دامَ بَقاؤُكَ لَنا

دامَ بَقاؤُكَ لَنا

لا سِيمَا لِيَ أنَا

لا سِيمَا لِيَ أنَا

May your life endure for us,

May your existence remain for us

especially for me myself.

Especially for me

يا مَن يُفاوِحُ اسمُهُ

يا مَن يُفاوِحُ اسمُهُ

فَتيقَ مِسكٍ صَيِّنا

فَتيقَ مِسكٍ صَيِّنا

O you whose name vies in fragrance

O you whose name exudes

with the wafting scent of preserved musk.

The fragrance of pure musk

وُجودُه وجودُهُ

وُجودُه وجودُهُ

هُمَا رَجائِي والمُنى

هُمَا رَجائِي والمُنى

His presence and his generosity

His existence, his existence

are my hope and my desires.

Are my hope and desire

ألدَّهرُ وهوَ عَبدكُم

ألدَّهرُ وهوَ عَبدكُم

شزراً إلَىَّ قَدرنَا

شزراً إلَىَّ قَدرنَا

Time, though it is your servant,

Time is your servant

has looked askance at me.

Plotting against our fate

فلا تَدَعهُ سَيِّدي

فلا تَدَعهُ سَيِّدي

يَفتكُ بي وقَد دَنا

يَفتكُ بي وقَد دَنا

So do not let it, my master,

So do not let it, my master

strike me down, now that it has drawn near.

Destroy me now that it is close

أربعةٌ شَكَوتُهَا

أربعةٌ شَكَوتُهَا

إليكَ فاقضِ بَينَنا

إليكَ فاقضِ بَينَنا

Four troubles I have complained of

I complained of four things

to you; so judge between us:

To you, so judge between us

دَينٌ وعيدُ الفِطرِ مَع

دَينٌ وعيدُ الفِطرِ مَع

فَصلِ الشِّتاءِ والضَّنى

فَصلِ الشِّتاءِ والضَّنى

debt and Eid al-Fitr, along with

Debt, Eid al-Fitr is nigh

the winter season and wasting illness.

Winter and grief

واصفَح لِشَاعِرِكَ إِن

واصفَح لِشَاعِرِكَ إِن

فِي ذا الخِطابِ قد جَنى

فِي ذا الخِطابِ قد جَنى

And pardon your poet if

And forgive your poet if

in this address he has done wrong.

In this discourse he erred

لولا الزَّمانُ اضطرَّني

لولا الزَّمانُ اضطرَّني

ومَسَّنِي مِنهُ العَنَا

ومَسَّنِي مِنهُ العَنَا

Had Time not compelled me

If not for time forcing me

and afflicted me with its hardship,

And afflicting me with problems

ولِلرَّدَى واحَسرَتي

ولِلرَّدَى واحَسرَتي

يَقودُ مِنِّي الرَّسَنَا

يَقودُ مِنِّي الرَّسَنَا

and—alas for me!—toward death

And for loss and regret

led me by the halter,

Leading me to poetry

لم أَجتَرِئ ولم أكُن

لم أَجتَرِئ ولم أكُن

لَكَ بِهذا مُعلِنَا

لَكَ بِهذا مُعلِنَا

I would not have dared, nor would I have

I would not have dared and would not

made this known to you.

Have declared this to you

لَكِنَّ الإضطِرَارَ مِن

لَكِنَّ الإضطِرَارَ مِن

نِي لِلتَّجَلُّدِ فَنَى

نِي لِلتَّجَلُّدِ فَنَى

But necessity has meant

But need compelled me

the end of my endurance.

To forego propriety

وليس لي مِن أحَدٍ

وليس لي مِن أحَدٍ

أرضى به لِيُحسِنَا

أرضى به لِيُحسِنَا

Nor have I anyone else

And I have no one

I would welcome as a benefactor.

To please by doing good

غَنيتُ عن كَلِّ الورى

غَنيتُ عن كَلِّ الورى

وعنكَ مالى غنى

وعنكَ مالى غنى

I can do without all humankind,

I am needless of all people

but I cannot do without you.

And of you I have no need

ولا تُصَدِّق واشِياً

ولا تُصَدِّق واشِياً

يَشي بِشاعِرِ الدُّنَا

يَشي بِشاعِرِ الدُّنَا

And do not believe a slanderer

And do not believe a slanderer

who maligns the poet of the worlds.

Slandering the poet of the world

وكَذِبَنَّهُ إذا

وكَذِبَنَّهُ إذا

مِنكَ دَنَا أو أَعلَنا

مِنكَ دَنَا أو أَعلَنا

And be sure to call him a liar when

And call him a liar if he

he approaches you or speaks openly.

Draws near or makes claims

حاشاك أن يَخفَى علي

حاشاك أن يَخفَى علي

كَ فِعلُ أَولادِ الزِنَى

كَ فِعلُ أَولادِ الزِنَى

Far be it from you to be unaware

It cannot be hidden from you

of the deeds of sons of fornication.

The deeds of illegitimate sons

ألسَّعىُ فِي الشَّرِّ لَدَي

ألسَّعىُ فِي الشَّرِّ لَدَي

هِم خَيرُ شَىءٍ يُقتَنى

هِم خَيرُ شَىءٍ يُقتَنى

Striving for evil is, for

To them, the pursuit of evil

them, the best thing to acquire.

Is the best thing to be sought

شاعِرُكُم وعَبدُكُم

شاعِرُكُم وعَبدُكُم

هُوَ أنا هو أنا

هُوَ أنا هو أنا

Your poet and your servant—

Your poet and servant

it is I, it is I!

Is none but me

ذاكَ الذي لولاكُم

ذاكَ الذي لولاكُم

وَطنَهُ مااستَوطَنا

وَطنَهُ مااستَوطَنا

That one who, but for you,

I who, were it not for you

would not have dwelt in his homeland.

Would not have settled

أنقَذتُمُوه والرَّدَى

أنقَذتُمُوه والرَّدَى

يُنشِبُ فيه بُرثُنَا

يُنشِبُ فيه بُرثُنَا

You rescued him while death

You saved me while loss

was sinking its claw into him.

Was spreading through our home

والسَمعَ مِنهُ دائِماً

والسَمعَ مِنهُ دائِماً

عَوَّدتُ قَولاً لَيِّنَا

عَوَّدتُ قَولاً لَيِّنَا

And his hearing, always,

And I always hear from you

I have accustomed to gentle speech.

Gentle words

والبِرَّ أولَيتَهُ واللُّط

والبِرَّ أولَيتَهُ واللُّط

فَ وبِشراً واعتِنا

فَ وبِشراً واعتِنا

And goodness you bestowed upon him, and kindness,

And you granted me righteousness and grace

and cheerfulness and care.

Good news and care

إليهِ قد أحسَنتُمُ

إليهِ قد أحسَنتُمُ

أبقاكَ رَبِّي مُحسِنا

أبقاكَ رَبِّي مُحسِنا

You have indeed been kind to him;

You have been good to him

may my Lord preserve you as a benefactor.

May my Lord keep you a benefactor

حاشا بأن أَنسى جَمي

حاشا بأن أَنسى جَمي

لَكَ إلى أن أُدفَنا

لَكَ إلى أن أُدفَنا

Never shall I forget your

Far be it that I forget

kindness until I am buried.

Your favors until I am buried