عَهدُ المَشوقِ بِوَصلِ الأُنَّسِ الخُرُدِ

عَهدُ المَشوقِ بِوَصلِ الأُنَّسِ الخُرُدِ

يَكادُ يَشرَكُ نَجمَ اللَيلَ في البُعُدِ

يَكادُ يَشرَكُ نَجمَ اللَيلَ في البُعُدِ

The lovesick one's last experience of union with the friendly, bashful maidens

The lover's promise of intimacy with the beloved

Is almost as distant as the star of night.

Almost rivals the night star in distance

لَم أَرَ كَالهَجرِ لَم يُرحَم مُعَذَّبُهُ

لَم أَرَ كَالهَجرِ لَم يُرحَم مُعَذَّبُهُ

وَالوَصلِ لَم يُعتَمَد مُعطاهُ بِالحَسَدِ

وَالوَصلِ لَم يُعتَمَد مُعطاهُ بِالحَسَدِ

I have seen nothing like separation: its tormented one is not pitied,

I have not seen separation without mercy for the sufferer

Or union: its recipient is not assailed by envy.

Nor has union been without envy for the giver

إِن تَغلُ في اللَومِ أُغرِق في اللَجاجِ وَإِن

إِن تَغلُ في اللَومِ أُغرِق في اللَجاجِ وَإِن

تُكثِر مِنَ العَذلِ أُكثِر مِن جَوى الكَمَدِ

تُكثِر مِنَ العَذلِ أُكثِر مِن جَوى الكَمَدِ

If you go too far in blame, I go to extremes in obstinacy; and if

If you persist in blame, I am drowned in obstinacy

You multiply reproaches, I multiply the burning pangs of grief.

And if you multiply disdain, I multiply raging passion

وَموضِحٍ لي سَبيلَ الرُشدِ قُلتُ لَهُ

وَموضِحٍ لي سَبيلَ الرُشدِ قُلتُ لَهُ

الرُشدُ صابٌ وَبَعضُ الغَيِّ مِن شُهُدِ

الرُشدُ صابٌ وَبَعضُ الغَيِّ مِن شُهُدِ

And to one who showed me the path of right guidance, I said:

And to one clarifying the path of righteousness, I said

Right guidance is bitter sap, and some waywardness is honey.

Righteousness is wholesome, though some misguidance comes from love

أَهوى الثَراءَ وَكَم مِن ثَروَةٍ كَسَبَت

أَهوى الثَراءَ وَكَم مِن ثَروَةٍ كَسَبَت

لِيَ العَداوَةَ مِن رَهطي وَمِن وَلَدي

لِيَ العَداوَةَ مِن رَهطي وَمِن وَلَدي

I love wealth—and how many a fortune has earned

I desire wealth, and how much wealth I gained

Me the enmity of my clan and my own offspring,

That bred enmity in my clan and children

حَتّى لَأَنكَرتُ مَن قَد كُنتُ أَعرِفُهُ

حَتّى لَأَنكَرتُ مَن قَد كُنتُ أَعرِفُهُ

مِنَ الأَخِلّاءِ وَاِستَوحَشتُ مِن بَلَدي

مِنَ الأَخِلّاءِ وَاِستَوحَشتُ مِن بَلَدي

Until I no longer recognized those I had once known

To the point I would not recognize those I once knew

Among close friends, and felt estranged from my homeland.

Among intimates, and felt estranged from my own land

وَكَم أَضَقتُ وَما أَشفَقتُ مِن بُلَغٍ

وَكَم أَضَقتُ وَما أَشفَقتُ مِن بُلَغٍ

وَلا مَدَدتُ إِلى غَيرِ الصَديقِ يَدي

وَلا مَدَدتُ إِلى غَيرِ الصَديقِ يَدي

And how often I fell into want, yet never shrank from bare subsistence,

How constrained was I, yet how little I feared hardship

Nor held out my hand to anyone but a friend.

Nor extended a hand, save to a true friend

هَل تُبدِيَنَّ لِيَ الأَيّامُ عارِفَةً

هَل تُبدِيَنَّ لِيَ الأَيّامُ عارِفَةً

إِلى أَبي مُسلِمِ الكَجِّيِّ أَو أَسَدِ

إِلى أَبي مُسلِمِ الكَجِّيِّ أَو أَسَدِ

Will the days ever show me a kindness

Will the days show me again

That brings me to Abu Muslim al-Kajji or Asad?

Abu Muslim Al-Kajji or Asad?

كِلاهُما آخِذٌ لِلمَجدِ أُهبَتَهُ

كِلاهُما آخِذٌ لِلمَجدِ أُهبَتَهُ

وَباعِثٌ إِثرَ نُجحَ اليَومِ نُجحَ غَدِ

وَباعِثٌ إِثرَ نُجحَ اليَومِ نُجحَ غَدِ

Each of them makes his preparations for glory,

Both seized glory in their grasp

And brings tomorrow's success in the wake of today's.

And sought the success of tomorrow after today's triumph

لِلَّهِ دَرُّكُما مِن سَيِّدَي زَمَنٍ

لِلَّهِ دَرُّكُما مِن سَيِّدَي زَمَنٍ

أَجرَيتُما مِن مَعاليهِ إِلى أَمَدِ

أَجرَيتُما مِن مَعاليهِ إِلى أَمَدِ

How admirable you both are, two lords of an age!

God bless you two, the best of the age

You have raced to the furthest reach of its lofty honors.

You brought its glories to fruition

وَجَدتُ عِندَكُما الجَدوى مُيَسَّرَةً

وَجَدتُ عِندَكُما الجَدوى مُيَسَّرَةً

أَوانَ لا أَحَدٌ يُجدي عَلى أَحَدِ

أَوانَ لا أَحَدٌ يُجدي عَلى أَحَدِ

I found bounty readily available with you both

I found succor readily at hand with you

At a time when no one helped anyone.

At a time when none could aid another

وَقَد تَطَلَّبتُ جَهدي ثالِثاً لَكُما

وَقَد تَطَلَّبتُ جَهدي ثالِثاً لَكُما

عِندَ اللَيالي فَلَم تَفعَل وَلَم تَكَدِ

عِندَ اللَيالي فَلَم تَفعَل وَلَم تَكَدِ

And I sought, with all my strength, a third to match you two

I sought a third with you both during the nights

From the nights; they did not provide one, nor even come close.

But it neither happened nor came to be

لَن يُبعِدَ اللَهَ مِنّي حاجَةً أَبَداً

لَن يُبعِدَ اللَهَ مِنّي حاجَةً أَبَداً

وَأَنتُما غايَتي فيها وَمُعتَمَدي

وَأَنتُما غايَتي فيها وَمُعتَمَدي

God will never put the fulfillment of a need beyond my reach,

God will never distance a need from me

While you two are my goal in it and my reliance.

While you two are my sole recourse and reliance

إِن تُقرِضا فَقَضاءٌ لا يَريثَ وَإِن

إِن تُقرِضا فَقَضاءٌ لا يَريثَ وَإِن

وَهَبتُما فَقَبولُ الرِفدِ وَالصَفَدِ

وَهَبتُما فَقَبولُ الرِفدِ وَالصَفَدِ

If you two lend, repayment will not tarry; and if

If you lend, it is repayment without delay

You give, I shall accept the bounty and gifts.

And if you grant, it is acceptance of gift and dowry

وَفي القَوافي إِذا سَوَّمتُها بِدَعُ

وَفي القَوافي إِذا سَوَّمتُها بِدَعُ

يَثقُلنَ في الوَزنِ أَو يَكثُرنَ في العَدَدِ

يَثقُلنَ في الوَزنِ أَو يَكثُرنَ في العَدَدِ

And in the rhymes, when I mark them out, are marvels

And if I compose rhymes and arrange

Heavy in weight or abundant in number.

The verses - they grow heavy in meter or plentiful in number

فيها جَزاءٌ لِما يَأتي الرَسولُ بِهِ

فيها جَزاءٌ لِما يَأتي الرَسولُ بِهِ

مِن عاجِلٍ سَلِسٍ أَو آجِلٍ نَكِدِ

مِن عاجِلٍ سَلِسٍ أَو آجِلٍ نَكِدِ

In them is recompense for what the messenger brings,

In them is reward for what the messenger brings

Be it prompt and freely given, or deferred and grudging.

Of present, flowing verse, or distant, agonizing ode