حَسَدَت جودَ كَفِّكَ الأَمطارُ

حَسَدَت جودَ كَفِّكَ الأَمطارُ

فَغَدَت مِنكَ بَل عَلَيكَ تَغارُ

فَغَدَت مِنكَ بَل عَلَيكَ تَغارُ

The rains envied the generosity of your hand,

The rains envied your generous palm,

and grew jealous of you—rather, jealous over you.

So they turned against you and began to harm.

صَدَّنا الغَيثُ عَن زِيارَةِ غَيثٍ

صَدَّنا الغَيثُ عَن زِيارَةِ غَيثٍ

بِشرُهُ البَرقُ وَالنُضارُ القُطارُ

بِشرُهُ البَرقُ وَالنُضارُ القُطارُ

The rain barred us from visiting another rain,

The rain barred us from visiting a raincloud,

whose cheerful welcome is lightning and whose raindrops are pure gold.

Though lightning and soft drizzle promised its advent.

عاقَ أَجسادَنا فَزُرناهُ بِالقَل

عاقَ أَجسادَنا فَزُرناهُ بِالقَل

بِ وَذو الفَضلِ بِالقُلوبِ يُزارُ

بِ وَذو الفَضلِ بِالقُلوبِ يُزارُ

It held back our bodies, so we visited him with the

Our bodies grew frail, so we visited with hearts,

heart; a man of bounty is visited with hearts.

For the noble man is visited through hearts.

حَجَبَتهُ عَنّا السَحائِبُ أَيّا

حَجَبَتهُ عَنّا السَحائِبُ أَيّا

ماً وَبِالسُحبِ تُحجَبُ الأَقمارُ

ماً وَبِالسُحبِ تُحجَبُ الأَقمارُ

The clouds concealed him from us for

The clouds veiled it from us for a time,

days; and clouds conceal the moons.

As clouds can veil even the moon.

فَكَأَنَّ السَحابَ رَقَّ لِشَكوا

فَكَأَنَّ السَحابَ رَقَّ لِشَكوا

يَ فَفاضَت مِنهُ الدُموعُ الغِزارُ

يَ فَفاضَت مِنهُ الدُموعُ الغِزارُ

So it was as though the cloud took pity on my

It seemed the clouds softened with complaint,

lament, and copious tears flowed from it.

And abundant tears streamed from them.

أَو تَعاطى بِأَن يُحاكيكَ في الجو

أَو تَعاطى بِأَن يُحاكيكَ في الجو

دِ وَهَيهاتَ ما لِذاكَ اِعتِبارُ

دِ وَهَيهاتَ ما لِذاكَ اِعتِبارُ

Or it tried to emulate you in

Or they feigned to emulate your generosity,

generosity—far from it! That is of no account.

Though they cannot aspire to equal you.

ذا بِماءٍ يَسخو وَأَنتَ بِمالٍ

ذا بِماءٍ يَسخو وَأَنتَ بِمالٍ

بِعَطاهُ تُستَعبَدُ الأَحرارُ

بِعَطاهُ تُستَعبَدُ الأَحرارُ

This one gives water lavishly, while you give wealth,

That one with water that flows plentifully, while you

whose gifts make bondsmen of the free.

With wealth, your gifts enslave the free.

أَنتَ يَروي نَداكَ كُلُّ ذَوي الفَق

أَنتَ يَروي نَداكَ كُلُّ ذَوي الفَق

رِ وَذا مَن نَداهُ يَروي القِفارُ

رِ وَذا مَن نَداهُ يَروي القِفارُ

You—your bounty is recounted by all those in

You, your hand waters all the destitute,

poverty; this one's dew is recounted by the wastelands.

While the destitute's hand waters the desert sands.

ذاكَ مِنهُ النَهارُ يُظلِمُ كَاللَي

ذاكَ مِنهُ النَهارُ يُظلِمُ كَاللَي

لِ وَمِن وَجهِكَ الظَلامُ نَهارُ

لِ وَمِن وَجهِكَ الظَلامُ نَهارُ

Because of that one, day grows dark as

From it, day darkens like the night,

night; from your face, darkness becomes day.

While from your face, darkness is day.

أَيُّها المُنعِمُ الَّذي لَيسَ لِلآ

أَيُّها المُنعِمُ الَّذي لَيسَ لِلآ

مالِ في مُنعِمٍ سِواهُ اِختِيارُ

مالِ في مُنعِمٍ سِواهُ اِختِيارُ

O benefactor, hopes have

O Granter, who has no granter but Him,

no benefactor to choose but you.

And no chooser but Him for the hopeful.

ما اِختَصَرتُ التَردادَ إِلّا لِعُذرٍ

ما اِختَصَرتُ التَردادَ إِلّا لِعُذرٍ

لِيَ يُغني عَن وَصفِهِ الإِشتِهارُ

لِيَ يُغني عَن وَصفِهِ الإِشتِهارُ

I curtailed my visits only because of a reason

I shortened my repetition only for propriety,

of mine, so widely known it needs no description.

Lest prolonged description breed familiarity.

رَأَتِ السُحبُ أَنَّها حينَ تَهمي

رَأَتِ السُحبُ أَنَّها حينَ تَهمي

لَيسَ تَمتَدُّ نَحوَها الأَبصارُ

لَيسَ تَمتَدُّ نَحوَها الأَبصارُ

The clouds saw that when they poured down,

The clouds saw that when they gather,

no eyes turned toward them.

Eyes no longer gaze toward them.

وَإِلَيكَ العُيونُ تَطمَحُ إِن لُح

وَإِلَيكَ العُيونُ تَطمَحُ إِن لُح

تَ وَإِن غِبتَ بِالبَنانِ يُشارُ

تَ وَإِن غِبتَ بِالبَنانِ يُشارُ

But eyes gaze eagerly toward you if you

While to you, eyes aspire, whether you appear

appear; and if you are absent, fingers point to you.

Or disappear behind the highlands.

فَثَنَينا بِالهَطلِ بَل فَثُنينا

فَثَنَينا بِالهَطلِ بَل فَثُنينا

فَمَكَثنا وَنابَتِ الأَشعارُ

فَمَكَثنا وَنابَتِ الأَشعارُ

So we turned back because of the downpour—rather, we were turned back;

So we bent the rain away, truly we bent it away,

so we stayed, and the poems took our place.

And remained while the rays returned.