أَمِن خَيال هُداه الشَوق وَالحِلم

أَمِن خَيال هُداه الشَوق وَالحِلم

ظَلَّت دموعك فَوق الخَدِّ تَنسَجِمُ

ظَلَّت دموعك فَوق الخَدِّ تَنسَجِمُ

Was it because of a phantom guided by longing and dream

Is it from the fantasy of his desire and dream

that your tears kept streaming down your cheek?

That your tears harmonized atop the cheek?

وَظِلَت تَستَفهِم الأَطلال ما فعلت

وَظِلَت تَستَفهِم الأَطلال ما فعلت

وَكَيفَ يَفهَمُ شَخصٌ مالَهُ فَهِمُ

وَكَيفَ يَفهَمُ شَخصٌ مالَهُ فَهِمُ

And you kept asking the ruins what they had done,

And the ruins kept asking what you did

and how can a form understand when it has no understanding?

And how can one without understanding understand?

حاشاك حاشاك أَن تَبكي لِغانِيَةٍ

حاشاك حاشاك أَن تَبكي لِغانِيَةٍ

تَبكي عَلَيكَ قَليلاً ثُمَّ تَبتَسِمُ

تَبكي عَلَيكَ قَليلاً ثُمَّ تَبتَسِمُ

Far be it from you, far be it, to weep for a beauty

Far be it for you to cry for a singing girl

who weeps for you a little, then smiles.

Who cries over you a little, then smiles

ما يَجلِب الدَمع بَعدَ العُدمِ مَنفَعَة

ما يَجلِب الدَمع بَعدَ العُدمِ مَنفَعَة

عِندَ الفِراقِ وَلا ضُرٌّ وَلا سَقَمُ

عِندَ الفِراقِ وَلا ضُرٌّ وَلا سَقَمُ

Tears bring no benefit after destitution,

What benefit is there in tears after death

at parting—nor do distress or sickness.

During farewell, neither harm nor illness

ما كانَ يدنيه إِكثار يقَرِّبه

ما كانَ يدنيه إِكثار يقَرِّبه

أَقصاه منك وَإِن أَدنيته عَدَمُ

أَقصاه منك وَإِن أَدنيته عَدَمُ

What abundance used to draw near and bring close,

That which intimacy did not bring near, abundance made distant

poverty has driven far from you, even if you draw it near.

Even if you brought it closer, it was still nonexistent

قُل لِلَّذينَ مُرادي قَبلَ بينهم

قُل لِلَّذينَ مُرادي قَبلَ بينهم

فَسَلَّموني إِلى الأَوصابِ لا سَلِموا

فَسَلَّموني إِلى الأَوصابِ لا سَلِموا

Say to those I desired before their parting,

Tell those whose intention I was before between them

who then handed me over to afflictions—may they find no safety!—

So they handed me over to the predators, they did not make peace

وَلِلزَّمانِ الَّذي أَخنى عَلى جَلدي

وَلِلزَّمانِ الَّذي أَخنى عَلى جَلدي

كن كَيفَ شِئتَ فَلي جَدٌّ وَمُعتَصِمُ

كن كَيفَ شِئتَ فَلي جَدٌّ وَمُعتَصِمُ

and to time, which ravaged my endurance:

And time which betrayed my skin

"Be as you wish, for I have good fortune and a refuge."

Be however you want, for I have a purpose and protector

أَعني أَبا حَسنٍ موسى الَّذي يَده

أَعني أَبا حَسنٍ موسى الَّذي يَده

مأوى العفاة وَتبدي شكرها أُمَمُ

مأوى العفاة وَتبدي شكرها أُمَمُ

I mean Abu Hasan Musa, whose hand

I mean Abu Hasan Musa whose hand

is a haven for seekers of bounty, and peoples express their gratitude.

Is refuge of the destitute and her gratitude encompasses nations

هَذا الوَزير الَّذي نُعماه قَد شهدت

هَذا الوَزير الَّذي نُعماه قَد شهدت

لَهُ البَرايا ومنه البؤس وَالنِعَمُ

لَهُ البَرايا ومنه البؤس وَالنِعَمُ

This is the minister whose bounty has been attested

This minister whom prosperity witnessed for him

by all creation; from him come misery and blessings.

Through it desolation and blessing

السَيد الكامِل الشَهم الأَديب وَمَن

السَيد الكامِل الشَهم الأَديب وَمَن

يَزهو بِراحَتِهِ القُرطاسُ وَالقَلَمُ

يَزهو بِراحَتِهِ القُرطاسُ وَالقَلَمُ

The perfect lord, gallant and cultured, and the one

The perfect master, valiant literary figure and he

in whose palm paper and pen take pride.

For whose comfort the paper and pen glory

يَدٌ تَقلِّم أَظفارَ الخُطوبِ لَهُ

يَدٌ تَقلِّم أَظفارَ الخُطوبِ لَهُ

رأي يكل لديه الصارِم الخَذِمُ

رأي يكل لديه الصارِم الخَذِمُ

A hand that clips calamities' claws; he has

A hand which trims the claws of calamities he has

counsel before which the keen-edged sword grows blunt.

An opinion whereby the fierce and stubborn are subdued

ذو عِزَّةٍ بِسَناها تَنجَلي الظُلم

ذو عِزَّةٍ بِسَناها تَنجَلي الظُلم

وَراحَة بنداها يُطرَد العَدَمُ

وَراحَة بنداها يُطرَد العَدَمُ

Possessed of might whose radiance dispels darkness,

Of such honor that by its authority injustice is illuminated

and a palm whose bounty drives poverty away.

And of such comfort that by its intimacy adversity is expelled

ما حَلَّ مِن جُودِهِ عقد اللَهى كرماً

ما حَلَّ مِن جُودِهِ عقد اللَهى كرماً

إِلّا وَأَضحى لَدَيهِ المَجدُ مُلتَطِمُ

إِلّا وَأَضحى لَدَيهِ المَجدُ مُلتَطِمُ

Never has he generously untied the knots of gifts from his bounty

No knot of sorrows was resolved from his generosity except

without glory surging in tumult before him.

That glory in his presence was shattered

وَلا بَكَت أَعيُن الأَموالِ مِن يَدِهِ

وَلا بَكَت أَعيُن الأَموالِ مِن يَدِهِ

إِلّا وَثغر الأَماني منه مُبتَسِمُ

إِلّا وَثغر الأَماني منه مُبتَسِمُ

Nor have the eyes of wealth wept at his hand

Nor did the eyes of riches weep from his hand

without the mouth of hopes smiling because of him.

Except that the lips of wishes through it smiled

يا مَن إِذا ورد السُؤال ساحَته

يا مَن إِذا ورد السُؤال ساحَته

رأت ما ملكت كَفّاه يُقتسَمُ

رأت ما ملكت كَفّاه يُقتسَمُ

O you, whenever petitioners enter your courtyard,

O you whom when asked, his court saw

they see all your two hands possess being shared out.

What his two hands possessed being divided

راجي يَديك أَتى مُستَفدياً وَبِهِ

راجي يَديك أَتى مُستَفدياً وَبِهِ

مِمّا يُعانيه مِن أَيامِهِ أَلَمِ

مِمّا يُعانيه مِن أَيامِهِ أَلَمِ

One who hopes in your hands has come seeking to be ransomed, bearing

A hopeful came to your hands taking benefit

pain from what he endures through his days.

From what pains his days brought him

فافكِكهُ مِن أَسر دَهرٍ هَدَّ جانبه

فافكِكهُ مِن أَسر دَهرٍ هَدَّ جانبه

فَإِنَّهُ سَجايا نفسك الكَرَمُ

فَإِنَّهُ سَجايا نفسك الكَرَمُ

So free him from bondage to time, which has crushed his side,

So release him from the shackles of time which ruined his side

for generosity is among the traits of your soul.

For it is your generous nature to pardon

فاِستَغنِم الشُكر فيما قَد تَمَنُّ بِهِ

فاِستَغنِم الشُكر فيما قَد تَمَنُّ بِهِ

فَالشُكرُ أَفضَل ما تَحوي وَتَغتَنِمُ

فَالشُكرُ أَفضَل ما تَحوي وَتَغتَنِمُ

So gain gratitude for what you may bestow,

So take advantage of gratitude for what you wish for

for gratitude is the best of what you possess and gain.

For gratitude is the best that you can gain and covet