تَكَشَّفَ ظِلُّ العَتبِ عَن غُرَّةِ العَهدِ

تَكَشَّفَ ظِلُّ العَتبِ عَن غُرَّةِ العَهدِ

وَأَعدى اِقتَرابُ الوَصلِ مِنّا عَلى البُعدِ

وَأَعدى اِقتَرابُ الوَصلِ مِنّا عَلى البُعدِ

The shadow of reproach cleared from the radiant brow of our bond,

The shadow of reproach lifted from the covenant's radiant brow,

and approaching reunion rallied us against distance.

And reunion's approach to us helped overcome distance.

تَجَنَّبَني مَن لَستُ عَن بَعضِ هَجرِهِ

تَجَنَّبَني مَن لَستُ عَن بَعضِ هَجرِهِ

صَفوحاً وَلا في قَسوَةٍ عَنهُ بِالجَلدِ

صَفوحاً وَلا في قَسوَةٍ عَنهُ بِالجَلدِ

He shunned me—one whose least estrangement I could never

He shunned me—one whose slightest estrangement I cannot

forgive, nor, for all my hardness, stoically endure.

Forgive, nor am I strong enough to stay coldly apart from him.

نَضَتهُ يَدُ الإِعتابِ عَمّا سَخَطتُهُ

نَضَتهُ يَدُ الإِعتابِ عَمّا سَخَطتُهُ

كَما يُنتَضى العَضبُ الجُرازُ مِنَ الغِمدِ

كَما يُنتَضى العَضبُ الجُرازُ مِنَ الغِمدِ

The hand of redress stripped from him all I had resented,

The hand of appeasement drew him free of what I resented,

as a keen, cleaving sword is drawn from its sheath.

As a sharp, keen-cutting sword is drawn from its sheath.

وَكُنتُ عَلى ما جَرَّهُ الهَجرُ مُمسَكاً

وَكُنتُ عَلى ما جَرَّهُ الهَجرُ مُمسَكاً

بِحَبلِ وَفاءٍ غَيرِ مُنفَصِمِ العَقدِ

بِحَبلِ وَفاءٍ غَيرِ مُنفَصِمِ العَقدِ

Despite what estrangement had brought, I still held fast

And despite what estrangement brought, I held fast

to a cord of fidelity whose knot could not be broken—

To a cord of loyalty whose knot remained unbroken.

أَمينُ نَواحي السِرِّ لَم تَسرِ غَدرَةٌ

أَمينُ نَواحي السِرِّ لَم تَسرِ غَدرَةٌ

بِبالي وَلَم أَحفِل بِداعِيَةِ الصَدِّ

بِبالي وَلَم أَحفِل بِداعِيَةِ الصَدِّ

faithful in every quarter of the secret; no treachery ever passed

Trustworthy in the recesses of secrets, no betrayal passed

through my mind, nor did I heed the summons to turn away.

Through my mind; nor did I heed the call to turn away.

تَلينُ عَلى مَسِّ الإِخاءِ مَضارِبي

تَلينُ عَلى مَسِّ الإِخاءِ مَضارِبي

وَإِن كُنتُ في الأَقوامِ مُستَحسَنَ الجِدِّ

وَإِن كُنتُ في الأَقوامِ مُستَحسَنَ الجِدِّ

My striking edges soften at the touch of brotherhood,

My sword-edges soften at brotherhood's touch,

though among men I am admired for stern resolve.

Though among men my firm resolve is admired.

وَلَمّا اِستَمَرَّ البَينُ في عُدَوائِهِ

وَلَمّا اِستَمَرَّ البَينُ في عُدَوائِهِ

تَغَوَّلَ عَفوي أَو تَرَقّى إِلى جُهدي

تَغَوَّلَ عَفوي أَو تَرَقّى إِلى جُهدي

And when separation persisted in its hostility,

And when separation persisted in its headlong course,

it swallowed my forbearance, or rose to the limit of my strength.

It devoured my forbearance, or rose to tax my utmost strength.

أُصاحِبُ حُسنَ الظَنِّ وَالشَكُّ مُقبِلٌ

أُصاحِبُ حُسنَ الظَنِّ وَالشَكُّ مُقبِلٌ

بِوَجهي إِلى حَيثُ اِستَتَرتَ عُرى الوِدِّ

بِوَجهي إِلى حَيثُ اِستَتَرتَ عُرى الوِدِّ

I kept good opinion for my companion while doubt advanced,

I keep company with trust, while doubt turns

facing me from where affection’s bonds had disappeared.

My face toward where affection's bonds lie hidden.

إِذا اِتَّسَعَت في خُطَّةِ الصَدِّ فِكرَتي

إِذا اِتَّسَعَت في خُطَّةِ الصَدِّ فِكرَتي

تَجَلَّلَني هَمٌّ يَضيقُ بِهِ جِلدي

تَجَلَّلَني هَمٌّ يَضيقُ بِهِ جِلدي

Whenever my thoughts ranged through the course of estrangement,

When my thought ranges widely over estrangement's course,

a care enveloped me too strait for my skin.

A sorrow envelops me, and my skin grows too tight to hold it.

وَإِن ناكَرَتني خَلَّةٌ مِن خِلالِهِ

وَإِن ناكَرَتني خَلَّةٌ مِن خِلالِهِ

تَعَرَّضَ قَلبي يَفتَديها مِنَ الحِقدِ

تَعَرَّضَ قَلبي يَفتَديها مِنَ الحِقدِ

And if one trait among his traits seemed alien to me,

And if one of his traits treats me as a stranger,

my heart came forward to redeem it from resentment.

My heart steps forward to ransom it from rancor.

يَخالُ رِجالٌ ما رَأوا لِضَلالَةٍ

يَخالُ رِجالٌ ما رَأوا لِضَلالَةٍ

وَلَن تُستَشَفَّ الشَمسُ بِالأَعيُنِ الرُمدِ

وَلَن تُستَشَفَّ الشَمسُ بِالأَعيُنِ الرُمدِ

Some men, in their delusion, misconstrue what they see,

Some men, in their error, judge by what they see;

but the sun will never be discerned by inflamed eyes.

And the sun will never be clearly discerned with inflamed eyes.

وَكَم مُظهِرٍ سيما الوِدادِ يَرَونَهُ

وَكَم مُظهِرٍ سيما الوِدادِ يَرَونَهُ

حَميداً وَما يُخفي بَعيداً مِنَ الحَمدِ

حَميداً وَما يُخفي بَعيداً مِنَ الحَمدِ

How many a man displaying affection’s mark they regard

And many a man displaying affection's signs they deem

as praiseworthy, though what he hides is far from praise.

Praiseworthy, though what he hides is far from praise.

وَحوشيتَ أَن أَلقاكَ سَبطاً تَظاهُري

وَحوشيتَ أَن أَلقاكَ سَبطاً تَظاهُري

وَإِن كُنتَ مَطوِيّاً عَلى باطِنٍ جَعدِ

وَإِن كُنتَ مَطوِيّاً عَلى باطِنٍ جَعدِ

Far be it from you that I should find your outward manner smooth

And may you be spared my meeting you with a smooth outward show,

while you were folded around a crooked inner self.

Even if you are folded around a tangled inward nature.

إِذا تَرَكَت يُمنى يَدَيكَ تَعَلُّقي

إِذا تَرَكَت يُمنى يَدَيكَ تَعَلُّقي

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري مِن تَمَسَّكُ مِن بَعدي

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري مِن تَمَسَّكُ مِن بَعدي

If your right hand relinquishes my clinging grasp,

If your right hand releases my clinging grasp,

would that I knew whom it would hold after me.

Then would that I knew whom you will hold after me!

أَياباً فَلَم تُشرِف عَلى غايَةِ النَوى

أَياباً فَلَم تُشرِف عَلى غايَةِ النَوى

وَلَم تَنأَ كُلَّ النَأيِ عَن سَنَنِ القَصدِ

وَلَم تَنأَ كُلَّ النَأيِ عَن سَنَنِ القَصدِ

Return! You have not reached remoteness’s furthest bound,

Return, for you have not reached separation's furthest limit,

nor strayed entirely from the straight path of moderation.

Nor strayed utterly from the path of moderation.

فَلا الدُرُّ نَثراً لَيسَ يُدفَعُ حُسنُهُ

فَلا الدُرُّ نَثراً لَيسَ يُدفَعُ حُسنُهُ

وَليسَ كَما ضَمَّتهُ ناحِيَةُ العِقدِ

وَليسَ كَما ضَمَّتهُ ناحِيَةُ العِقدِ

Scattered pearls possess a beauty none can deny,

For scattered pearls have a beauty none denies,

but they are not like pearls gathered within a necklace.

Yet not as when the necklace holds them together.

وَلَو لَم يُلاقِ القَدحُ زَنداً بِمِثلِهِ

وَلَو لَم يُلاقِ القَدحُ زَنداً بِمِثلِهِ

لَما اِنبَعَثَت شُهبُ الشَرارِ مِنَ الزِندِ

لَما اِنبَعَثَت شُهبُ الشَرارِ مِنَ الزِندِ

Had the fire-striker never met a matching flint,

And had striking not brought a fire-stick against its like,

no meteoric sparks would have burst from the stone.

The sparks' bright flares would not have sprung from the fire-stick.

فَقَد غاضَ سُخطانا فَهَل مِن صَبابَةٍ

فَقَد غاضَ سُخطانا فَهَل مِن صَبابَةٍ

بِرَأيِكَ إِنّي قَد تَصَرَّمَ ما عِندي

بِرَأيِكَ إِنّي قَد تَصَرَّمَ ما عِندي

The anger between us has now ebbed—is any trace left,

For both our resentments have ebbed; is any remnant left,

in your view? All that was within me has run its course.

In your view? Indeed, what I had has already run out.

هَلُمَّ نُعِد صَفوَ الوَدادِ كَما بَدا

هَلُمَّ نُعِد صَفوَ الوَدادِ كَما بَدا

إِعادَةَ مَن لَم يُلفِ عَن ذاكَ مِن بُدِّ

إِعادَةَ مَن لَم يُلفِ عَن ذاكَ مِن بُدِّ

Come, let us restore affection’s purity just as it began,

Come, let us restore affection's purity as it first appeared,

restoring it like one who finds no escape from doing so.

With the renewal of one who finds no alternative to it.

وَنَغتَنِمِ الأَيّامَ فَهيَ طَوائِشٌ

وَنَغتَنِمِ الأَيّامَ فَهيَ طَوائِشٌ

تُواتي بِلا قَصدٍ وَتَأبى بِلا عَمدِ

تُواتي بِلا قَصدٍ وَتَأبى بِلا عَمدِ

And let us seize the days, for they are capricious:

And let us seize the days, for they are wayward:

they favor without design and refuse without intent.

They comply without intent, and refuse without design.

وَمِثلُكَ أَهدى أَن يُقادَ إِلى الهُدى

وَمِثلُكَ أَهدى أَن يُقادَ إِلى الهُدى

وَأَرشَدُ أَن يَنجازَ عَن جِهَةِ الرُشدِ

وَأَرشَدُ أَن يَنجازَ عَن جِهَةِ الرُشدِ

One such as you is too well-guided to need leading toward guidance,

And one like you is too well guided to be led toward guidance,

and too discerning to turn aside from the path of rectitude.

And too wise to veer from the way of sound judgment.