طرفانِ طرفُ مساعد

طرفانِ طرفُ مساعد

خالٍ وطرفُ مجاهدِ

خالٍ وطرفُ مجاهدِ

Two eyes: the eye of an idle helper,

Two eyes: the eye of a favored man,

Two sides - one an ally

and the eye of one who strives;

carefree, and the eye of a struggler.

Empty, and one a fighter

يتساهَدانِ وما سُها

يتساهَدانِ وما سُها

دُهما لأمرٍ واحدِ

دُهما لأمرٍ واحدِ

both keep sleepless vigil, though their sleeplessness

Both lie awake, but their sleeplessness

They cooperate, though not enthusiastic

is not for one and the same cause.

is not for one and the same cause.

For one purpose

من ذا يقيسُ معلَّلاً

من ذا يقيسُ معلَّلاً

بمعلِّلٍ أو عائدِ

بمعلِّلٍ أو عائدِ

Who would compare an ailing man

Who would compare an ailing man

Who can judge the excused

with his attendant or a visitor?

with one who tends him, or a visitor?

By the excuser or the returner?

أنا عاشقُ الدنيا الصَّبو

أنا عاشقُ الدنيا الصَّبو

رُ لهجرِها المتزايدِ

رُ لهجرِها المتزايدِ

I love the world, patiently enduring

I am the world's lover, patient

I'm a lover of the easy life

its ever-deepening estrangement.

with its ever-increasing abandonment.

Yet I reject it increasingly

أغدو بهمَّة راغبٍ

أغدو بهمَّة راغبٍ

فيها وحالةِ زاهدِ

فيها وحالةِ زاهدِ

I go forth with a suitor’s ardor for it,

I rise with the ambition of one who longs

I start the day eagerly

yet in the state of an ascetic,

for it, and the condition of an ascetic,

Wanting it, yet ascetic in my condition

متشدِّداً في الرزقِ بي

متشدِّداً في الرزقِ بي

نَ نوائبٍ وشدائدِ

نَ نوائبٍ وشدائدِ

struggling for my livelihood amid

striving hard for sustenance amid

Strict about livelihood, between

calamities and hardships.

calamities and hardships.

Misfortunes and difficulties

فعلام أنكرُ عادتي

فعلام أنكرُ عادتي

والناسُ أهل عوائدِ

والناسُ أهل عوائدِ

Why, then, should I disown my habit,

So why should I disown my habit,

So why should I reject my habit

when all people are creatures of habit?

when people are creatures of habit,

When people are creatures of habit?

حتى كأن لا علم لي

حتى كأن لا علم لي

أنَّ الزمان معانِدي

أنَّ الزمان معانِدي

As though I did not know

as though I had no knowledge

It's as if I have no knowledge

that Time itself opposes me!

that time is my adversary?

That fate opposes me

لما رأيتُ جوائِزي

لما رأيتُ جوائِزي

من أهلِه وفوائِدي

من أهلِه وفوائِدي

When I saw that my rewards

When I saw that my rewards

When I saw my rewards

from its people, and all my gains,

from its people, and my gains,

From its people, and my benefits

وَصفاً بوَصفٍ بينَهم

وَصفاً بوَصفٍ بينَهم

ومَحامداً بمحامدِ

ومَحامداً بمحامدِ

were merely description repaid with description,

were description for description among them,

Praised with a description among them

and praises answered with praises;

and praises for praises,

And lauded with praises

وسمعتُ مقصودي فخا

وسمعتُ مقصودي فخا

طَبني خطابَ القاصدِ

طَبني خطابَ القاصدِ

and heard the very man I sought

and heard the one I sought, who then

And I heard my purpose calling me

address me in the language of a seeker,

addressed me as a petitioner would,

In the speech of one with purpose

ناديتُ هل من درهمٍ

ناديتُ هل من درهمٍ

زيفٍ بعشرِ قصائدِ

زيفٍ بعشرِ قصائدِ

I cried: Is there one counterfeit dirham

I cried: Is there a dirham,

I called out, is there a worthless dirham

to be had for ten poems?

even a counterfeit, for ten poems?

For ten poems?

حالٌ لعمركَ لا تَسر

حالٌ لعمركَ لا تَسر

رُك يا ابنَ عبد الواحدِ

رُك يا ابنَ عبد الواحدِ

A state, by your life, that cannot please you,

A state, by your life, that cannot please

A state, by your life, that won't please you

O son of ʿAbd al-Wāḥid—

you, O son of Abd al-Wahid,

O son of the One God

لا في المقرِّ بما تجو

لا في المقرِّ بما تجو

دُ به ولا بالجاحدِ

دُ به ولا بالجاحدِ

neither in one who acknowledges what

neither in one who acknowledges what you

Neither in prosperity with what you are generous with

you bestow, nor in one who denies it.

give freely, nor in one who denies it.

Nor with the ungrateful

فاغضَب فما أرضى لها

فاغضَب فما أرضى لها

إلا بغضبةِ ماجدِ

إلا بغضبةِ ماجدِ

So be angry: nothing will satisfy me for it

So be angry; nothing less will do for it

So he got angry, and I wouldn't appease him

but the wrath of a noble man

than the anger of a noble man,

Except with the anger of one who is glorious

يسعى كسعيكَ في السبا

يسعى كسعيكَ في السبا

قِ إلى المدى المتباعدِ

قِ إلى المدى المتباعدِ

who strives as you strive in the race

who strives as you do in the race

He seeks as you seek

toward the farthest goal;

toward the far-distant goal,

To the distant goal

ويقوم والعلياءُ تَع

ويقوم والعلياءُ تَع

لو عن مثالِ القاعدِ

لو عن مثالِ القاعدِ

who rises, while high glory soars

and rises, while lofty glory towers

And he stands while the honored ones

far above the posture of one seated;

above the stature of one who sits,

Rise above the example of the sitter

مُتعرضاً للحمدِ مَع

مُتعرضاً للحمدِ مَع

روفاً بصدقِ الحامدِ

روفاً بصدقِ الحامدِ

who presents himself for praise, well

courting praise, and known

Showing praise, known

known through the truthfulness of his praise-singer.

through the truthfulness of his praiser.

For the honesty of the praiser

فكأنما الدنيا عَلي

فكأنما الدنيا عَلي

هِ توافَدت من وافدِ

هِ توافَدت من وافدِ

It is as though the whole world upon him

So it is as though the world itself

It's as if the world

came crowding, envoy after envoy.

has flocked to him, visitor after visitor.

Came to him from every newcomer

كم صادرٍ عن جودِه

كم صادرٍ عن جودِه

قوَّى عزيمةَ واردِ

قوَّى عزيمةَ واردِ

How many a man departing from his bounty

How many a man departing from his bounty

How many acts of his generosity

strengthened the resolve of one arriving!

has strengthened the resolve of one arriving!

Strengthened the resolve of the recipient!

يا من لقيتُ به الخُطو

يا من لقيتُ به الخُطو

بَ مشمِّراً عن ساعِدي

بَ مشمِّراً عن ساعِدي

O you through whom I faced calamities

O you, through whom I faced misfortunes,

O you whom I met with steps

with my sleeve rolled back from my forearm,

with my forearm bared,

Rolling up his sleeve

فكفيتُ منها ما كفَي

فكفيتُ منها ما كفَي

تُ لصَرفها عن حاسِدي

تُ لصَرفها عن حاسِدي

and fended off from them all that I could,

and warded off such of them as I did,

And so I sufficed from it what sufficed

turning their course away from my envier—

to turn them away from my envier:

To divert it from my envious ones

رفقاً بجودك قد أمن

رفقاً بجودك قد أمن

تَ عليهِ كلَّ مجاودِ

تَ عليهِ كلَّ مجاودِ

go gently with your bounty: you have secured

Be gentle with your bounty; you have nothing

Gently, for your generosity has granted security

it against every rival in generosity.

to fear for it from any rival giver.

Against every stubborn one

وبقيتَ وحدكَ لا مَحي

وبقيتَ وحدكَ لا مَحي

داً عن نداكَ لحائدِ

داً عن نداكَ لحائدِ

You alone remain; there is no escape

And you alone remain, with no escape

And you remained alone, with no peer

from your largesse for anyone who turns aside.

from your bounty for one who would turn aside.

To match you, for the deviator

نظر الزمانُ إليك دو

نظر الزمانُ إليك دو

نَ الناسِ نظرة ناقدِ

نَ الناسِ نظرة ناقدِ

Time looked upon you, apart

Time looked upon you, rather than

Fate looked upon you

from all mankind, with a critic’s gaze.

the rest of mankind, with an assayer's eye.

Apart from people, with the look of a critic

فافخر فإنك قد ظفِر

فافخر فإنك قد ظفِر

تَ بصالحٍ من فاسدِ

تَ بصالحٍ من فاسدِ

So glory in it: you have indeed wrested

So take pride, for you have gained

So pride yourself, for you have succeeded

something sound from one corrupt.

something sound from something corrupt.

In attaining righteousness from the corrupt