يا غادِياً وَالثَغرُ خَلفَ مَسائِهِ

يا غادِياً وَالثَغرُ خَلفَ مَسائِهِ

يَصِلُ السُرى بِأَصيلِهِ وَضَحائِهِ

يَصِلُ السُرى بِأَصيلِهِ وَضَحائِهِ

O traveler setting out at dawn, the frontier behind you in its evening,

O dawn traveler, with the frontier behind you by evening,

bearing the night-road through late afternoon and broad morning light,

Joining night travel to your late afternoon and morning,

أَلمِم بِساحَةِ يوسُفِ بنِ مُحَمَّدٍ

أَلمِم بِساحَةِ يوسُفِ بنِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَاِنظُر إِلى أَرضِ النَدى وَسَمائِهِ

وَاِنظُر إِلى أَرضِ النَدى وَسَمائِهِ

alight at the courtyard of Yusuf ibn Muhammad,

Call at the courtyard of Yusuf ibn Muhammad,

and behold there bounty’s earth and sky.

And behold generosity's earth and sky.

وَاِقرَ السَلامَ عَلى السَماحَةِ إِنَّها

وَاِقرَ السَلامَ عَلى السَماحَةِ إِنَّها

مَحشورَةٌ مِن دونِهِ وَوَرائِهِ

مَحشورَةٌ مِن دونِهِ وَوَرائِهِ

Convey greetings to magnanimity, for truly it

And offer greetings to munificence, for it is

is bounded by him, before and behind.

Gathered before him and behind him.

وأَرى المَكارِمَ أَصبَحَت أَسماؤُها

وأَرى المَكارِمَ أَصبَحَت أَسماؤُها

مُشتَقَّةً في الناسِ مِن أَسمائِهِ

مُشتَقَّةً في الناسِ مِن أَسمائِهِ

I see the noble virtues—their very names

And I see that the names of noble virtues have become

have come among men to be derived from his own:

Derived, among people, from his names.

كَلغَيثِ مُنسَكِباً عَلى إِخوانِهِ

كَلغَيثِ مُنسَكِباً عَلى إِخوانِهِ

كَالنارِ مُلتَهِباً عَلى أَعدائِهِ

كَالنارِ مُلتَهِباً عَلى أَعدائِهِ

like rain streaming down upon his brethren,

Like rain pouring down upon his brethren,

like fire blazing against his enemies.

Like fire blazing against his enemies.

فارَقتُ يَومَ فِراقِهِ الزَمَنَ الَّذي

فارَقتُ يَومَ فِراقِهِ الزَمَنَ الَّذي

لاقَيتُهُ يَهتَزُّ يَومَ لِقائِهِ

لاقَيتُهُ يَهتَزُّ يَومَ لِقائِهِ

The day I parted from him, I parted from the age

The day I parted from him, I parted from the time that

I had found exulting on the day I met him.

I had found swaying with joy the day I met him.

وَعَرَفتُ نَفسي بَعدَهُ في مَعشَرٍ

وَعَرَفتُ نَفسي بَعدَهُ في مَعشَرٍ

ضاقوا عَلَيَّ بِعَقبِ يَومِ قَضائِهِ

ضاقوا عَلَيَّ بِعَقبِ يَومِ قَضائِهِ

After him, I learned my own condition among a people

And after him I found myself among people

who made life strait for me after the day of his death.

Who grew grudging toward me after the day of his passing.

ماكُنتُ أَفهَمُ نَيلَهُ في قُربِهِ

ماكُنتُ أَفهَمُ نَيلَهُ في قُربِهِ

حَتّى نَأى فَفَهِمتُهُ في نائِهِ

حَتّى نَأى فَفَهِمتُهُ في نائِهِ

I had not understood his bounty while he was near,

I did not appreciate his bounty while close to him,

until he went far away; then, in his remoteness, I understood it.

Until he went far away; then I understood it in his absence.

يَفديكَ راجٍ مادِحٌ لَم يَنقَلِب

يَفديكَ راجٍ مادِحٌ لَم يَنقَلِب

إِلّا بِصِدقِ مَديحِهِ وَرَجائِهِ

إِلّا بِصِدقِ مَديحِهِ وَرَجائِهِ

May a hopeful praise-poet ransom you—one who returned

May a hopeful praiser ransom you; he did not return

only with his praise proven true and his hope fulfilled.

Except with his praise and hope proved true.

وافاهُ هَولُ الرَدِّ بَعدَكَ فَاِنثَنى

وافاهُ هَولُ الرَدِّ بَعدَكَ فَاِنثَنى

يَدعوكَ وَاللُكّامُ دونَ دُعائِهِ

يَدعوكَ وَاللُكّامُ دونَ دُعائِهِ

After you were gone, death’s terror overtook him, and he turned back,

The horror of refusal met him after you, so he turned back,

calling upon you, though al-Lukam barred his call.

Calling to you, with al-Lukkam barring his cry.

وَمُؤَمَّلٍ صارَعتُهُ عَن عُرفِهِ

وَمُؤَمَّلٍ صارَعتُهُ عَن عُرفِهِ

فَوَجَدتُ قُدسَ مُعَمَّماً بِعَمائِهِ

فَوَجَدتُ قُدسَ مُعَمَّماً بِعَمائِهِ

And another hoped-for patron—I wrestled him for his bounty,

And a man I looked to—I wrestled him for his kindness,

and found him Mount Quds, turbaned in its clouds:

So I found Quds, turbaned in its clouds.

جِدَةٌ يَذودُ البُخلُ عَن أَطرافِها

جِدَةٌ يَذودُ البُخلُ عَن أَطرافِها

كَالبَحرِ يَدفَعُ مِلحُهُ عَن مائِهِ

كَالبَحرِ يَدفَعُ مِلحُهُ عَن مائِهِ

a fortune from whose fringes stinginess drives men away,

Wealth whose borders avarice defends,

as the sea’s salt drives them from its water.

Like the sea, whose salt keeps drinkers from its water.

أَعطى القَليلَ وَذاكَ مَبلَغُ قَدرِهِ

أَعطى القَليلَ وَذاكَ مَبلَغُ قَدرِهِ

ثُمَّ اِستَرَدَّ وَذاكَ مَبلَغُ وائِهِ

ثُمَّ اِستَرَدَّ وَذاكَ مَبلَغُ وائِهِ

He gave a pittance—that was the full extent of his means;

He gave a little—that was the measure of his worth;

then took it back—that was the full extent of his promise.

Then took it back—that was the measure of his pledge.

ماكانَ مِن أَخذي غَداةَ رَدَدتُهُ

ماكانَ مِن أَخذي غَداةَ رَدَدتُهُ

في وَجهِهِ إِذ كانَ مِن إِعطائِهِ

في وَجهِهِ إِذ كانَ مِن إِعطائِهِ

What I had accepted, next morning I returned

The shame was not in my taking it, the morning I flung it back

to his face, since it had come from his giving.

In his face, for it lay in his giving.

وَعَجِبتُ كُلَّ تَعَجُّبي مِن بُخلِهِ

وَعَجِبتُ كُلَّ تَعَجُّبي مِن بُخلِهِ

وَالجودُ أَجمَعُ ساعَةٌ مِن رائِهِ

وَالجودُ أَجمَعُ ساعَةٌ مِن رائِهِ

I marveled with utter amazement at his stinginess,

And I marveled utterly at his stinginess,

for all his generosity was but an hour of ostentation.

Yet all generosity is but a moment of his thought.

وَقَدِ اِنتَمى فَاِنظُر إِلى أَخلاقِهِ

وَقَدِ اِنتَمى فَاِنظُر إِلى أَخلاقِهِ

صَفحاً وَلا تَنظُر إِلى آبائِهِ

صَفحاً وَلا تَنظُر إِلى آبائِهِ

He boasts a lineage; look, then, at his character—

And he has claimed his lineage: look at his character

turning all else aside, do not look at his forefathers.

Askance, and do not look to his forefathers.

خَطَبَ المَديحَ فَقُلتُ خَلِّ طَريقَهُ

خَطَبَ المَديحَ فَقُلتُ خَلِّ طَريقَهُ

لَيَجوزَ عَنكَ فَلَستَ مِن أَكفائِهِ

لَيَجوزَ عَنكَ فَلَستَ مِن أَكفائِهِ

He came courting panegyric; I said, “Clear its road,

He wooed praise, so I said: Clear its path,

that it may pass you by—you are no fit match for it.”

So it may pass you by, for you are no match for it.