أَظُبى سُيوف أَم عُيون العَينِ

أَظُبى سُيوف أَم عُيون العَينِ

وَسِقامُ جِسم أَم سِقامُ جُفونِ

وَسِقامُ جِسم أَم سِقامُ جُفونِ

Are these sword-edges, or the eyes of wide-eyed beauties?

Are they swords of rain or eyes of the eye

And is this sickness of the body, or languor of the eyelids?

And sickness of body or sickness of eyelids?

يا ظَبيَةَ الحَرمِ البَخيلة ما أَرى

يا ظَبيَةَ الحَرمِ البَخيلة ما أَرى

ذاتَ التَكرُّم عَنكم تُسليني

ذاتَ التَكرُّم عَنكم تُسليني

O miserly gazelle of the sanctuary, I see no

O stingy maiden of the shrine, I see not

generous woman who can make me forget you.

Those with generosity console me.

حتّامَ يَسفحُ كُلُّ سَفحٍ مَدمَعي

حتّامَ يَسفحُ كُلُّ سَفحٍ مَدمَعي

والامَ لا تُقضى لديك دُيوني

والامَ لا تُقضى لديك دُيوني

How long will every hillside pour out my tears?

Until every plain pours forth my tears

And how long will my dues remain unpaid by you?

And my pain is not fulfilled, your debts to me.

طَرقَت وَقَد نامَ الخليُّ وَبيننا

طَرقَت وَقَد نامَ الخليُّ وَبيننا

جَبَلا زَرودَ وَبُرقَتا يَبرينِ

جَبَلا زَرودَ وَبُرقَتا يَبرينِ

She came by night, when the carefree one slept, while between us lay

You knocked when the darkness slept, between us

the two mountains of Zarud and the two rocky tracts of Yabrin.

A rugged mountain and flashes of lightning.

طرق الخَيالَ فَلَستُ مَن يَقوى عَلى

طرق الخَيالَ فَلَستُ مَن يَقوى عَلى

طَيفين طَيفِ كرى وَطَيفِ جُنونِ

طَيفين طَيفِ كرى وَطَيفِ جُنونِ

as an apparition visits—for I am not one who can endure

The ways of illusion, I cannot endure

two phantoms: the phantom of slumber and the phantom of madness.

The specter of past and specter of madness.

كَفّي كفى بالفَقرِ دونك شاغِلاً

كَفّي كفى بالفَقرِ دونك شاغِلاً

وَسُرايَ بَينَ سُهولِهِ وَحُزون

وَسُرايَ بَينَ سُهولِهِ وَحُزون

Desist! Poverty is distraction enough without you,

Enough my palms are busied by poverty beyond you

and my night-travel through its plains and rugged ground.

And my dwelling between its plains and sorrows.

فَقَلائِصُ الهَمِّ الَّتي حَمَّلتُها

فَقَلائِصُ الهَمِّ الَّتي حَمَّلتُها

جُمَل المَديحِ إِلى جَمالِ الدينِ

جُمَل المَديحِ إِلى جَمالِ الدينِ

So the young she-camels of anxiety, which I have laden

The shirts of worry I carried

with phrases of praise, are bound for Jamal al-Din.

Caravans of praise to the beauty of faith.

سَمِحٌ إِذا قالَت شَواهِدُ جودِهِ

سَمِحٌ إِذا قالَت شَواهِدُ جودِهِ

أَرجوه قالَ عَقائِد

أَرجوه قالَ عَقائِد

Generous is he: when the signs of his bounty speak,

Forgiving when witnesses of his generosity said

“I hope in him,” convictions say.

I hope, he said convictions.

يَرضى بِدون الشُكرِ مِن سُؤالِهِ

يَرضى بِدون الشُكرِ مِن سُؤالِهِ

كَرَماً وَلا يَرضى لَهم

كَرَماً وَلا يَرضى لَهم

He is content with less than thanks from his petitioners,

He is pleased without thanks from his asking

out of generosity, yet he is not content on their behalf...

Generously and is not pleased for them.

فالعِرضُ كالحَرَمِ المَصون بِبَذلِهِ

فالعِرضُ كالحَرَمِ المَصون بِبَذلِهِ

وَنَوالُه وَالمالُ غَيرُ مَصونِ

وَنَوالُه وَالمالُ غَيرُ مَصونِ

For his honor is like a sanctuary, protected by his giving,

So honor is like the protected sanctum in his giving

and his bounty and wealth are unguarded.

And his bestowal and wealth are unprotected.

لا نَيله كَدرٌ بِكَثرَةِ مَطلِهِ

لا نَيله كَدرٌ بِكَثرَةِ مَطلِهِ

أَبَداً وَلا ما مَنَّ بالتَموينِ

أَبَداً وَلا ما مَنَّ بالتَموينِ

His bounty is not clouded by frequent delays,

No attaining him is accompanied by much requesting

ever, nor is what he has bestowed in provisions.

Never and nor what he favored with provisions.

قاضٍ يَرُدُّ الحقَّ أَبيضَ واضِحاً

قاضٍ يَرُدُّ الحقَّ أَبيضَ واضِحاً

إِن ضَلَّ رأيُ الحاكِمِ المأفونِ

إِن ضَلَّ رأيُ الحاكِمِ المأفونِ

A judge who restores the truth, white and clear,

A judge who returns right, clear white

if the judgment of a witless judge goes astray.

If the opinion of the misguided ruler erred.

يا عيد كُلِّ مُعيِّدٍ وَرَجاءَ كُلِّ

يا عيد كُلِّ مُعيِّدٍ وَرَجاءَ كُلِّ

مُؤَمِّلٍ يا فَرحَةَ المِسكينِ

مُؤَمِّلٍ يا فَرحَةَ المِسكينِ

O festival of every celebrant, and hope of every

O feast of every congratulator and hope of every

one who hopes, O joy of the needy!

Expectant, O joy of the poor.

فَرضانِ شُكرِكَ وَالصَلاحُ يليهُما

فَرضانِ شُكرِكَ وَالصَلاحُ يليهُما

عيدان عيدُ نَدىً وَعيدُ الدينِ

عيدان عيدُ نَدىً وَعيدُ الدينِ

Two duties—thanking you and righteousness—are followed by

Your favor's pleasure and righteousness succeeding them

two festivals: a festival of generosity and a festival of faith.

Two feasts, feast of dew and feast of faith.

فاِسلم عَلى رَغمِ الحَسودِ مُخَلَّداً

فاِسلم عَلى رَغمِ الحَسودِ مُخَلَّداً

ما غَنَّتِ الأَطيار فَوقَ غُصونِ

ما غَنَّتِ الأَطيار فَوقَ غُصونِ

So live safe, despite the envier, everlasting,

So submit despite the envious, immortalized

as long as birds sing above the boughs.

As long as birds sang atop branches.