لَقَد نامَ عَمّا قَد عَناكَ أَبو الفَضلِ

لَقَد نامَ عَمّا قَد عَناكَ أَبو الفَضلِ

وَلَيسَ لَهُ مِن موقِظٍ لَكَ كَالفَضلِ

وَلَيسَ لَهُ مِن موقِظٍ لَكَ كَالفَضلِ

Abu al-Fadl has indeed slept through what has troubled you,

Alas! Abu Al-Fadl is oblivious to your distress,

Abu al-Fadl has slept, ignoring the matter that troubles you,

And he has no one to rouse him for you like al-Fadl.

And none can rouse him to your plight like Fadl can.

And nothing can rouse him for your sake like his own grace.

فَقُل لِأَبي العَبّاسِ مُبتَدِئً لَهُ

فَقُل لِأَبي العَبّاسِ مُبتَدِئً لَهُ

وَقاكَ الرَدى مالي وَنَفسي مَعَ الأَهلِ

وَقاكَ الرَدى مالي وَنَفسي مَعَ الأَهلِ

So say to Abu al-Abbas, opening your address to him:

Say to Abu Al-‘Abbas, make a new beginning,

So say to Abu al-Abbas, commencing your address to him:

May my wealth, my life, and my family shield you from death.

Protect me from harm, myself and my family.

"May my wealth, my soul, and my family ransom you from death."

أَجِدَّكَ لَم تَسمَع بِبَيتٍ مَهَزَّةً

أَجِدَّكَ لَم تَسمَع بِبَيتٍ مَهَزَّةً

لَدى المَطلِ يا ذَخري فَتَصحو مِنَ المَطلِ

لَدى المَطلِ يا ذَخري فَتَصحو مِنَ المَطلِ

Have you truly not heard a rousing note in a verse,

I know you’ve not heard verses sung at your door,

"Have you not heard—in truth—a verse that stirs the heart,

Amid delay, O my treasure, so you might wake from delay?

To rouse you from sleep, O treasure of mine.

Regarding delay, O my treasure, that you might wake from deferral?"

مَتى ما أَقُل يَوماً لِطالِبِ حاجَةٍ

مَتى ما أَقُل يَوماً لِطالِبِ حاجَةٍ

نَعَم أَقضِها حَتماً وَذَلِكَ مِن شَكلي

نَعَم أَقضِها حَتماً وَذَلِكَ مِن شَكلي

Whenever, one day, I tell someone seeking a favor,

Whenever I say to one seeking a favour,

"'Whenever I say, one day, to one who seeks a need:

“Yes,” I fulfill it without fail, and that is my way.

“Yes I’ll grant it, for sure”, such is my way.

"'Yes, I shall grant it without fail'—for that is my way,"

فَإِن قُلتَ قَد قَصَّرتَ فيها وَلَيسَ مَن

فَإِن قُلتَ قَد قَصَّرتَ فيها وَلَيسَ مَن

بَغى حاجَةً إِلّا كَما قالَ ذو الفَضلِ

بَغى حاجَةً إِلّا كَما قالَ ذو الفَضلِ

Then if you say, “You have fallen short in this, and those

If you say “You fell short”, none who sought

"'And if you claim I have fallen short, know that none

Who seek a favor are only as the man of merit said:

A favour but found me as Fadl described.

Seek a need, except as the Man of Grace has observed:"

فَما طالِبُ الحاجاتِ مِمَّن يَرومُها

فَما طالِبُ الحاجاتِ مِمَّن يَرومُها

مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا المُصبِحونَ عَلى رَحلِ

مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا المُصبِحونَ عَلى رَحلِ

The seekers of favors, among those who pursue them,

Those seeking favours are not of the sort

"'For the seekers of needs, among those they petition,

Are, among men, only those in the saddle at dawn,”

Who pursue them from people at dawn.

Are but travelers ready to saddle their mounts at dawn.'"

فَقَد كانَ مِنّي ذاكَ فيها تَعَمَّداً

فَقَد كانَ مِنّي ذاكَ فيها تَعَمَّداً

لِما قالَ في الأَمثالِ جَروَلُ مِن قَبلي

لِما قالَ في الأَمثالِ جَروَلُ مِن قَبلي

That was indeed deliberate on my part in this,

I did that intentionally, for as the sayings go,

"'Thus, that delay on my part was an intentional act,

Because of what Jarwal said in proverbs before me:

“Offer less at first”, as said before me.

Following what Jarwal said in proverbs before me:"

تَأَنَّ مَواعيدَ الكِرامِ فَرُبَّما

تَأَنَّ مَواعيدَ الكِرامِ فَرُبَّما

حَمَلتَ مِنَ الإِلحاحِ سَمحاً عَلى البُخلِ

حَمَلتَ مِنَ الإِلحاحِ سَمحاً عَلى البُخلِ

“Be patient with the promises of the generous, for you may

Put off fulfilling promises, lest you should bear

"'Wait patiently for the promises of the noble, for perhaps

Through insistence drive a generous man to miserliness.”

Importunity graciously, though mean at heart.

You might force a generous man to stinginess through pestering.'"