أَتُراه بنفسِه يَذكرُ المَوْ

أَتُراه بنفسِه يَذكرُ المَوْ

لَى أمِ الحَزمُ مُوجِبٌ إدّكارَه

لَى أمِ الحَزمُ مُوجِبٌ إدّكارَه

Do you think he remembers, of his own accord, the client

Do you think the patron will remember of his own accord,

who belongs to him—or does prudence compel him to remember?

or does prudence require reminding him?

قد أَطال انتظاريَ الدَّهرُ والطّا

قد أَطال انتظاريَ الدَّهرُ والطّا

لبُ للشّيءِ قد يُطيلُ انتِظاره

لبُ للشّيءِ قد يُطيلُ انتِظاره

Time has indeed prolonged my waiting, and the seek—

Time has prolonged my waiting, and the seeker

—er of gray hair may well prolong his waiting.

of something may wait a long time for it.

وأزال اصْطباريَ الزَّمنُ الصّعْ

وأزال اصْطباريَ الزَّمنُ الصّعْ

بُ فلم يَملِكِ الفؤادُ اصطِباره

بُ فلم يَملِكِ الفؤادُ اصطِباره

Harsh time has stripped away my patience;

And harsh time has stripped me of my patience,

the heart could not command its own endurance.

so the heart could no longer sustain its endurance.

كلّما قلتُ حانَ إنجازُ أَمري

كلّما قلتُ حانَ إنجازُ أَمري

عَرَضَ الدّهرُ دُونَه أَعذاره

عَرَضَ الدّهرُ دُونَه أَعذاره

Whenever I said, “The fulfillment of my affair is at hand,”

Whenever I said, 'The time has come to settle my affair,'

Time interposed its excuses before it.

Time set its excuses in the way.

يَشْغَلُ الحَجُّ تارةً هكذا عنْ

يَشْغَلُ الحَجُّ تارةً هكذا عنْ

نِي المَوالي ويَشغَلُ الغَزْوُ تاره

نِي المَوالي ويَشغَلُ الغَزْوُ تاره

At times the pilgrimage distracts my patrons, drawing them away—

At times pilgrimage thus distracts the patrons from

—from me; at other times, the campaign distracts them.

me, and at times warfare distracts them.

فإلى اللّهِ أشتكِي ما أُلاقِي

فإلى اللّهِ أشتكِي ما أُلاقِي

من أُمورٍ تَضيقُ عنها العِباره

من أُمورٍ تَضيقُ عنها العِباره

So to God I complain of what I suffer:

So to God I complain of what I suffer:

troubles too vast for words to encompass.

matters that words are too narrow to encompass.

لم أَضِعْ إذ دَنا المَسيرُ بَلِ ازْدَدْ

لم أَضِعْ إذ دَنا المَسيرُ بَلِ ازْدَدْ

تُ ضَياعاً فالهَمُّ يَقدَحُ ناره

تُ ضَياعاً فالهَمُّ يَقدَحُ ناره

When departure drew near, I was not merely lost; I grew—

When departure drew near, I was not merely lost; rather, I grew

—more lost still, for anxiety kindles its fire.

more lost still, for anxiety kindles its fire.

وانقِطاعي عنِ اتّباعِ الحواشي

وانقِطاعي عنِ اتّباعِ الحواشي

فَرْطُ عَجْزٍ قد بَزَّ قلبي قَراره

فَرْطُ عَجْزٍ قد بَزَّ قلبي قَراره

My ceasing to pursue the courtiers

And my withdrawal from following the retinue

is sheer helplessness; my heart has made its resolve clear.

is utter helplessness that has robbed my heart of its repose.

فقصَدْتُ المَولَى العزيزَ لكَي يَج

فقصَدْتُ المَولَى العزيزَ لكَي يَج

بُرَ من قلبيَ الكئيبِ انكِساره

بُرَ من قلبيَ الكئيبِ انكِساره

So I sought the mighty patron, that he might re—

So I sought the mighty patron, that he might mend

—pair my sorrowing heart’s brokenness.

the brokenness of my sorrowful heart.

وانتهَتْ حَيرتي فصَيرَّتُ في أم

وانتهَتْ حَيرتي فصَيرَّتُ في أم

ري إلى رأيهِ الكريمِ اخْتِياره

ري إلى رأيهِ الكريمِ اخْتِياره

My bewilderment ended, and in my af—

And my bewilderment ended, so in my affair I entrusted

—fair I left the choice to his noble judgment.

the decision about it to his noble judgment.

فاصْطِناعي في مثْلِ ذا الوقتِ أَمْرٌ

فاصْطِناعي في مثْلِ ذا الوقتِ أَمْرٌ

لستُ أَرجو إلاّ عليهِ اقْتِداره

لستُ أَرجو إلاّ عليهِ اقْتِداره

So favor me, at a time like this, with a deed—

For taking me into favor at such a time is a task

I look to none but him for the power to accomplish it.

for which my only hope is his power.