قَصَدْتُ أَبَا يَعْزَى وَبِالْبَالِ بَلْبَالُ

وَفيِ كَبِدِي مِنْ مَارِجِ الْحُزْنِ شَعَّالُ

I went to visit Abu Yazaa while in deep sorrow,

I sought Abu Ya'za while my mind was in turmoil,

And in my liver there burned bright the fires of grief,

and deep within my core, the fires of sorrow blazed.

قَصَدْتُ أَبَا يَعْزَى وَفِكْرِي مُدَلَّهٌ

وَقَدْ هَاجَ بَحْرُ الْهَمِّ إِذْ هَبَّ أَهْوَالُ

I went to Abu Yazaa while my thoughts were confused,

I sought Abu Ya'za while my thoughts were bewildered,

When the sea of worries raged and terrors arose,

and the sea of worries raged as terrors blew in.

قَصَدْتُ أَبَا يَعْزَى وَرَوْضِي مُجْدِبٌ

وَمُزْنُ نَدَاهُ بِالْمَوَاهِبِ هَطَّالُ

I went to Abu Yazaa while my meadow was barren,

I sought Abu Ya'za while my garden lay barren,

And the rain clouds withheld their gifts and were miserly,

while the rain-clouds of his generosity poured heavily with gifts.

قَصَدْتُ أَبَا يَعْزَى لِأَنْ خَابَ مَقْصَدِي

لِيَقْصِدَ إِسْعَادٌ إِلَيَّ وَإِقْبَالُ

I went to Abu Yazaa because my goal had failed,

I sought Abu Ya'za because my own endeavors failed,

So that joy would turn to me again and smile,

so that good fortune and favor might seek me out instead.

قَصَدْتُ أَبَا يَعْزَى عَلَى حِينَ مَسَّنْي

سُمُومٌ مِنَ الإِقْوَاءِ فَانْخَفَضَ الْحَالُ

I went to Abu Yazaa when poison from enemies had struck me

I sought Abu Ya'za at a time when I was struck

And so my state declined as my strength faded away,

by the scorching winds of destitution, bringing me low.

قَصَدْتُ أَبَا يَعْزَى عَلَى حِينَ سَمَّنِي

سِمَامُ الْهَوَى وَقِيلَ إِنِّيَ بَطَّالُ

I went to Abu Yazaa when the poison of passion stung me

I sought Abu Ya'za at a time when I was poisoned

And they said that I was jobless having lost my way,

by the venom of base desires, and deemed a worthless man.

قَصَدْتُ أَبَا يَعْزَى عَلَى حِينَ شَفَّنِي

وَقَرْطَسَ جِسْمِي بِالنَّوَائِبِ نَبَّالُ

I went to Abu Yazaa when disease had worn me down

I sought Abu Ya'za at a time when I wasted away,

And the misfortunes had battered my body till it was frail,

and the archer of calamities made a target of my body.

قَصَدْتُ أَبَا يَعْزَى وَقَدْ أَرْجَفَ الْعِدَى

بِأَنِّيَ فِي بِيدِ الْخَسَارَةِ جَوَّالُ

I went to Abu Yazaa when hostility had shaken me,

I sought Abu Ya'za while enemies spread rumors

For I was always losing everything I held dear,

that I was but a wanderer lost in the deserts of ruin.

قَصَدْتُ أَبَا يَعْزَى عَلَى حِينَ بَانَ لِي

عُيُوبِي وَأنْ لِي فِي الْقَبَائِحِ إِيغَالُ

I went to Abu Yazaa when my faults became clear to me

I sought Abu Ya'za at a time when my flaws became stark to me,

And I had plunged deep into the ugliest shame,

and I saw how deeply I had plunged into shameful deeds.

قَصَدْتُ أَبَا يَعْزَى وَقَدْ شَهِدَتْ عَلَى

قَبَائِحِ آثَامِي ضُرُوبٌ وَأَشْكَالُ

I went to Abu Yazaa when my sins testified against me

I sought Abu Ya'za while the ugliness of my sins

In various forms and images of disgrace,

bore witness against me in countless kinds and forms.

قَصَدْتُ أَبَا يَعْزَى وَمَا عَضَّ قَاصِداً

ضَرِيحَ أَبِي يَعْزَى مِنَ الدَّهْرِ أَصْلاَلُ

I went to Abu Yazaa though no one who visited

I sought Abu Ya'za, for the vipers of fate have never bitten

The tomb of Abu Yazaa was turned back by fate,

anyone who seeks refuge at the tomb of Abu Ya'za.

قَصَدْتُ أَبَا يَعْزَى وَمَا صَدَّ قَاصِداُ

ضَرِيحَ أَبِي يَعْزَى عَنِ اللهِ أَشْغَالُ

I went to Abu Yazaa though none was barred from

I sought Abu Ya'za, for no worldly distractions have ever deterred

The tomb of Abu Yazaa by worldly affairs,

one who seeks the tomb of Abu Ya'za from the path of God.

قَصَدْتُ أَبَا يَعْزَى وَمَا خَابَ قَاصِدٌ

دِيَارَ أَبِي يَعْزَى وَبِالْبَالِ بَلْبَالُ

I went to Abu Yazaa though no seeker was disappointed

I sought Abu Ya'za, for no seeker has ever been disappointed

At the abode of Abu Yazaa while in deep despair,

visiting the lands of Abu Ya'za, even with a mind full of turmoil.

قَصَدْتُ الذِي يَرْوِي نَمِيرِ أُذِيّهِ

وَحَرُّ الْجَوَى بَيْنَ الْجَوَانِحِ فَعَّالُ

I went to the one who quenches the thirst of the distressed,

I sought the one whose sweet, surging waters quench the soul,

The burning hot wind between the ribs is made cool by him,

while the burning heat of grief is active within my ribs.

قَصَدْتُ الذِي يَشْفِي مِنَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرُهُ

وَفِي قَبْرِهِ بَحْرُ الْمَوَاهِبِ سَيَّالُ

I went to the one whose ease dispels all hardship

I sought the one whose ease provides a cure for hardship,

And in whose tomb is a sea of gifts ever flowing,

and within whose tomb flows an ocean of gifts.

وَنُورُ الْمُنَى فِي رَوْضِ جُودِهِ يَانِعٌ

وَآسُ الْغِنَى آسٍ لِمَنْ هُوَ سَأَّالُ

The light of bliss flourishes in the meadow of his kindness,

The light of hopes blossoms in the garden of his generosity,

And the branch of wealth is a staff for one who asks,

and the myrtle of his wealth heals anyone who comes to ask.

قَصَدْتُ امْرَءاً جَمّاً نَوَالٌ أَعَدَّهُ

لِمَنْ أَمَّهُ مِمَّنْ أَشَابَتْهُ أَوْجَالُ

I went to a generous man whom providence has prepared

I sought a man whose abundant generosity is prepared

To favor whoever seeks him in times of distress,

for whoever seeks him out, among those whose hair has turned gray from fear.

قَصَدْتُ دِيَاراً لِلْعَزِيزِ بِذِلَّةٍ

وَجِئْتُ إِلَى مِصْرَ السَّمَاحَةِ أَكْتَالُ

I went to the abode of the noble in my poverty

In utter humility, I sought the lands of the revered one,

And came to the Egypt of generosity completely destitute,

coming to this Egypt of grace, measuring out my grain.

بِبَابِ أَبِي يَعْزَى مَحَطُّ رِحَالِنَا

وَبَابُ أََبِي يَعْزَى تُوَافِيهِ أُمَّالُ

At Abu Yazaa's door lies the destination of my travels,

At the door of Abu Ya'za we lay down our saddles,

And to Abu Yazaa's door the hopeful masses come,

and to the door of Abu Ya'za the hopeful always flock.

قَطَعْتُ لِجَرَّاهُ الذُّرَى وَهْيَ شُمَّخٌ

وَفِي غَابِهَا الْمُغْتَالِ أُسْدٌ وَأَغْوَالُ

I crossed the valleys though they were hazardous,

For his sake, I crossed the towering mountain peaks,

With lions and beasts lying in ambush between their hills,

through deadly forests filled with lions and ghouls.

وَجُبْتُ لَهُ الْبَيْدَاءَ وَهْيَ عَرِيضَةٌ

بِهَا الْقَلْبُ خَفَّاقٌ كَمَا خَفَقَ الآلُ

I crossed the deserts though they were vast,

And I traversed the vast, wide desert for him,

My heart pounding there like a startled beast,

my heart trembling within it just as the desert mirage trembles.

إذَا اشْتَدَّ غَيْظُ الْقَيْظِ بَيْنَ أَكَامِهَا

نُنَادِي أَبَا يَعْزَى فَيَعْرُوهُ إِسْهَالُ

When the heat of the summer sun rages in their midst,

Whenever the fierce midday heat raged intensely among its hills,

We call upon Abu Yazaa and so find relief,

we would call upon Abu Ya'za, and the hardship would ease into relief.

وَصَلْتُ إِلَى أَرْضٍ بِهَا عَرَّسَ السَّنَا

وَفِيهَا لِسِرِّ اللهِ وَخْدٌ وَإِرْقَالُ

And I reached a land where the cobras have nested,

I arrived at a land where radiant light has made its camp,

In it are Allah's secret and clues that guide the lost,

where the divine secret of God strides forward at a majestic pace.

نَزَلْتُ عَلَى أَسْخَى الأَفَاضِلِ عَافِياً

وَإِنِّي عَلَى أَهْلِ السَّمَاحِ لَنَزَّالُ

I alighted in the most generous and noblest man's abode,

I settled upon the most generous of noble men, seeking his favor,

Though I am always harsh towards the generous folk,

for I am one who frequently seeks refuge with the people of grace.

وَقُلْتُ بِهِ شِعْراً تَبَاهَى بِمَدْحِهِ

وَإِنِّي لِأَشْعَارِ الْمَدِيحِ لَقَوَّالُ

And I composed poetry praising him vainly,

I composed a poem that proudly boasts of his praise,

Though I am a habitual liar when composing praise,

for I am a poet accustomed to crafting verses of eulogy.

وَبَيْنَ يَدَيْ مَدْحِي أَبُوحُ بِمَقْصِدِي

وَأَشْكُو لِمَنْ يَأْسُو الْعَلِيلَ وَلاَ يَالُو

Before my praises I confess my purpose,

Yet, before offering my praise, I must reveal my true intent,

And complain to one who relieves the sick and spares no effort,

complaining to the one who ceaselessly heals the sick without hesitation.

أَمَوْلاَيَ أخْلاَطُ اهْتِدَائِي تَعَفَّنَتْ

وَسَاوَمَنِي لَوْلاَ نَوَالُكَ إِضْلاَلُ

My master, the ingredients of my faith have rotted,

O my master! The humors of my spiritual guidance have rotted away,

And without your grace I would have strayed,

and were it not for your generous gifts, misguidance would have claimed me.

أمَوْلاَي شَرْيَانُ اعْتِدَائِي نَابِضٌ

أَمَوْلاَيَ نَبْضُ الدِّينِ مِنِّيَ مُغْتَالُ

My master, the veins of my audacity still pulse,

O my master! The artery of my transgressions continues to pulse,

While, my master, the pulse of religion within me is stifled,

while the pulse of my faith has been slain within me.

أَهَنْتُ أَكُفَّ الْكَفِّ لَمَّا مُدِدْنَ لِي

فَأَعْقَبَنِي مِنْهَا هَوَانٌ وَإِذْلاَلُ

I was disgraced when hands were extended to me,

I scorned the hands of restraint when they were extended toward me,

And so they brought me nothing but disgrace and humiliation,

and as a result, humiliation and degradation have become my lot.

أَمَوْلاَي خِلْطُ الْعُسْرِ طَالَ احْتِبَاسُهُ

وَيُسْرُكَ يَا مَوْلاَيَ لِلْعُسْرِ سَهَّالُ

My master, the blending of hardship has prolonged its withholding,

O my master! The sickness of hardship has lingered far too long,

While your ease, my master, makes hardships smooth,

but your gentle ease, O my master, is the ultimate remedy for distress.

أَمَوْلاَي نَفْثُ الْفِكْرِ سَاءَ قَوَامُهُ

بِبُحْرَانِ هَمِّي وَهْوَ لِلْفِكْرِ قَتَّالُ

My master, the breath of thought has lost its composure,

O my master! The expression of my thoughts has been gravely impaired,

In the seas of my worries which are fatal to thought,

by the fever-crisis of my worries, which proves fatal to the mind.

أَمَوْلاَي أَفْرَاخِي هَوِيتُ ارْتِيَاشَهُمْ

بِفَضْلِكَ حَتَّى لاَ تَضِيقَ بِهِمْ حَالُ

My master, I fear for my young lest hardship befall them,

O my master! I long to see my little children grow their feathers

By your grace, so that no situation is too narrow for them,

through your grace, so that they may never be constrained by hardship.

أَمَوْلاَي بَابُ الْمَنْعِ عِنْدَكَ مُغْلَقٌ

وَلَيْسَ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ بَذْلِكَ أَقْفَالُ

My master, your door of refusal is shut,

O my master! The door of denial is forever locked beside you,

While there are no locks upon the doors of your giving,

and there are no locks whatsoever upon the doors of your giving.

أَمَوْلاَي أَنْتَ الشَّمْسُ نُورُكَ وَاضِحٌ

أَمَوْلاَي أَنْتَ الْبَحْرُ عَذْبُكَ سَلْسَالُ

My master, you are the sun, your light is clear,

O my master! You are the sun, and your radiant light is clear;

My master, you are the sea, your freshness is exhilarating,

O my master! You are the sea, and your fresh waters flow sweet.

أَمَوْلاَي أَنْتَ الْبَدْرُ وَالنَّاسُ أَنْجُمٌ

أَمَوْلاَي أَنْتَ التِّبْرُ وَالنَّاسُ صَلْصَالُ

My master, you are the moon while people are but stars,

O my master! You are the full moon, while all other men are but stars;

My master, you are pure gold while people are but pebbles,

O my master! You are pure gold, while all other men are but clay.

وَرُشْدُ أَبِي أَسْنَى الذِي قَدْ طَلَبْتَهُ

وَصِحَّتُهُ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا عَشِقَ الْبَالُ

May Abu Yazaa regain his reason which you have sought,

And the guidance of my father is the most radiant thing I have sought,

And may his health be the best of what life may bring,

and his health is among the dearest desires of my heart.

وَإِغْنَاؤُهُ عَنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ يَؤُودُهُ

فَقَدْ آدَهُ الإِعْلاَلُ مُذْ فَنِيَ الْمَالُ

And may his freedom from all that pains him,

I pray for his independence from every matter that burdens him,

Now that wealth has vanished and resources are depleted,

for illness has weighed heavily upon him ever since his wealth vanished.

وَتَسْهِيلُ تَحْصِيلِ الْعُلُومِ وَجَمْعِهَا

فَيُسْعِدُ تَفْصِيلٌ لِذَاكَ وَإِجْمَالُ

And the facilitation of acquiring knowledge and collecting it,

I pray for the ease of acquiring and gathering knowledge,

So that summarizing it and going into detail may bring happiness,

so that both its detailed study and its summary may bring joy.

وَتَيْسِيرُ كَسْبٍ لِلْحَلاَلِ الذِي يَفِي

بِمَا تَقْتَضِي مِنَّا الضَّرُورَةُ وَالْحَالُ

And the ease of earning permitted sustenance that will be enough

And I pray for the ease of earning a lawful livelihood, one that fulfills

For one's needs and situation,

whatever our necessities and circumstances demand.

وَخَتْمٌ بِخَيْرٍ تَسْتَتِمُّ بِهِ الْمُنَى

فَسِيَّانِ إِكْثَارٌ بِذَاكَ وَإِقْلاَلُ

And a good end that you may reach with the final resting place,

And a blessed conclusion to life, through which all hopes are fulfilled,

So whether much or little, it is equal in that,

for in the end, worldly abundance and scarcity are both the same.

وَإِسْبَالُ سِتْرِ اللهِ فَوْقَ أَقَارِبِي

بِهِ يَشْتَفِي قَلْبِي وَيَسْلُوهُ إِعْلاَلُ

And that Allah's veil be lowered over my kinsfolk,

I pray for the veil of God's protection to be draped over my relatives,

By it my heart will find solace and be distracted from grief,

through which my heart may heal, and all sickness be forgotten.

وَحَجٌّ تُجِيحُ الذ َّنْبَ بِيضُ ثَوَابِهِ

وَزَوْرَةُ مَنْ أَعْلَى الْوَرَى وَهْيَ أَغْفَالُ

And that I perform the pilgrimage that absolves sins, bright is its reward,

And for a pilgrimage whose pure rewards will eradicate my sins,

And visit the highest of all spots though it is neglected,

and a visit to the highest of all creation, though many remain heedless.

عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةُ اللهِ يَزْكُو نَسِيمُهَا

وَيَذْكُو بِرَيَّاهُ الصَّحَابَةُ وَالآلُ

Upon him is the prayer of Allah that purifies with its breeze,

May the blessings of God be upon him, with a breeze that blows pure,

And by its winds the companions and household are remembered.

and may its sweet fragrance extend to his companions and his family.