أيا مُنقذِي والحادثاتُ تَنوشُنِي

أيا مُنقذِي والحادثاتُ تَنوشُنِي

ودافِعَ همي إذ ترادَف بعَثُهُ

ودافِعَ همي إذ ترادَف بعَثُهُ

O my rescuer, while calamities assail me,

O my savior, though calamities make me their drink

And dispeller of my grief when its stirrings came in succession!

And the sender of my concerns redoubles their dispatch

لسانِيَ عَن شكرِي أياديكَ مُفحَمٌ

لسانِيَ عَن شكرِي أياديكَ مُفحَمٌ

وأنتَ فأَعلى من ثناءٍ أبُثُّهُ

وأنتَ فأَعلى من ثناءٍ أبُثُّهُ

My tongue is struck dumb, unable to thank you for your favors,

My tongue is silenced from thanking your hands

And you are loftier than any praise I proclaim.

While you are above any praise I may utter

تحمّلتَ عني كلَّ خطبٍ يَؤودُنِي

تحمّلتَ عني كلَّ خطبٍ يَؤودُنِي

ونَاهَلْتَنِي عَيشي وقد بَان خُبثُهُ

ونَاهَلْتَنِي عَيشي وقد بَان خُبثُهُ

You have borne for me every calamity that weighs me down,

You have borne for me every peril that harms me

And shared the draught of my life, though its foulness had become plain.

And sustained my life though its wickedness was evident

فِدىً لك يَا طوعَ الإخاءِ أمينَهُ

فِدىً لك يَا طوعَ الإخاءِ أمينَهُ

على غَيبِهِ مُستكْرَهُ الوُدِّ رَثُّهُ

على غَيبِهِ مُستكْرَهُ الوُدِّ رَثُّهُ

May you be ransomed, O willing brother, faithful

You ransomed, O trustee of brotherly devotion

In absence, by one whose affection is forced and threadbare:

Heedless of absence, the scattering of affection

نَسِيٌّ لما يُولَى ومَا طالَ عهدُه

نَسِيٌّ لما يُولَى ومَا طالَ عهدُه

ملُولٌ لَمن يَهوَى وما دام لَبثُهُ

ملُولٌ لَمن يَهوَى وما دام لَبثُهُ

Forgetful of favors bestowed on him, though they are not long past,

Forgetful of what passes, no matter how long its term

Quick to tire of the one he loves, though his stay has been brief.

Attached to whom you love, no matter how long their stay

وما أشتكِي شوقي إليكَ تجلُّداً

وما أشتكِي شوقي إليكَ تجلُّداً

على أَنَّه بَلْبَالُ قَلبِي وَبثُّهُ

على أَنَّه بَلْبَالُ قَلبِي وَبثُّهُ

And I do not complain of my longing for you, out of fortitude,

Nor do I complain of longing for you out of patience

Though it is my heart's turmoil and anguish.

Though it is the confusion of my heart and its pouring forth

وقاسَمَنِي قلبِي على الصّبرِ عنكُمُ

وقاسَمَنِي قلبِي على الصّبرِ عنكُمُ

ولا عجبٌ إن بانَ بعدَكَ حنثُهُ

ولا عجبٌ إن بانَ بعدَكَ حنثُهُ

And my heart swore to me to endure being parted from you,

And my heart divided me upon patience from you

And no wonder if, after your departure, its oath-breaking became plain.

No wonder, after you, its breach appeared

وما زال يَثنِيه إليكَ حِفَاظُهُ

وما زال يَثنِيه إليكَ حِفَاظُهُ

وغَدْرُ صُروفِ الدّهرِ عنك تَحثُّهُ

وغَدْرُ صُروفِ الدّهرِ عنك تَحثُّهُ

Its loyalty has never ceased to turn it back toward you,

Still your guardian brings it inclining toward you

While the treachery of time's vicissitudes drives it away from you.

And the perfidy of fate's turns calls it from you

وشَاركَني فيهِ هَواكَ فهمُّهُ

وشَاركَني فيهِ هَواكَ فهمُّهُ

وأفكارُه عِندي وعندَك مُكثُهُ

وأفكارُه عِندي وعندَك مُكثُهُ

And love for you shared my heart with me; its cares

And shared with me in it your love, so its reasoning

And its thoughts are with me, while with you it dwells.

And thoughts are with me and with you their dwelling

وما ضَعضَعَتْنِي الحادثاتُ وإنّني

وما ضَعضَعَتْنِي الحادثاتُ وإنّني

كَعهدِكَ وعْرُ الخُلقِ في الخطبِ وَعْثُهُ

كَعهدِكَ وعْرُ الخُلقِ في الخطبِ وَعْثُهُ

And calamities have not shaken me; indeed, I am

Nor did calamities shake me, though I

As you knew me—rugged of temper, harsh in adversity;

Am as you know the human race to be in woes and their mayhem

جَريءٌ على الأهوالِ والموتُ مُحجِمٌ

جَريءٌ على الأهوالِ والموتُ مُحجِمٌ

مَرِيرُ القُوَى والدّهرُ قد بان نَكْثُهُ

مَرِيرُ القُوَى والدّهرُ قد بان نَكْثُهُ

Daring before terrors, while death holds back,

Bold toward terrors, and death a restrainer

Firm-knit in strength, though time's broken faith has become plain;

Bitter of powers, and time's betrayal appeared

كَظُومٌ على غيظٍ يضيقُ بِهِ الحَشَا

كَظُومٌ على غيظٍ يضيقُ بِهِ الحَشَا

فلستُ وإن آدَ اصطبارِي أَبثُّهُ

فلستُ وإن آدَ اصطبارِي أَبثُّهُ

Restraining wrath that constricts the breast,

Oppressive in rage that narrows the breast

So I do not disclose it, even when it strains my endurance.

Yet I, though my forbearance seems lasting, do not vent it

ولم أَرِثِ اُلصَّبرَ الجميلَ كَلالَةً

ولم أَرِثِ اُلصَّبرَ الجميلَ كَلالَةً

ولكِنَّهُ عَن مُرشدٍ ليَ إرثُهُ

ولكِنَّهُ عَن مُرشدٍ ليَ إرثُهُ

Nor did I inherit noble patience through a collateral line,

Nor did I inherit excellent patience out of weariness

But my inheritance of it comes from Murshid,

Rather, it is from an enlightener to me, its legacy

عن المُمترِي أخْلافَ دهرٍ تَشابَهتْ

عن المُمترِي أخْلافَ دهرٍ تَشابَهتْ

أطَايبُهُ إلاّ عَليه وغَثُّهُ

أطَايبُهُ إلاّ عَليه وغَثُّهُ

From him who milks the teats of an age in which indistinguishable are

From the excellent, the epochs of time have resembled

Its choicest and its poorest parts—except to him.

No good in them but from him, and their rot

نَداهُ ربيعٌ يُنعشُ الناسَ سَيبُهُ

نَداهُ ربيعٌ يُنعشُ الناسَ سَيبُهُ

إذا اخْلَفَ الوسميُّ جَادَ مُلِثُّهُ

إذا اخْلَفَ الوسميُّ جَادَ مُلِثُّهُ

His generosity is springtime; his bounty revives the people;

A spring hailed him, reviving people, its freshening

When the early autumn rain fails, his steady rain pours abundantly.

When the bleak one leaves, his malodorousness passes

يُضاعِفُ داءَ الحاسدينَ كَمالُهُ

يُضاعِفُ داءَ الحاسدينَ كَمالُهُ

على أَنّه يَشفي من الدَّاءِ نَفْثُهُ

على أَنّه يَشفي من الدَّاءِ نَفْثُهُ

His perfection redoubles the sickness of the envious,

His perfection doubles the sickness of enviers

Though his breath cures disease.

Though it heals the disease with its breath