مولاي وعدك جاز حد زمانِهِ

مولاي وعدك جاز حد زمانِهِ

والحر ينجز وعده بأوانِهِ

والحر ينجز وعده بأوانِهِ

My lord, your promise has passed its appointed term;

My Master, your promise has exceeded its time

And a noble man fulfills his promise when it is due.

And the free man fulfills his promise on time

فارحم أبيت اللعن عبداً مفلساً

فارحم أبيت اللعن عبداً مفلساً

يتحدث الأحداث في حرمانه

يتحدث الأحداث في حرمانه

So pity—may you be beyond reproach—a penniless servant

So have mercy on a cursed slave, destitute

Whose deprivation is the talk of the young.

Who tells of events in his deprivation

أكل الكِرا عاماً على خبَّازه

أكل الكِرا عاماً على خبَّازه

ونفى الكرى بالمطل على سمّانه

ونفى الكرى بالمطل على سمّانه

For a year he has consumed hire-money at his baker's expense,

He ate bread for a year from his baker

And banished sleep by delaying payment to his ghee seller.

And denied bread with procrastination to his fattener

الغيث من أجفانه والبرق من

الغيث من أجفانه والبرق من

أشجانه والرعد من خفقانه

أشجانه والرعد من خفقانه

Rain from his eyelids, and lightning from

The rain from his eyelids, the lightning from

His sorrows, and thunder from his heart's pounding.

His branches, and the thunder from his tremors

أيدوم في قيد العسار مكبلاً

أيدوم في قيد العسار مكبلاً

ويدوم قيد المدح في ديوانه

ويدوم قيد المدح في ديوانه

Must he remain shackled in poverty's fetters,

I remain bound in poverty's shackles

While the record of praise remains in his verse-book?

And remain bound with praise in his register

لي فيك شعر لو مدحت به السهى

لي فيك شعر لو مدحت به السهى

لهوى وأجلسني على إيوانه

لهوى وأجلسني على إيوانه

I have verse about you: had I praised al-Suhā with it,

I have in you poetry, if I praised tendencies with it

It would descend and seat me in its vaulted hall,

It would crave and seat me on his balcony

وثناً إذا حيا به الصخر الفتى

وثناً إذا حيا به الصخر الفتى

يتناول الإسفنط من صوّانه

يتناول الإسفنط من صوّانه

As an idol; if a youth saluted rock with it,

And an idol, if the young man greeted it with him

He would draw spiced wine from its flint.

Would take alabaster from its maker

فانعم بحقي لا سواه فإنني

فانعم بحقي لا سواه فإنني

أصبحت لا أخشى سوى نقصانه

أصبحت لا أخشى سوى نقصانه

So grant me my due, nothing else, for I

So favor me, none but Him, for I

Now fear nothing but its diminution.

Have come to fear only its loss

لا زال وعدك عارضاً متدفقاً

لا زال وعدك عارضاً متدفقاً

يروي جنان الصدق من تهتانه

يروي جنان الصدق من تهتانه

May your promise ever remain a pouring raincloud,

Your promise does not cease, overflowing

Watering the gardens of truthfulness with its steady rain.

Watering the gardens of sincerity from its springs

وبقيت سعداً ذابحاً بسخائه

وبقيت سعداً ذابحاً بسخائه

نوبَ السنين الشهب عن حملانه

نوبَ السنين الشهب عن حملانه

And may you remain a Saʿd whose bounty slaughters

And I remained happy, slaughtering generosity

The calamities of ash-gray years, sparing his lambs.

With it, while the years usurped its lambs