فَعالُكَ في العَلياءِ أَسمى وَأَسمَحُ

وَوَجهُكَ في اللأواءِ أَوضا وَأَوضَحُ

Your deeds in lofty matters are supreme and most splendid,

And your face in calamity is brightest and most lucid.

وَذِكرُكَ في قَلبِ الزَمانِ مَهابَةٌ

فَمِن بَعدِ ما قَد كانَ يَجمَحُ يَجنَحُ

And your name in the heart of time is awe-inspiring,

So after what had been rash is now gentle and meek.

وَمِثلُكَ مِن قَبلِ المَسائِلِ واهِبٌ

وَلَكِنَّهُ بَعدَ الجَرائِمِ يَصفَحُ

And one like you, before tribulations, is forgiving,

Yet after crimes, you pardon and gently reproach.

وَجودُكَ مِثلُ الماءِ وَالماءُ مُغرِقٌ

وَبَأسُكَ مِثلُ النارِ وَالنارُ تَقدَحُ

Your generosity is like water, and water is drowning,

And your might is like fire, and fire sets alight.

وَما كُنتَ قِدماً بِالجَفاءِ مُعَرِّضاً

فَلِم أَنتَ في هَذا الأَوانِ مُصَرِّحُ

You were not formerly wont to turn away in disdain,

Why then in this time are you being explicit?

دَعوني أُجَمجِم ما اِستَطَعتُ بِعَتبِكُم

وَلا تَدَعوني بِالشِكايَةِ أُفصِحُ

Let me mumble what I can with your reproaches,

And do not make me, with complaining, speak outright.

رَعى اللَهُ قَلبي ما أَشَدَّ حِفاظَهُ

يُوافي عَلى هَذي الهَناتِ وَيَنصَحُ

May God guard my heart, how stringent is its keeping!

It meets with these setbacks and gives sincere advice.

وَإِنّي غَنِيُّ النَفسِ في الفَقرِ وَالغِنى

أَظَلُّ إِلى بَردِ المُنى أَتَرَوَّحُ

For I am lofty of soul in poverty and in wealth.

I linger in the coolth of wishes to refresh myself.

أَبيتُ عَفيفَ الطَعمِ وَالزادُ مُمكِنٌ

وَظامي الأَماني وَالمَوارِدُ تَطفَحُ

I pass the night abstinent of taste, and provisions are at hand,

My hopes are lofty, and resources gush forth.

وَإِنّي عَلى تِلكَ المُوالاةِ ثابِتٌ

وَلَستُ وَإِن أَقصَيتَني أَتَزَحزَحُ

And I upon that allegiance stand steadfast,

And will not, even if you drive me away, budge.

فَصَفقَةُ وُدّي إِن شَرَيتَ صَفاءَها

فَإِنَّكَ فيهِ لاَمَحالَةَ تَربَحُ

So the bargain of my love, if you buy its purity,

You will inevitably thereby profit.

وَإِن كانَ قَد عَدَّدتَ ذَنباً ظَنَنتَهُ

وَكانَ فَإِنَّ الصَفحَ أَرجى وَأَرجَحُ

And if you have counted a sin which you supposed,

Then pardon is better and weightier still.

فَإِن ضاقَ ذاكَ البِشرُ بَعدَ اِتِّساعِهِ

فَما ضاقَ في الأَرضِ الفَسيحَةِ مَسرَحُ

For if that manly virtue should narrow after its breadth,

No spacious place on earth would afford range.