إِذا كُنتَ لا تَحفى بِقُربي وَلا بُعدي

إِذا كُنتَ لا تَحفى بِقُربي وَلا بُعدي

وَلَم تَدرِ ما عِندي وَقَد جَلَّ ما عِندي

وَلَم تَدرِ ما عِندي وَقَد جَلَّ ما عِندي

If you care neither for my nearness nor my distance,

If you say that my nearness and my distance

and do not know what I bear, though what I bear is great,

Are all the same to you, and do not know

فَهَل أَنتَ إِن حَكَّمتُ جودَكَ مُنصِفٌ

فَهَل أَنتَ إِن حَكَّمتُ جودَكَ مُنصِفٌ

فَما لي عَلَيهِ غَيرُ جودِكَ مِن مُعدِ

فَما لي عَلَيهِ غَيرُ جودِكَ مِن مُعدِ

will you be fair, then, if I appoint your generosity judge?

What I can offer, though my gifts are plain,

For I have no helper against it save your generosity.

Can you be fair, if I make known my bounty?

أَبى الحَقُّ أَن يَخفى وَأَقضي وَلا أُرى

أَبى الحَقُّ أَن يَخفى وَأَقضي وَلا أُرى

بِجودِكَ يَوماً في سَعيدٍ وَلا سَعدِ

بِجودِكَ يَوماً في سَعيدٍ وَلا سَعدِ

Truth refuses to be hidden, while I perish without being seen,

Truth will not hide, though I say naught but judge

through your generosity, even for a day, among Sa'id or Sa'd.

Your kindness one day, in both joy and sorrow.

وَيَدفَعُ في صَدري حِجابُكَ بَعدَما

وَيَدفَعُ في صَدري حِجابُكَ بَعدَما

أَكونُ وَما قَلبي لإِنسٍ وَلا بَعدي

أَكونُ وَما قَلبي لإِنسٍ وَلا بَعدي

And your barrier thrusts against my chest, after

After your veil has thrust me from your heart,

I am—and my heart belongs to no human, nor after me [wording unclear].

Though once my heart held neither man nor distance.

فَما لي قَد أُبعِدتُ عَنكَ وَطالَما

فَما لي قَد أُبعِدتُ عَنكَ وَطالَما

دَعَوتُ فَلَم تُبعِد نَداكَ عَلى بُعدي

دَعَوتُ فَلَم تُبعِد نَداكَ عَلى بُعدي

Why, then, have I been kept far from you, when so often

Why am I exiled now, when I have called

I called, and you did not withhold your bounty, despite my distance?

So long and you came never slow to my call?

وَأَصبَحتُ قَد شورِكتُ فيكَ وَلَم نَزَل

وَأَصبَحتُ قَد شورِكتُ فيكَ وَلَم نَزَل

كَغُصنَينِ في ساقٍ وَسَيفَينِ في غِمدِ

كَغُصنَينِ في ساقٍ وَسَيفَينِ في غِمدِ

And now others share you with me, though we have always been

We mingled like the boughs and blades together

like two branches on one trunk and two swords in one sheath.

Yet now are parted, sheath and sword disjoined.

أَلِلجِدِّ هَذا مِنكَ أَم أَنتَ مازِحٌ

أَلِلجِدِّ هَذا مِنكَ أَم أَنتَ مازِحٌ

فَكَم مِن مُزاحٍ عادَ يَوماً إِلى الجِدِّ

فَكَم مِن مُزاحٍ عادَ يَوماً إِلى الجِدِّ

Is this in earnest on your part, or are you joking?

Is this in earnest? Do you jest with me?

For many a jest has one day turned serious.

How oft a jest becomes grim earnest in the end!

وَلَيسَ دَوامُ الشُكرِ يَوماً بِواجِدٍ

وَلَيسَ دَوامُ الشُكرِ يَوماً بِواجِدٍ

لِمَن لَم يَدُم مِنهُ الوَفاءُ عَلى العَهدِ

لِمَن لَم يَدُم مِنهُ الوَفاءُ عَلى العَهدِ

And lasting gratitude is never forthcoming

Gratitude endures no lasting pacts with those

for one whose faithfulness to the pledge has not endured.

Whose troth itself is but a transient thing.