أَمّا أَبو بِشرٍ فَقَد أَضحى الوَرى

أَمّا أَبو بِشرٍ فَقَد أَضحى الوَرى

كَلّاً عَلى نَفَحاتِهِ وَنَوالِهِ

كَلّاً عَلى نَفَحاتِهِ وَنَوالِهِ

As for Abu Bishr, mankind has now become

As for Abu Bishr, he has become a model

dependent on his bounties and largesse.

Of generosity in his breath and drink.

فَمَتى تُلِمُّ بِهِ تَؤُب مُستَيقِناً

فَمَتى تُلِمُّ بِهِ تَؤُب مُستَيقِناً

أَن لَيسَ أَولى مِن سِواهُ بِمالِهِ

أَن لَيسَ أَولى مِن سِواهُ بِمالِهِ

So whenever you visit him, you return convinced

So if you find fault with him, you will repent, certain

that he has no greater claim to his wealth than anyone else.

That none is worthier of his wealth than he.

كَرَمٌ يَزيدُ عَلى الكِرامِ وَتَحتَهُ

كَرَمٌ يَزيدُ عَلى الكِرامِ وَتَحتَهُ

أَدَبٌ يَفُكُّ القَلبَ مِن أَغلالِهِ

أَدَبٌ يَفُكُّ القَلبَ مِن أَغلالِهِ

Generosity surpassing that of the generous, and beneath it

A nobility exceeding all nobles, and beneath it

refinement that frees the heart from its shackles.

A refinement that frees the heart of its fetters.

أُبلِيتُ مِنهُ مَوَدَّةً عَبدِيَّةً

أُبلِيتُ مِنهُ مَوَدَّةً عَبدِيَّةً

راشَت نِبالي كُلَّها بِنِبالِهِ

راشَت نِبالي كُلَّها بِنِبالِهِ

I was granted by him an ʿAbdī friendship

I have received from him a sincere devotion

that feathered all my arrows with his arrows.

That has pierced all my arrows with his arrows,

حَتّى لَوَ اَنَّكَ تَستَشِفُّ ضَميرَهُ

حَتّى لَوَ اَنَّكَ تَستَشِفُّ ضَميرَهُ

لَرَأَيتَني في الصَدرِ مِن آمالِهِ

لَرَأَيتَني في الصَدرِ مِن آمالِهِ

So much so that, if you could peer into his heart,

So that if you could see into his conscience

you would surely see me foremost among his hopes.

You would see me in his breast among his hopes.

أَوَ ما رَأَيتَ الوَردَ أَتحَفَنا بِهِ

أَوَ ما رَأَيتَ الوَردَ أَتحَفَنا بِهِ

إِتحافَ مَن خَطَرَ الصَديقُ بِبالِهِ

إِتحافَ مَن خَطَرَ الصَديقُ بِبالِهِ

And did you not see the roses he presented us,

Or have you not seen the roses with which he gifted us

as one gives a gift when his friend comes to mind?

A gift from one whose friend came to mind?

وَرداً كَتَوريدِ الخُدودِ تَلَوَّنَت

وَرداً كَتَوريدِ الخُدودِ تَلَوَّنَت

خَجَلاً وَأَبيَضَ في بَياضِ فَعالِهِ

خَجَلاً وَأَبيَضَ في بَياضِ فَعالِهِ

Rose-red, like the flushing of cheeks that change color

Roses blushing red like cheeks, variegated

from shyness, and white ones matching the whiteness of his deeds.

With shyness, white in the whiteness of his deeds.

وَالقَهوَةُ الصَهباءُ ظَلَّت تُستَقى

وَالقَهوَةُ الصَهباءُ ظَلَّت تُستَقى

مِن طَيِّباتِ المُجتَنى وَحَلالِهِ

مِن طَيِّباتِ المُجتَنى وَحَلالِهِ

And the golden-red wine continued to be drawn

And coffee, pale, kept being served

from the good things of the harvest and its lawful yield.

From the pure joys and the lawful gains.

مَشمولَةً تُغني المُقِلَّ وَإِنَّما

مَشمولَةً تُغني المُقِلَّ وَإِنَّما

ذاكَ الغِنى التَزييدُ في إِقلالِهِ

ذاكَ الغِنى التَزييدُ في إِقلالِهِ

Cooled by the north wind, it enriches the poor man—yet

Inclusive, giving joy to the destitute, and yet

that wealth is only an increase in his poverty.

That wealth is but increase in his austerity.

وَمُلَحَّباً لاقى المَنِيَّةَ حاسِراً

وَمُلَحَّباً لاقى المَنِيَّةَ حاسِراً

وَالمَوتُ أَحمَرُ واقِفاً بِحِيالِهِ

وَالمَوتُ أَحمَرُ واقِفاً بِحِيالِهِ

And a flayed beast that met death unarmored,

And he met his death disappointed,

with red Death standing before it.

While death stood red before him.

فَكَبا كَما يَكبو الكَمِيُّ تَصَرَّفَت

فَكَبا كَما يَكبو الكَمِيُّ تَصَرَّفَت

أَيّامُهُ وَاِنبَتَّ مِن أَبطالِهِ

أَيّامُهُ وَاِنبَتَّ مِن أَبطالِهِ

So it fell as an armored warrior falls, with a reversal of

So he fell as the brave fall; his days

his fortunes, cut off from his champions.

Passed and the heroes sprang from his loins.

فَأَتى وَقَد عَرَّتهُ مُرهَفَةُ المُدى

فَأَتى وَقَد عَرَّتهُ مُرهَفَةُ المُدى

مِن روحِهِ جَمعاً وَمِن سِربالِهِ

مِن روحِهِ جَمعاً وَمِن سِربالِهِ

So it arrived, the keen-edged knives having stripped it

He came, and the miles had ravaged him,

of its life and its garment together.

Stripping his soul and his garments.

لَو كانَ يُهدى لِاِمرِئٍ ما لا يُرى

لَو كانَ يُهدى لِاِمرِئٍ ما لا يُرى

يُهدى لِعُظمِ فِراقِهِ وَذِيالِهِ

يُهدى لِعُظمِ فِراقِهِ وَذِيالِهِ

If a man could be given what is never seen

Had it been proper to give to one unseen

being given, because of its vast separation and trailing sweep,

What cannot be seen, to his sublime absence and train -

لَرَدَدتُ تُحفَتَهُ عَلَيهِ وَإِن عَلَت

لَرَدَدتُ تُحفَتَهُ عَلَيهِ وَإِن عَلَت

عَن ذاكَ وَاِستَهدَيتُ بَعضَ خِصالِهِ

عَن ذاكَ وَاِستَهدَيتُ بَعضَ خِصالِهِ

I would return his gift to him, though it rises

I would have returned his gift to him, though exalted

above that, and request some of his qualities as a gift.

From that, I have drawn some of his qualities.