عرَّفْ كمالَ الدِّينِ عنَي ما ترى

عرَّفْ كمالَ الدِّينِ عنَي ما ترى

وانقل لَهُ هذا الحديثَ كما جَرى

وانقل لَهُ هذا الحديثَ كما جَرى

Tell Kamal al-Din what you see of me,

Describe to Kamal al-Din what you see,

And convey this account to him just as it happened.

And convey this conversation to him as it occurred.

واخبرهُ عنّي أنني في حالةٍ

واخبرهُ عنّي أنني في حالةٍ

فارقتُ منها في الدُّجى طيفَ الكرى

فارقتُ منها في الدُّجى طيفَ الكرى

And tell him about me: I am in a state

And inform him about me that I am in a state,

Because of which I have lost the phantom of sleep in the dark.

Which I parted from in the darkness a specter of the two dear ones.

متقلبّاً فوقَ الفراش كأنّني

متقلبّاً فوقَ الفراش كأنّني

أودعتُ من لَهَبِ الجوانحِ مجمرا

أودعتُ من لَهَبِ الجوانحِ مجمرا

Tossing and turning upon the bed, as though I

Tossing and turning on the bed as if

Had been made to hold a brazier of flames from within my ribs.

I had ignited a blaze in my soul.

أُحمى فأُسقى بعدَ بَرْدٍ مَسّني

أُحمى فأُسقى بعدَ بَرْدٍ مَسّني

لو أنّني سيفٌ لَصرْت مُجَوْهرا

لو أنّني سيفٌ لَصرْت مُجَوْهرا

I am heated, then given drink, after a chill has touched me;

I have fever, so I am given after the intense chill that afflicted me,

Were I a sword, I would have become a finely tempered blade.

A drink - if only I were a sword I would have been adorned with jewels.

وأرى الشرابَ ولوا شراب بقيعةٍ

وأرى الشرابَ ولوا شراب بقيعةٍ

وغدايَ أكثرهُ أراهُ مُزوَّرا

وغدايَ أكثرهُ أراهُ مُزوَّرا

And I see the drink—even if only a mirage upon an open plain [reading uncertain];

And I see the drink although it is a drink from Biqa Valley,

And most of my food I find a sham.

And tomorrow - most of it I see falsified.

طَوراً تَراني بالوهادِ مُزَمّلا

طَوراً تَراني بالوهادِ مُزَمّلا

أشكو وطوراً بالحصيرِ مُدَثّرا

أشكو وطوراً بالحصيرِ مُدَثّرا

At times you see me swathed in the hollows,

Sometimes you see me wrapped up in blankets,

Complaining, and at times wrapped in a mat,

Complaining, and other times wrapped in a mat.

في عُصَبةٍ بعدَ اخضرارِ معزَّةٍ

في عُصَبةٍ بعدَ اخضرارِ معزَّةٍ

قَد عاينوا بالذُّلِّ موتاً أحمرا

قَد عاينوا بالذُّلِّ موتاً أحمرا

Among a band who, after honor's green flourishing,

In a band after the greenery of Ma'zan,

Have witnessed, in humiliation, a red death.

Who have witnessed the death in humiliation, red.

فَرضانِ سقمٌ ثمَّ فقرٌ مدقعٌ

فَرضانِ سقمٌ ثمَّ فقرٌ مدقعٌ

فلعلَّ جودَكَ أن يداوي الأخطرا

فلعلَّ جودَكَ أن يداوي الأخطرا

Two afflictions [reading uncertain]: sickness, then abject poverty;

It is the sickness of Ridwan, then abject poverty,

So perhaps your generosity may cure the more dangerous one.

So perhaps your generosity will cure the most dangerous.

ولئن سَلِمتُ جعلتُ شكري كافلاً

ولئن سَلِمتُ جعلتُ شكري كافلاً

ولئن هلكتُ فلا حِقاً أنْ تُؤجَرا

ولئن هلكتُ فلا حِقاً أنْ تُؤجَرا

And if I survive, I shall make my gratitude a guarantor;

And if I recover, I will make my gratitude inviolable,

And if I perish, then afterward you shall be rewarded.

And if I die, you have no right to be rewarded.