بك طالت يد الزمان القصيرِ

بك طالت يد الزمان القصيرِ

فاستهلَّت بكلّ خيرٍ وخير

فاستهلَّت بكلّ خيرٍ وخير

Through you, brief time's hand grew long,

Time's short hand embraced you,

then poured forth every blessing and bounty.

Bringing every good and blessing.

وصفا جودها وطاب وقد كا

وصفا جودها وطاب وقد كا

ن شديدَ الأجون والتكدير

ن شديدَ الأجون والتكدير

And its bounty grew clear and sweet, though it had

Describing your generosity and kindness was pleasant,

been deeply stale and turbid.

Even when times were difficult and distressing.

حيثما سرت كان صبحاً منيراً

حيثما سرت كان صبحاً منيراً

ومسير النجوم في الديجور

ومسير النجوم في الديجور

Wherever you traveled, it was a radiant dawn,

Wherever you went, it was a radiant morn,

and the stars' course through deep darkness.

And the stars coursed calmly through the night.

طالعتني بشرى القدوم فلـ

طالعتني بشرى القدوم فلـ

ـو يملك حرُّ وهبتني لبشير

ـو يملك حرُّ وهبتني لبشير

Glad tidings of your coming dawned on me; if

The tidings of your coming brought me joy—

a free man could be owned, I would have given myself to a bearer of good news.

Had I owned anything precious I'd have gifted it to the bearer.

ولو أنَّ الديار تنطق قالت

ولو أنَّ الديار تنطق قالت

أيُّ ملكٍ يسمو بأيّ وزير

أيُّ ملكٍ يسمو بأيّ وزير

Were the dwellings able to speak, they would say:

If these abodes could speak, they would say

What a king is exalted by such a minister!

"Which great king takes counsel from his minister?"

سحب الفضلُ من مدادك

سحب الفضلُ من مدادك

والقس رداءً محبَّر التشهير

والقس رداءً محبَّر التشهير

Excellence drew from your ink

Merit drew its ink from your inkstand,

and the priest [unclear in context], a robe embroidered with renown.

And the judge donned his black robes in your honor.

راق بشراً ولذَّ نشراً فهـ

راق بشراً ولذَّ نشراً فهـ

ـل أنت بمسكٍ تخطُّ في كافور

ـل أنت بمسكٍ تخطُّ في كافور

It charmed in appearance and delighted in fragrance—

You brought men joy and comfort when you scattered your gifts—

are you writing with musk on camphor?

Are you not musk-scented aloeswood in camphor?

ربما نقطةٍ تكوَّنَ منها

ربما نقطةٍ تكوَّنَ منها

ليلُ خالِ من فوق وجنة نور

ليلُ خالِ من فوق وجنة نور

Many a dot gave rise to

Perhaps a single drop formed a night

a beauty mark's night above a cheek of light.

Devoid of darkness, filled with shining light.

وصفوفٍ رماحها الشَّكلُ ور

وصفوفٍ رماحها الشَّكلُ ور

راها حسودٌ فلقبت بالسَّور

راها حسودٌ فلقبت بالسَّور

And ranks whose spears are vowel marks, veiled

Ranks of lances in ordered rows

by an envious man, and thus dubbed walls.

That the envious named "the wall."

كل حرفٍ يحلُّهُ كفؤ معنى

كل حرفٍ يحلُّهُ كفؤ معنى

تتهانى به بناتُ الصُّدور

تتهانى به بناتُ الصُّدور

Every letter houses a well-matched meaning,

Each letter solved by a befitting meaning—

over which the daughters of hearts congratulate one another.

The hearts' daughters delight in this.

ما سمعنا بمن يزفُّ المعاني

ما سمعنا بمن يزفُّ المعاني

ثمَّ يحبو خطابها بالمهور

ثمَّ يحبو خطابها بالمهور

We have not heard of anyone who leads meanings as brides,

Never did we hear of one who gave meanings in marriage

then endows their suitors with dowries.

Then honored their words with gifts and dowers.

واطَّبتنا أقلامك الهيف لمَّا

واطَّبتنا أقلامك الهيف لمَّا

شبهت من سقامها بالخصور

شبهت من سقامها بالخصور

And your slender pens enchanted us when

Your gentle pens reproached us when they likened

their frailty caused them to be likened to waists.

Our bodies' weakness to withered, fragile branches.

راتعاتٍ من طرسها ودويّ الد

راتعاتٍ من طرسها ودويّ الد

دست ما بين روضةٍ ودير

دست ما بين روضةٍ ودير

Grazing amid their sheets and the writing desk's hum,

Thunderbolts from their power, and the echo of drums

between a meadow and a monastery.

Between garden and monastery they struck.

يا أمير الكلام والجندُ لا يأتـ

يا أمير الكلام والجندُ لا يأتـ

ـون أمراً إلاَّ بأذن الأمير

ـون أمراً إلاَّ بأذن الأمير

O commander of speech—and the troops do not

O prince of speech—the troops do nothing

undertake a deed without the commander's permission—

Unless by order of their prince.

قطعتني عن الزيادة أحوا

قطعتني عن الزيادة أحوا

لٌ أعاضت سرورنا بالشرور

لٌ أعاضت سرورنا بالشرور

Circumstances cut me off from saying more,

Circumstances cut me short, darkened

replacing our joy with woes.

Our joy with their strife and commotion.

أنا منا ما بين رزقٍ قليلٍ

أنا منا ما بين رزقٍ قليلٍ

أترَّجى بهِ وهمٍّ كبير

أترَّجى بهِ وهمٍّ كبير

I am one of us, between a scant livelihood,

I am one whose meager lot

in which I place hope, and a great worry.

I hope in, though my desire is great.

أفجار على التطوُّل في عر

أفجار على التطوُّل في عر

ض مديحي أم آمري بالحضور

ض مديحي أم آمري بالحضور

Will you then continue your generosity upon

Shall I overstep in praising you, or are you

the presentation of my praise, or order me to attend?

Commanding me to attend you?

لا تدعني مذبذبَ العزم ما

لا تدعني مذبذبَ العزم ما

بين مقامٍ أخافهُ ومسير

بين مقامٍ أخافهُ ومسير

Do not leave me wavering in resolve

Leave me not suspended between a stance I fear

between a stay I fear and a journey.

And a journey I dread to make.

وتنجَّز لي خلعةً هي والرو

وتنجَّز لي خلعةً هي والرو

ضُ سواءٌ خلال يومٍ مطير

ضُ سواءٌ خلال يومٍ مطير

And secure for me a robe of honor, just like

Grant me a robe—it and dew-kissed flowers

a garden on a rainy day.

Are equal gifts on a rainy day.

لو رآها السحاب نقَّطها

لو رآها السحاب نقَّطها

واليومُ مصحٍ باللؤلوه المنثور

واليومُ مصحٍ باللؤلوه المنثور

If the clouds saw it, they would dot it—

If clouds saw it they would rain on it,

though the day were clear—with scattered pearls.

And today is blessed with scattered pearls.

حسنت منظراً وخبراً فما

حسنت منظراً وخبراً فما

تصلحُ إلاّ لمنبرٍ أو سرير

تصلحُ إلاّ لمنبرٍ أو سرير

It is lovely in appearance and in report, so it

You perfected manner and report—only fitting

befits only a pulpit or a throne.

For a pulpit or throne to bear you.

كثرت قيمةً وقلَّت جزاء

كثرت قيمةً وقلَّت جزاء

فتعجَّب من القليل الكثير

فتعجَّب من القليل الكثير

Great in value, yet small as recompense—

You gained such worth but diminished reward—

so marvel at the little that is much.

So the little marvels at the much.

قد أجدتُ التجبير جهدي فلا

قد أجدتُ التجبير جهدي فلا

تقنع بها غير نضرة التحبير

تقنع بها غير نضرة التحبير

I have done my utmost in mending; so do not

I tried my best in this eulogy—do not

clothe in it anything but the fresh bloom of fine writing.

Be content with aught but the finest adornment.