أَبا سَعيدٍ وَما وَصفي بِمُتَّهَمٍ

أَبا سَعيدٍ وَما وَصفي بِمُتَّهَمٍ

عَلى الثَناءِ وَلا شُكري بِمُختَرَمِ

عَلى الثَناءِ وَلا شُكري بِمُختَرَمِ

O Abu Sa'id, my words are beyond suspicion

Abu Sa'id though I'm no slanderer accused,

in praising you, nor is my gratitude cut short.

With praise or thanks or self-esteem reduced.

لَئِن جَحَدتُكَ ما أَولَيتَ مِن حَسَنٍ

لَئِن جَحَدتُكَ ما أَولَيتَ مِن حَسَنٍ

إِنّي لَفي اللُؤمِ أَولى مِنكَ في الكَرَمِ

إِنّي لَفي اللُؤمِ أَولى مِنكَ في الكَرَمِ

If I deny the goodness you have bestowed on me,

If I deny the good you have displayed,

then I would rank higher in baseness than you in generosity.

In baseness I than you are more arrayed.

أَنسى اِبتِسامَكَ وَالأَلوانُ كاسِفَةٌ

أَنسى اِبتِسامَكَ وَالأَلوانُ كاسِفَةٌ

تَبَسُّمَ الصُبحِ في داجٍ مِنَ الظُلَمِ

تَبَسُّمَ الصُبحِ في داجٍ مِنَ الظُلَمِ

Your smile, while faces were pale, made me forget

Your smiling face I can't forget, though dim

the dawn's smile amid pitch-dark gloom.

The morn's first smile in darkness breaking grim.

كَذا أَخوكَ النَدى لَو أَنَّهُ بَشَرٌ

كَذا أَخوكَ النَدى لَو أَنَّهُ بَشَرٌ

لَم يُلفِ طَرفَةَ عَينٍ غَيرَ مُبتَسِمِ

لَم يُلفِ طَرفَةَ عَينٍ غَيرَ مُبتَسِمِ

So too your brother, Generosity, were he human,

Just so your tears, if human, smile-bedight,

would never be found unsmiling, even for the blink of an eye.

Ne'er other look but smiling gave the sight.

رَدَدتَ رَونَقَ وَجهي في صَحيفَتِهِ

رَدَدتَ رَونَقَ وَجهي في صَحيفَتِهِ

رَدَّ الصِقالِ بِماءِ الصارِمِ الخَذِمِ

رَدَّ الصِقالِ بِماءِ الصارِمِ الخَذِمِ

You restored my face's lustre upon its page,

You gave my face its sheen again that day,

as polishing restores the sheen of a keen, cutting sword.

As burnished steel regains its shine, they say.

وَما أُبالي وَخَيرُ القَولِ أَصدَقُهُ

وَما أُبالي وَخَيرُ القَولِ أَصدَقُهُ

حَقَنتَ لي ماءَ وَجهي أَو حَقَنتَ دَمي

حَقَنتَ لي ماءَ وَجهي أَو حَقَنتَ دَمي

It matters not to me—and the best words are the truest—

Good speech is truth; the best whate'er betide;

whether you preserved the lustre of my face or spared my blood.

You spilled my face's water or my blood.