لامَ ولو أنصفَ ما كانَ لامْ

لامَ ولو أنصفَ ما كانَ لامْ

أليسَ يخشى فتحَ بابِ الخصامْ

أليسَ يخشى فتحَ بابِ الخصامْ

He blamed me; had he been fair, he would not have blamed.

He reproached me; had he been fair, he would not have reproached.

Does he not fear opening the door to quarrel?

Does he not fear opening the door to strife?

يعتبُ والذنبُ لهُ خطةٌ

يعتبُ والذنبُ لهُ خطةٌ

يحقُّ للعاقِلِ منها ابتسامْ

يحقُّ للعاقِلِ منها ابتسامْ

He reproaches me, though the fault is an ingrained trait of his—

He reproaches me, though the fault is his—a stance

one at which a sensible man may rightly smile.

that gives a sensible person cause to smile.

جافٍ ويبكي مِنْ جفائي كَمَنْ

جافٍ ويبكي مِنْ جفائي كَمَنْ

يشكو جراحاً وَهْوَ رامي السهامْ

يشكو جراحاً وَهْوَ رامي السهامْ

Aloof, yet he weeps at my aloofness, like one

He is cold, yet weeps at my coldness, like one

who complains of wounds while shooting the arrows.

who complains of wounds while shooting the arrows.

يا أيُّها المولى الذي لم يزلْ

يا أيُّها المولى الذي لم يزلْ

لهُ بقلبي منزلٌ لا يرامْ

لهُ بقلبي منزلٌ لا يرامْ

O master, who has never ceased

O master, who has always

to hold in my heart a place none can attain:

held an unassailable place in my heart:

وافى كتابٌ منكَ في ضمنِهِ

وافى كتابٌ منكَ في ضمنِهِ

عتْبٌ لطيفٌ مثل سجع الحمامْ

عتْبٌ لطيفٌ مثل سجع الحمامْ

A letter from you reached me, bearing

A letter from you arrived, bearing within it

a gentle reproach like the cooing of doves.

a gentle reproach like the cooing of doves.

يشكو انقطاعي في صيامٍ أتى

يشكو انقطاعي في صيامٍ أتى

حالَ الوبا في موضعِ الميمِ لامْ

حالَ الوبا في موضعِ الميمِ لامْ

It complains of my withdrawal during a fast that came

It laments my absence during a fast that came;

when, amid the plague, a lām stood in the mīm’s place.

the plague intervened, putting lām in the place of mīm.

ليسَ انقطاعي عنكَ بغضاً ولا

ليسَ انقطاعي عنكَ بغضاً ولا

نقصاً ولا رفضاً لحقِّ الذمامْ

نقصاً ولا رفضاً لحقِّ الذمامْ

My withdrawal from you springs from neither hatred nor

My withdrawal from you is neither hatred nor

shortcoming, nor rejection of the bond’s rightful claim.

a shortcoming, nor a rejection of the duties of our bond.

وإنما ربَّيْتُ غرساً له

وإنما ربَّيْتُ غرساً له

نضارةٌ كنتُ بها ذا اهتمامْ

نضارةٌ كنتُ بها ذا اهتمامْ

I only reared you as a sapling, one endowed with

Rather, I nurtured a sapling whose

a freshness I tended with care.

flourishing I took great care over.

وطالما كلفتُ نفسي على

وطالما كلفتُ نفسي على

ضعفي لهذا الغرسِ درع المقامْ

ضعفي لهذا الغرسِ درع المقامْ

How often I imposed upon myself, despite

And often I forced myself, despite

my weakness, the armor of steadfastness for this sapling.

my weakness, to stay as a shield for this sapling.

فصلٌ وجاءَ الناسَ هذا الوبا

فصلٌ وجاءَ الناسَ هذا الوبا

فكدَّرَ العيشَ وأوهى العظامْ

فكدَّرَ العيشَ وأوهى العظامْ

Then came my separation, and this plague came upon mankind,

A season—and this plague came upon the people,

embittering life and weakening the bones.

embittering life and weakening the bones.

اللهُ لي مِنْ وبأٍ قدْ سبا

اللهُ لي مِنْ وبأٍ قدْ سبا

حامَ على الروحِ وللنفسِ سامْ

حامَ على الروحِ وللنفسِ سامْ

God is my refuge from a plague that has taken captives,

God be my aid against a plague that has taken captives,

hovering over the spirit, poisonous to the soul.

hovering over the spirit, and poisonous to the soul.

لو كانتِ الأحلامُ ناجَتْ بهِ

لو كانتِ الأحلامُ ناجَتْ بهِ

عينَ امرئٍ لامتنعَتْ أنْ تنامْ

عينَ امرئٍ لامتنعَتْ أنْ تنامْ

Were dreams to whisper privately to a man about it,

Had dreams whispered of it to

his eye would refuse to sleep.

someone's eye, it would have refused to sleep.

سلَّمَنا اللهُ وإياكُم

سلَّمَنا اللهُ وإياكُم

مِنْ شرِّه فَهْوَ ألدُّ الخصامْ

مِنْ شرِّه فَهْوَ ألدُّ الخصامْ

May God preserve us and you

May God keep us and you safe

from its evil, for it is the fiercest of foes.

from its evil, for it is the most implacable of foes.

فإنْ حمانا اللهُ من شرِّهِ

فإنْ حمانا اللهُ من شرِّهِ

وعدْتُ للعلمِ رجونا التئامْ

وعدْتُ للعلمِ رجونا التئامْ

If God shields us from its evil

If God protects us from its evil,

and I return to learning, we may hope to reunite.

and I return to learning, we may hope to meet again.

وإنْ يكنْ واللهُ يكفي سوى

وإنْ يكنْ واللهُ يكفي سوى

ذا فالدعا ينفعُ تحتَ الرجامْ

ذا فالدعا ينفعُ تحتَ الرجامْ

But if it should be otherwise—and God suffices in its stead—

And if—may God spare us—it should be other than

if this be so, then prayer avails beneath the piled grave-stones.

this, then prayer helps beneath the piled stones.

وكيف ينسى منصفٌ شيخَهُ

وكيف ينسى منصفٌ شيخَهُ

أمْ كيفَ ينسى تَبَعَاً أو غلامْ

أمْ كيفَ ينسى تَبَعَاً أو غلامْ

How could any fair-minded man forget his shaykh?

And how could a fair-minded person forget his teacher?

Or how could he forget a follower or a young servant?

Or how could he forget a follower or a young attendant?

أنا الذي صاحبتُ قوماً وما

أنا الذي صاحبتُ قوماً وما

ثقلْتُ يوماً مثلَ بعضِ اللئامْ

ثقلْتُ يوماً مثلَ بعضِ اللئامْ

I am one who has kept company with people and never

I am one who kept company with people, and never

once burdened them as some ignoble men do.

was a burden even for a day, like some ignoble men.

إنْ أكنْ في حلبٍ كاسداً

إنْ أكنْ في حلبٍ كاسداً

إنَّ لسوقي في سواها مقامْ

إنَّ لسوقي في سواها مقامْ

If I am unsalable in Aleppo,

If I go unsold in Aleppo,

surely my market has standing elsewhere.

my market certainly has standing elsewhere.

أهملني قومٌ وكمْ فاضلٍ

أهملني قومٌ وكمْ فاضلٍ

يودُّ أنْ ينظرني في المنامْ

يودُّ أنْ ينظرني في المنامْ

Certain people trouble me, while many a worthy man

Some people neglected me, yet many a worthy person

longs to see me, even in a dream.

wishes to see me in a dream.

وما نفاقي وكسادي على

وما نفاقي وكسادي على

قلبي ولا فكريَ منهُ لمامْ

قلبي ولا فكريَ منهُ لمامْ

Neither my marketability nor my lack of demand weighs upon

My being sought or unsought has no hold upon

my heart, nor does thought of either ever visit me.

my heart or thoughts—not even a passing touch.

وَمَنْ رمى الأشياءَ عنْ قلبه

وَمَنْ رمى الأشياءَ عنْ قلبه

فعندهُ الوحدةُ مثلُ الزحامْ

فعندهُ الوحدةُ مثلُ الزحامْ

Whoever casts all things out of his heart

And whoever casts things out of his heart

finds solitude the same as a crowd.

finds solitude the same as a crowd.

قنعتُ والقتعُ يعزُّ الفتى

قنعتُ والقتعُ يعزُّ الفتى

لما رأيتُ الحرصَ ذلَّ الكرامْ

لما رأيتُ الحرصَ ذلَّ الكرامْ

I am content; contentment ennobles a man,

I became content, and contentment gives a young man dignity,

for I have seen greed abase the noble.

when I saw that greed debases the noble.

أصبحتُ لا أرجو مزيداً ولا

أصبحتُ لا أرجو مزيداً ولا

أخافُ نقصاناً وتمَّ الكلامْ

أخافُ نقصاناً وتمَّ الكلامْ

I have come to hope for no increase, nor

I now neither hope for more nor

fear any loss. My discourse is done.

fear any loss; and so my speech ends.

هذا لساني يدَّعي لومَكُمْ

هذا لساني يدَّعي لومَكُمْ

وليس في قلبي عليكُمْ ملامْ

وليس في قلبي عليكُمْ ملامْ

This tongue of mine pretends to blame you,

This tongue of mine claims to reproach you,

but in my heart I hold no blame against you.

but my heart holds no blame against you.

والعهدُ باقٍ ودعاني لكمْ

والعهدُ باقٍ ودعاني لكمْ

وافٍ وودي دائمٌ والسلامْ

وافٍ وودي دائمٌ والسلامْ

The covenant abides, and my prayer for you

The pledge endures, and my prayer for you

is faithful; my affection endures. Peace.

is unstinting; my affection endures. Peace.