يا خَبَر مَن يَلحَظَه ناظِري

يا خَبَر مَن يَلحَظَه ناظِري

شَهادَةٌ ما شابَها زُورُ

شَهادَةٌ ما شابَها زُورُ

O tidings of the one whom my eye beholds—

O you whose penetrating eyes observe me,

a testimony untainted by falsehood.

My testimony has no trace of falsehood.

وَمَن إِذا ما لَيلُ خطبٍ دجا

وَمَن إِذا ما لَيلُ خطبٍ دجا

لاحَ بِهِ مِن رأيِهِ نورُ

لاحَ بِهِ مِن رأيِهِ نورُ

And one who, when the night of calamity darkens,

When the night of misfortune casts its veil,

has a light from his counsel shining through it.

The light of your wisdom illuminates it.

رَأَيُك إِمّا شِمَتُهُ صارِمٌ

رَأَيُك إِمّا شِمَتُهُ صارِمٌ

عَضبٌ عَلى الأَعداءِ مَشهورُ

عَضبٌ عَلى الأَعداءِ مَشهورُ

Your counsel, if I glimpse its gleam, is a sword,

Your view is a stern sword,

keen-edged, unsheathed against enemies.

Anger against enemies, renowned.

جاءَتنيَ الطير الَّتي سِرُّها

جاءَتنيَ الطير الَّتي سِرُّها

نَظمٌ بِهِ قَلبيَ مَسرورُ

نَظمٌ بِهِ قَلبيَ مَسرورُ

The birds came to me; their secret

The birds whose secret is

is verse that fills my heart with joy.

Verses that gladden my heart came to me.

شِعرٌ هوَ السِحرُ فَلا تُنكِروا

شِعرٌ هوَ السِحرُ فَلا تُنكِروا

أَنّي بِهِ ما عِشتُ مَسحورُ

أَنّي بِهِ ما عِشتُ مَسحورُ

Poetry that is magic—so do not deny

Poetry is magic, so do not deny

that I am bewitched by it as long as I live.

That I have lived enchanted by it.

اللَفظُ وَالقِرطاسُ إِن شُبِّها

اللَفظُ وَالقِرطاسُ إِن شُبِّها

قيلَ هُما مِسكٌ وَكافورُ

قيلَ هُما مِسكٌ وَكافورُ

If the words and paper are likened to anything,

If words and paper are likened

one would say: they are musk and camphor.

To musk and camphor.

وَإِنَّهُ لَمّا اِغتَدى خاطِري

وَإِنَّهُ لَمّا اِغتَدى خاطِري

مُسائِلاً جاوَبَ عُصفورُ

مُسائِلاً جاوَبَ عُصفورُ

And indeed, when my mind went forth at dawn,

And when my mind grew bold,

inquiring, a sparrow answered.

A sparrow answered.

هُوَ لِجَيش الطَير مِن فِكرَتي

هُوَ لِجَيش الطَير مِن فِكرَتي

صَقرٌ فَوَلّى وَهوَ مَقهورُ

صَقرٌ فَوَلّى وَهوَ مَقهورُ

To the army of birds born of my thought, it is

It is to the army of birds as my thoughts

a falcon; then it turned away, defeated.

A falcon that attacked and was defeated.

فَلاحَ لي بَيتٌ فُؤادي لَهُ

فَلاحَ لي بَيتٌ فُؤادي لَهُ

دأباً عَلى وُدّك مَقصورُ

دأباً عَلى وُدّك مَقصورُ

Then a verse dawned on me; my heart is his,

A verse shone for me, my heart is accustomed

ever devoted solely to loving you.

To your love being confined to it.

حَظُّكَ مِن شكريَ يا سيدي

حَظُّكَ مِن شكريَ يا سيدي

بِما بَدا لي منك مَوفورُ

بِما بَدا لي منك مَوفورُ

Your share of my gratitude, O my lord,

Your share of my gratitude, my master,

for what I have seen from you, is abundant.

Is abundant in what you have shown me.

قصّرتُ في نظميَ فاِعذر فَمَن

قصّرتُ في نظميَ فاِعذر فَمَن

ضاهاكَ في التَقصير مَعذورُ

ضاهاكَ في التَقصير مَعذورُ

I fell short in my verse, so forgive me; for whoever

I fell short in my composition, so forgive one

rivals you is excused for falling short.

Who falls short before you, excused.

فأنتَ إِن تنظمْ وَنتثرْ فَقَد

فأنتَ إِن تنظمْ وَنتثرْ فَقَد

أَعوَزَ مَنظومٌ وَمَنثورُ

أَعوَزَ مَنظومٌ وَمَنثورُ

For when you compose verse and prose, indeed,

For if you compose poetry or prose,

verse and prose alike become unattainable.

Both verse and prose are impoverished.

لا يَعدُكُم رَوضٌ مِنَ الحَظّ في ال

لا يَعدُكُم رَوضٌ مِنَ الحَظّ في ال

إِكرام وَالتَرفيع ممطُورُ

إِكرام وَالتَرفيع ممطُورُ

May a garden of good fortune never pass you by,

No garden of good fortune equals you in

showered with honor and exaltation.

Honor and noble station.