ما يمنعُ الخادمَ من قَصْدهِ ال

ما يمنعُ الخادمَ من قَصْدهِ ال

خدمةَ غيرُ الطُّرْق والوحلِ

خدمةَ غيرُ الطُّرْق والوحلِ

Nothing keeps the servant from seeking the

Nothing prevents the servant from his purpose

service except the roads and the mud.

Except the muddy, rutted roads.

كأَنّما مَوْصلكم مقطعٌ

كأَنّما مَوْصلكم مقطعٌ

ما يُهتدى فيه إلى وصلِ

ما يُهتدى فيه إلى وصلِ

It is as though your Mosul were a place of severance,

It is as though your destination were cut off -

where no way to union can be found.

No path leads to your goal.

وكلُّ مَنْ حلَّ بها لا يرى

وكلُّ مَنْ حلَّ بها لا يرى

في زمنِ الخصبِ سوى المحلِ

في زمنِ الخصبِ سوى المحلِ

And everyone who lodges there sees nothing

And all who come here see

in a season of plenty but drought.

In times of bounty only barrenness.

ومذ دخلناها حصلنا بها

ومذ دخلناها حصلنا بها

كرهاً على خرجٍ بلا دخلِ

كرهاً على خرجٍ بلا دخلِ

And since we entered it, we have ended up there

Since entering it, we have found

against our will, with expenses and no income.

Regret instead of profit.

أَصعبُ ما نلقاهُ من أَهلها

أَصعبُ ما نلقاهُ من أَهلها

قولٌ بلا أهلٍ ولا سهلِ

قولٌ بلا أهلٍ ولا سهلِ

The hardest thing we encounter from its people

The most difficult thing we meet of its people

is speech with neither 'welcome' nor 'ease.'

Is words without people or plains.

وكنتُ أَهواها ولكنّني

وكنتُ أَهواها ولكنّني

لقيتُ منها كلَّ ما يسلي

لقيتُ منها كلَّ ما يسلي

And I used to love it, but I

I loved it, but I have found in it

found in it all that makes love fade.

Everything that pains me.

وأَنتَ مَنْ أَصبحَ إحسانُهُ

وأَنتَ مَنْ أَصبحَ إحسانُهُ

حليةَ هذا الزَّمنِ العُطلِ

حليةَ هذا الزَّمنِ العُطلِ

And you are the one whose kindness has become

And you are one whose kindness

the adornment of this unadorned age.

Has become the adornment of this futile age.