وللنَّدى أوجهٌ إِذا سفرَت

وللنَّدى أوجهٌ إِذا سفرَت

لطارقٍ أسفرَت دلائِلُها

لطارقٍ أسفرَت دلائِلُها

And generosity has faces: when they are unveiled

When the dew has many faces

to a visitor by night, their signs shine forth.

If it journeys at dawn, its signs shine

وأعجبُ الناسِ من تَضيقُ بِه

وأعجبُ الناسِ من تَضيقُ بِه

صَيداءُ والواسِطيُّ عامِلُها

صَيداءُ والواسِطيُّ عامِلُها

And the most astonishing of men is one for whom

And most amazing are those who are straitened by it

Sidon is too narrow, while al-Wasiti is its governor.

The hunter and the governor are its agents

وها صُروفُ الزَّمانِ قَد رجَعَت

وها صُروفُ الزَّمانِ قَد رجَعَت

ولستُ أَدري بِمن أقابِلُها

ولستُ أَدري بِمن أقابِلُها

And behold, time’s vicissitudes have returned,

And here are the turns of fate, they have returned

and I do not know with whose help to confront them.

And I do not know who I will meet them with

وَأنتَ أَولَى بِها وَلَيسَ لَها

وَأنتَ أَولَى بِها وَلَيسَ لَها

إِلا شَريفُ الأَخلاقِ كامِلُها

إِلا شَريفُ الأَخلاقِ كامِلُها

And you are best suited to face them; they have none

And you are most deserving of it, it has nothing

but one noble in character, perfect in his virtues.

Except the noble morals that perfect it

وَفي وُصولي إِليكَ قَد وصَلَت

وَفي وُصولي إِليكَ قَد وصَلَت

إليَّ مُمتَدَّةً أَوائِلُها

إليَّ مُمتَدَّةً أَوائِلُها

And as I came to you, there had already come

And in my arrival to you, it has arrived

to me their beginnings, stretching forth.

Stretching out to me its beginnings

وهيَ عَلى ما أَرى تُقاتِلُني

وهيَ عَلى ما أَرى تُقاتِلُني

إِن لَم يَقُم مِن نَداكَ قاتِلُها

إِن لَم يَقُم مِن نَداكَ قاتِلُها

And, as I see it, they are fighting me,

And it seems to fight me

unless their slayer rises from your generosity.

Unless one rises from your generosity to subdue it