واُبتزَّني رأْيَ عزّ الدّينِ مُستلِباً

واُبتزَّني رأْيَ عزّ الدّينِ مُستلِباً

من بعدما عمّنِي إحسانُه وضَفَا

من بعدما عمّنِي إحسانُه وضَفَا

And a despoiler robbed me of Izz al-Din's favor,

And I'm impressed by how excellent Aziz al-Din's view is,

After his kindness had embraced me and overflowed.

Seeking it after his kindness has taught me,

أضَافَنِي عتبهُ همّاً شَجِيتُ بهِ

أضَافَنِي عتبهُ همّاً شَجِيتُ بهِ

أبانَ عن نَاظِري طِيبَ الكَرى ونَفَى

أبانَ عن نَاظِري طِيبَ الكَرى ونَفَى

His reproach brought me distress that left me grieving;

His blame added worries that made me suffer,

It drove the sweetness of sleep from my eye and banished it.

Revealing my observer's amicable sight and denied,

أتَتهُ عَنِّي أحاديثٌ مُزَخرفَةٌ

أتَتهُ عَنِّي أحاديثٌ مُزَخرفَةٌ

ما إنْ بِها عنهُ وهْو الألمَعيُّ خَفَا

ما إنْ بِها عنهُ وهْو الألمَعيُّ خَفَا

Embellished tales about me reached him;

Stories embellished came to him about me,

Nothing in them was hidden from him, keen-witted as he is.

Nothing of which against him, for he is most brilliant, was hidden,

لكنّها وافَقتْ من قَلبِهِ مَلَلاً

لكنّها وافَقتْ من قَلبِهِ مَلَلاً

لم يَسْتبِنْ صحّةَ الدّعوَى ولا كَشَفَا

لم يَسْتبِنْ صحّةَ الدّعوَى ولا كَشَفَا

But they met with weariness in his heart;

But they coincided with boredom in his heart,

He did not ascertain the truth of the accusation or investigate it.

He didn't verify the validity of the claim nor uncover,

وما الرِّضَا ببعيدٍ من خَلائِقِهِ

وما الرِّضَا ببعيدٍ من خَلائِقِهِ

وهي السّلافَةُ راقتْ رقّةً وصَفَا

وهي السّلافَةُ راقتْ رقّةً وصَفَا

And favor is not far removed from his qualities;

And satisfaction with one far from his traits isn't

They are the choicest wine, exquisite in delicacy and purity.

When affability appealed to him and joined,

يا مَن حَوَى قصَباتِ السّبقِ أجمعَها

يا مَن حَوَى قصَباتِ السّبقِ أجمعَها

فما يُرى اُثْنانِ في تفضيلِهِ اُختلَفَا

فما يُرى اُثْنانِ في تفضيلِهِ اُختلَفَا

O you who have won all the reeds of victory,

O you who contained all the glories of precedence,

For no two are seen to disagree about his preeminence.

So none are seen differing in preferring him over another,

أَنفقْتُ مُذهَبَ عُمرِي في رضاكَ وما

أَنفقْتُ مُذهَبَ عُمرِي في رضاكَ وما

رأيتُ مُنفِقَ عُمرٍ واجداً خَلَفَا

رأيتُ مُنفِقَ عُمرٍ واجداً خَلَفَا

I spent my life's gold on your favor, and never

I spent my life's doctrine pleased with you and haven't

Have I seen one who spends his life find a replacement.

Seen anyone spend a lifetime and find a replacement,

لَكِنّني اُعتضْتُ منه حُسنَ رأيِكَ لي

لَكِنّني اُعتضْتُ منه حُسنَ رأيِكَ لي

فَنِلتُ منه العُلا والعزَّ والشّرفَا

فَنِلتُ منه العُلا والعزَّ والشّرفَا

Yet in exchange I received your good opinion of me,

But I'm prevented by the goodness of your view for me

And through it gained eminence, glory, and honor.

So I attained through it height, honor, and nobility,

حتّى إذَا أنَا ماثَلْتُ النجومَ عُلاً

حتّى إذَا أنَا ماثَلْتُ النجومَ عُلاً

وقلتُ قَد نِلتُ من أيامِيَ الزُّلَفَا

وقلتُ قَد نِلتُ من أيامِيَ الزُّلَفَا

Until, when I matched the stars in loftiness,

Until when I equaled stars in height

And said, 'I have won the favor of my days,'

And said that I got intimacy from my days,

أريتَنِي بَعد بِشْرٍ هجرةً وقِلىً

أريتَنِي بَعد بِشْرٍ هجرةً وقِلىً

وبَعد بِرٍّ ولُطفٍ قَسوةً وجَفَا

وبَعد بِرٍّ ولُطفٍ قَسوةً وجَفَا

You showed me, after smiling welcome, estrangement and hatred,

You showed me after good tidings estrangement and agony,

And after kindness and gentleness, harshness and coldness.

And after righteousness and kindness harshness and aloofness,

فَعُدتُ صِفَر يدٍ ممّا ظَفِرتُ بهِ

فَعُدتُ صِفَر يدٍ ممّا ظَفِرتُ بهِ

كأنَّ ما نِلْتُهُ من كَفّيَ اخْتُطِفَا

كأنَّ ما نِلْتُهُ من كَفّيَ اخْتُطِفَا

So I was left empty-handed, bereft of what I had won,

So I returned empty-handed from what I had attained,

As though what I had gained had been snatched from my palm.

As if what I got was snatched right out of my palms,

هبْنِي أتيتُ بِجَهلٍ ما قُذِفتُ به

هبْنِي أتيتُ بِجَهلٍ ما قُذِفتُ به

فأَين حِلمُكَ والفضلُ الّذِي عُرِفَا

فأَين حِلمُكَ والفضلُ الّذِي عُرِفَا

Suppose, in ignorance, I had done what I was accused of:

Drive me, I came in ignorance of what was cast upon me,

Then where are your forbearance and your renowned graciousness?

So where is your forbearance and excellence that was known?

ولاَ ومَن يعلمَ الأسرارَ حِلْفَةَ من

ولاَ ومَن يعلمَ الأسرارَ حِلْفَةَ من

يَبَرُّ فيما أتَى إن قَال أو حَلَفَا

يَبَرُّ فيما أتَى إن قَال أو حَلَفَا

No—by Him who knows secrets, an oath from one

And who knows the covenants of the inner self of one

Who is truthful in what he does, whether speaking or swearing—

Who shows integrity whether he said or swore?

ما حدّثَتْنِيَ نَفسي عندَ خَلوتِها

ما حدّثَتْنِيَ نَفسي عندَ خَلوتِها

بما تُعَنِّفُنِي فيهِ إذا اُنكَشَفَا

بما تُعَنِّفُنِي فيهِ إذا اُنكَشَفَا

My soul has never whispered to me in its solitude

My soul didn't tell me in its solitude

Of anything you would rebuke me for if it came to light.

What it reproaches me for when uncovered,

لكنّها شِقوةٌ حَانَتْ وأَقضِيَةٌ

لكنّها شِقوةٌ حَانَتْ وأَقضِيَةٌ

حَبَتْنِيَ الهمَّ مذُ عَامَينِ والأَسفَا

حَبَتْنِيَ الهمَّ مذُ عَامَينِ والأَسفَا

But it is ill fortune come due, and decrees

But it's wretchedness that transpired and a decree

That have bestowed distress and sorrow on me for two years.

That loved me worries for two years and sorrow,

تداولَتْنِي أمورٌ غيرُ واحدةٍ

تداولَتْنِي أمورٌ غيرُ واحدةٍ

لو حُمِّلَ الطَّوْدُ أدنَى ثِقْلِهَا نُسِفَا

لو حُمِّلَ الطَّوْدُ أدنَى ثِقْلِهَا نُسِفَا

Troubles, not just one, have taken me in turn;

Various matters have switched me,

If a mountain bore their slightest weight, it would be shattered.

If the slightest weight of them was carried, it would be shredded,

وأقْصَدَتْني سهامُ الحاسِدِيّ عَلَى

وأقْصَدَتْني سهامُ الحاسِدِيّ عَلَى

فَوزِي بقُربِكَ حتى قَرطَسُوا الهَدَفا

فَوزِي بقُربِكَ حتى قَرطَسُوا الهَدَفا

And I was struck down by arrows of those who envied me for

And the arrows of enviers struck me

My winning nearness to you, until they hit the target dead center.

For my access to you until they pierced the target,

وبعدَ مَا نَالني إن جُدتَ لي برضاً

وبعدَ مَا نَالني إن جُدتَ لي برضاً

فقد غفرتُ لدَهرِي كلَّ مَا سلَفَا

فقد غفرتُ لدَهرِي كلَّ مَا سلَفَا

And after all that befell me, if you bestow your favor on me,

And after what befell me, if you're kind to me again,

Then I shall forgive Time for all that has passed.

Then I've forgiven my fate all that's passed,

وذاكَ ظَنّي فإن يَصدُقَ فأنت لِما

وذاكَ ظَنّي فإن يَصدُقَ فأنت لِما

رجوتُ أهلٌ وإنْ يُخفِقْ فوا أسفَا

رجوتُ أهلٌ وإنْ يُخفِقْ فوا أسفَا

And that is my hope; if it proves true, you are worthy of what

And that's my assumption, so if it's true you're worthy of what

I have hoped for; if it fails, alas, my sorrow!

I hoped, and if it fails, oh what regrets!

حاشَاكَ تَغدُو ظُنوني فيكَ مُخفِقَةً

حاشَاكَ تَغدُو ظُنوني فيكَ مُخفِقَةً

أو يَنثني أمَلي باليأسِ مُنْصرَِفاً

أو يَنثني أمَلي باليأسِ مُنْصرَِفاً

Far be it from you that my hopes of you should fail,

Far from you, my assumptions of you fail

Or that my hope should turn back, departing in despair.

Or my hopes fold in despair and turn away,

وجُنَّتِي من زماني حُسنُ رأيكَ بي

وجُنَّتِي من زماني حُسنُ رأيكَ بي

أكرِمْ بها جُنّةً لا البِيضَ والزَّغَفَا

أكرِمْ بها جُنّةً لا البِيضَ والزَّغَفَا

And my shield against Time is your good opinion of me;

And my paradise in my time is your good view of me

How noble a shield it is—not helmets and coats of mail!

Honor it with a paradise, not with white or green,

أَلِفتُ منكَ حُنُوَّاً منذ كنتُ وقَد

أَلِفتُ منكَ حُنُوَّاً منذ كنتُ وقَد

فقدتُهُ وشديدٌ فقدُ ما أُلِفَا

فقدتُهُ وشديدٌ فقدُ ما أُلِفَا

I have grown used to your tenderness all my life, and now

I'm accustomed to your affection since I was, and have

I have lost it, and grievous is the loss of what was familiar.

Lost it, and the loss of what is accustomed is severe,

وغيرُ مُستنكَرٍ منكَ الحُنُوُّ علَى

وغيرُ مُستنكَرٍ منكَ الحُنُوُّ علَى

مثِلي ولو زَاغَ يوماً ضَلّةً وهَفَا

مثِلي ولو زَاغَ يوماً ضَلّةً وهَفَا

And it is no strange thing for you to show tenderness toward

And unsurprising from you is affection for

One like me, even if one day he strays in error and slips.

The likes of me, even if he once strayed and slipped,

فَعُدْ لأحسَن ما عَوَّدتَ مِن حَسَنٍ

فَعُدْ لأحسَن ما عَوَّدتَ مِن حَسَنٍ

يا مَن إذا جَادَ وفَّى أو أذَمَّ وَفَى

يا مَن إذا جَادَ وفَّى أو أذَمَّ وَفَى

So return to the finest kindness you have accustomed me to,

So return to the best of goodness you've accustomed,

O you who give in full when generous, or keep faith when pledging protection.

O you who when you give, fulfills, or if he wrongs, makes amends

واُسلَمْ لنا ثالِثاً للنَّيِّرَينِ عُلاً

واُسلَمْ لنا ثالِثاً للنَّيِّرَينِ عُلاً

وزِدْ إذا نَقصَا واُسرُفْ إذا كُسِفَا

وزِدْ إذا نَقصَا واُسرُفْ إذا كُسِفَا

And live safe for us, a third beside the two luminaries in loftiness,

And submit to us a third time in height for the two brilliants,

And wax when they wane, and exceed all measure when they are eclipsed.

And add if they're lacking and exceed if they're disappointed,

أيّامُنا بك أعيادٌ بأجمعِهَا

أيّامُنا بك أعيادٌ بأجمعِهَا

فدُم لنا ما دَجَا ليلٌ وما عَكَفَا

فدُم لنا ما دَجَا ليلٌ وما عَكَفَا

Through you, all our days are festivals;

Our days with you are celebrations altogether,

So endure for us as long as night grows dark and lingers.

So let remain what night has brought and dusk has wrapped.