تَحَمَّلَ عَنهُ الصَبرُ يَومَ تَحَمَّلوا

تَحَمَّلَ عَنهُ الصَبرُ يَومَ تَحَمَّلوا

وَعادَت صَباهُ في الصِبا وَهيَ شَمأَلُ

وَعادَت صَباهُ في الصِبا وَهيَ شَمأَلُ

Patience departed from him the day they departed.

Patience endured for him on the day they endured

And his east wind, in youth, became a north wind.

And his youthfulness returned in his prime, exalted

بِيَومٍ كَقولِ الدَهرِ في عَرضِ مِثلِهِ

بِيَومٍ كَقولِ الدَهرِ في عَرضِ مِثلِهِ

وَوَجدِيَ مِن هَذا وَهَذاكَ أَطوَلُ

وَوَجدِيَ مِن هَذا وَهَذاكَ أَطوَلُ

On a day like Time's utterance about the breadth of its like,

With a day like the saying of fate regarding its like

and my anguish is longer than this and that.

And I found this and that more lasting

تَوَلّوا فَوَلَّت لَوعَتي تَحشُدُ الأَسى

تَوَلّوا فَوَلَّت لَوعَتي تَحشُدُ الأَسى

عَلَيَّ وَجاءَت عَبرَتي وَهيَ تَهمُلُ

عَلَيَّ وَجاءَت عَبرَتي وَهيَ تَهمُلُ

They turned away; my burning anguish began mustering sorrow

They turned away so my torment turned

upon me, and my tears came streaming down.

Upon me, and my tears came while they ebbed

بَذَلتُ لَهُم مَكنونَ دَمعي فَإِن وَنى

بَذَلتُ لَهُم مَكنونَ دَمعي فَإِن وَنى

فَشَوقي عَلى أَلّا يَجِفَّ مُوَكَّلُ

فَشَوقي عَلى أَلّا يَجِفَّ مُوَكَّلُ

I lavished my hoarded tears on them; and if they falter,

I gave them the hidden tears of my eyes, so if they forget

my longing is charged with keeping them from drying.

My longing is that the entrusted not dry up

أَلا بَكَرَت مَعذورَةً حينَ تَعذِلُ

أَلا بَكَرَت مَعذورَةً حينَ تَعذِلُ

تُعَرِّفُني مِنَ العَيشِ ما لَستُ أَجهَلُ

تُعَرِّفُني مِنَ العَيشِ ما لَستُ أَجهَلُ

Ah, she came early, blameless in her reproach,

Oh would that the excused had wept when she was blamed

teaching me about livelihood what I already know.

Making me know from life what I do not ignore

أَأَتبَعُ ضَنكَ الأَمرِ وَالأَمرُ مُدبِرٌ

أَأَتبَعُ ضَنكَ الأَمرِ وَالأَمرُ مُدبِرٌ

وَأَدفَعُ في صَدرِ الغِنى وَهوَ مُقبِلُ

وَأَدفَعُ في صَدرِ الغِنى وَهوَ مُقبِلُ

Should I pursue straitened fortunes when fortune turns away,

Shall I follow the worry of fate while fate is conducting

and thrust against wealth's breast as it advances?

And avoid the bosom of prosperity while it approaches

مُحَمَّدُ يا بنَ المُستَهِلِّ تَهَلَّلَت

مُحَمَّدُ يا بنَ المُستَهِلِّ تَهَلَّلَت

عَلَيكَ سَماءٌ مِن ثَنائِيَ تَهطُلُ

عَلَيكَ سَماءٌ مِن ثَنائِيَ تَهطُلُ

Muhammad, O son of al-Mustahill, there beams

Muhammad, O son of the Needy, the sky

above you a sky of my praise, pouring down.

Rained down upon you my praises pouring

وَكَم مَشهَدٍ أَشهَدتَهُ الجودَ فَاِنقَضى

وَكَم مَشهَدٍ أَشهَدتَهُ الجودَ فَاِنقَضى

وَمَجدُكَ يُستَحيا وَمالُكَ يُقتَلُ

وَمَجدُكَ يُستَحيا وَمالُكَ يُقتَلُ

How many a gathering you made a witness to generosity, which ended

And how many scenes you witnessed of generosity so they vanished

with your glory kept alive and your wealth slain.

And your glory is revived while your money is killed

بَلَوناكَ أَمّا كَعبُ عِرضِكَ في العُلى

بَلَوناكَ أَمّا كَعبُ عِرضِكَ في العُلى

فَعالٍ وَلَكِن خَدُّ مالِكَ أَسفَلُ

فَعالٍ وَلَكِن خَدُّ مالِكَ أَسفَلُ

We have tested you: as for your honor's ankle in the heights,

We tested you, indeed the heel of your honor is high

it stands high, but your wealth's cheek lies low.

In deeds, but the cheek of your money lower

تَحَمَّلتَ ما لَو حُمِّلَ الدَهرُ شَطرَهُ

تَحَمَّلتَ ما لَو حُمِّلَ الدَهرُ شَطرَهُ

لَفَكَّرَ دَهراً أَيُّ عِبأَيهِ أَثقَلُ

لَفَكَّرَ دَهراً أَيُّ عِبأَيهِ أَثقَلُ

You have borne what, if Time were made to bear half of it,

You endured what if the ages bore half of it

it would ponder for an age which of its two burdens was heavier.

It would contemplate for an epoch which of its burdens is heavier

أَبوكَ شَقيقٌ لَم يَزَل وَهوَ لِلنَدى

أَبوكَ شَقيقٌ لَم يَزَل وَهوَ لِلنَدى

شَقيقٌ وَلِلمَلهوفِ حِرزٌ وَمَعقِلُ

شَقيقٌ وَلِلمَلهوفِ حِرزٌ وَمَعقِلُ

Your father, Shaqiq, has always been, to generosity,

Your father is a brother who did not cease to be

a brother, and to the distressed a refuge and a stronghold.

A brother to the dew and a fortress for the anguished a refuge

أَفادَ مِنَ العَليا كُنوزاً لَوَ اَنَّها

أَفادَ مِنَ العَليا كُنوزاً لَوَ اَنَّها

صَوامِتُ مالٍ ما دَرى أَينَ تُجعَلُ

صَوامِتُ مالٍ ما دَرى أَينَ تُجعَلُ

He gained from lofty honor treasures that, if they

He benefited from the Most High treasures, if only they

were silent stores of wealth, he would not know where to put them.

Were silent wealth, he would not know where to place them

فَحَسبُ اِمرِئٍ أَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ آخِرٌ لَهُ

فَحَسبُ اِمرِئٍ أَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ آخِرٌ لَهُ

وَحَسبُكَ فَخراً أَنَّهُ لَكَ أَوَّلُ

وَحَسبُكَ فَخراً أَنَّهُ لَكَ أَوَّلُ

So it is enough for a man that you are his successor,

It is enough for a man that you are his other man

and enough pride for you that he is your forebear.

And it is enough pride for you that he is your first

وَهَل لِلقَريضِ الغَضِّ أَو مَن يَحوكُهُ

وَهَل لِلقَريضِ الغَضِّ أَو مَن يَحوكُهُ

عَلى أَحَدٍ إِلّا عَلَيكَ مُعَوَّلُ

عَلى أَحَدٍ إِلّا عَلَيكَ مُعَوَّلُ

And can tender verse, or the one who weaves it,

And is there for sincere poetry or its composer

rely on anyone but you?

Upon anyone except you to rely?

لِيَهنِ اِمرَأً أَثنى عَلَيكَ بِأَنَّهُ

لِيَهنِ اِمرَأً أَثنى عَلَيكَ بِأَنَّهُ

يَقولُ وَإِن أَربى فَلا يَتَقَوَّلُ

يَقولُ وَإِن أَربى فَلا يَتَقَوَّلُ

May a man who praises you rejoice that

It pleases a man who praises you by saying

he speaks truth: even if he goes far, he fabricates nothing.

He speaks but if he profits he will not exaggerate

سَهُلنَ عَلَيكَ المَكرُماتُ فَرَصفُها

سَهُلنَ عَلَيكَ المَكرُماتُ فَرَصفُها

عَلَينا إِذا ما اِستَجمَعَت فيكَ أَسهَلُ

عَلَينا إِذا ما اِستَجمَعَت فيكَ أَسهَلُ

Noble deeds came easily to you; arranging them

Honors come easily to you, so strew them

is easier for us when they all come together in you.

Upon us when you gather in yourself the easiest

رَأَيتُكَ لِلسَفرِ المُطَرَّدِ غايَةً

رَأَيتُكَ لِلسَفرِ المُطَرَّدِ غايَةً

يَؤُمّونَها حَتّى كَأَنَّكَ مَنهَلُ

يَؤُمّونَها حَتّى كَأَنَّكَ مَنهَلُ

I saw you as a destination for wayfarers driven onward.

I saw you as the goal of the ongoing journey

They head for it, until you seem a watering place.

They frequent it until it is as if you are a watering hole

سَأَلتُكَ أَلّا تَسأَلَ اللَهَ حاجَةً

سَأَلتُكَ أَلّا تَسأَلَ اللَهَ حاجَةً

سِوى عَفوِهِ ما دُمتَ تُرجى وَتُسأَلُ

سِوى عَفوِهِ ما دُمتَ تُرجى وَتُسأَلُ

I asked you to ask God for nothing

I asked you not to ask Allah for any need

but His pardon, so long as you are looked to with hope and petitioned.

Other than his forgiveness as long as you are hoped for and asked

وَإِيّاكَ لا إِيّايَ أَمدَحُ مِثلَما

وَإِيّاكَ لا إِيّايَ أَمدَحُ مِثلَما

عَلَيكَ يَقيناً لا عَلَيَّ المُعَوَّلُ

عَلَيكَ يَقيناً لا عَلَيَّ المُعَوَّلُ

And it is you, not myself, I praise, just as

And beware, not I, do I praise you just as

it is surely on you, not me, that reliance rests.

Upon you in certainty, not upon me, reliance lies

وَلَستَ تَرى أَنَّ العُلا لَكَ عِندَما

وَلَستَ تَرى أَنَّ العُلا لَكَ عِندَما

تَقولُ وَلَكِنَّ العُلى حينَ تَفعَلُ

تَقولُ وَلَكِنَّ العُلى حينَ تَفعَلُ

And you do not think that high honor is yours when

And you do not see that the heights are yours when

you speak, but high honor is yours when you act.

You speak, but the heights are when you act

وَلا شَكَّ أَنَّ الخَيرَ مِنكَ سَجِيَّةٌ

وَلا شَكَّ أَنَّ الخَيرَ مِنكَ سَجِيَّةٌ

وَلَكِنَّ خَيرَ الخَيرِ عِندي المُعَجَّلُ

وَلَكِنَّ خَيرَ الخَيرِ عِندي المُعَجَّلُ

And there is no doubt that your goodness is innate,

And there is no doubt that goodness is your nature

but the best good, to me, is that bestowed without delay.

But the best of goodness to me is what is rushed