عَفَا اللَه عما قد جَنَتهُ يَدُ الدَّهرِ

عَفَا اللَه عما قد جَنَتهُ يَدُ الدَّهرِ

فقد بَذَلَ المجهُودَ في طلب العُذرِ

فقد بَذَلَ المجهُودَ في طلب العُذرِ

May God forgive what the hand of time has done,

God forgive what the hands of fate have done

For it has done its utmost to seek pardon.

For he has made every effort seeking excuse

أيحسنُ أن أشكو الزمانَ الذي غَدَت

أيحسنُ أن أشكو الزمانَ الذي غَدَت

صنائعهُ عندي تَجِلُّ عن الشُّكرِ

صنائعهُ عندي تَجِلُّ عن الشُّكرِ

Is it fitting that I complain of time, when

Is it good that I complain of time which has made

Its favors to me have grown beyond all thanks?

Its works shine to me beyond all thanks

لقد كنتُ في أسر الخمول فلم يزَل

لقد كنتُ في أسر الخمول فلم يزَل

بِتَدريجِهِ حتى خَلَصتُ من الأَسرِ

بِتَدريجِهِ حتى خَلَصتُ من الأَسرِ

I was indeed a captive of obscurity, but it kept

I was truly in the shackles of inaction until

Advancing me by degrees until I escaped captivity.

Gradually it freed me from those shackles

فشكراً لأيَّامِ وفَتُ لي بوعدها

فشكراً لأيَّامِ وفَتُ لي بوعدها

وأبدت لعيني فوق ما جالَ في فكري

وأبدت لعيني فوق ما جالَ في فكري

So thanks to days that kept their promise to me,

So thanks to the days that kept their promise to me

And showed my eyes more than had crossed my mind.

And showed my eyes more than what wandered in my thoughts

وكم ليلةٍ قد بتُّها مُعسِراً ولى

وكم ليلةٍ قد بتُّها مُعسِراً ولى

بزخرف آمالي كنورٌ من الفَقرِ

بزخرف آمالي كنورٌ من الفَقرِ

And how many a night I spent in want, while I had,

And how many nights have I spent destitute and they passed

Amid my hopes’ glitter, [treasures?] of poverty.

With the adornments of my hopes like light in the darkness

أقول لقلبي كلما اشتقت للغنى

أقول لقلبي كلما اشتقت للغنى

إذا جاء نصر الله بُتَّت يَدُ الفَقرِ

إذا جاء نصر الله بُتَّت يَدُ الفَقرِ

I tell my heart whenever I long for wealth:

I say to my heart whenever I long for wealth

“When Nasr Allah comes, poverty’s hand is severed.”

When God’s help comes, the hands of poverty are tied

وإن جئتَهُ بالمدح يلقاك باللَّهَى

وإن جئتَهُ بالمدح يلقاك باللَّهَى

فكم مرةٍ قد قابل النظم بالنثرِ

فكم مرةٍ قد قابل النظم بالنثرِ

And if you come to him with praise, he meets you with gifts;

And if you come to him with praise, he meets you with grace

For how often he has answered verse with scattered coins!

So how many times has he replied to verse with prose

ويهتزُّ للجدوى إذا ما مدحته

ويهتزُّ للجدوى إذا ما مدحته

كما اهتزَّ حاشى وصفه شاربُ الخَمرِ

كما اهتزَّ حاشى وصفه شاربُ الخَمرِ

And he sways with eagerness to give whenever you praise him,

And he trembles with fervor when you praise him

As a wine-drinker sways—far be that description from him.

As the cupbearer of wine trembled when his attributes were described