عللونا عند النوى بالعناق

عللونا عند النوى بالعناق

وامزجوا بالوداع كأس الفراق

وامزجوا بالوداع كأس الفراق

Console us at separation with embraces,

They blamed us at the time of parting with hugs,

and mingle farewell into the cup of parting.

And mingled the cup of farewell with farewell.

وصلونا يوم الرحيل فلا نط

وصلونا يوم الرحيل فلا نط

مع في أن نبقى ليوم التلاق

مع في أن نبقى ليوم التلاق

Grant us union on departure day, for we have no hope

Connect us on the day of departure, so we do not

of surviving until the day of reunion.

Blame that we remain for the day of reunion.

ما عليكم من احمرار دموع

ما عليكم من احمرار دموع

تتحلوا بها مع الأطواق

تتحلوا بها مع الأطواق

What harm to you in the reddening of tears

You have nothing of the redness of tears

with which you adorn yourselves beside your necklaces?

Sweeten with them with goodbyes.

سامح الله حسنكم يوم تأتو

سامح الله حسنكم يوم تأتو

ن وتلك الدماء في الأعناق

ن وتلك الدماء في الأعناق

May God pardon your beauty on the day you come,

May God forgive your kindness the day you come

with that blood upon your necks.

And those blood stains on the necks.

يا خليلين من جواي ودمعي

يا خليلين من جواي ودمعي

لا لقيتم من العنا ما ألاقي

لا لقيتم من العنا ما ألاقي

O two companions of my burning grief and tears,

O my beloved friends of my passion and my tears

may you never meet the anguish I meet,

You have not found of visiting what I have found.

كلما مرَّ من قضية سهدٍ

كلما مرَّ من قضية سهدٍ

أو جرى من بكى على الأحداق

أو جرى من بكى على الأحداق

whenever a spell of sleeplessness passes,

Whenever the case of a beauty passed by

or weeping flows over the eyes.

Or cries flowed from the eyelids.

ربَّ ظبيٍ منكم رعى أخضر العي

ربَّ ظبيٍ منكم رعى أخضر العي

ش وأفنى موارد الآماق

ش وأفنى موارد الآماق

Many a gazelle among you grazed on the verdure of life,

The gazelle of you grazed the green livelihood

and drained the wellsprings of my eyes.

And exhausted the sources of water.

منفذٌ في هواه حاصل دمعي

منفذٌ في هواه حاصل دمعي

وله سالف يريد الباقي

وله سالف يريد الباقي

Spent in love of him is the whole store of my tears,

He has an old love story he wants to last

and he has a cheek that demands the remainder.

A way to fulfill my passion and tears.

تحتَ أصداغه عذارٌ خفيّ

تحتَ أصداغه عذارٌ خفيّ

فهو بين السطور كالإلحاق

فهو بين السطور كالإلحاق

Beneath his temple-locks lies faint cheek-down,

Under his eyelids is hidden love

so, between the lines, it is like an added note.

So it is between the lines like attachment.

كل يوم ينضو على عاشقيه

كل يوم ينضو على عاشقيه

سيف لحظ يسوقهم للساق

سيف لحظ يسوقهم للساق

Every day he draws against his lovers

Every day draws upon its lovers

a sword of glances that drives them into dire straits.

The sword of destiny driving them to the leg.

ما ترى مقلتيه تشكو فتوراً

ما ترى مقلتيه تشكو فتوراً

أتراها لكثرة العشَّاق

أتراها لكثرة العشَّاق

What do you make of his eyes complaining of languor?

You do not see his eyelashes complaining of fatigue

Do you suppose it is from so many lovers?

Do you see them because of the many lovers?

غنّني يا نديم باسم هواه

غنّني يا نديم باسم هواه

وثناء الوزير في الآفاق

وثناء الوزير في الآفاق

Sing to me, O cup-companion, in the name of love for him,

Sing to me, drinking companion, the name of his love,

and of the minister's praise across the horizons.

And praise the minister in horizons.

يطرب الذكر عن مناقب يعقو

يطرب الذكر عن مناقب يعقو

ب كمثل اللحون عن إسحاق

ب كمثل اللحون عن إسحاق

The telling of Yaʿqub's virtues brings delight,

The mention of the virtues of Jacob is pleasing

just like melodies from Ishaq.

As the melodies are from Isaac.

صاحب يصحب الثناء ويرقى

صاحب يصحب الثناء ويرقى

درجات العلاء باسْتحقاق

درجات العلاء باسْتحقاق

A lord who keeps praise for company and ascends

The companion accompanies praise and rises

the degrees of eminence by rightful merit.

The steps of glory deservedly.

إن علت غاية وإن جنَّ دهر

إن علت غاية وإن جنَّ دهر

فهو في الحالتين أحسن راقي

فهو في الحالتين أحسن راقي

Whether a goal rises high or an age goes mad,

If the goal is high and time is unfair

in either case he is the finest climber—or healer.

He is in both cases the best climber.

عشقت نفسه المعالي فجدَّت

عشقت نفسه المعالي فجدَّت

والمعالي قليلة العشَّاق

والمعالي قليلة العشَّاق

His soul loved noble heights and strove in earnest,

He loved the highness itself so it strove

and noble heights have few lovers.

And the highness has few lovers.

كل أفعاله مناسبة النف

كل أفعاله مناسبة النف

ل فعوّذ تجنيسها بالطباق

ل فعوّذ تجنيسها بالطباق

All his deeds are in keeping with bounty;

All his actions suit the soul

so safeguard their wordplay with antithesis.

So he harmonized them with antithesis.

همَّة في سنائها جازت الشه

همَّة في سنائها جازت الشه

بَ وأمسى الهلال ذا أطواق

بَ وأمسى الهلال ذا أطواق

A resolve whose splendor has surpassed the meteors,

The ambition in its glory surpassed renown

and the crescent has come to wear collars.

And the crescent became one with rings.

ووزير في مصر جاء مرجيّ

ووزير في مصر جاء مرجيّ

ه وغنَّى بمدحه في عراق

ه وغنَّى بمدحه في عراق

And a minister in Egypt whose hopeful petitioner came,

And a minister in Egypt whose help was hoped for

and sang his praises in Iraq.

And sang his praise in Iraq.

ليس فيه عيب سوى أنَّ نعما

ليس فيه عيب سوى أنَّ نعما

ه تجوز الأحرار باسْترقاق

ه تجوز الأحرار باسْترقاق

He has no fault, save that his bounty

He has no shortcoming but that his favors

wins over free men by enslaving them.

Exceed the generous through slavery.

أطلقت كفُّه العطايا وقالتْ

أطلقت كفُّه العطايا وقالتْ

فهيَ مشكورةٌ على الإطلاق

فهيَ مشكورةٌ على الإطلاق

His palm released gifts and spoke,

He released his palm, gave generously and said

so it is thanked without reserve.

So it is thanked absolutely.

وغدا بابه لمجتلب الحم

وغدا بابه لمجتلب الحم

د إليه بمجمع الأسواق

د إليه بمجمع الأسواق

And his door became, for one bringing praise

And tomorrow his door is for the seeker of praise

to him, a meeting-place of markets.

To it in the markets altogether.

ذو يراع جارٍ بفضل القضايا

ذو يراع جارٍ بفضل القضايا

واتّصال العُفاة بالأرزاق

واتّصال العُفاة بالأرزاق

A master of a reed pen flowing with beneficent decisions

One who watches over a neighbor with the merit of judiciary

and linking petitioners with sustenance.

And the connection of the weak with sustenance.

كلما ماسَ في المهارقِ كالغص

كلما ماسَ في المهارقِ كالغص

ن رأيت الندى على الأوراق

ن رأيت الندى على الأوراق

Whenever it sways over the pages like a branch,

Whenever he was squeezed like hiding

you see dew upon the leaves.

I saw the dew on the leaves.

يا وزيراً قد عامل الله في الخل

يا وزيراً قد عامل الله في الخل

ق وما خابَ طالب الخلاَّق

ق وما خابَ طالب الخلاَّق

O minister who has dealt with God through His creatures,

O minister whom God has treated creation

and no seeker of the Creator has been disappointed.

And the seeker of creation is not disappointed.

بك شدتْ قريحتي بعد وهنٍ

بك شدتْ قريحتي بعد وهنٍ

وبنعمى يديك حلَّ وثاقي

وبنعمى يديك حلَّ وثاقي

Through you my poetic gift sang after weakness,

With you, my talent recovered after weakness

and through your hands' bounty my bonds were loosed.

And with your blessed hand my ties were loosed.

جودك المجتدى وأمداحكَ الغ

جودك المجتدى وأمداحكَ الغ

رّ كنوزٌ تبقى على الإنفاق

رّ كنوزٌ تبقى على الإنفاق

Your sought-for bounty and radiant praises of you

Your flowing generosity and your abundant praise

are treasures that endure even as they are spent.

Are treasures that remain despite spending.