتُ وأعمى الحاسدين دُخَاني

In whose time I became known, to the envy of foes?

And cut off my nose, which is the seat of my pride,

وأجدعُ أنْفي وهو موضعُ نخوتي

وأقطعُ كفي عامداً ببناني

Purposely, with my own hands?

No! By Him whose Holy House

أمَا والذي حج الملبُّونَ بيتَه

على مضمراتٍ كالقسيّ حواني

The throngs of pilgrims circumambulate like the orbit of Saturn,

When my fingers wrote those words

لما سَطّرتْ ذاك الكلامَ أناملي

ولا قال مَا قال الوشاة لِساني

My tongue spoke not what the slanderers said.

But they are the sons of Jacob who came

ولكنّهم أولادُ يعقوبَ أقْبلوا

بذئبٍ وثوبٍ حَوله الدمُ قان

With a wolf's blood on a coat.

They wronged and injured on that day, and suggested

وَغَرّوا وضروا يومَ ذاك وأوهِموا

وأخطوا طريق الحقِ بعدَ بَيَان

Falsehoods, misleading the course of truth after its clarification.

How strange that my sanctities should be made lawful

ومِنْ عجبٍ أنْ تستحل محارمي

بخط فلان أو بقول فلان

By so-and-so's writing or so-and-so's speech!

It was said in al-Baṭḥāʾ that Ahmad was a sorcerer,

وقد قيل بالبطحاء أحمد ساحرٌ

وقال أناسٌ للمهيمن ثان

And people said to al-Muhaymin he was an imposter,

And the followers of Jesus likened him to his likeness,

وصوَّر أصحابُ المسيح كمثله

صليباً وروحُ الله ليس بفان

A cross, though the Spirit of God is not mortal.

I cannot transform their deeds, though they split the staff

فلا حول منها فعلةً شقت العصَا

وسخطٌ أتى من غير زلةِ جاني

And provoked wrath without any slip of mine.

Vain fools defamed me unjustly,

أفيْكة أفّاكٍ رماني وأتقىَ

محالاً رماه الله حينَ رماني

And God repelled what they threw at me when they threw it.

Truth has an answer, and falsehood is a kind of raving;

وللحق وجهق لا يُردُّ وإنّما

كلامُ العِدَا ضربٌ من الهذيان

The words of enemies are a type of madness.

Upon you, O Abu Bakr, be peace, and your melodies

عليك أبا بكر سلامٌ ولم تزل

مغانيك للزُّوّارِ خيرَ مغانْ

Have always been the best melodies for visitors.

Well and safe from harm, ascending to the heights

معافَى من الأسواء ترقى إلى السُّهى

وتبقى وتُسْقَى الغيث كلّ أوان

And lasting, watered by the rain at all times.

I arrived, and my friends were between one who drove me away

قدِمتُ وصحبي بين ناهٍ يَرُدّني

وأخَرُ يُرخى للمسير عِنَاني

And another who loosened the reins for travel.

In the soul desires, in the heart awe,

وفي النفس أشواق وفي القلب هيبة

وإنّ الهوى والخوف مختلفان

For passion and fear are different.

Behind me, O Ibn al-Ash`ath, are boys

وخلفي يا ابن الأشعرين صبية

كزُغْبِ القطا كلٌّ يود يراني

Like the kittens of a wildcat, each wanting to see me.

And an old man whose anger is provoked by misfortunes,

وشيخٌ حَنته النائبات وشَيْخَةٌ

يَعزّ عليهم إن يَشطَ مكاني

And an old woman to whom it is hard if I depart.

What you said about me alarmed them, and they are all

وقد راعهم ما قلتِ فيّ وكُلّهم

على خده عيناه تنْهملان

With eyes flowing copiously with tears.

Be charitable to them, or to me for their sake,

تصدق عليهَم أو عليَّ لأجلهم

وسَكِّنْ قلوباً جمّةً الخفقان

And calm hearts beating tumultuously.

Give security - how often you have secured

وأمِّنْ فكم أمنتَ رَوْعةَ فاقر

وأطْلِقْ فكم أطلقتَ كُربة جانَى

The fear of one in need! Set free -

How often you have released the anguish of a distressed soul!

وعِش عمرَ نوحٍ في سمَاحة تبّعٍ

تنال من الأيّامِ كل أمانَي

And live the life of Noah in the munificence of Tubba`,

Achieving all your wishes from the days.