إِيهاً بحقِّكَ مجدَ الدّينِ تعلّمُ أَنْ

إِيهاً بحقِّكَ مجدَ الدّينِ تعلّمُ أَنْ

نَ الصبرَ عنكَ أو السُّلوانَ من خُلُقِي

نَ الصبرَ عنكَ أو السُّلوانَ من خُلُقِي

Enough, by your honor, Majd al-Din! Do you suppose that

Oh you whose glory is the glory of religion, learn that

enduring your absence, or finding solace, is in my nature,

Neither patience from you nor tranquility are of my nature

أَو أَنّنِي بَعد بُعدِي عنْكَ مُغْتَبِطٌ

أَو أَنّنِي بَعد بُعدِي عنْكَ مُغْتَبِطٌ

بالعيشِ إِنّي به لاَ تُكذَبَنَّ شَقِي

بالعيشِ إِنّي به لاَ تُكذَبَنَّ شَقِي

or that, after my separation from you, I am content

Nor that after my distance from you I am happy

with life? I am wretched in it—do not be deceived.

With life - indeed with it I am not to be denied misery

يا ويحَ قلبيَ من شوقٍ يُقَلْقِلُهُ

يا ويحَ قلبيَ من شوقٍ يُقَلْقِلُهُ

إلى لِقَائِكَ ماذا من نَواك لَقِي

إلى لِقَائِكَ ماذا من نَواك لَقِي

Alas for my heart, shaken by longing

Oh my heart that yearning makes restless

to meet you—what it has suffered from your absence!

To meet you - what solace have I found?

ونَاظِرٍ قُرِّحَتْ أجفَانُه أسَفاً

ونَاظِرٍ قُرِّحَتْ أجفَانُه أسَفاً

عليكَ في لُجَّةٍ من دمعه غَرقِ

عليكَ في لُجَّةٍ من دمعه غَرقِ

And for an eye whose lids are ulcerated with sorrow

With an eye whose lids grief has wounded

for you, drowned in a deep sea of its tears.

Drowning in tears of anguish for you

وبعدَ ما بِي فإشفاقِي يُهدّدُني

وبعدَ ما بِي فإشفاقِي يُهدّدُني

بشَوبِ رأيِك بالتكديرِ والرَّنَقِ

بشَوبِ رأيِك بالتكديرِ والرَّنَقِ

And beyond what afflicts me, my apprehension threatens me

And after what is in me, my caring threatens me

with your regard being mingled with cloudiness and murk,

With the bitterness of your opinion and disapproval

وأنَّ قلبَكَ قد رَانت عليه من ال

وأنَّ قلبَكَ قد رَانت عليه من ال

واشين بي جفوةٌ يهماءُ كالغَسَقِِ

واشين بي جفوةٌ يهماءُ كالغَسَقِِ

and your heart being overcast, through the

And that your heart is now covered with clouds of

slanderers against me, by an impenetrable estrangement, dark as dusk.

Coldness and darkness towards me like night

ونافَسُونِيَ في حُسنى ظُنونِك بي

ونافَسُونِيَ في حُسنى ظُنونِك بي

حتّى غدوتُ وسوءَ الشّكِّ في نَسَقِِ

حتّى غدوتُ وسوءَ الشّكِّ في نَسَقِِ

They begrudged me your favorable opinion of me,

And they compete with me over your good opinion

until I stood in the same rank as ill suspicion.

Until I have become lost in the evil of doubt

بهم تباريحُ أشواقي إليكَ وما

بهم تباريحُ أشواقي إليكَ وما

أُجَنُّ من زفَراتٍ بالجَوى نُطُقِِ

أُجَنُّ من زفَراتٍ بالجَوى نُطُقِِ

May they bear the torments of my longing for you, and what

By them the yearnings of my passion for you are opposed

I conceal of sighs that speak of burning grief!

And I sigh from a burning thirst that has no relief

أمَا كَفاهُم نَوَى دارِي وبعدُكَ عن

أمَا كَفاهُم نَوَى دارِي وبعدُكَ عن

عَينِي وفُرقَةُ إخوانِ الصِّبا الصُّدُقِ

عَينِي وفُرقَةُ إخوانِ الصِّبا الصُّدُقِ

Was my home's remoteness not enough for them, and your distance from

Is it not enough for them the intention of my house and your

my sight, and parting from the faithful companions of my youth,

Absence from my eye and the separation from the friends of my honest youth?

وأَنَّني كلَّ يومٍ قطبُ معرَكةٍ

وأَنَّني كلَّ يومٍ قطبُ معرَكةٍ

دريئَةُ السُّمرِ والهنديّةِ الذّلُقِِ

دريئَةُ السُّمرِ والهنديّةِ الذّلُقِِ

and that each day I am the pivot of a battle,

And that I face alone every day the fury

a target for tawny spears and keen Indian swords?

Of a vicious battle, violent and intense

أغشَى الوغى مفرداً من أُسرتي وهمُ

أغشَى الوغى مفرداً من أُسرتي وهمُ

هُمُ إذا الخيلُ خاضت لُجّةَ العَلَقِِ

هُمُ إذا الخيلُ خاضت لُجّةَ العَلَقِِ

I enter the fray alone, apart from my kin, while they—

I enter the fray alone, without my family, while they

they are their true selves when horses wade through a deep sea of blood.

When horses plunge into the thick of the fight,

هم المحامُون والأشبالُ مُسلَمَةٌ

هم المحامُون والأشبالُ مُسلَمَةٌ

والملتقُون الرّدَى بالأوجهِ الطّلُقِِ

والملتقُون الرّدَى بالأوجهِ الطّلُقِِ

They are the protectors while the lion cubs are abandoned,

They are the warriors and boys obedient

and those who meet death with smiling faces.

And the firm-faced honorable men

وموضِعي منكَ لا تسمُو الوُشاةُ له

وموضِعي منكَ لا تسمُو الوُشاةُ له

ولا يُغيّرُه كَيْسي ولا حُمُقِي

ولا يُغيّرُه كَيْسي ولا حُمُقِي

And the slanderers cannot reach my place with you,

And my position with you cannot be elevated by the slanderers

nor can my good sense or my folly change it.

Nor changed by my foolishness or my wisdom

وإنّما قالةٌ جاءَت فضاقَ لها

وإنّما قالةٌ جاءَت فضاقَ لها

صدرِي ولو غيرُكَ المعنيُّ لم يَضِقِِ

صدرِي ولو غيرُكَ المعنيُّ لم يَضِقِِ

It was merely a rumor that came and constricted

But an accusation came and my chest narrowed because of it

my breast; had anyone but you been meant, it would not have tightened.

And had it been about another it would not have pained me

كذّبتُها ثُمَ ناجتني الظّنونُ بأَنْ

كذّبتُها ثُمَ ناجتني الظّنونُ بأَنْ

نَ اُلدَّهْرَ ليس بمأمونٍ فلا تَثِقِِ

نَ اُلدَّهْرَ ليس بمأمونٍ فلا تَثِقِِ

I declared it false; then suspicions whispered to me that

I denied it then suspicions whispered to me that

time cannot be trusted—so put no trust in it.

Time is not to be trusted so do not have certainty

كم قد أغَصَّ بما تَمرِي مذاقَتُه

كم قد أغَصَّ بما تَمرِي مذاقَتُه

ونَغَّصَ الباردَ السلسالَ بالشَّرَقِ

ونَغَّصَ الباردَ السلسالَ بالشَّرَقِ

How often it has choked one with what tastes pleasant,

How it has choked me with what has passed through it

and spoiled cool, smooth-flowing water with choking.

And soured the coolness of the chain with heat

توقَّع الخوفَ ممَّن أنت آمِنُهُ

توقَّع الخوفَ ممَّن أنت آمِنُهُ

قد تنكأُ الكَلْمَ كفُّ الآسِيِ الرّفِقِ

قد تنكأُ الكَلْمَ كفُّ الآسِيِ الرّفِقِ

Expect fear from the very one you trust;

Fear is expected from one I thought secure

the gentle healer's hand may reopen the wound.

Who might bite the hand gently outstretched

فقلتُ مالي وكَتمِي ما تُخالِجُني

فقلتُ مالي وكَتمِي ما تُخالِجُني

فيه الظّنونُ كفعلِ المُغضَبِ المَلِقِ

فيه الظّنونُ كفعلِ المُغضَبِ المَلِقِ

So I said: why should I hide what

So I said what is it to me to conceal what troubles me

doubts trouble me about, like a resentful flatterer?

With doubts like the actions of an enraged madman

أدعو لما بي صَدَى صوتي وموضعَ شَكْ

أدعو لما بي صَدَى صوتي وموضعَ شَكْ

وايَ وحاملَ ثِقْلي حيث لم أُطِقِ

وايَ وحاملَ ثِقْلي حيث لم أُطِقِ

I call, in my distress, upon my voice's echo, the refuge for my

I cry out to the echo of my voice and the place of my pain

complaint, and the bearer of my burden when I cannot bear it.

Where I cannot bear the burden, however light

فإن يكن ما نَمى زُوراً وأحسَبُهُ

فإن يكن ما نَمى زُوراً وأحسَبُهُ

فعندَه العفوُ عن ذي الهَفوةِ العُقُقِ

فعندَه العفوُ عن ذي الهَفوةِ العُقُقِ

If what was reported is false—and I believe it is—

If what grew was false and I reckoned it true

then he has pardon for one who slips and is undutiful.

With him is pardon for one who erred unknowingly

وإن يكن وأحاشي مجده ثَلَجت

وإن يكن وأحاشي مجده ثَلَجت

عُتباه حرَّ حشاً بالهمِّ مُحترِقِ

عُتباه حرَّ حشاً بالهمِّ مُحترِقِ

And if it is true—though I deem his nobility above it—

And if it was so, and I avoid his glory, his rebuke

his relenting cools the heat of a breast scorched by care.

Would melt me with the heat of anxiety like fire

هو الأبيُّ الذي تُخشى بوادِرُهُ

هو الأبيُّ الذي تُخشى بوادِرُهُ

ويُرتَجَى عَفوُهُ في سَوْرةِ الحَنَقِِ

ويُرتَجَى عَفوُهُ في سَوْرةِ الحَنَقِِ

He is the proud man whose outbursts are feared,

He is the father whom one fears when displeased

and whose pardon is hoped for amid the surge of wrath.

And whose pardon one hopes for in times of anger

عُتباهُ تلقَى ذُنوبي قبل معذرتي

عُتباهُ تلقَى ذُنوبي قبل معذرتي

وماءُ وجهِي مَصُونٌ فيه لم يُرَقِ

وماءُ وجهِي مَصُونٌ فيه لم يُرَقِ

His relenting meets my sins before my apology,

His rebuke meets my sins before my excuses

and the water of my face is preserved with him, unspilled.

And the water of my face with him is guarded from being spilled

لا غيَّرتْ رأيَهُ الأيّامُ فيَّ ولا

لا غيَّرتْ رأيَهُ الأيّامُ فيَّ ولا

نالت مكانيَ منه لَقعَةُ الحدَقِ

نالت مكانيَ منه لَقعَةُ الحدَقِ

May the days never change his opinion of me, nor

The days have not changed his opinion of me

the blow of the evil eye reach my place with him.

Nor has the batting of an eyelash won my position with him