وسراء أحشائي لمن أنا مؤتمر

وسراء أحشائي لمن أنا مؤتمر

وسرّاء أنبائي لمن أتحبب

وسرّاء أنبائي لمن أتحبب

And my heart's joy is for the one whose orders I obey;

The secret confidants of my heart - who are they for me to confide in?

And the joy of my tidings is for the one whose affection I seek.

The intimate whispers of my soul - who are they for me to befriend?

فقد يُشرب الصاب الكريه لعلَّةٍ

فقد يُشرب الصاب الكريه لعلَّةٍ

ويُترك صفو الشُهد وهو مُحببُ

ويُترك صفو الشُهد وهو مُحببُ

For bitter, repulsive sap may be drunk for an ailment,

For a dire need, one drinks bitter aloes,

And pure honey is left aside, though it is beloved.

Yet abandons the purest honey though it is so sweet.

وأعدل في أجهاد نفسي في الذي

وأعدل في أجهاد نفسي في الذي

أريد وراني فيه أشقى وأتعب

أريد وراني فيه أشقى وأتعب

And I act justly in taxing myself for what

I persist in the struggles of my soul for that

I seek, and he has seen me suffering and toiling for it.

Which I want, though they make me most wretched and tired.

هل اللؤلؤ المكنون وأندر كله

هل اللؤلؤ المكنون وأندر كله

رأيت بغير الفوص في بحر يطلبُ

رأيت بغير الفوص في بحر يطلبُ

The hidden pearl, and the rarest of them all—have you

Have you ever seen a hidden pearl, the rarest kind,

Seen it sought in a sea without [diving]?

Found anywhere but in the sea by one who seeks it?

وأصرف نفسي عن وجود طباعها

وأصرف نفسي عن وجود طباعها

إذا في سواحا ضح ما أنا أرغب

إذا في سواحا ضح ما أنا أرغب

And I turn my soul away from the presence of its innate traits,

I turn my soul away from the nature of its existence,

If what I desire [proves sound elsewhere].

When at daybreak appears that which I desire.

كما نسخ اللَه الشورائعَ قبلنا

كما نسخ اللَه الشورائعَ قبلنا

بما هو أدنى للصلاح وأترب

بما هو أدنى للصلاح وأترب

As God abrogated the [sacred laws] before us,

Just as God decreed laws before us

With what is closer to right conduct and [nearer].

By what is closest to righteousness and purity,

وألقى سجايا كل خلق بمثلها

وألقى سجايا كل خلق بمثلها

ونعت سجاياي الصحيح المهذب

ونعت سجاياي الصحيح المهذب

And I meet each person's dispositions with their like;

And attributed to each being its own qualities,

And the description of my own traits is sound and refined.

He ascribed my true, refined qualities to me.

كما صار لون الماء لون إنائه

كما صار لون الماء لون إنائه

وفي الأصل لون الماء أبيض مفجب

وفي الأصل لون الماء أبيض مفجب

Just as water's color becomes the color of its vessel,

As water takes the color of its vessel

Though originally water's color is white and [pleasing?].

While its essence is sparkling white.

أقمت ذوي وذي مقام طبائمي

أقمت ذوي وذي مقام طبائمي

حياتي بها والموت منهن يردب

حياتي بها والموت منهن يردب

I set [unclear] in place of my [innate traits];

I have made the qualities of my soul

My life is through them, and death from them [verb unclear].

My life - and death derives from them.

وما أنا ممن تطبيه بشاشة

وما أنا ممن تطبيه بشاشة

ولا يقتضي ما في ذميري التجنب

ولا يقتضي ما في ذميري التجنب

And I am not one whom a smiling welcome beguiles;

I am not one who is cheered by blitheness,

Nor does what is in my [heart] require avoidance.

Nor does what is in my conscience allow avoidance.

أريدُ نفاراً عند ذلك باطناً

أريدُ نفاراً عند ذلك باطناً

وفي ظاهري أهلٌ وسهلٌ ومرحب

وفي ظاهري أهلٌ وسهلٌ ومرحب

At such a time I desire inward aversion,

I want aloofness in private from that,

And outwardly I offer a warm and cordial welcome.

While in public I have family, ease and welcome.

فإني رأيت الحزب يعلو اشتعالها

فإني رأيت الحزب يعلو اشتعالها

ومبدؤها في أول الأمر ملعب

ومبدؤها في أول الأمر ملعب

For I have seen [war?], its blaze rising high,

For I have seen opinions burst into flame,

Though its beginning, at the outset, is play.

Though at first they were just a game.

وللحية الرقشاء وشي ولولنها

وللحية الرقشاء وشي ولولنها

عجيب وتحت الوشي سم مركب

عجيب وتحت الوشي سم مركب

And the speckled serpent has fine markings, and its [color]

The hoary beard has magic, though it is but hair,

Is wondrous, yet beneath the markings lies compounded venom.

Wondrous is that magic, and under it lies venom steeped.

وإن فرند السيف أعجب منظراً

وإن فرند السيف أعجب منظراً

وفيه إذا هز الجمام المذرب

وفيه إذا هز الجمام المذرب

And indeed the sword's watered pattern is more wondrous to behold;

The gleam of a sword is most beautiful to behold,

Yet within it, when brandished, lies keen-edged [death?].

Though when the blades clash, it maims.

وأجعل ذل النفس عزةً أهلها

وأجعل ذل النفس عزةً أهلها

إذا هي نالت ما بها فيه مذهب

إذا هي نالت ما بها فيه مذهب

And I make the soul's abasement an honor for its people,

I make the soul's disgrace a pride for its people,

When through it the soul gains what it aims to pursue.

If through it they attain what fulfills them.

فقد يضع الإنسان في الترب وجهه

فقد يضع الإنسان في الترب وجهه

ليأتي غداً وهو العصون العقرب

ليأتي غداً وهو العصون العقرب

For a person may place his face in the dust,

For a person may put his face in the dust,

So that tomorrow he may come [protected and favored?].

Only to rise tomorrow as one who defiantly stings.

فذل يسوق العز أجود للفتى

فذل يسوق العز أجود للفتى

من العز يتلوه من الذل مركب

من العز يتلوه من الذل مركب

Thus abasement that leads to honor is better for a young man

So disgrace leads to the most generous pride for a youth,

Than honor followed by a mount of abasement.

More than a pride followed by any portion of disgrace.

وكم مأكلٍ أدرت عواقب غيه

وكم مأكلٍ أدرت عواقب غيه

ورب طوى بالخصب آتٍ ومعقب

ورب طوى بالخصب آتٍ ومعقب

And many a meal—I turned over the consequences of its folly [wording unclear];

And how much food have I seen whose consequences were misguided,

And many an empty belly brings plenty and leaves it in its wake.

While many a barren land later bore fruit.

وما ذاق عز النفس من لا ينلها

وما ذاق عز النفس من لا ينلها

ولا التذ طعم الروح من ليس ينصب

ولا التذ طعم الروح من ليس ينصب

And whoever fails to attain it has not tasted the soul's dignity;

No one tastes the pride of the soul who does not attain it,

Nor has one who does not toil savored the taste of relief.

Nor savors the spirit's bliss who does not strive for it.

ورودك نهل الماء من بمد ظمأةٍ

ورودك نهل الماء من بمد ظمأةٍ

الذ من العسل المكين وأعذب

الذ من العسل المكين وأعذب

Your first draught of water [after] a spell of thirst

Your roses are sweet water for the thirsty drinker,

Is more delicious than [prized?] honey, and sweeter.

Whose taste is purer and sweeter than honey.

وفي كل مخلوقٍ تراه تفاضلُ

وفي كل مخلوقٍ تراه تفاضلُ

فرد طيباً إن لم يتح لك أطيب

فرد طيباً إن لم يتح لك أطيب

And in every created thing you see, there are degrees of excellence;

In everything you see, there is variation -

So seek something good if something better is not available to you.

Choose the singularly good, if the finest is not available to you.

ولا ترض ورد الرتق إلا ضرورة

ولا ترض ورد الرتق إلا ضرورة

إذا لم يكن في الأرض حاشاه مشرب

إذا لم يكن في الأرض حاشاه مشرب

And accept drinking [murky water] only from necessity,

Do not be content with jujube fruit, except out of necessity,

When nowhere on earth is there a drinking place except it.

When the land offers you no other drink.

ولا تترين ملح المياه نانها

ولا تترين ملح المياه نانها

شجى والصدى بالحر أولى وأوجب

شجى والصدى بالحر أولى وأوجب

And never [drink] salt water, for it is

Nor make bitter water your staple,

A choking obstruction; thirst is fitter and more binding for a free man.

For brackishness with heat is better and more nutritious.

فخذ من جداها ما تيسر واقتنع

فخذ من جداها ما تيسر واقتنع

ولا تك مشغولاً بمن هو يغلب

ولا تك مشغولاً بمن هو يغلب

So take what is readily available of its bounty, and be content;

So take from its coarseness what you can get and be content,

And do not be preoccupied with whoever prevails.

And do not be preoccupied with what defeats you.

فما لك شرط عندها لا ولا يد

فما لك شرط عندها لا ولا يد

أن حصلت أم ولا أب

أن حصلت أم ولا أب

For you have no claim upon it—no, nor any power—

You have no conditions with it - neither rejection nor acceptance,

That you obtained a mother, nor a father [wording unclear].

Whether you attain your wish or not.

ولا تيأسن مما ينال بحيله

ولا تيأسن مما ينال بحيله

وإن بعدت فالأمر ينأى ويصعب

وإن بعدت فالأمر ينأى ويصعب

And never despair of what may be attained through his stratagems,

Do not despair of what may be had through stratagem,

And if it is distant, the matter recedes and grows difficult.

Though the matter becomes distant and difficult.

ولا تأمن الإظلام فالنجر طالع

ولا تأمن الإظلام فالنجر طالع

ولا تلتبس بالضوء فالشمس تغرب

ولا تلتبس بالضوء فالشمس تغرب

And do not trust the darkness, for [dawn] is rising;

Do not feel safe from darkness - for the stars rise,

Nor be misled by the light, for the sun sets.

Nor be deluded by the light - for the sun sets.

ألح فإن النساء يكدح في الصفا

ألح فإن النساء يكدح في الصفا

إذا طال مأتي عليه ويذهب

إذا طال مأتي عليه ويذهب

Persist, for [water] wears into smooth rock

Be importunate, for women labor in obscurity,

If its passage over it is prolonged, wearing it away.

If their goal is long delayed and escapes them.

وكثر ولا تفشل وتلل كثير ما

وكثر ولا تفشل وتلل كثير ما

فعلت فسماء المزن جم وينضب

فعلت فسماء المزن جم وينضب

Do much, do not lose heart, and [deem little] the much that

Be abundant, and do not fail and tire, however much

You have done; for [rain-cloud water] is plentiful, yet runs dry.

You have acted, for the heavens' downpours are clouds and flow.

فلو يتفذى المرء بالسم قاته

فلو يتفذى المرء بالسم قاته

وقام منه غذاء مجرب

وقام منه غذاء مجرب

For if a person [nourished himself] on poison, it would sustain him,

If only a person could thrive on worries alone,

And from it would come nourishment, tried and tested.

And they became his nourishment, tried and true!