عُذراً لِعَبدك قَد ماتَت قَرائِحُهُ

وَالدَمع أَشغَلَهُ في السجن طافحهُ

Forgive your servant, whose talents have died,

And whose tears have preoccupied him in overflowing prison.

مُستَوحش لا حَبيب فيهِ يُؤنسهُ

وَإِن هَدى اللَيل لا وَرق تُطارحهُ

Lonely, with no friend to console him,

And if the night comes with no paper on which to pour out his thoughts.

سَهران مِن بَعد ما قَد كانَ مُسعَفهُ

تَستَجلب النَوم لِلمضنى رَوائِحُهُ

Sleepless, after once being helped to slumber

By scents that used to bring rest to the weary.

كَما ذا يُعاند آمالي وَيَعكسها

بِفعلِهِ فَلَكٌ قَد جالَ رامحهُ

How can the heavens oppose my hopes and invert them

With its actions, when its orbit has strayed?

وَوَلت الناس لا برّ يُوازرهُ

مُرؤَة فَلِذا ضاعَت مَصالِحُهُ

People have turned away, with no piety to support me,

So my interests are lost, lacking a protector.

لا خَير في بَلَد آسادها صغرت

قَدراً وَقَد عَظمت فيهِ نَوائحهُ

No good in a country whose glory has waned,

And whose grief has grown, its esteem diminished.

كَم اِدخرت لِهَذا اليَوم مِن رَجُل

فَلَم يكنهُ وَأَخلاقي تَسامحهُ

How many men have I prepared for this day,

Yet their nature was not kind, nor forgiving.

وَمِن خَليل وَلا برضيهِ غَير دَمي

غَضبان طَرفي عَلى روحي تُصالحهُ

How many friends, whose love was not like my blood,

While my eyes were angry at my soul appeasing them.

وَكَم أَرانيَ لَيلاً مِن ذَوائِبِهِ

مولياً بِصَباحي ما أصابحهُ

How often I found myself at night possessed of passion,

Then regretted it in the morning.

تَهفو إِلى قدهِ الوَرقاء مِن طَرَب

لَكنما لَحظُهُ تُخشى جَوارحهُ

Gazelles of the horizon attract me in their beauty,

But approaching them brings misfortune's blow.

غَزالة الأُفق سَعدي حينَ قارنها

بِرَوعِها لِسَواد الحَظ ذابحهُ

My book of complaints, with all that saddens me,

Is an ocean to overwhelm its reader and explicator.

كِتاب شَكوايَ مِما جَلَ أَيسَرَه

بحار قارئِه فيهِ وَشارحهُ

Beacon of the age, our master and leader,

You whose advice has enriched us.

علّامة الدَهر مَولانا وَسيدنا

أَنتَ الَّذي كَثرت فينا نَصائِحهُ

You who through prayers for good have helped us attain,

Forgiveness for sins, with a handshake as a gift.

أَنتَ الَّذي بِدُعاءِ الخَير أَدركنا

وَفازَ بِالعَفو عَن ذَنب مُصافحهُ

So live as you wish in my withdrawal, your fame

Is like musk exuding its fragrance for all.

فَعش كَما شئت في عزوفي دعة

ثَناكَ كَالمسك قَد فاحَت فَوائحهُ

Surrender the days, generous brother,

Imposing your praise on all creation.

وَأَسلَم مَدى الدَهر نَفّاعاً أَخا كَرَم

فَرض عَلى كُلِ مَخلوق مَدائحهُ