إن الخطوب سقيني

إن الخطوب سقيني

كأس الأسى بصروفهنّه

كأس الأسى بصروفهنّه

The calamities have made me drink

The sorrows have made me drink

the cup of sorrow through their vicissitudes,

The cup of grief with its bitter drafts,

ورمينني بعجائب

ورمينني بعجائب

لا ليس لي منهنّ جنّه

لا ليس لي منهنّ جنّه

and pelted me with strange things.

And cast at me strange things,

No—I have no shield against them.

Of which I have no paradise.

والله أرجو أن يخلّصني

والله أرجو أن يخلّصني

لا أكون طريحهنّه

لا أكون طريحهنّه

And it is God I hope will deliver me,

I hope that God will deliver me,

so I do not lie struck down by them.

Lest I become one of their victims.

فهو السميع لكل داع

فهو السميع لكل داع

إن دعي بعظيم منّه

إن دعي بعظيم منّه

For He is the Hearer of every supplicant,

He is the All-Hearing of every supplicant,

if invoked through His immense bounty.

If He is called upon with great reverence.

يا سادتي يا من في طلب

يا سادتي يا من في طلب

الغنى قبضوا الأكنّه

الغنى قبضوا الأكنّه

O my masters, you who, in pursuit

O my masters, O you who seek

of wealth, have clutched the coverings,

Wealth, seize the treasures!

ضنّوا بما حوت الأكفّ

ضنّوا بما حوت الأكفّ

واقصروا من بسطهنّه

واقصروا من بسطهنّه

were stingy with what the palms held

Be miserly with what your palms encompass

and refrained from extending them:

And limit what you have stretched out.

صنت المدائح عنهم

صنت المدائح عنهم

وبكيت واستثنيت أنّه

وبكيت واستثنيت أنّه

I withheld praise from them,

I have refrained from praising them

and I wept, reserving a sigh,

And wept, making an exception that

أسفا على أهل الوفا

أسفا على أهل الوفا

والمكرمات وكل منّه

والمكرمات وكل منّه

in sorrow for the people of loyalty,

I grieve for the loyal

and noble deeds, and every bounty.

And the generous and all who are perfect.

وخضعت في طلبِ المعا

وخضعت في طلبِ المعا

ش لكل حاتيه مسنّه

ش لكل حاتيه مسنّه

And I humbled myself in seeking a livelihood,

I have humbled myself in seeking livelihood

before every aged woman [unclear epithet].

For every obstinate transgressor.

أدعو النساء إلى النجو

أدعو النساء إلى النجو

م مبشّراً ببخوتهنّه

م مبشّراً ببخوتهنّه

I call women to the stars,

I call the women to salvation

bringing glad tidings of their fortunes.

Heralding their good fortune,

يأخذن عنّي ما يطي

يأخذن عنّي ما يطي

ر مع الرياح بمرّهنّه

ر مع الرياح بمرّهنّه

They take from me what flies

That they may take from me what will

with the winds as they pass.

Fly away with the winds in their sickness,

ويقمن من عندي وقد

ويقمن من عندي وقد

حصّلت بعض كنوزهنّه

حصّلت بعض كنوزهنّه

And they rise to leave me, when already

And that they may leave me, having

I have acquired some of their treasures.

Obtained some of their treasures,

يأخذن عنّي ألذي

يأخذن عنّي ألذي

سخنت عليه عيونهنّه

سخنت عليه عيونهنّه

They take from me that

Taking from me what

over which their eyes grew hot.

I have inflamed their eyes towards.

فإذا رجعن ولم يكن

فإذا رجعن ولم يكن

ما قلت فيما نالهنّه

ما قلت فيما نالهنّه

Then, when they return and there has been no

So if they return and have not found

fulfillment of my words in what befell them,

What I spoke of in what they attained,

يشتمنني بجنووهن

يشتمنني بجنووهن

سفاهة وأسبُهنّه

سفاهة وأسبُهنّه

they revile me in their madness,

They will insult me in their madness,

foolishly, and I revile them.

Foolishness, and vilify me.

وتقَلّلا ما إن علي

وتقَلّلا ما إن علي

لغير ربّ العرش منه

لغير ربّ العرش منه

And I make do with little; no favor binds me

By God! I have no lord

to any but the Lord of the Throne.

Other than the Lord of the Throne.

لا بد من طلب المعا

لا بد من طلب المعا

ش ولو على ظهر الأسنّه

ش ولو على ظهر الأسنّه

One must seek a livelihood,

I must seek livelihood

even on the backs of spearpoints.

Even if it be on the back of serpents.