جزى اللَّه عني قبحَ وجهي سعادةً

جزى اللَّه عني قبحَ وجهي سعادةً

كما قد جزاهُ والإله قديرُ

كما قد جزاهُ والإله قديرُ

May God reward my face’s ugliness with good fortune on my behalf,

May God reward me for the ugliness of my face with happiness

As He has already rewarded it—and God is all-powerful.

Just as He has rewarded him, and God is All-Powerful

ذَعَرْتُ به قوماً فأدَّوا إتاوةً

ذَعَرْتُ به قوماً فأدَّوا إتاوةً

كأني عليهم عند ذاك أمير

كأني عليهم عند ذاك أمير

With it I frightened people, so they paid tribute,

I frightened people with it, so they paid protection money

As though I were then a ruler over them.

As if I was their ruler at that time

فَدى نفسَهُ من قُبْح وجْهِيَ سَيِّدٌ

فَدى نفسَهُ من قُبْح وجْهِيَ سَيِّدٌ

وزيرٌ أبوه سيدٌ ووزير

وزيرٌ أبوه سيدٌ ووزير

A lord ransomed himself from my face’s ugliness—

A nobleman ransomed himself from the ugliness of my face

A minister whose father is a lord and minister.

A minister whose father was a nobleman and a minister

فلا يَقْطَعنَّ الرزقَ عنِّيَ قاسمٌ

فلا يَقْطَعنَّ الرزقَ عنِّيَ قاسمٌ

فليس له مني سواه خفير

فليس له مني سواه خفير

So let Qasim never cut off my allowance,

So let not Qasim cut off my livelihood

For he has no protector against me but that.

For he has no claim on me other than being my guard

عرفت له الإجراء وهو صنيعهُ

عرفت له الإجراء وهو صنيعهُ

وأنكرتُ منه الهجرَ وهو نكير

وأنكرتُ منه الهجرَ وهو نكير

I acknowledged his allowance—it is his kindness,

I knew his nature and that was his habit

And condemned his estrangement—it is reprehensible.

And I denied his estrangement which was unwarranted

وما قدْرُ ما يجري وغَيْبةُ وجْهِه

وما قدْرُ ما يجري وغَيْبةُ وجْهِه

تُطيلُ عليَّ الليلَ وهْو قصير

تُطيلُ عليَّ الليلَ وهْو قصير

What worth is what he pays, when his face’s absence

The duration of what happens and his absence

Lengthens the night for me, though it is short?

Prolongs the short night for me

لرؤيتُهُ عندي أجل منَ الذي

لرؤيتُهُ عندي أجل منَ الذي

يَحُلُّ به من مُلكه ويسيرُ

يَحُلُّ به من مُلكه ويسيرُ

Surely seeing him is more precious to me than whatever

Seeing him is more important to me than what

Of his possessions stays with him or travels.

Comes into his possession and passes

فلا تجعلنَّ الهجر دَأباً فإنهُ

فلا تجعلنَّ الهجر دَأباً فإنهُ

بإتمام ما أَسْدَى إليَّ جدير

بإتمام ما أَسْدَى إليَّ جدير

So do not make estrangement a habit, for he

So do not make estrangement your habit, for it

Is worthy of completing what he has bestowed on me.

Is worthy of perfecting what was initiated for me

وإلا فمالي حاجةٌ في نواله

وإلا فمالي حاجةٌ في نواله

وإني إلى ما دونَه لفَقير

وإني إلى ما دونَه لفَقير

Otherwise, I have no need of his bounty,

Otherwise, why would I need his company

Though I am truly in need of less than that.

When I am devoid of anything less than it

وهل نِعمة حتى تكونَ مَودَّة

وهل نِعمة حتى تكونَ مَودَّة

وهل رَوْضة حتى يكونَ غدير

وهل رَوْضة حتى يكونَ غدير

And can there be a blessing without affection?

Is there really a blessing for there to be affection?

And can there be a meadow without a pool?

Is there really a meadow for there to be a brook?

وكلُّ كثيرٍ تافهٌ عند وجهِهِ

وكلُّ كثيرٍ تافهٌ عند وجهِهِ

وكلّ كبيرٍ غيرَه فصغير

وكلّ كبيرٍ غيرَه فصغير

And all abundance is paltry beside his face,

Everything plentiful is paltry before his face

And every great thing other than him is small.

And everything great other than it is petty

أنائلُهُ يغتَرُّني عن لقائه

أنائلُهُ يغتَرُّني عن لقائه

ومجلِسه إنّي إذاً لغرير

ومجلِسه إنّي إذاً لغرير

Does his bounty beguile me away from meeting him

His gifts distract me from seeing him

And his company? Then I am indeed a dupe.

And his company, I am thus being deceived