دَعَوتُكَ لَمّا أَن بَدَت لِيَ حاجَةٌ

دَعَوتُكَ لَمّا أَن بَدَت لِيَ حاجَةٌ

وَقُلتُ رَئيسٌ مِثلُهُ مَن تَفَضَّلا

وَقُلتُ رَئيسٌ مِثلُهُ مَن تَفَضَّلا

I called on you when a need arose for me,

I called you when a need appeared to me

And said, “A chief like him is one who bestows favors.”

And said: a leader like him - who can be so gracious?

لَعَلَّكَ لِلفَضلِ الَّذي أَنتَ رَبُّهُ

لَعَلَّكَ لِلفَضلِ الَّذي أَنتَ رَبُّهُ

تَغارُ فَلا تَرضى بِأَن تَتَبَدَّلا

تَغارُ فَلا تَرضى بِأَن تَتَبَدَّلا

Perhaps, for the generosity of which you are master,

Perhaps you are jealous of the favor you possess

You feel jealousy, and will not consent to being replaced.

And so refuse to share and exchange it

إِذا لَم يَكُن إِلّا تَحَمُّلُ مِنَّةٍ

إِذا لَم يَكُن إِلّا تَحَمُّلُ مِنَّةٍ

فَمِنكَ وَأَمّا مِن سِواكَ فَلا وَلا

فَمِنكَ وَأَمّا مِن سِواكَ فَلا وَلا

If I must bear the obligation of a favor,

If it is only to bear an obligation

Then let it be from you; but from anyone else—no and no.

Then it's from you, but not from another, never

حَمَلتُ زَماناً عَنكُمُ كُلَّ كُلفَةٍ

حَمَلتُ زَماناً عَنكُمُ كُلَّ كُلفَةٍ

وَخَفَّفتُ حَتّى آنَ لي أَن أُثَقِّلا

وَخَفَّفتُ حَتّى آنَ لي أَن أُثَقِّلا

For a time I bore every burden on your behalf,

For a time, I have borne every burden from you

And eased your load, until the time came for me to burden you.

And lightened myself until it was time I weigh down

وَمِن خُلُقي المَشهورِ مُذ كُنتُ أَنَّني

وَمِن خُلُقي المَشهورِ مُذ كُنتُ أَنَّني

لِغَيرِ حَبيبٍ قَطُّ لَن أَتَذَلَّلا

لِغَيرِ حَبيبٍ قَطُّ لَن أَتَذَلَّلا

And it has been my well-known nature, as long as I have lived, that I

It is known of my manners since I was

Will never humble myself before anyone but a beloved.

That for other than the beloved, I'll never humble myself

وَقَد عِشتُ دَهراً ما شَكَوتُ بِحادِثٍ

وَقَد عِشتُ دَهراً ما شَكَوتُ بِحادِثٍ

بَلى كُنتُ أَشكو الأَغيَدَ المُتَدَلِّلا

بَلى كُنتُ أَشكو الأَغيَدَ المُتَدَلِّلا

And I have lived a long time without complaining of misfortune;

And I've lived an age, complaining of no misfortune

Yes, I would complain of the lissome, coquettish one.

Rather, I complained of the languid and melting

وَما هُنتُ إِلّا لِلصَبابَةِ وَالهَوى

وَما هُنتُ إِلّا لِلصَبابَةِ وَالهَوى

وَما خِفتُ إِلّا سَطوَةَ الهَجرِ وَالقِلى

وَما خِفتُ إِلّا سَطوَةَ الهَجرِ وَالقِلى

And I have been humbled only by yearning and love,

I softened only for youth and passion

And I have feared only the onslaught of abandonment and aversion.

And feared only the tyranny of estrangement and misery

أَروحُ وَأَخلاقي تَذوبُ صَبابَةً

أَروحُ وَأَخلاقي تَذوبُ صَبابَةً

وَأَغدو وَأَعطافي تَسيلُ تَغَزُّلا

وَأَغدو وَأَعطافي تَسيلُ تَغَزُّلا

I go forth in the evening, my nature melting with yearning,

I awaken and my manners dissolve in youth

And I go forth in the morning, my frame flowing with amorous verse.

I come to and my sides spill over in melting

أُحِبُّ مِنَ الظَبيِ الغَريرِ تَلَفُّتاً

أُحِبُّ مِنَ الظَبيِ الغَريرِ تَلَفُّتاً

وَأَهوى مِنَ الغُصنِ النَضيرِ تَفَتُّلا

وَأَهوى مِنَ الغُصنِ النَضيرِ تَفَتُّلا

I love the guileless gazelle's turning glances,

I love the shy gazelle's glancing

And I adore the verdant bough's twisting sway.

And passion the supple branch's clinging

فَما فاتَني حَظّي مِنَ اللَهوِ وَالصِبا

فَما فاتَني حَظّي مِنَ اللَهوِ وَالصِبا

وَما فاتَني حَظّي مِنَ المَجدِ وَالعُلى

وَما فاتَني حَظّي مِنَ المَجدِ وَالعُلى

So I have not missed my share of pleasure and youth,

So I've not missed my share of play and youth

Nor have I missed my share of glory and eminence.

Nor missed my share of glory and loftiness

وَيارُبَّ داعٍ قَد دَعاني لِحاجَةٍ

وَيارُبَّ داعٍ قَد دَعاني لِحاجَةٍ

فَعَلتُ لَهُ فَوقَ الَّذي كانَ أَمَّلا

فَعَلتُ لَهُ فَوقَ الَّذي كانَ أَمَّلا

And many a petitioner has called on me in need,

And oh Lord, a caller called me for a need

I did for him more than he had hoped.

So I did for him more than he wished for

سَبَقتُ صَداهُ بِاهتِمامي بِكُلِّ ما

سَبَقتُ صَداهُ بِاهتِمامي بِكُلِّ ما

أَرادَ وَلَم أُحوِجهُ أَن يَتَمَهَّلا

أَرادَ وَلَم أُحوِجهُ أَن يَتَمَهَّلا

I outstripped his echo in my care for all that

I anticipated his call, attentive to all

He desired, and I did not make him wait.

He wanted, without making him wait

وَأَوسَعتُهُ لَمّا أَتاني بَشاشَةً

وَأَوسَعتُهُ لَمّا أَتاني بَشاشَةً

وَلُطفاً وَتَرحيباً وَخُلقاً وَمَنزِلا

وَلُطفاً وَتَرحيباً وَخُلقاً وَمَنزِلا

And when he came to me, I lavished cheerfulness upon him,

I welcomed him when he came cheerful,

And kindness, welcome, good manners, and lodging.

Kindly, hospitably, well-mannered and settled

بَسَطتُ لَهُ وَجهاً حَيِيّاً وَمَنطِقاً

بَسَطتُ لَهُ وَجهاً حَيِيّاً وَمَنطِقاً

وَفِيّاً وَمَعروفاً هَنِيّاً مُعَجَّلا

وَفِيّاً وَمَعروفاً هَنِيّاً مُعَجَّلا

I offered him a modest face and speech

I showed him a lively, eloquent face

Sincere, and a kindness, pleasant and promptly bestowed.

Generous, known, delighted and swift

وَراحَ يَراني مُنعِماً مُتَفَضِّلاً

وَراحَ يَراني مُنعِماً مُتَفَضِّلاً

وَرُحتُ أَراهُ المُنعِمَ المُتَفَضِّلا

وَرُحتُ أَراهُ المُنعِمَ المُتَفَضِّلا

And he went away seeing me as a benefactor, a gracious giver,

And he saw me bestowing and favoring

And I went away seeing him as the benefactor, the gracious giver.

While I saw him bestowed on and favored