شهر نسْكٍ قرينُهُ يوم لَهْوٍ

صار بعد البعاد مثلَ أخيهِ

A month of fasting paired with a day of frivolity,

After separation it became like its brother.

ومن المنكر العجيب وفاقُ ال

ضدِّ ضداً مُنافراً يَنفيه

Among the oddities and wonders, opposites

Repel each other though they may be paired.

غير أن الأمير أصلح بين ال

ضِدِّ لا زال ضدُّه يَفديهِ

Yet the prince made peace between the foes -

Though his foe remains, his own pays his ransom.

لم تزلْ تُرشِدُ الغَوِيَّ من الأي

يامِ أفعالُه الرشيدةُ فيه

Your righteous deeds have always guided

the misguided throughout time.

مِنْ صلاةٍ ومن صيام ومن بذْ

لِ نوال ومن سَدىً يُسديه

With prayers, fasting, almsgiving,

and voluntary charity you provide.

وسوى ذاك من تُقى اللَّهِ حتى

صار شهرَ الصيامِ لا يجتويه

And through reverence of God

the month of fasting cannot unsettle you.

ولقد كان قبلَ ذلك يَنْفي

هِ فأضحى لرُشْدِهِ يجتبيه

Before this, it did unsettle you,

but now, thanks to your righteousness, you endure it.

وعسى قائلٌ يقول بجهلٍ

قولَ حيرانَ في ضلالٍ وتيه

An ignorant man may ignorantly say,

lost in misguidance and confusion:

أي صُلْحٍ رأيتَهُ واتفاقٍ

بين هذين يا أخا التمويه

“What peace or accord do you see

between these two, O pretender?”

حاشَ للَّهِ بل هما في عناد

غيرِ مُسْتَبْهمٍ على مُبْصِريه

God forbid! No, they are stubborn

with no confusion for the discerning.

شَنَّ هذا على الجلود من الما

ءِ وهذا حَماه من شاربيه

This one poured water on skins

while the other protected its drinkers.

إن هذين ما علمتَ لَضِدَّا

ن بعيدان عند ذي التشبيه

Do you not know these two opposites

are far apart in likeness?

فجوابي هناكَ للْمجتديهِ

كجواب امرئٍ أخي تفويه

So my answer here to the perplexed

is like the answer of a wise teacher -

لم يعانِدْ أخٌ أخاه بأن خفْ

فَفَ من ثِقْل مِحْنَةٍ عن بنيه

No brother opposed his brother

by easing the heavy burden of his children.

شنَّ فيه على الجلود بروداً

فأباخَ الحَروَر عن صائميه

He poured on them coolness,

permitting the warm to relax their fasting,

وأماتَ الغليل منهم فأضحَوْا

في نعيم به وفي ترفيه

and he removed their thirst, so they found

in his gift luxury and comfort.

بل طَهوراً نَفَى به درن الآ

ثام والسيئات عن مذنبيه

But he purified them of the stains

of sins and misdeeds afflicting the sinners.

وكذاك الذي حَمَى الماء لمَّا

يذهبُ المذهبَ الذي يعنيه

Likewise, he who protected the water,

removing the disagreements that concerned him,

من خلافٍ على أخيه ولكن

رائضٌ راض مَنْ يلي ويليه

did not oppose his brother, but pleased

those who came before and after him.

منع الماءَ والطعام ليحْظَوْا

بهما في ظلالِ عيشٍ رَفيه

He deprived them of water and food

so they could enjoy them in good living.

وحماهم من المعاصي فأضحَوْا

في عفاف به وفي تنزيه

And he protected them from disobedience,

leaving them in chastity and purity.

وبيُمْنِ الأمير أسعدهُ اللَّ

هُ وأبقاهُ مُرْغِماً حاسديه

By the grace of the prince he made him prosperous,

subduing those who envied him.

وفَّقَ اللَّه بين هذين حتى

عاينا بالصلاح مَنْ يَعنيه

May God make peace between the two

so we see the righteous prosper!

وَلعاً للأمير من عثرة الشَّكْ

وِ ونفسي وكلُّ نفسٍ تَقيه

Woe to the prince - but for the pitfalls of doubt,

my soul and all souls would fear him.

محنةٌ ضاعَفتْ له الأجرَ في الصو

م ويا رُبَّ خِيرةٍ في كريه

A trial has doubled his reward

in fasting - O Lord of that which is good in the hateful!