قَد عَذَّبَ الحُبُّ هَذا القَلبُ ما صَلُحا

قَد عَذَّبَ الحُبُّ هَذا القَلبُ ما صَلُحا

فَلا تَعُدَّنَّ ذَنباً أَن يُقالَ صَحا

فَلا تَعُدَّنَّ ذَنباً أَن يُقالَ صَحا

Love has indeed tormented this heart; it has not healed.

Love has tormented this heart for as long as it remained whole,

So do not count it a sin for them to say it has sobered.

So do not count it a sin if it is rumored that he has recovered.

أَبقَيتَ فِيَّ لِتَقوى اللَهِ باقِيَةً

أَبقَيتَ فِيَّ لِتَقوى اللَهِ باقِيَةً

وَلَم أَكُن كَحَريصٍ لَم يَدَع مَرَحا

وَلَم أَكُن كَحَريصٍ لَم يَدَع مَرَحا

You left in me a remnant for the fear of God,

You left within me a remnant of God-fearing piety,

and I was not like an avid man who left no merriment untried.

And I was not like a greedy soul who left no pleasure unpursued.

وَحاجَةٍ لَم تَكُن كَالحاجِ واحِدَةً

وَحاجَةٍ لَم تَكُن كَالحاجِ واحِدَةً

كَلَّفتُها العَزمَ وَالعَيرانَةَ السُرُحا

كَلَّفتُها العَزمَ وَالعَيرانَةَ السُرُحا

And a need—not just a single one like other needs—

Driven by a need that was not, like common needs, merely one,

I entrusted it to resolve and the sturdy, fleet-footed she-camel.

I tasked my resolve and the swift, tall camels with its weight.

يَكونُ جَهدُ المَطايا عَفوَ سيرَتِها

يَكونُ جَهدُ المَطايا عَفوَ سيرَتِها

إِذا نَسائِجُها كانَت لَها وُشُحا

إِذا نَسائِجُها كانَت لَها وُشُحا

The mounts' utmost effort is her effortless pace,

The utmost exertion of these mounts appears but an easy pace,

when her woven coverings serve her as sashes.

Even when their saddle-pads shift upon them like sashes.

نَرمي بِها كُلَّ لَيلٍ كانَ كَلكَلُهُ

نَرمي بِها كُلَّ لَيلٍ كانَ كَلكَلُهُ

مِثلَ الفَلاةِ إِذا ما فَوقَها جَنَحا

مِثلَ الفَلاةِ إِذا ما فَوقَها جَنَحا

We hurl her through every night whose breast was

We cast them into every night whose heavy chest was

like the wasteland when it leaned above her,

Vast as a desert when it leans its darkness over the earth,

حَتّى تَبَيَّنَ في أَثناءِ نُقبَتِهِ

حَتّى تَبَيَّنَ في أَثناءِ نُقبَتِهِ

وِردَ السَراةِ تَرى في لَونِهِ مِلَحا

وِردَ السَراةِ تَرى في لَونِهِ مِلَحا

until, amid the folds of its mantle, there appeared

Until there appeared, within the folds of its veil,

a rosy-backed dawn, in whose hue you see white flecks.

The watering-path of dawn, in whose hue you see streaks of gray.

وَهُنَّ يَلحَقنَ بِالمِعزاءِ مُجمِرَةً

وَهُنَّ يَلحَقنَ بِالمِعزاءِ مُجمِرَةً

خُشمَ الأُنوفِ نَرى في خَطوِها رَوَحا

خُشمَ الأُنوفِ نَرى في خَطوِها رَوَحا

And they reach the stony ground, compact-hoofed,

They catch up with the stony ground, striking sparks,

blunt-nosed; we see how wide their strides are.

Flaring their nostrils, while we see a wideness in their stride.

يَطلُبنَ بِالقَومِ حاجاتٍ تَضَمَّنَها

يَطلُبنَ بِالقَومِ حاجاتٍ تَضَمَّنَها

بَدرٌ بِكُلِّ لِسانٍ يَلبِسُ المِدَحا

بَدرٌ بِكُلِّ لِسانٍ يَلبِسُ المِدَحا

Bearing the men, they seek to meet needs guaranteed by

They seek, carrying the people, needs that are guaranteed by

a full moon, clothed in praise upon every tongue.

A full moon who is robed in praise by every tongue.

كَأَنَّ فَيضَ يَدَيهِ قَبلَ تَسأَلُهُ

كَأَنَّ فَيضَ يَدَيهِ قَبلَ تَسأَلُهُ

بابُ السَماءِ إِذا ما بِالحَيا اِنفَتَحا

بابُ السَماءِ إِذا ما بِالحَيا اِنفَتَحا

It is as though his hands' outpouring, before you ask him,

It is as if the overflow of his hands, before you even ask,

were heaven's gate when it opens with rain.

Is the gate of heaven when it flings open with rain.

لَقَد نَزَلنا أَبا العَبّاسِ مَنزِلَةً

لَقَد نَزَلنا أَبا العَبّاسِ مَنزِلَةً

ما إِن تَرى خَلفَها الأَبصارُ مُطَّرَحا

ما إِن تَرى خَلفَها الأَبصارُ مُطَّرَحا

We have indeed alighted, Abu al-Abbas, at a station

We have alighted, O Abu al-Abbas, in a station

beyond which eyes see no further resting place.

Beyond which no eye can see any further destination.

وَكَلتَ بِالدَهرِ عَيناً غَيرَ غافِلَةٍ

وَكَلتَ بِالدَهرِ عَيناً غَيرَ غافِلَةٍ

مِن جودِ كَفِّكَ تَأسو كُلَّما جُرِحا

مِن جودِ كَفِّكَ تَأسو كُلَّما جُرِحا

You have set an ever-watchful eye over Time,

You have set a sleepless watchman over the vicissitudes of Time,

from your palm's bounty, healing whenever Time wounds.

From the generosity of your palm, healing whatever it wounded.

أَنتَ الَّذي تَأخُذُ الأَيدي بِحِجزَتِهِ

أَنتَ الَّذي تَأخُذُ الأَيدي بِحِجزَتِهِ

إِذا الزَمانُ عَلى أَولادِهِ كَلَحا

إِذا الزَمانُ عَلى أَولادِهِ كَلَحا

You are the one whose waistband hands grasp

You are the one to whose protection hands cling

when Time bares its teeth at its children,

When Fate grimaces fiercely at its own children.

كَما الرَبيعُ كَفى أَيّامَ نَكبَتِهِم

كَما الرَبيعُ كَفى أَيّامَ نَكبَتِهِم

صَدعَ الأُمورِ وَأَدنى وُدَّ مَن نَزَحا

صَدعَ الأُمورِ وَأَدنى وُدَّ مَن نَزَحا

just as al-Rabi', in their days of calamity, warded off

Just as the spring sufficed them in the days of their calamity,

the sundering of affairs and drew near the affection of those far away.

Mending the rifts of affairs and drawing near the love of the estranged.

تَئطُّ دونَ الرِجالِ الأَقرَبينَ بِهِ

تَئطُّ دونَ الرِجالِ الأَقرَبينَ بِهِ

قُربى رَؤومٌ وَجَيبٌ طالَما نَصَحا

قُربى رَؤومٌ وَجَيبٌ طالَما نَصَحا

Before the men closest to him there groan

There cries out, regarding his closest kin,

motherly kinship and a bosom that has often counseled well.

A tender kinship and a heart that has long given true counsel.

كانَ المُوادِعُ شَأوَ الفَضلِ مُستَتِراً

كانَ المُوادِعُ شَأوَ الفَضلِ مُستَتِراً

حَتّى إِذا رامَ تِلكَ الخُطَّةَ اِفتَضَحا

حَتّى إِذا رامَ تِلكَ الخُطَّةَ اِفتَضَحا

He who left al-Fadl's reach unchallenged remained concealed,

The pretender concealed his limit of merit,

until, when he sought that rank, he was disgraced.

Until, attempting this high station, he was exposed.

مَن لِلجِذاعِ إِذا المَيدانُ ماطَلَها

مَن لِلجِذاعِ إِذا المَيدانُ ماطَلَها

بِشَأوِ مُطَّلَعِ الغاياتِ قَد قَرِحا

بِشَأوِ مُطَّلَعِ الغاياتِ قَد قَرِحا

Who can aid the young steeds when the racecourse holds them back

Who is there for the young contenders when the race-field outlasts them,

from the reach of a full-grown steed that overtops the finish lines?

Against the stride of one who knows the goals and is battle-scarred?

مَن لا يُضَعضِعُ مِنهُ البُؤسُ أُنمُلَةً

مَن لا يُضَعضِعُ مِنهُ البُؤسُ أُنمُلَةً

وَلا يُصَعِّدُ أَطرافَ الرُبى فَرَحا

وَلا يُصَعِّدُ أَطرافَ الرُبى فَرَحا

One in whom hardship cannot shake even a fingertip,

He is one whom misery cannot shake by even a fingertip's breadth,

nor does he climb the hilltops in exultation.

Nor does joy send him climbing the peaks of pride.