لقد سَامَنِي هُوْناً وخَسْفاً هَوَاكُمُ

لقد سَامَنِي هُوْناً وخَسْفاً هَوَاكُمُ

ولا غَرْوَ عِزُّ الصَّبِّ أَنْ يَتَعَبَّدَا

ولا غَرْوَ عِزُّ الصَّبِّ أَنْ يَتَعَبَّدَا

Indeed, my love for you has subjected me to humiliation and abasement.

Your love has wearied and saddened me,

And no wonder: the lovesick lover's glory lies in servitude.

Though the proud are hardly wont to pine.

إِذا شِئْتَ تنكيلاً وتَنْكِيْدَ عِيشةٍ

إِذا شِئْتَ تنكيلاً وتَنْكِيْدَ عِيشةٍ

فَحَسْبُكَ أَنْ تَهْوَى سُلَيْمَى ومَهْدَدَا

فَحَسْبُكَ أَنْ تَهْوَى سُلَيْمَى ومَهْدَدَا

If you desire torment and an embittered life,

If you seek to torment and destroy a life,

Then you need only love Sulayma and Mahdad.

You need but turn to Sulaima or Mahdada.

وإنْ تَبْغِ إِحساناً وإحمادَ مَقْصَدٍ

وإنْ تَبْغِ إِحساناً وإحمادَ مَقْصَدٍ

فَحَسْبُكَ أَنْ تَلْقَى ابنَ مَعْنٍ مُحَمَّدَا

فَحَسْبُكَ أَنْ تَلْقَى ابنَ مَعْنٍ مُحَمَّدَا

And if you seek kindness and a praiseworthy destination,

Yet if you wish blessing and happy success,

Then you need only meet Muhammad ibn Ma'n.

You need but meet Ibn Ma’n or Muhammad.

حليمٌ وقد خَفَّتْ حُلُوْمٌ فلو سَرَى

حليمٌ وقد خَفَّتْ حُلُوْمٌ فلو سَرَى

بِعُنْصُرِ نارٍ حِلْمُهُ ما تَصَعَّدَا

بِعُنْصُرِ نارٍ حِلْمُهُ ما تَصَعَّدَا

He is forbearing, though minds have grown flighty; should there flow

Gentle he is, though gentleness has failed;

Through the element of fire his forbearance, it would not rise.

If wrath like fire inflamed him, he would give no vent.

جَوَادٌ لَوَانَّ الجُوْدَ بارَى يَمِيْنَهُ

جَوَادٌ لَوَانَّ الجُوْدَ بارَى يَمِيْنَهُ

لَكَانَ قرارُ الحربِ في الناسِ سَرْمَدَا

لَكَانَ قرارُ الحربِ في الناسِ سَرْمَدَا

Generous—if generosity vied with his right hand,

Open-handed; if the flood of his bounty broke forth,

War would remain among people forever.

Strife would give way to concord amongst mankind forever.

ذَكِيٌّ لَوَ أنَّ الشَّمْسَ تَحْوِي ذكاءه

ذَكِيٌّ لَوَ أنَّ الشَّمْسَ تَحْوِي ذكاءه

لَمَا وَجَدَ الظَّمْآنُ للماءِ مَوْرِدا

لَمَا وَجَدَ الظَّمْآنُ للماءِ مَوْرِدا

Brilliant—if the sun contained his brilliance,

Wise; if his wisdom equaled the sun,

The thirsty would find no place to draw water.

Thirst would never find the water's trace.

ولو في الحِدادِ البِيْضِ حِدَّةُ ذِهْنِهِ

ولو في الحِدادِ البِيْضِ حِدَّةُ ذِهْنِهِ

لَمَا صَاغَ داودُ الدِّلاَصَ المُسَرَّدَا

لَمَا صَاغَ داودُ الدِّلاَصَ المُسَرَّدَا

And if the sharp, gleaming swords held the keenness of his mind,

If the temper of his mind matched the Indian steel,

David would not have fashioned the gleaming, interlinked mail.

David had not fashioned his coat of mail unpierced.