أَرَى الإِقامَةَ أَضْحَتْ في يَدِ الظَّعَنِ

أَرَى الإِقامَةَ أَضْحَتْ في يَدِ الظَّعَنِ

أَبْدَيْتَ يا دَهْرُ ما تُخْفِي مِنَ الضَّعَن

أَبْدَيْتَ يا دَهْرُ ما تُخْفِي مِنَ الضَّعَن

I see that staying has fallen into departure's hands.

I see that the stay has fallen into the hands of weakness

You have revealed, O Time, the rancor you conceal.

O Time, you have shown what you hide of frailty

هَبْهُمْ طوَوْا بينَ أَثناءِ الدُّنُوِّ نَوىً

هَبْهُمْ طوَوْا بينَ أَثناءِ الدُّنُوِّ نَوىً

أَلَمْ يَبِنْ لَكَ أَنَّ الودَّ لم يَبِنِ

أَلَمْ يَبِنْ لَكَ أَنَّ الودَّ لم يَبِنِ

Suppose they have folded separation into the folds of nearness:

Grant them, they have wandered between the sides of nearness with purpose

is it not clear to you that affection has not departed?

Did it not become clear to you that affection was not built?

وما يَضُرُّ ولِلأَرواحِ مُجْتَمَعٌ

وما يَضُرُّ ولِلأَرواحِ مُجْتَمَعٌ

تفريقُهُمْ بَدَناً في الحُبِّ عن بَدَنِ

تفريقُهُمْ بَدَناً في الحُبِّ عن بَدَنِ

What harm can it do, when souls have a meeting-place,

And what hurts if spirits are united?

to separate one body from another in love?

Their separation physically in love from body to body

أَشكو إِلى اللهِ شكوى تقتضي فَرَجاً

أَشكو إِلى اللهِ شكوى تقتضي فَرَجاً

نَوًى تَرَدَّدُ بين العَيْن والأُذُنِ

نَوًى تَرَدَّدُ بين العَيْن والأُذُنِ

I complain to God, with a complaint that calls for relief,

I complain to God a complaint that requires relief

of separation passing back and forth between eye and ear.

A yearning that repeats between the eye and the ear

سَكَّنْتُ فيه حِراكِي إِذ عَدِمْتُ قُوًى

سَكَّنْتُ فيه حِراكِي إِذ عَدِمْتُ قُوًى

وما سَكَنْتُ لأَنِّي فُزْتُ بالسَّكَنِ

وما سَكَنْتُ لأَنِّي فُزْتُ بالسَّكَنِ

I stilled my movement in it when I lacked strength,

I settled my anxiety in it when I lacked strength

and I did not come to rest because I had found a haven.

And I did not settle because I won tranquility

في كلّ يومٍ يُرِيني صاحِبٌ مِحَناً

في كلّ يومٍ يُرِيني صاحِبٌ مِحَناً

الحَمْدُ للِه لا أَخْلُو من المِحَنِ

الحَمْدُ للِه لا أَخْلُو من المِحَنِ

Each day a companion shows me trials;

Every day a companion shows me tribulations

praise be to God: I am never free of trials.

Praise be to God, I am not without tribulations

هل عادَ قلبِيَ بِرْجاساً تُقَارِضُه

هل عادَ قلبِيَ بِرْجاساً تُقَارِضُه

نَبْلُ النَّوائبِ عن إِنْبَاضَةِ الزَّمَنِ

نَبْلُ النَّوائبِ عن إِنْبَاضَةِ الزَّمَنِ

Has my heart become a target, pierced by

Did my heart return with vileness that

the arrows of calamity, loosed at the twang of Time's bowstring?

The nobility of adversities lend from the vigor of time?

أَمْ غَرَّ مِنَّي الليالِي أَنَّها جَذَبَتْ

أَمْ غَرَّ مِنَّي الليالِي أَنَّها جَذَبَتْ

بِمِقْوَدِي فَرَأَتْنِي طَيَّعَ الرَّسَنِ

بِمِقْوَدِي فَرَأَتْنِي طَيَّعَ الرَّسَنِ

Or have the nights been deceived about me because they tugged

Or have the nights deluded me that they

at my rein and found me yielding to the halter?

Pulled me by my bridle, so they saw me compliant to the reins?

هيهاتَ يمنعها عزمٌ تَعَوَّدَ أَنْ

هيهاتَ يمنعها عزمٌ تَعَوَّدَ أَنْ

يُمْطِي إِلى اللينِ ظهْرَ المَرْكَبِ الخَشِنِ

يُمْطِي إِلى اللينِ ظهْرَ المَرْكَبِ الخَشِنِ

Far from it! A resolve restrains them, accustomed

Never! He is prevented by a will accustomed to

to riding a rough mount's back toward ease.

Ride with the spine of the rough ship to gentleness

يهيمُ بالنَّجمِ لا السَّارِي على قَدَحٍ

يهيمُ بالنَّجمِ لا السَّارِي على قَدَحٍ

ويَعْشَقُ البَدْرَ لا السَّارِي على غُصنِ

ويَعْشَقُ البَدْرَ لا السَّارِي على غُصنِ

He yearns for the star—not the one gliding upon a cup—

It raves with the star, not the one raised on a goblet

and loves the full moon—not the one gliding upon a branch—

And loves the full moon, not the one raised on a branch

ويَجْتَنِي ثمراتِ العِزِّ يانِعَةً

ويَجْتَنِي ثمراتِ العِزِّ يانِعَةً

في مَغْرِسِ الحَرْبِ من مُنْآدةِ اللُّدُنِ

في مَغْرِسِ الحَرْبِ من مُنْآدةِ اللُّدُنِ

and gathers the fruits of glory, ripe,

And it collects the ripe fruits of honor

in war's planting-ground, from bending, supple spears.

In the planted field of war from the flanks of mildness

طوراً تراهُ على هَوْجَاءَ ضارمَةٍ

طوراً تراهُ على هَوْجَاءَ ضارمَةٍ

طوراً وَيَعْدُو بأَعلَى سابِقٍ أَرِنِ

طوراً وَيَعْدُو بأَعلَى سابِقٍ أَرِنِ

At times you see him on a headlong, fiery she-camel;

Sometimes you see it in formidable commotion

at times he gallops atop a fleet, spirited steed.

And sometimes it gallops at the highest predecessor

تحاولُ الحالُ منهُ ذُلُّ جانِبِهِ

تحاولُ الحالُ منهُ ذُلُّ جانِبِهِ

والعِزُّ شَىْءٌ تَغَذَّاهُ مع اللَّبَنِ

والعِزُّ شَىْءٌ تَغَذَّاهُ مع اللَّبَنِ

Circumstance seeks to humble his bearing,

The state tries to humiliate its side from it

but honor is something he was nourished on with milk.

And honor is something it was fed with milk

إِنْ كانَ كالَّنبْعِ عُرْيَاناً بلا ثَمَرٍ

إِنْ كانَ كالَّنبْعِ عُرْيَاناً بلا ثَمَرٍ

فمثلُهُ هُوَ طَلاَّعٌ عَلَى القُنَنِ

فمثلُهُ هُوَ طَلاَّعٌ عَلَى القُنَنِ

If, like the nabʿ tree, he is bare and fruitless,

If it is like the bare spring without fruit

he is likewise a climber of peaks.

Then its like is a scout over spears

وقد أَساءَ إِلَيْهِ الدهرُ مجتهداً

وقد أَساءَ إِلَيْهِ الدهرُ مجتهداً

حتى دَعَا فأَجِبْهُ يا أَبا الحَسَنِ

حتى دَعَا فأَجِبْهُ يا أَبا الحَسَنِ

Time has done him harm, striving hard,

And time has wronged it, exerting effort

until he cried out; so answer him, O Abu al-Hasan.

Until he called, so answer him O Abu Al-Hassan

أَوْرِدْهُ عندَكَ عّذْبَ الماءِ سَلْسَلَهُ

أَوْرِدْهُ عندَكَ عّذْبَ الماءِ سَلْسَلَهُ

واحْرُسْهُ بالوُدِّ عن تكديرِهِ الأَسنِ

واحْرُسْهُ بالوُدِّ عن تكديرِهِ الأَسنِ

Bring him to drink your sweet, smoothly flowing water,

Quench his thirst with fresh sweet water from you

and guard him with love from its being fouled by stagnation.

And guard him with love from troubling him the burdensome

وقد أَقامَكَ رَبًّا لا شريكَ لَهُ

وقد أَقامَكَ رَبًّا لا شريكَ لَهُ

وما أَظُنُّكَ تثنيهِ إِلى الوَثَنِ

وما أَظُنُّكَ تثنيهِ إِلى الوَثَنِ

And he has made you a lord with no partner,

And your Lord has made you a lord without a partner

and I do not think you will turn him back to an idol.

And I don't think you will incline him to idols

يخونُه اللُّه في سَمْع وفي بَصَرٍ

يخونُه اللُّه في سَمْع وفي بَصَرٍ

إِنْ كانَ خانَكَ في سِرٍّ ولا عَلَنِ

إِنْ كانَ خانَكَ في سِرٍّ ولا عَلَنِ

May God betray him in hearing and in sight,

May God betray him in hearing and vision

if he has betrayed you in secret or in public.

If he betrayed you in secret or openly

يهواكَ للدِّينِ والدنيا فأَنْتَ له

يهواكَ للدِّينِ والدنيا فأَنْتَ له

نعم المُقَرِّبُ من عَدْنٍ ومن عَدَنِ

نعم المُقَرِّبُ من عَدْنٍ ومن عَدَنِ

He loves you for religion and worldly life; for him you are

He inclines you for religion and world, so you are for him

a splendid means of drawing near to Eden and Aden.

The best one brought near from Eden and from settlements

ملكْتَهُ بأَيادِيكَ التي سَلَفَتْ

ملكْتَهُ بأَيادِيكَ التي سَلَفَتْ

فأَضْعَفَتْهُ بما أَضْعَفْتَ في الثَّمَنِ

فأَضْعَفَتْهُ بما أَضْعَفْتَ في الثَّمَنِ

You have owned him through your favors of old,

You possessed him with your hands that went before

and so they weakened him as you doubled his price.

So you weakened him with what you weakened in the price

فاجْذِبْ بكفِّكَ منه غير مُطَّرَحٍ

فاجْذِبْ بكفِّكَ منه غير مُطَّرَحٍ

وانظُرْ بعينيكَ فيه غَيْرَ مُمْتَهَنِ

وانظُرْ بعينيكَ فيه غَيْرَ مُمْتَهَنِ

So draw him close with your hand, without casting him aside,

So pull him with your palm without rejection

and look upon him with your eyes, not as one debased.

And look at him with your eyes without disgrace

ولا تَظُنَّ به ما لَيْسَ يعرِفُه

ولا تَظُنَّ به ما لَيْسَ يعرِفُه

فَظَنُّ رَبِّكَ مرفوعٌ عَنِ الظَّنَنِ

فَظَنُّ رَبِّكَ مرفوعٌ عَنِ الظَّنَنِ

Do not suspect him of what he does not know;

And do not assume about him what he does not know

for your Lord's judgment is above suspicion.

For your Lord's assumption is raised above assumptions

الناسُ في العَيْنِ أَشخاصٌ لها شَبَهٌ

الناسُ في العَيْنِ أَشخاصٌ لها شَبَهٌ

والعَقْلُ يَفْرِقُ بين النَّفْخِ والسِّمَنِ

والعَقْلُ يَفْرِقُ بين النَّفْخِ والسِّمَنِ

To the eye, people are figures resembling one another;

People in the eye are forms that resemble

but reason distinguishes puffing up from fatness.

And the intellect differentiates between breath and fat

عُذْرِي لمجدِكَ أَني غَيْرُ مُتَّهَمٍ

عُذْرِي لمجدِكَ أَني غَيْرُ مُتَّهَمٍ

فإِنْ شَكَكْتَ على الإِيمانِ فامْتَحِنِ

فإِنْ شَكَكْتَ على الإِيمانِ فامْتَحِنِ

My defense before your glory is that I am beyond suspicion;

My excuse for your glory is that I am not accused

so if you doubt my faith, put me to the test.

So if you doubted the faith, then test

عاهَدْتُ فيكَ ضَمِيرِي عَهْدَ ذِي ثِقَةٍ

عاهَدْتُ فيكَ ضَمِيرِي عَهْدَ ذِي ثِقَةٍ

لو نازَعَتْهُ المَنَايَا فيهِ لم يَخُنِ

لو نازَعَتْهُ المَنَايَا فيهِ لم يَخُنِ

I made a pact with my conscience concerning you, a trustworthy man's pact,

I have pledged in you the pledge of a confident conscience

which it would not betray, even if the fates of death wrestled with it over it.

If the fates disputed it, it would not betray

رَفَعْتُ كفِّيَ أَستجديكَ مغفرةً

رَفَعْتُ كفِّيَ أَستجديكَ مغفرةً

فاسمَحْ بها يا شقيقَ العارِضِ الهَتنِ

فاسمَحْ بها يا شقيقَ العارِضِ الهَتنِ

I raised my hand, begging forgiveness from you;

I raised my palm asking your forgiveness

so grant it, O brother of the pouring rain-cloud.

So allow it O brother of the visiting discord

وما هززتُكَ إلا بعد مخبرةٍ

وما هززتُكَ إلا بعد مخبرةٍ

بأَنَّ كفِّيَ هَزَّتْ نَبْعَةَ اليَمَنِ

بأَنَّ كفِّيَ هَزَّتْ نَبْعَةَ اليَمَنِ

I shook you only after learning through experience

And I only shook you after being informed

that my hand had shaken the nabʿ tree of Yemen.

That my palm shook the spring of Yemen

وما أَظُنُّكَ تَنْسَى كّلَّ سائِرَةٍ

وما أَظُنُّكَ تَنْسَى كّلَّ سائِرَةٍ

مُقِيمَةٍ غَرَّبَتْ لِلْحُسْنِ في الوطَنِ

مُقِيمَةٍ غَرَّبَتْ لِلْحُسْنِ في الوطَنِ

I do not think you forget any traveling verse,

And I don't think you forget every departing woman

abiding, yet venturing abroad for beauty within its homeland.

Settled, who went west to beauty in the homeland

حَبَّرْتُهَا فيكَ والأَلفَاظُ هاجِعَةٌ

حَبَّرْتُهَا فيكَ والأَلفَاظُ هاجِعَةٌ

فَنَابَ ذِكْرُكِ لِي فيها عن الْوَسَنِ

فَنَابَ ذِكْرُكِ لِي فيها عن الْوَسَنِ

I adorned it in your praise while the words lay asleep,

I composed them in you and the words are passionate

so remembrance of you replaced drowsiness for me within it.

So your memory alternated in them from intimacy

أَوْضَحْتَ مَنْهَجَها إِذْ كُنْتَ غايَتَهُ

أَوْضَحْتَ مَنْهَجَها إِذْ كُنْتَ غايَتَهُ

فّضَلَّ مَنْ ضَلَّ واسْتَوْلَتْ عَلَى السُّنَنِ

فّضَلَّ مَنْ ضَلَّ واسْتَوْلَتْ عَلَى السُّنَنِ

You made its path clear, since you were its destination;

You clarified their approach when you were their goal

so whoever strayed went astray, while it mastered the paths.

So one who strayed succeeded and took over the ways

وقارَنَتْ مِنْكَ معروفًا بمَعْرِفَةٍ

وقارَنَتْ مِنْكَ معروفًا بمَعْرِفَةٍ

ولم تَزَلْ تقرِنُ الإِحْسانَ بالْحَسَنِ

ولم تَزَلْ تقرِنُ الإِحْسانَ بالْحَسَنِ

It paired your kindness with knowledge,

And it continued to pair kindness with recognition

and has never ceased coupling beneficence with al-Hasan:

And it never stopped pairing benevolence with beauty

من ماهر فاضلٍ علاَّمَةٍ لَسِنٍ

من ماهر فاضلٍ علاَّمَةٍ لَسِنٍ

في ماهرٍ فاضلٍ علامةٍ لَسِنِ

في ماهرٍ فاضلٍ علامةٍ لَسِنِ

from a skilled, virtuous, profoundly learned, eloquent man,

From a skillful, outstanding, eloquent learned man

about a skilled, virtuous, profoundly learned, eloquent man.

To a skillful, outstanding, eloquent learned man

يقولُ سامِعُهَا مِمَّا يُدَاخِلُهُ

يقولُ سامِعُهَا مِمَّا يُدَاخِلُهُ

مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي قالَها أَو حُبِّرَتْ لِمَنِ

مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي قالَها أَو حُبِّرَتْ لِمَنِ

Its listener says, from what stirs within him:

The one who hears them says from what intermingles with him

Who was it that said it—or for whom was it finely composed?

Who is the one who said them or were they composed for whom?