لِمنِ القَلبُ المُعنَّى وبمَن

لِمنِ القَلبُ المُعنَّى وبمَن

فأرَى وَجداً شَديداً وشَجَن

فأرَى وَجداً شَديداً وشَجَن

For whom is this tormented heart, and by whom is it tormented?

To whom does my heart complain, and for whom

For I see fierce passion and sorrow.

Do I see intense love and yearning?

وهُما في أنَّةٍ أسمَعُها

وهُما في أنَّةٍ أسمَعُها

فتحسَّس مَن مِنَ الرُكبانِ أن

فتحسَّس مَن مِنَ الرُكبانِ أن

And both are in a moan I hear;

And they are in a soft voice I hear

So seek which of the riders groaned.

So feel who among the travelers is!

إنَّ في القَلبِ أُمُوراً لا أرَى

إنَّ في القَلبِ أُمُوراً لا أرَى

خالِياً مِنها علَيها مُؤتَمَن

خالِياً مِنها علَيها مُؤتَمَن

Indeed, the heart holds matters; I do not deem

Indeed, in the heart are matters I do not see

Anyone untouched by them trustworthy with them.

Empty of them, entrusted with them

وأَحاديث إِذا هَمَّ بِها

وأَحاديث إِذا هَمَّ بِها

مَدمَعي قالَت له لا تَفعلَن

مَدمَعي قالَت له لا تَفعلَن

And confidences that, whenever it would reveal them—

And conversations, if it intends them

My tearful eye—say to it, 'Do not!'

My tears told him, “Do not do so!”

وبَخيلٍ فإذا جادَ فَما

وبَخيلٍ فإذا جادَ فَما

شِئتَ من سُخطٍ وتَعدِيدٍ ومَن

شِئتَ من سُخطٍ وتَعدِيدٍ ومَن

And a miser—when he gives, there is all

And a stingy one, when he is generous, whatever

The resentment, tallying of favors, and reminders you could want.

You want of anger, enumeration, and grace

خالَفت شيمتُهُ صُورَتَه

خالَفت شيمتُهُ صُورَتَه

فهوَ ما بينَ قَبيحٍ وحَسَن

فهوَ ما بينَ قَبيحٍ وحَسَن

His character contradicts his appearance,

I opposed his disposition, his image

So he is somewhere between ugly and fair.

So he is between ugly and good

كلَّما واصَلني عاتَبَني

كلَّما واصَلني عاتَبَني

طالَ ذا العَتبُ وواصَلت فَهَن

طالَ ذا العَتبُ وواصَلت فَهَن

Whenever he joins me, he reproaches me.

Whenever he reproached me, the reproach was long

This reproach has lasted long; you have stayed close, so relent.

And I kept in touch, so it became easy

ما لِكأسِي أصبحَت تُمزَجُ لي

ما لِكأسِي أصبحَت تُمزَجُ لي

دُونَ نَدماني بِهَمٍّ وحَزَن

دُونَ نَدماني بِهَمٍّ وحَزَن

Why is my cup now mixed for me

What is wrong with my cup that is mixed for me

With worry and grief, unlike my drinking companion's?

Without my regret, with anxiety and grief?

ونَدِيمي وُدُّهُ من طَرَبٍ

ونَدِيمي وُدُّهُ من طَرَبٍ

وسُرُورٍ أن تكونَ الكأسُ دَن

وسُرُورٍ أن تكونَ الكأسُ دَن

And my drinking companion's wish, out of merriment

And my boon companion, his love of merriment

And joy, is that the cup become a wine-jar.

And happiness is for the cup to be near

غيرُ مَذمومٍ عَلَيها إنَّما

غيرُ مَذمومٍ عَلَيها إنَّما

يُنصِفُ الخلُّ بإنصافِ الزَّمَن

يُنصِفُ الخلُّ بإنصافِ الزَّمَن

He is not to be blamed for it; only

Not blameworthy, but fair to the vinegar

When time is fair does a friend deal fairly.

Is the passage of time with equanimity

وبِهذا خالَفَ الدَّهرَ فَما

وبِهذا خالَفَ الدَّهرَ فَما

أحدٌ خالَفَ إِلا ابن الحَسَن

أحدٌ خالَفَ إِلا ابن الحَسَن

And in this he defied time; no one

And with this he defied fate, so no

Has defied it but Ibn al-Hasan.

One defied except the son of Al-Hassan

أبَداً يُعدي عَلى أيَّامِه

أبَداً يُعدي عَلى أيَّامِه

لمن استَعداهُ سِرّاً وعَلَن

لمن استَعداهُ سِرّاً وعَلَن

He always grants redress against one's days

Forever transgressing upon his days

To whoever seeks his aid, in secret and in public.

For whoever secretly and openly opposed him

داخِلاً في كلِّ بابٍ سالِكاً

داخِلاً في كلِّ بابٍ سالِكاً

للمَعالي والنَّدى في كلِّ فَن

للمَعالي والنَّدى في كلِّ فَن

Entering every gate, making his way

Entering into every door, traveling

Toward high honors and generosity in every field.

To the heights and dew in every art

كلُّ ما عزَّ من المالِ غَدا

كلُّ ما عزَّ من المالِ غَدا

بأبي البِشرِ ذَليلاً مُمتَهَن

بأبي البِشرِ ذَليلاً مُمتَهَن

All wealth once hard to attain has become

All the wealth that was dear became

Humbled and held cheap through Abu al-Bishr.

With Abi Al-Bisher, despised and subjugated

لَيسَ يرجُو راحةً في راحةٍ

لَيسَ يرجُو راحةً في راحةٍ

قد أقامَ الجودُ فيها وسَكَن

قد أقامَ الجودُ فيها وسَكَن

He hopes for no rest in a palm

He does not hope for rest in comfort

Where generosity has made its home and settled.

Where generosity has settled and dwelt

كم جَزيلٍ سامَني الحَمدَ بهِ

كم جَزيلٍ سامَني الحَمدَ بهِ

واشتَراهُ فرأى أن قَد غَبَن

واشتَراهُ فرأى أن قَد غَبَن

With many a lavish gift he bargained for my praise,

How abundant the praise that enriched me with it

And bought it, thinking he had got the better bargain.

And he bought it but found he was cheated

يَقتَني الحمدَ إذا قِيل اقتَنَى

يَقتَني الحمدَ إذا قِيل اقتَنَى

عَرضَ الدُّنيا بخيلٌ فَخَزَن

عَرضَ الدُّنيا بخيلٌ فَخَزَن

He amasses praise, while it is said that one has amassed

He earns praise when it is said he earned

Worldly goods—a miser—and hoarded them.

The wares of the world a miser, so he hoarded

فَليَنَل ما يَتَمنَّى فَلَكَم

فَليَنَل ما يَتَمنَّى فَلَكَم

مرَّةٍ قال لراجِيهِ تَمَن

مرَّةٍ قال لراجِيهِ تَمَن

May he attain what he wishes, for how many

So let him attain what he wishes, for how many

Times has he told one who hopes in him, 'Wish!'

A time he said to his seeker, “Wish!”

وأشَدُّ المال نَفعاً للفَتى

وأشَدُّ المال نَفعاً للفَتى

ما غدا أو راحَ لِلحَمدِ ثَمَن

ما غدا أو راحَ لِلحَمدِ ثَمَن

And the wealth most useful to a young man

And the wealth most beneficial to the youth

Is what goes, morning or evening, as payment for praise.

Is what tomorrow or today is the price of praise

والمذمَّاتُ إذا ما رَشَقَت

والمذمَّاتُ إذا ما رَشَقَت

بسِهامٍ فالعَطِيَّاتُ جُنَن

بسِهامٍ فالعَطِيَّاتُ جُنَن

And when reproaches attack

And the dispraises, when they pelt

With arrows, gifts are shields.

With arrows, so the gifts are madness