لَم تَدرِ جارَتُنا وَلا تَدري

لَم تَدرِ جارَتُنا وَلا تَدري

أَنَّ المَلامَةَ إِنَّما تُغري

أَنَّ المَلامَةَ إِنَّما تُغري

Our neighbor did not know, nor does she know,

Our neighbor does not know, nor is she aware,

Our neighbor did not realize, nor does she know,

That reproach only entices.

That blame only makes matters worse.

That blame only serves to incite me further.

هَبَّت تَلومُكَ غَيرَ عاذِرَةٍ

هَبَّت تَلومُكَ غَيرَ عاذِرَةٍ

وَلَقَد بَدا لَكَ أَوسَعُ العُذرِ

وَلَقَد بَدا لَكَ أَوسَعُ العُذرِ

She rose to reproach you, making no allowance,

She rushed to blame you, unforgiving,

She began to rebuke you, offering no excuse,

Though you plainly had the amplest excuse.

When the greatest excuse was clear to you.

Though the amplest justification was clear before you.

وَاِستَبعَدَت مِصراً وَما بَعُدَت

وَاِستَبعَدَت مِصراً وَما بَعُدَت

أَرضٌ يَحُلُّ بِها أَبو نَصرِ

أَرضٌ يَحُلُّ بِها أَبو نَصرِ

She deemed Egypt distant, but no land is far

She shunned Egypt, though not far,

She deemed Egypt distant, yet no land is far

Where Abu Nasr dwells.

A land where Abu Nasr may settle.

Wherein Abu Nasr has chosen to reside.

وَلَقَد وَصَلتُ بِكَ الرَجاءَ وَلي

وَلَقَد وَصَلتُ بِكَ الرَجاءَ وَلي

مَندوحَةٌ لَو شِئتُ عَن مِصرِ

مَندوحَةٌ لَو شِئتُ عَن مِصرِ

I have indeed bound my hope to you, though I have

I had hoped, through you, to attain comfort,

I have tethered my hope to you, though I possess

Other recourse, if I wished, apart from Egypt,

An alternative, if I wished, to Egypt.

Alternatives to Egypt, had I wished to seek them,

فيما تُنافِسُهُ المُلوكُ مِنَ ال

فيما تُنافِسُهُ المُلوكُ مِنَ ال

حورِ الحِسانِ وَعاتِقِ الخَمرِ

حورِ الحِسانِ وَعاتِقِ الخَمرِ

In what kings vie for, such as the

While kings compete for

Among those treasures for which kings compete:

Beautiful, dark-eyed women and aged wine,

Beautiful women and wine bearers,

Beautiful maidens and vintage wine,

وَمُحَدِّثٍ كَثُرَت طَرائِفُهُ

وَمُحَدِّثٍ كَثُرَت طَرائِفُهُ

عانٍ لَدَيَّ بِقِلَّةِ الوَفرِ

عانٍ لَدَيَّ بِقِلَّةِ الوَفرِ

And a storyteller whose amusing tales abound,

And storytellers whose anecdotes

And a storyteller whose rare tales abound,

Bound to my side by lack of means.

Are scarce to me and lacking splendor.

Suffering beside me from the scarcity of wealth.

إِنّي لَآمَلُ يا خَصيبُ عَلى

إِنّي لَآمَلُ يا خَصيبُ عَلى

يَدِكَ اليَسارَةَ آخِرَ الدَهرِ

يَدِكَ اليَسارَةَ آخِرَ الدَهرِ

I surely hope, O Khasib, through

I do hope, O Khasib, that eternal

I surely hope, O Khasib, to find at

Your hand to prosper until time's end.

Prosperity comes by your hand.

Your hand, prosperity until the end of time.

وَكَذاكَ نِعمَ السوقُ أَنتَ لِمَن

وَكَذاكَ نِعمَ السوقُ أَنتَ لِمَن

كَسَدَت عَلَيهِ تِجارَةُ الشِعرِ

كَسَدَت عَلَيهِ تِجارَةُ الشِعرِ

And likewise, what a fine market you are for one

Just as you are an excellent market for those

And thus, what an excellent market you are for one

Whose trade in poetry has languished.

Whose poetry trade is obstructed.

Whose trade in poetry has fallen into stagnation.

أَنتَ المُبَرِّزُ يَومَ سَبقِهِمُ

أَنتَ المُبَرِّزُ يَومَ سَبقِهِمُ

إِنَّ الجَوادَ بِعُرفِهِ يَجري

إِنَّ الجَوادَ بِعُرفِهِ يَجري

You are the frontrunner on the day they race;

You stand out on the day of their race,

You are the foremost victor on the day of their race;

For the generous man races ahead through his bounty.

For the steed runs according to its pedigree.

For the thoroughbred runs by the virtue of his mane.

عَلِمَ الخَليفَةُ أَنَّ نِعمَتَهُ

عَلِمَ الخَليفَةُ أَنَّ نِعمَتَهُ

حَلَّت بِساحَةِ طَيِّبِ النَشرِ

حَلَّت بِساحَةِ طَيِّبِ النَشرِ

The caliph knew that his favor

The Caliph knew his blessing

The Caliph has recognized that his bounty

Had settled in the courtyard of one of sweet fragrance:

Had settled in the abode of fragrant publishing.

Has settled in the court of one with fragrant repute.

كافٍ إِذا عَصَبَ الأُمورَ بِهِ

كافٍ إِذا عَصَبَ الأُمورَ بِهِ

ماضي العَزيمَةِ جامِعُ الأَمرِ

ماضي العَزيمَةِ جامِعُ الأَمرِ

Capable when affairs are entrusted to him,

When one like you takes charge of affairs,

Capable, when weighty matters are bound to him,

Firm in resolve, holding affairs together.

Resolute and unifying commands, it suffices.

Of piercing resolve and comprehensive command.

فَاِنقَع بِسَيبِكَ غُلَّةً نَزَحَت

فَاِنقَع بِسَيبِكَ غُلَّةً نَزَحَت

بي عَن بِلادي وَاِرتَهِن شُكري

بي عَن بِلادي وَاِرتَهِن شُكري

So quench with your bounty the burning thirst that drove

So unsheathe your sword and dispel

So quench with your torrential gift a thirst that drove

Me from my homeland, and take my gratitude as a pledge.

The gloom that has come over my country, and have my gratitude.

Me far from my homeland, and hold my gratitude in pledge.