يا ابنَ الوزيرَينِ لا مُواربة

يا ابنَ الوزيرَينِ لا مُواربة

قد مازجَ الصفْوَ عندكَ الكدرُ

قد مازجَ الصفْوَ عندكَ الكدرُ

O son of the two viziers, no dissembling:

O son of two viziers, there is no deviation

In your dealings, murk has mingled with clarity.

The pure and the turbid have mingled in you

أليس بدٌّ من الذعاف مع ال

أليس بدٌّ من الذعاف مع ال

شهد بلى والذنوبُ تُغْتَفَرُ

شهد بلى والذنوبُ تُغْتَفَرُ

Is there no escape from deadly poison alongside the

Is it not better than the bitterness with honey?

honey? There is—and sins are forgiven.

Yes, and sins can be forgiven

مالي بدار الهوان مُصْطَبَرٌ

مالي بدار الهوان مُصْطَبَرٌ

ولا بدار الضّياع مصطبر

ولا بدار الضّياع مصطبر

I have no endurance in a house of humiliation,

I have no patience with the house of humiliation

nor any endurance in a house of neglect,

Nor the house of loss

ولو كستْني السماءُ زينتَها

ولو كستْني السماءُ زينتَها

تاجاً وأمضَى احتكاميَ القدر

تاجاً وأمضَى احتكاميَ القدر

even if heaven clothed me with its splendor

Even if the sky adorned me with its finery

as a crown, and fate fulfilled my dictates.

And destiny carried out my judgment

وأنت إن شِئتَ كان بينهما

وأنت إن شِئتَ كان بينهما

مَعْدىً لذي حُرمةٍ ومُعْتصَر

مَعْدىً لذي حُرمةٍ ومُعْتصَر

And, if you wished, between the two there could be

You, if you wish, can make between them

a way of escape and a refuge for one owed respect.

A refuge for one of dignity and one oppressed

أودى بصبري الأذى وبرَّح بي ال

أودى بصبري الأذى وبرَّح بي ال

فَقْرُ وأنتَ المَلاذ والعَصَر

فَقْرُ وأنتَ المَلاذ والعَصَر

Harm has destroyed my patience, and I am tormented by

My patience brought me harm and my poverty relieved me

poverty; you are the refuge and shelter.

While you are the refuge and the pressing need

قد رفع اللَه قدر مثلِك بال

قد رفع اللَه قدر مثلِك بال

قدْرة يا من يُطيعُهُ القَدر

قدْرة يا من يُطيعُهُ القَدر

God has exalted the standing of one like you through

God has raised the worth of your like through

power, O you whom fate obeys,

Power, O you whom power obeys

أن تمنح الصفوَ جُلُّهُ كدرٌ

أن تمنح الصفوَ جُلُّهُ كدرٌ

أو تمنح النفعَ جُلُّهُ ضرر

أو تمنح النفعَ جُلُّهُ ضرر

above granting clarity that is mostly murk,

To grant all purity as turbid

or granting benefit that is mostly harm.

Or grant all benefit as harm

حسبي نصيراً على أخي كرم

حسبي نصيراً على أخي كرم

أنْ ليس لي مِنْ أذاه منتصَر

أنْ ليس لي مِنْ أذاه منتصَر

Sufficient as my champion against a generous man

It suffices me to have a protector over my brother of generosity

is that I have no defense against his harm.

That I have none to avenge me for his harm

هبْني امرَأً لم يكن له خطرٌ

هبْني امرَأً لم يكن له خطرٌ

ولم يزل يُزدرَى ويحتقر

ولم يزل يُزدرَى ويحتقر

Suppose I were a man who had no standing,

Make me a man who had no consequence

and had always been despised and scorned,

And was always scorned and disdained

جاءك مستشفِعاً بطَولك أن

جاءك مستشفِعاً بطَولك أن

تَزْهاهُ حتى يُرى له خَطر

تَزْهاهُ حتى يُرى له خَطر

who came to you, appealing to your bounty so that

Who came to you entreating your length

you might exalt him until he was seen to have standing.

That you may give him splendor so he is seen to have consequence

ألم يكن واجباً عليك له

ألم يكن واجباً عليك له

ذاك بحقٍّ إنْ صُحِّحَ النظر

ذاك بحقٍّ إنْ صُحِّحَ النظر

Would it not have been your duty to him

Was it not incumbent upon you for him

to do that, by right, if judgment were sound?

That, if the view is corrected?

بلى فما بالُ من له خطرٌ

بلى فما بالُ من له خطرٌ

ومدحُهُ فيك كله غُرر

ومدحُهُ فيك كله غُرر

Yes—then what of a man who has standing,

Yes, so what of one who has consequence

and whose praise of you is all brilliance?

And whose praise in you is all counterfeit?

جاءك يبغي المزيد منك فقد

جاءك يبغي المزيد منك فقد

صار حديثاً وعندك الخبر

صار حديثاً وعندك الخبر

He came to you seeking more from you; now he

He came to you seeking more from you, for he

has become a tale, and you know the facts.

Has become talked about, and you are aware

أضحى عدوٌّ قد كان يَحْسدُهُ

أضحى عدوٌّ قد كان يَحْسدُهُ

ودمعُهُ رحمةً له دِرَر

ودمعُهُ رحمةً له دِرَر

An enemy who once envied him has come to this:

An enemy who used to envy him

his tears stream in pity for him.

His tears for him are pearls of mercy

أظْلمَ ليلي وأنت لي قمرٌ

أظْلمَ ليلي وأنت لي قمرٌ

فَنَوِّرِ الليلَ أيها القمر

فَنَوِّرِ الليلَ أيها القمر

My night has darkened, and you are my moon;

My night has darkened, and you are my moon

so light up the night, O moon.

So illuminate the night, O moon

أجدَبَ سرحي وأنت لي مَطرٌ

أجدَبَ سرحي وأنت لي مَطرٌ

فزحزح الجدبَ أيها المطر

فزحزح الجدبَ أيها المطر

My pasture has grown barren, and you are my rain;

My meadow has dried up, and you are my rain

so drive away the drought, O rain.

So push away the drought, O rain

أرابَ دهري وأنت لي وَزَرٌ

أرابَ دهري وأنت لي وَزَرٌ

فدافع الريبَ أيها الوَزَر

فدافع الريبَ أيها الوَزَر

My fortune has grown ominous, and you are my refuge;

My time has failed me, and you are my provision

so fend off calamities, O refuge.

So drive away the doubt, O provision

أخطأتُ قصدي وأنتَ لي بصرٌ

أخطأتُ قصدي وأنتَ لي بصرٌ

فاركبْ بيَ القصد أيها البصر

فاركبْ بيَ القصد أيها البصر

I have missed my course, and you are my sight;

I missed my aim, and you are my sight

so carry me along the right course, O sight.

So steer me to the aim, O sight

كم قائل حين جاءهُ خَبري

كم قائل حين جاءهُ خَبري

تاللَّه ما قُدِّرتْ له الخِبَر

تاللَّه ما قُدِّرتْ له الخِبَر

How many a man, when news of me reached him, has said,

How many a sayer, when my news came to him

"By God, his experience has not been appreciated!

By God, the news was not destined for him

إنْ لا يغادر وشِلْوُهُ جَزَرٌ

إنْ لا يغادر وشِلْوُهُ جَزَرٌ

بين سباع فقدْرُهُ جَزر

بين سباع فقدْرُهُ جَزر

If he is not left with his carcass as butchered meat

If his cheeks do not spare a bit of stubble

among wild beasts, his cooking pot holds carrots."

Among lions, his bit is stubble.