يا من بهمَّتهِ عَقدتُ رجايَ إذ

يا من بهمَّتهِ عَقدتُ رجايَ إذ

هِممُ الأنامِ حبالُهنَّ رِكاكُ

هِممُ الأنامِ حبالُهنَّ رِكاكُ

O you to whose resolve I bound my hope, when

O you upon whose resolve I built my hopes when

the cords of humankind’s aspirations were frail.

The resolves of people are flimsy ropes

لازمتهُ من بعد ما جرَّبتُهم

لازمتهُ من بعد ما جرَّبتُهم

وعن الجميعِ ذوي رجاي فَكاكُ

وعن الجميعِ ذوي رجاي فَكاكُ

I clung to him after I had tried them,

I stuck by you after having tried them

and was freed from all in whom I had placed my hope.

And got rid of everyone, those of flimsy hopes

لا يفهمُون المكرمات كأَنَّها

لا يفهمُون المكرمات كأَنَّها

عربيَّةٌ وكأَنَّهم أتراكُ

عربيَّةٌ وكأَنَّهم أتراكُ

They do not understand noble deeds, as though such deeds were

They do not understand favors as if they are

Arabic, and they themselves were Turks.

Arabic and as if they are Turks

بكَ قد دفعتُ الحادثات بقوَّةٍ

بكَ قد دفعتُ الحادثات بقوَّةٍ

عنِّي وكنتُ وليسَ فيَّ حِراكُ

عنِّي وكنتُ وليسَ فيَّ حِراكُ

Through you I have forcefully driven calamities

With you I repelled disasters strongly

away from me, though I myself could not stir.

From me though in me there was no movement

فارقتُ كوثر جود كفِّك طالباً

فارقتُ كوثر جود كفِّك طالباً

ماء الحياةِ فحاق بي الأهلاكُ

ماء الحياةِ فحاق بي الأهلاكُ

I left the Kawthar of your hand’s bounty, seeking

I left the abundant rain of your generosity seeking

the water of life; then ruin engulfed me.

The water of life, so destruction came upon me

فدعوتُ مُصطرِخاً لكي تنتاشني

فدعوتُ مُصطرِخاً لكي تنتاشني

شِلواً بأَنياب الخطوب أُلاكُ

شِلواً بأَنياب الخطوب أُلاكُ

So I called out, crying for help, that you might snatch me free—

I cried out beseeching you to revive me

a severed limb, chewed by the fangs of calamities.

With floods, prey to difficulties, destroyed

فاسلم تقرُّ لذي الهوى بك عينُه

فاسلم تقرُّ لذي الهوى بك عينُه

وعيونُ أهل الحقد فيك تُشاكُ

وعيونُ أهل الحقد فيك تُشاكُ

So remain safe, that your lover’s eye may be gladdened by you,

So my eyes will find rest in you, he whom they love

and the eyes of the spiteful be pricked with thorns because of you.

While the eyes of haters only suspect you

تجري لهم بسعودها ونحوسِها

تجري لهم بسعودها ونحوسِها

أبد الزمان عُلاك والأفلاكُ

أبد الزمان عُلاك والأفلاكُ

They course for them, with their good and ill fortunes,

Good times and bad for them will run forever

for all time—your exalted glory and the celestial spheres.

Destruction and the orbits of planets