ضاقَ صَدري بما أجنُّ وما ضا

ضاقَ صَدري بما أجنُّ وما ضا

قَ بشَيءٍ إلا بضيقِ الصدورِ

قَ بشَيءٍ إلا بضيقِ الصدورِ

My breast grew tight with what I conceal, and never grew

My breast is straitened by what I bear and naught

tight with anything but the tightness of breasts.

Straitens it save the straitening of the breasts

كنتُ حمَّلتُها أُموري فلَما

كنتُ حمَّلتُها أُموري فلَما

أثقَلَتها حملتُ عَنها أُموري

أثقَلَتها حملتُ عَنها أُموري

I had made them bear my affairs; so when

I loaded them with my affairs but when

these weighed them down, I took my affairs off them.

They burdened them, I unloaded them of my affairs

واعتَزَلتُ الأحياءَ أرتقبُ المَو

واعتَزَلتُ الأحياءَ أرتقبُ المَو

تَ أو اللطفَ من لَطيفٍ خَبيرِ

تَ أو اللطفَ من لَطيفٍ خَبيرِ

And I withdrew from the living, awaiting

And I withdrew from the living, hoping for death

death, or kindness from One Gentle and All-Aware.

Or kindness from the Kind One, the Experienced

فلعلَّ القبورَ تَندى إذا كا

فلعلَّ القبورَ تَندى إذا كا

نَ الندى عندَ أهلِهِ في القُبورِ

نَ الندى عندَ أهلِهِ في القُبورِ

So perhaps the graves will grow dewy, if

So perhaps the graves may be dewed when

generosity lies with its people in the graves.

The dew is upon its people in the graves

ثم لمَّا استَقامَ ذلكَ منِّي

ثم لمَّا استَقامَ ذلكَ منِّي

بِتَوالي أيامِهِ والشهورِ

بِتَوالي أيامِهِ والشهورِ

Then, when that had become settled with me,

Then when that was habitual from me

as its days and the months passed in succession,

In succession of its days and months

جاءَ مَن ليسَ يَسمعُ القولَ إن قل

جاءَ مَن ليسَ يَسمعُ القولَ إن قل

تُ إذا العُذرُ قامَ بالتَّعذيرِ

تُ إذا العُذرُ قامَ بالتَّعذيرِ

there came one who would not heed my words if I

He came whom the speech hears not if you should say

spoke, when an excuse offered justification.

When the excuse arose with the apologies

قال بَيني وبينَكَ الحكمُ أوفا

قال بَيني وبينَكَ الحكمُ أوفا

لجود هذا القاضي وذا ابنُ سرورِ

لجود هذا القاضي وذا ابنُ سرورِ

He said, “Between you and me: judgment—or else

He said between me and you is the judgment or be

generosity. This is the judge, and that is Ibn Surur.

Generous, this judge and the son of gladness

ذاك يَقضي عليكَ أو ذاك يَقضي

ذاك يَقضي عليكَ أو ذاك يَقضي

عنكَ فاختَر ولج في تَخييري

عنكَ فاختَر ولج في تَخييري

That one will rule against you, or that one will pay

That one judges against you or that one judges

on your behalf—so choose!” And he persisted in making me choose.

For you so choose and plunge into my choosing

ورأى وجهَ مالِه أنَّه عن

ورأى وجهَ مالِه أنَّه عن

دَكَ إذ كنتَ عندَه ميسوري

دَكَ إذ كنتَ عندَه ميسوري

And he saw that the way to his money lay

And he saw the aspect of his money that with

with you, since in his eyes you were my means.

You when you were with him, easy