وَصَلَ كِتابُ مَولا يَ بَعدَما

أَصاتَ المُنادي لِلصَلاةِ فَاِعتَما

My master's letter arrived after

The caller to prayer was done with his call

فَلَمّا اِستَقَرَّ لَدَيَّ

تَجَلّى الَّذي مِن جانِبِ البَدرِ أَظلَما

When it settled before me

The one from the side of the full moon appeared darker

فَقَرَأتُهُ

بِعَينٍ إِذا اِستَمطَرتُها أَمطَرَت دَما

So I read it

With an eye that if I made it rain, it would rain blood

وَسَأَلتُهُ

فَساءَلتُ مَصروفاً عَنِ النُطقِ أَعجَما

And I asked it

So I asked something unable to speak, mute

وَلَم يَرُدَّ جَواباً

وَماذَا عَلَيهِ لَو أَجابَ المُتَيَّما

And it gave no answer

What would be upon it if the blameful one answered

وَرَدَّدتُهُ قِراءَةً

فَعوجِلتُ دونَ الحِلمِ أَن أَتَحَلَّما

And I reread it

So I hurried without wisdom to gain experience

وَحَفِظتَهُ

كَما يَحفَظُ الحُرُّ الحَديثَ المُكَتَّما

And I memorized it

As the free man memorizes the concealed talk

وَكَرَّرتُهُ

فَمِن حَيثُما واجَهتُهُ قَد تَبَسَّما

And I repeated it

So from wherever I faced it, it smiled

وَقَبَّلتُهُ

فَقَبَّلتُ دُرّاً في العُقودِ مُنَظَّما

And I kissed it

So I kissed a pearl arranged in necklaces

وَقُمتُ لَهُ

فَكُنتُ بِمَفروَضِ المَحَبَّةِ قَيِّما

And I stood for it

So I was, by the duty of love, upright

وَأَخلَصتُ لِكاتِبِهِ

وَلَيسَ عَلى حُكمِ الحَوادِثِ مُحكَما

And I was sincere to its writer

And not judging by the ruling of events, decisive

وَلَم أُصَدِّقُهُ

وَلَكِنَّهُ قَد خالَطَ اللَحمَ وَالدَما

And I did not believe it

But it had mingled with flesh and blood

وَأَرَّختُ وُصولَهُ

فَكانَ لِأَيّامِ المَواسِمِ مَوسِما

And I dated its arrival

So it was for the days of seasons, seasonal

وَشَفَيتُ بِهِ غَليلَ

فُؤادٍ أُمَنّيهِ وَقَد بَلَغَ الظَما

And with it I quenched the anguish

Of a heart whose wishes had reached thirst

وَداوَيتُ عَليلَ

حَشاً ضَرَّ ما فيهِ مِنَ النارِ ضُرِّما

And I cured the sick one

Of an inner pain from the fire, pained

فَأَما تِلكَ الأَيّامُ الَّتي

حَماها عَلى اللَومِ المُقامُ عَلى الحِمى

As for those days which

Blame protected by staying on the hot sands

وَاللَيالي العِذابُ الَّتي

مَلَأنَ بُحورَ اللَيلِ بيضاً وَأَنجُما

And the nights of torment which

Filled the seas of night with white and stars

فَإِنّي لَأَذكُرُها

بِصَّبرِ كَما قَد صُرِّمَت قَد تَصَرَّما

Then I remember them

With patience as if they were, and had become, patient

وَأَرسَلتُ الزَفرَةَ

فَلَو صافَحتَ رَضوى لَرُض وَهُدِّما

And I let out a sigh

That if it shook pleasure, pleasure would collapse and crumble

وَأَسبَلتُ العَبرَةَ

كَما أَنشَأَ الأُفُقُ السَحابَ المُدَيَّما

And I let flow the tears

As the horizon sends out the gathering clouds

وَخَطَبتُ السَلوَةَ

فَأَسأَلُ مَعدوماً وَأَقفُلُ مُعدِما

And I sought consolation

I ask the nonexistent and close the destroyer

فَأَمّا الشُكرُ فَإِنَّما

أَفُضُّ بِهِ مِسكاً عَلَيهِ مُخَتَّما

As for thanks, I only

Spill it as musk sealed upon it

وَأَقومُ مِنهُ بِفَرضٍ

أَراني بِهِ دونَ البَرِيَّةِ أَقوَما

And I stand by an obligation

I see myself through it, beyond mankind, upright

وَأُوَفّى واجِبَ قَرضٍ

وَكَيفَ تُوَفّي الأَرضُ قَرضاً مِنَ السَما

And I fulfill the duty of a loan

How can the earth fulfill a loan from the sky?