يَعِزُّ عَلى مَحلي مُفارَقَةُ القَطرِ

فَما حيلَتي مِن بَعدِ يَأسي مِنَ الفَجرِ

It grieves me to part from the rain's land

Yet what can I do after losing all hope of dawn

فَإِن يَكُنِ التَوديعُ في زَعمِ ناظِري

فَعَن أَمرِكَ التَوديعُ يوغِرُ في أَمري

If bidding farewell is, according to my onlookers

Then your command to bid adieu stirs greater turmoil within me

وَما بِاخِتِياري أَن رَحَلتُ مَعَ الغِنى

وَإِنَّ اِختِياري أَن أُقيمَ عَلى الفَقرِ

It was not by my choice that I left with bounty

For my choice is to stay in poverty

فَكَيفَ وَقَد أَودَعتُ سِرّي تَجَمُّلي

فَلَم أَرَ خِلّاً مِنهُ أَكتَمَ لِلسِرِّ

So how could it be when I've bid adieu to my secret pride

That I find no replacement to guard my secret as well

مَسيرُ بِلا نُجحٍ وَلا أَمَلٍ لَهُ

وَلا نِيَّةٍ في العَودِ ثَمَّ وَلا الصَبرِ

A journey with no gains or hopes

No intention to return, no patience either

وَمِن بَعدِ هَذا وَهوَ ما لَيسَ بَعدَهُ

فَمِن يَومِ سَيري ما أُسِرُّ سِوى شُكري

And after this, nothing follows

So from the day I traveled, I profess nothing but gratitude

أَأَشمِتُ أَعدائي وَأَعداءَ مَجدِكُم

بِأَبي وَإِيّاكُم شَريكانِ في الخُسرِ

Shall I gloat before my enemies, the foes of your glory too

That my father and I both share in loss?

فَأَلزَمُ حَيّاً كِسرَ دارٍ تَضيقُ بي

كَما يَلزَمُ المَوتى المَلاحِدَ في القَبرِ

So I remain, confined in a house too narrow for me

As the dead remain confined inside their graves

نَعَم ثُمَّ لا أُقذي بِكُتبي عُيونَكُم

فَما الحَقُّ إِلّا أَن أَقولَ لَها قَرّي

No! I shall not pain your eyes with my letters

For it is only right that I say to them, "Be still!"

لِئَلّا تَرى سُحبَ الغُضونِ فَرُبَّما

تَكَدَّرَ ضاحي الأُفقِ مِن مَطلَعِ البِشرِ

Lest you see the clouds' veil and thus

The bright horizon be clouded ere the good news

وَلا الحَقُّ إِلّا صَونُ كُتبي فإِنَّها

كَوَجهِيَ في إيثارِهِ أَثَرَ البِرِّ

It is only right to protect my letters, for

Like my face, they bear the traces of righteousness

وَأَنتَظِرُ العُتبى مِنَ الدَهرِ مِنكُمُ

فَلا يَلقَها مِن غَيرِكُم عُمرَ الدَهرِ

And I await your gentle reproach

That time itself fails to attain in its lifelong course

وَطالَ بِكُم عُمرُ السَعادَةِ ثُمَّ إِن

تَناهى فَزِدهُ يا إِلَهِيَ مِن عُمري

May your happy days live long, and then, my God

If they end, add to them from my life

وَأَمهَلَهُم بَعدي إِلى أَن يُجيزَهُم

بِقَبري فَيَجري مِن حَديثِيَ ما يَجري

And grant them, after me, enough time

To fulfil their deeds at my grave, where my legend shall endure

وَإِن سَمَحو في ذِكرِهِم لي بِدَعوَةٍ

فَمَرفوعُها أَجدى عَلَيَّ مِنَ القَطرِ

And if they mention me kindly in prayer

Its lift is more useful to me than rain itself

وَلَو مَدَحو أَيّامَ أُنسي بِلَفظَةٍ

فَما ذاكَ إِلّا أَلفُ بِرٍّ مِنَ الدَهرِ

And if they praise the days of my company in a word

That is nothing but a kind word from fate

وَلا قُلتُ لِلأَعداءِ إِنّي سَحَرتُهُم

وَهَذا ثَنئي ثُمَّ ما هاجَهُم سِحري

Nor have I told the enemies that I have enchanted them

And this is my claim, and still, my spell does not provoke them

وَلا أَنَّني يَمَّمتُ بَحراً بِمَدحِهِ

فَقالَ هَفا مِن يَمَّمَ البَحرَ بِالدُرِّ

Nor that I dared to praise a sea with its poetry

And it roared, "Astounding! One who dared praise the sea with pearls!"

مُحِبٌّ رَمى الأَعداءَ فيهِم فَساءَهُم

فَيا وَيحَهُم هَل مُقتَضي يُسرِهِم عُسري

A lover who inflicted the enemies with themselves

So woe to them! Can my misery fulfill their ease?

وَلَم يَخفَ عَنهُم أَنَّ مِصرَ وَمُلكَها

وَسيعانِ ضاقا عَنهُ دونَ بَني مِصرِ

And it was no secret to them that Egypt and its kingdom

Were too narrow for anyone but Egyptians

كَسادي عَلَيكُم يَقتَضي مِن سِواكُم

كَسادي فَلا يَرخُص بِتَقويمِكُم سِعري

My misery with you necessitates the same from them

My misery cannot approve of their inflated prices

فَلا تَجمَعوا الحِرمانَ مِنكُم وَمِنهُم

فإِنَّ ذَوي الأَمرِ القَدى لِذَوي الأَمرِ

So do not combine deprivation from you and them

For the bestowed favor the old over the newly bestowed

أَقولُ تَفَرَّقنا وَأَعضايَ كُلُّها

ضُيوفٌ وَما فيهِم وَلا واحِدٌ يَقري

I say we have parted and all my limbs

Are guests with no one, not one to settle

فَلا رائِعٌ طَرفي وَلا مالِئٌ يَدي

وَلا شارِحٌ صَدري وَلا مُسنِدٌ ظَهري

No sights delight my eyes or fill my hands

No bosom to unburden or back to rest upon

وَلا مُتَّقٍ عَتبي وَلا مُشتَرٍ شُكري

وَلا حامِلٌ هَمّي وَلا سامِعٌ عُذري

None to reproach my blame or share in my thanks

None to carry my worries or hear my excuse

وَلا واعِدٌ يَومي وَلا مُنجِزٌ غَدى

وَلا مُنجِحٌ أَمسي وَلا راحِمٌ صَبري

None to promise me a day or fulfil a tomorrow

None to accomplish my yesterday or pity my patience

يَرِقُّ الَّذي أَورَدتُهُ رِقَّةَ الصِبا

وَيُنشِئُ ما أُنسي بِهِ نَشوَةَ الخَمرِ

Delighted by the one I introduced with the delight of youth

And elated by the one I befriended with the elation of wine

بَقيتُم بَقاءَ القَولِ مِنّي فَإِنَّهُ

عَلى رَغمِ أَنفِ الدَهرِ يَبقى عَلى الدَهرِ

You have remained through my words that will

Despite time's spite, remain through time

وَدونَكُمُ مِنهُ سِلاحاً فَإِنَّهُ

بِمُعتَرِكِ الأَعراضِ مُستَنزِلُ النَصرِ

And through you I have armed myself against it

For in the battlegrounds of honor lies victory

كَواكِبُ في الدُنيا تَدِبُّ وَتَعتَلي

وَتَسري وَتَهدي وَالكَواكِبُ لا تَسري

Planets in this world lurk, ride high

Race, guide, while planets cannot race

وَما زالَ شِعري في عُلاكُم مُسافِراً

يُصَلّي بِذِكراكُم صَلاةً بِلا قَصرِ

My poetry has continued to travel

Praying your remembrance without shortening prayer

وَيَعلَمُ أَنَّ الجودَ يَستاقُ شُكرَهُ

فَيُعلى لَهُ في رِقَّةِ النَظمِ وَالنَثرِ

And it knows well that generosity invites gratitude

So it is exalted in subtle verse and prose

وَمِن مِنَني تَعويدُهُ بَل وَجَدتُهُ

كَذَلِكَ يَهوى الشُكرَ وَالصِدقَ في الشُكرِ

And of my debts, I have accustomed it, nay I found it

Naturally inclined to gratitude and honesty in gratitude