طالَ اِنتِظاري وَعيل الصَبرُ وانقطعت

طالَ اِنتِظاري وَعيل الصَبرُ وانقطعت

مِن كُلِّ شَيءٍ مَدى الأَيام آمالي

مِن كُلِّ شَيءٍ مَدى الأَيام آمالي

My waiting has grown long, patience is spent, and severed

Long has been my waiting, and patience has wearied me.

from everything, as the days pass, are my hopes.

All my life's hopes are severed, from everything they used to be.

وَخابَ ظَني وَضلّ السَعي وَانكتبت

وَخابَ ظَني وَضلّ السَعي وَانكتبت

عَليّ في صحفِ الأَوزار أَقوالي

عَليّ في صحفِ الأَوزار أَقوالي

And my expectations failed, my striving went astray, and written

My assumptions proved false, my efforts went astray,

against me in the scrolls of sins were my words.

And my own sayings against me, are written to someday pay.

وَأَدرَكتني مِن الآداب حرفتُها

وَأَدرَكتني مِن الآداب حرفتُها

مِن قبل تَكوين أَعضائي وَأَوصالي

مِن قبل تَكوين أَعضائي وَأَوصالي

And the ill fortune of letters overtook me

I had mastered literature, since before my frame was built,

before my limbs and joints were formed.

And before my limbs and members, were together soldered and gilt.

وَكلما اِزددت في نَظمي وَترجمَتي

وَكلما اِزددت في نَظمي وَترجمَتي

تَفنُّناً جدّ بي جدبي وَإِمحالي

تَفنُّناً جدّ بي جدبي وَإِمحالي

And whenever I increased, in my verse and translation,

But the more I excelled in rhyme and eloquent diction,

in artistry, my drought and barrenness grew more severe.

The more barren and infertile became my condition.

فَلَيتَني كُنتُ نسياً ما خُلقتُ وَلا

فَلَيتَني كُنتُ نسياً ما خُلقتُ وَلا

رَأَيت ما هالَني مِن سُوء أَحوالي

رَأَيت ما هالَني مِن سُوء أَحوالي

So, would that I had been a forgotten thing, never created, and had never

Would that I'd never been created, nor lived to see,

seen what appalled me in my wretched circumstances.

The misfortunes and sorrows, that have stricken me!

وَلَيتَني كَنتُ قاطَعت العُلوم وَلا

وَلَيتَني كَنتُ قاطَعت العُلوم وَلا

أَتعبت في حفظها بَينَ الوَرى بالي

أَتعبت في حفظها بَينَ الوَرى بالي

And would that I had forsaken the sciences, and never

Would that I had abandoned learning, and never spent,

wearied my mind, among mankind, by memorizing them.

My time preserving knowledge, that my mind so sorely rent!

وَكُنت عشت بِلا فَضل وَلا كتب

وَكُنت عشت بِلا فَضل وَلا كتب

أَجرّ ذَيل اِغتِراري بَينَ أَمثالي

أَجرّ ذَيل اِغتِراري بَينَ أَمثالي

And had lived without erudition or books,

Would that I had lived without glory, books or lore,

dragging the train of my self-delusion among my peers.

Dragging the train of my ignorance, amid the common and poor!

حَيث الشَبيبةُ وَلَت في لعلّ وَلَو

حَيث الشَبيبةُ وَلَت في لعلّ وَلَو

وَفي عَسى تَسمح الدُنيا بإِقبال

وَفي عَسى تَسمح الدُنيا بإِقبال

For youth passed away in 'perhaps' and 'if only,'

Where youth was wasted on "perhaps" and "maybe" and "if"-

and in 'may the world bestow good fortune.'

Worldly hopes the young are granted by fate's gentle whim.

وَضاعَ عُمري وَما قدّمت فيهِ سِوى

وَضاعَ عُمري وَما قدّمت فيهِ سِوى

شَيء تخف بِهِ كفّاتُ أَعمالي

شَيء تخف بِهِ كفّاتُ أَعمالي

And my life was wasted, and I offered in it nothing but

My life passed fruitlessly, with no achievements made,

something that lightens the scale-pans of my deeds.

Save trifles my two palms could obscure when displayed.

وَهَل مَواعيد عُرقوب لمرتقبٍ

وَهَل مَواعيد عُرقوب لمرتقبٍ

إِلا مَواعيد كَذاب وَمُحتال

إِلا مَواعيد كَذاب وَمُحتال

And are Urqub's promises to one who waits

Can an eager waiter trust the promises of a cheat,

anything but the promises of a liar and a trickster?

Except with lies and guile he'll someday face defeat?

هَيهات أَبلغ ما أَمّلت في زَمَن

هَيهات أَبلغ ما أَمّلت في زَمَن

مِن شَأنهِ رَفعُ أَوباش وَجهال

مِن شَأنهِ رَفعُ أَوباش وَجهال

Far am I from attaining what I hoped for in an age

Alas! I'll never attain what I hoped for in a time,

whose way is to exalt the rabble and the ignorant.

That lifts the wicked and foolish, the vulgar and slime.

أَستغفر اللَه مِن نَظم القَريض وَمن

أَستغفر اللَه مِن نَظم القَريض وَمن

وَسم البَغيض بِما يُعزَى لرئبال

وَسم البَغيض بِما يُعزَى لرئبال

I ask God's forgiveness for composing verse, and for

I beg God's forgiveness for verse that was never wise,

branding the loathsome with what is attributed to a lion;

And poison I called ambrosia, to the faultless and wise.

وَمِن مَديح غَدا ذمي بِهِ أَبَداً

وَمِن مَديح غَدا ذمي بِهِ أَبَداً

فَرضاً عَلى مؤمن عَدلٍ وَتنبال

فَرضاً عَلى مؤمن عَدلٍ وَتنبال

and for praise through which reviling me became forever

For praises that turned to dispraise, and shamed the just forever,

a duty for an upright believer and a dullard;

Becoming obligations no fair and thoughtful believer,

وَمِن أَكاذيب أَلفاظ بِها اِنتَشَرَت

وَمِن أَكاذيب أَلفاظ بِها اِنتَشَرَت

صَحائفٌ طَيُّها قَد كانَ أَولى لي

صَحائفٌ طَيُّها قَد كانَ أَولى لي

and for lying words through which there spread

Could ever fulfill or sanction, without sin or blight...

pages I would have done better to keep folded;

For lies and fabrications, spread in pages better unwritten,

وَمِن ثَناءٍ مجازيٍّ حَقيقتُه

وَمِن ثَناءٍ مجازيٍّ حَقيقتُه

تَهكُّمٌ عِند تَفصيل وَإِجمال

تَهكُّمٌ عِند تَفصيل وَإِجمال

and for figurative praise whose true substance

And hollow flattery, truthfully but mockery and spite...

is mockery, in detail and in summary;

For fanciful boasting that lent the coward valuation,

وَمِن حَماسٍ خَياليٍّ قَد اِندَرَجَت

وَمِن حَماسٍ خَياليٍّ قَد اِندَرَجَت

بِهِ ذُوو الجبن في تَعداد أَبطال

بِهِ ذُوو الجبن في تَعداد أَبطال

and for imaginary heroics through which were enrolled

As heroes in the ranks of the brave and bold of nation...

the cowardly in the roll of heroes;

For decorative rhythms I used to sing vice's praises,

وَمِن زَخارف أَوزان نظمت بِها

وَمِن زَخارف أَوزان نظمت بِها

رُكن الخَنا وَالعَنا في سلك أَقيال

رُكن الخَنا وَالعَنا في سلك أَقيال

and for ornate meters with which I threaded

And weave wickedness and blasphemy with elegant phrases...

the pillar of obscenity and misery into a string of princes;

For self-importance branches, whose fruits I failed to reap,

وَمِن غُصون اِعتِناء ما جَنيت لَها

وَمِن غُصون اِعتِناء ما جَنيت لَها

مِن الفَواكه إلا فَرط إِهمالِ

مِن الفَواكه إلا فَرط إِهمالِ

and for boughs of care, for which I reaped

Save waste, negligence and loss, I now remorsefully weep...

no fruit but utter neglect;

For arrows aimed at my opponent's heart in debate,

وَمِن سِهام إِلى نَحر المخالف قَد

وَمِن سِهام إِلى نَحر المخالف قَد

فوّقتُها فَهوى مِن مَنصب عالي

فوّقتُها فَهوى مِن مَنصب عالي

and for arrows toward my adversary's throat that I had

That I positioned high but fell from their lofty place...

nocked, so he fell from a lofty post;

For eloquent ideas in my work that sought perfection,

وَمِن مَبان مَعانيها مهذبة

وَمِن مَبان مَعانيها مهذبة

لَكنها مثل طَبل جَوفُهُ خالي

لَكنها مثل طَبل جَوفُهُ خالي

and for verbal structures whose meanings are refined,

But rang hollow when put to test, devoid of true reflection...

but which resemble a drum with an empty belly;

For linguistic pyrotechnics, vaunted for eloquence sake,

وَمِن بَديع جناسات بَلاغتها

وَمِن بَديع جناسات بَلاغتها

يومي لَها بِسُجود كُلُّ مفضال

يومي لَها بِسُجود كُلُّ مفضال

and for exquisite wordplays, whose eloquence

When cooler minds would better truth and wisdom take...

every generous man salutes with prostration;

For reckless fervor and zeal, leading far from the right way...

وَمِن غلوّ معاذ اللَه يورثني

وَمِن غلوّ معاذ اللَه يورثني

ما يوقع المَرء في غيّ وَإِضلال

ما يوقع المَرء في غيّ وَإِضلال

and for exaggeration—God forbid!—that bequeaths me

For wanton impropriety, that passed proper bounds each day...

what plunges a man into error and misguidance;

For needless insults to please doubters proud and vain,

وَمِن مجون لعمري ما خرجت بِهِ

وَمِن مجون لعمري ما خرجت بِهِ

عَن الحُدود وَلا مِقدار مِثقال

عَن الحُدود وَلا مِقدار مِثقال

and for bawdy jesting—by my life!—with which I did not stray

That but bruised my soul, and no worthy object could gain...

beyond the bounds, not even by a mithqal's weight;

For all I said and declared, no prize have I ever held,

وَمِن هجاء بِلا قَصد ظلمت بِهِ

وَمِن هجاء بِلا قَصد ظلمت بِهِ

نَفسي لمرضاة مَفتون وَمختال

نَفسي لمرضاة مَفتون وَمختال

and for satire with which I unintentionally wronged

No high position attained, no wealth my coffers filled...

myself, to please the deluded and the conceited.

No compensation given, for what falsehoods I told,

وَما مُنحتُ عَلى ما قُلتُ جائِزةً

وَما مُنحتُ عَلى ما قُلتُ جائِزةً

بِها تبدّل إِعزازي بإِذلال

بِها تبدّل إِعزازي بإِذلال

Nor was I granted a reward for what I said,

Save stalled promises and payments, deferred and withheld...

through which my honor turned to humiliation.

Often I was told to seek what station and wealth I desired,

وَلا قبضت لطرس قَط مِن ثَمَنٍ

وَلا قبضت لطرس قَط مِن ثَمَنٍ

وَلا حَظيتُ بِإنعام وَأَموال

وَلا حَظيتُ بِإنعام وَأَموال

Nor did I ever receive any payment for a written sheet,

With no coin or possession required to be hired...

nor did I obtain benefactions or money.

I said God grants me my needs, without petition or plea,

وَلا أَخذت عَلى ما كانَ مِن كذب

وَلا أَخذت عَلى ما كانَ مِن كذب

كَفارةً غَير تَسويف وَإمهال

كَفارةً غَير تَسويف وَإمهال

Nor did I receive for whatever lies there were

As He apportions all creatures their ordained destiny.

any atonement but procrastination and delay.

For He decides for all that lives, what weal and woe,

وَطالَما قيل لي سل ما تؤمّل مِن

وَطالَما قيل لي سل ما تؤمّل مِن

مَراتب وَالتزامات بِلا مال

مَراتب وَالتزامات بِلا مال

And often I was told, 'Ask for what you hope for in

What riches or poverty, ages short or long bestow...

ranks and tax-farming concessions, without payment.'

If He wills, with but a thought, He alters the very age,

فَقُلت إِني سَأحظى بِالمَرام إِذا

فَقُلت إِني سَأحظى بِالمَرام إِذا

ما شاءَ رَبي بِلا سؤل مِن الوالي

ما شاءَ رَبي بِلا سؤل مِن الوالي

So I said, 'I shall attain my desire whenever

And moves all time itself through history's turning page!

my Lord wills, without asking the governor;

فَهوَ الَّذي لِجَميع العالمين قَضى

فَهوَ الَّذي لِجَميع العالمين قَضى

كَما أَراد بِأَرزاق وَآجال

كَما أَراد بِأَرزاق وَآجال

for He is the One who decreed for all the worlds

as He willed, livelihoods and lifespans.

وَهوَ الَّذي إن يَشأ يُذهب بقدرته

وَهوَ الَّذي إن يَشأ يُذهب بقدرته

وَينقل الدَهر مِن حال إِلى حال

وَينقل الدَهر مِن حال إِلى حال

And He is the One who, if He wills, takes away by His power,

and turns time from one state to another.'