أَتَحسَبُني باكَرتُ بَعدَكَ لَذَّةً

أَبا الفَضلِ أَو رَفَّعتُ عَن عاتِقٍ خِدرا

Do you think that after you I found delight,

Do you imagine I hastened to some pleasure in your absence,

Oh Abu al-Fadl, or lifted off my shoulder a burden,

O Abu al-Fadl, or bared a shoulder from its draping veil?

أَوِ انتَفَعَت عَيني بِغابِرِ نَظرَةٍ

أَوَ اثبَتُّ في كَأسٍ لِأَشرَبَها ثَغرا

Or that my eyes benefited from a fleeting glance,

Or that my eye derived delight from any passing glance,

Or that I stood firmly to drink from a cup?

Or that I pressed my lips upon a wine-cup's rim to drink?

جَفاني إِذَن يَوماً إِلى اللَيلِ سَيِّدي

وَأَضحَت يَميني مِن مَواعيدِهِ صِفرا

So the days have left me dry until night, my master,

If so, may my master shun me from the daylight to the dark,

And my right hand is empty of its promises,

And may my right hand remain empty of his promised boons.

وَلَكِنَّني استَشعَرتُ ثَوبَ استِكانَةٍ

فَبُتُّ وَكَفُّ المَوتِ تَحفِرُ لي قَبرا

But I donned the garment of resignation,

Nay, rather I have donned the inner garment of humility,

So I pass the night and the grip of death digs for me a grave.

And passed the night while Death’s own hand dug out my grave.

وَحُقَّ لِمَن أَصفَيتُهُ الوِدَّ كُلَّهُ

وَأَثبَتُّ في عالي المَحَلِّ لَهُ ذِكرا

It is right for someone in whom I placed all love

For it is fitting for the one to whom I pledged pure love entire,

And made enduring in the highest place a memory,

And whose renown I anchored firmly in the highest station,

بِأَن لا يَرى إِلّا لِأَمرِكَ طاعَةً

وَأَن يَكسُوَ اللَذّاتِ إِذ عِفتَها هُجرا

That he sees nothing but obedience to your command

To see no course but strict obedience to your command,

And that he shun pleasures when you spurned them.

And to clothe all pleasures in estrangement, since you scorned them.