كُن بَعيداً إِن شِئتَ أَو كُن قَريبا

كُن بَعيداً إِن شِئتَ أَو كُن قَريبا

فَأَياديكَ عِندَنا لَن تَغيبا

فَأَياديكَ عِندَنا لَن تَغيبا

Be far away if you wish, or be near;

Be far, if you wish, or be near

for your favors will never be absent from us.

Your hands with us will not disappear

خَلفَكَ الآلاءُ مُذ سِرتَ فينا

خَلفَكَ الآلاءُ مُذ سِرتَ فينا

فَتَساوَيتَ مَشهَداً وَمَغيبا

فَتَساوَيتَ مَشهَداً وَمَغيبا

Your bounties have taken your place since you journeyed among us,

Your virtues have trailed you since you left us

so you are the same, present or absent.

Thus you've equaled the seen and unseen

كَالغَمامِ الرُكامِ يَمضي وَيُبقي

كَالغَمامِ الرُكامِ يَمضي وَيُبقي

مَورِداً فائِضاً وَمَرعىً خَصيبا

مَورِداً فائِضاً وَمَرعىً خَصيبا

Like massed clouds that pass on and leave

Like settling clouds that come and bestow

an overflowing watering place and a fertile pasture.

An abundant spring and meadow so green

فُرقَةٌ يا أَبا العَلاءِ أَصارَت

فُرقَةٌ يا أَبا العَلاءِ أَصارَت

حَسَناتِ الزَمانِ عِندي ذُنوبا

حَسَناتِ الزَمانِ عِندي ذُنوبا

A parting, O Abu al-Ala, has turned

Parting - Oh Abu Al Alaa - made

time's good deeds, in my eyes, into sins.

The goods of times in my eye sins

كَم سَبَقتَ الجارينَ في حَلبَةِ المَج

كَم سَبَقتَ الجارينَ في حَلبَةِ المَج

دِ وَكَلّوا وَما شَكَوتَ لُغوبا

دِ وَكَلّوا وَما شَكَوتَ لُغوبا

How often you outstripped the runners in the arena of glo-

How you outpaced both companions in the race’s orbit

ry; they grew weary, yet you never complained of fatigue.

They faltered while you never complained of fatigue’s harm

لا كَما يَسبِقُ المُجاري المُجارى

لا كَما يَسبِقُ المُجاري المُجارى

بَل كَما يَسبِقُ الشَبابُ المَشيبا

بَل كَما يَسبِقُ الشَبابُ المَشيبا

Not as a competitor outstrips his opponent,

Not as the raced outpaces the racers

but as youth precedes gray hair.

But as youth outstrips withered old age

لَم يَزَل جانِبي مَنيعاً مَهيباً

لَم يَزَل جانِبي مَنيعاً مَهيباً

مُذ رَأَتني بِكَ الخُطوبُ مُهيبا

مُذ رَأَتني بِكَ الخُطوبُ مُهيبا

My flank has remained unassailable and formidable,

My side has remained impenetrable and revered

since calamities saw me appealing to you.

Since worries saw me revere you

وَلِهَذا أَصبَحتُ مِن أَلَمِ الفُر

وَلِهَذا أَصبَحتُ مِن أَلَمِ الفُر

قَةِ أَوفى مُفارِقيكَ نَصيبا

قَةِ أَوفى مُفارِقيكَ نَصيبا

And so, of the pain of separa-

And so I’ve become, from the pain of parting

tion, I now bear the fullest share among all who part from you.

The most rightful, in your absence, to my share

وَلَوَ اِنّي مَلَكتُ نَفسي وَرَأيي

وَلَوَ اِنّي مَلَكتُ نَفسي وَرَأيي

لَوَصَلتُ الإِسآدَ وَالتَأويبا

لَوَصَلتُ الإِسآدَ وَالتَأويبا

And if I had indeed been master of myself and my judgment,

If I owned myself and my opinion

I would have joined night-long travel to day-long travel;

I would've joined the evening and dawn in prayer

فَكَفاني مَؤونَةَ الشَوقِ عَزمٌ

فَكَفاني مَؤونَةَ الشَوقِ عَزمٌ

لا يَمَلُّ التَقويضَ وَالتَطنيبا

لا يَمَلُّ التَقويضَ وَالتَطنيبا

and a resolve would have spared me the burden of longing—

The agony of longing has sufficed me determination

one never weary of striking tents and pitching them.

That does not tire of weakening and coaxing me

غَيرَ أَنّي أُوَدِّعُ القَلبَ عِلماً

غَيرَ أَنّي أُوَدِّعُ القَلبَ عِلماً

أَنَّهُ لا يَؤوبُ حَتّى تَؤوبا

أَنَّهُ لا يَؤوبُ حَتّى تَؤوبا

Yet I bid farewell to my heart, knowing

Except that I entrust my heart with knowledge

that it will not return until you return.

That it will not relent until you relent