سَبَقتَ وَلكِن في الفَضائِلِ كُلِّها

سَبَقتَ وَلكِن في الفَضائِلِ كُلِّها

عَلى الطيبِ مِن كُلِّ النُفوسِ أَوِ الرُغمِ

عَلى الطيبِ مِن كُلِّ النُفوسِ أَوِ الرُغمِ

You have taken the lead—but in every virtue—

You excelled, but in all virtues

With every soul's willing consent, or against its will.

Above the good in every soul or despite

سُطورٌ وَلَو قَد شِئتُ قُلتُ لَطائِمٌ

سُطورٌ وَلَو قَد شِئتُ قُلتُ لَطائِمٌ

هِيَ المِسكُ أَو كَالمِسكِ في اللَونِ وَالشَمِّ

هِيَ المِسكُ أَو كَالمِسكِ في اللَونِ وَالشَمِّ

Lines of writing—though, had I wished, I would have called them perfume-laden caravans;

Lines, and even if I wanted, I would have said copious

They are musk, or like musk in color and scent.

It is musk or like musk in color and scent

وَسِربُ عَذارى مِن مَعانٍ جَلِيَّةٍ

وَسِربُ عَذارى مِن مَعانٍ جَلِيَّةٍ

لَها سِيمِياءٌ لا تَشُقُّ عَلى الفَهمِ

لَها سِيمِياءٌ لا تَشُقُّ عَلى الفَهمِ

And a bevy of maidens, formed of lucid meanings,

And a flock of chaste meanings

Whose distinctive features do not strain the understanding.

It has an alchemy not heavy on the mind

عَلى أَنَّها في راحَتَيكَ تَصَرَّفَت

عَلى أَنَّها في راحَتَيكَ تَصَرَّفَت

فَلَم تَمشِ إِلا مِن وَلِيٍّ إِلى وَسمي

فَلَم تَمشِ إِلا مِن وَلِيٍّ إِلى وَسمي

Although they moved about in your two palms,

Although it moved freely in your comfort

They went only from a following shower to autumn's first rain.

So it did not walk but from a guardian to a brand

وَمُستَفهِمٍ لي كَيفَ كانَ وُرُودُها

وَمُستَفهِمٍ لي كَيفَ كانَ وُرُودُها

فَقُلتُ لَهُ وِردُ الشِفاءِ عَلى السُقمِ

فَقُلتُ لَهُ وِردُ الشِفاءِ عَلى السُقمِ

And someone asked me what their arrival was like;

And I was asked how was its arrival

So I told him: like healing coming upon sickness.

So I said to him the arrival of healing from sickness

فَقَد صَدَّقَت رُؤيايَ رُقعَتُكَ الَّتي

فَقَد صَدَّقَت رُؤيايَ رُقعَتُكَ الَّتي

كَسَت عَقِبي ما شِئتَ مِن سُؤدَدٍ ضَخمِ

كَسَت عَقِبي ما شِئتَ مِن سُؤدَدٍ ضَخمِ

For my dream was confirmed by your note, which

So your missive, which covered my heel as you wished with ample difficulties, was truthful

Clothed my posterity in all the mighty honor you wished.

And turned me over the mattress, agitated

وَأَسهَرَني فَوقَ القَتادِ تَقَلُّبٌ

وَأَسهَرَني فَوقَ القَتادِ تَقَلُّبٌ

مِنَ الدَهرِ بِالأَحرارِ بالَغَ في الهَضمِ

مِنَ الدَهرِ بِالأَحرارِ بالَغَ في الهَضمِ

And I was kept sleepless upon thorn bushes by a turn

By fate with the free in much affliction

Of fortune that went to extremes in wronging the freeborn.

Men whose listening hurt me in purpose

رِجالٌ شَجَتني بِالسَماعِ عَلى النَوى

رِجالٌ شَجَتني بِالسَماعِ عَلى النَوى

وَيَبلُغ ضُرُّ القَوسِ مِن قِبَلِ السَهمِ

وَيَبلُغ ضُرُّ القَوسِ مِن قِبَلِ السَهمِ

Men whose tidings grieved me across the distance;

And the harm of the bow comes from the arrow

And the bow's harm reaches one by way of the arrow.

He took lightly what we fear and spent the night complacent

تَهاوَن بِما نَخشى وَبِت مُتَسَلِّياً

تَهاوَن بِما نَخشى وَبِت مُتَسَلِّياً

فَقَد تَطرُقُ السَرّاءُ في لَيلَةِ الهَمِّ

فَقَد تَطرُقُ السَرّاءُ في لَيلَةِ الهَمِّ

Make light of what we fear, and spend the night consoled;

For good fortune may sneak in a night of anxiety

For joy may come knocking on a night of sorrow.

Your place, you don't know it from the horizon of ascension

مَكانُكَ ما تَدريهِ مِن أُفُقِ العُلا

مَكانُكَ ما تَدريهِ مِن أُفُقِ العُلا

فَخُذ مَأخَذَ الأَقمارِ في النَقصِ وَالتِمِّ

فَخُذ مَأخَذَ الأَقمارِ في النَقصِ وَالتِمِّ

Your station is the one you know, on the horizon of glory;

So take the course of the waning and waxing moons

So follow the moons' course through waning and fullness.

For inhibition did not follow freshness with humiliation

فَما أَعقَبَ السَبكُ النُضارَ مَهانَةً

فَما أَعقَبَ السَبكُ النُضارَ مَهانَةً

وَلا حَطَّ مَيلُ النَجمِ مِن شَرَفِ النَجمِ

وَلا حَطَّ مَيلُ النَجمِ مِن شَرَفِ النَجمِ

For smelting has never brought pure gold disgrace,

Nor did the inclination of a star demean the prestige of a star

Nor has a star's decline diminished the star's honor.