أقاسمُ لا تسددْ سبيلي إلى الرضا

فأنت المولّى فتحَ كلِّ سبيلِ

My hopes, do not block my path to contentment,

For You are the Guardian, opening every way,

ولا تجعلنّ الظن ما عشتَ صاحباً

فلستَ تراه صاحباً لنبيلِ

And do not let presumption be my companion,

For You see it not as a companion to the noble.

أتقبل دعوى الظن وهي مُخيلةٌ

وتتركُ مثلي وهْي غيرُ مُخيلِ

Do you accept the claim of presumption, which is fanciful,

And forsake the likes of me, that is not fanciful?

وقد سار مدحي فيك كلَّ مسيرة

مزحزحةٍ بل سال كلَّ مسيلِ

And my praise of You has gone on every course,

Pushing ahead; indeed, flowing down every stream.

فإن قلت قد صحَّ الذي أنت جاحدٌ

فهبْ ذنبَ جانٍ لاعتذارِ ذليلِ

If You say what I deny is true,

Excuse then the sin of an apologizing lowly one.

أطال عليّ الليلُ أنْ قد منعتني

رضاكَ وكان الليلُ غيرَ طويلِ

The night was long upon me when You denied me

Your pleasure, yet the night was not long.

وأنك صدقتَ الظنونَ وما أتت

على ما ادّعتْ من قصتي بدليلِ

And that You spoke truly of suspicions and what

Was claimed in my story without proof.

وإنّ العدا مذ عُلتني وحَجبتني

رأوْا وجه قالٍ عند ذاك وقيلِ

And since You spurned me and veiled me from You

They saw the face of one who then spoke and told.

وإن جُدتَ لي بالكُثْر قالوا مبغَّضٌ

فدى نفسَه مِنْ قُربِه بجزيلِ

If You were generous to me in plenty they said, hated one

Ransomed himself from nearness by ample funds.

وإن جدتْ لي بالقُلّ قال خطيبُهم

قليلٌ رُمِي في وجهه بقليلِ

If You were generous to me in paucity, their spokesman said

A little was cast in his face by a little.

وجودُك بالفضلِ الذي قدْ بذلته

شفاءٌ فلا تمزجه لي بغليلِ

Your generosity with bounty You have granted

Is healing, so do not mix it for me with bitterness.

وكلّ الذي أسلفتني من صنيعةٍ

جميلٌ فلا تُردفه غيرَ جميلِ

All that You have advanced me of favor

Is beautiful, so do not follow it with less than beautiful.

أنلتَ فإن شئتَ الإقالة محسناً

أقلتَ ولم أعهدْك غيرَ مُقيلِ

You have attained, so if You wish to dismiss favorably,

Then dismiss me, and I never knew You as one who dismisses.

وقالوا عليلٌ قلتُ كلا وإن يكنْ

عليلاً فما إحسانُهُ بعليلِ

And they said, ailing one! I said no, and even if he be

Ailing, his beneficence is not ailing.

كساهُ الذي أعلاهُ بُرْءاً وصحّةً

وكانت له الأيامُ خيرَ خليلِ

He who exalted him clothed him in health and strength,

And his days were the best companion.

وأضحى وأمسى والسلامةُ عنده

لحافَ مبيتٍ أو فراش مقيلِ

He came and went while well-being was with him

A blanket for overnight rest or the bedding of one at rest.