قَد حالَ ما بيني وَبَينَ مآربي

قَد حالَ ما بيني وَبَينَ مآربي

سُخطي تحمُّلَ منَّةٍ من واهِبِ

سُخطي تحمُّلَ منَّةٍ من واهِبِ

What has come between me and my aims is

Between me and my aims has stood

my resentment at bearing a benefaction from a giver.

my aversion to being beholden to a giver.

لَو كُنتُ أَرضى بالخضوع لمطلبٍ

لَو كُنتُ أَرضى بالخضوع لمطلبٍ

ما اِستصعَبت يَوماً عليَّ مطالبي

ما اِستصعَبت يَوماً عليَّ مطالبي

If I were willing to bow in pursuit of my aim,

Had I been content to submit in pursuit of a goal,

my aims would never have proved difficult for me.

my goals would never have proved difficult for me.

خيَّرتُ نَفسي بَينَ عزِّ المكتفي

خيَّرتُ نَفسي بَينَ عزِّ المكتفي

بِأَقلِّ ما يَكفي وَذُلِّ الراغبِ

بِأَقلِّ ما يَكفي وَذُلِّ الراغبِ

I gave my soul a choice between the dignity of one content

I gave my soul a choice between the dignity of one who makes do

with the least that suffices, and the abasement of one who desires.

with the least that suffices, and the humiliation of one who craves.

فتخيَّرت عزَّ القَنوع وأَنشدَت

فتخيَّرت عزَّ القَنوع وأَنشدَت

دَعني فَلَيسَ الذلُّ ضَربةَ لازِبِ

دَعني فَلَيسَ الذلُّ ضَربةَ لازِبِ

So it chose the dignity of contentment and recited:

So it chose the dignity of contentment and recited:

“Leave me be—for abasement is no inescapable fate.”

“Leave me be: humiliation is not inevitable.”

لا فَرقَ ما بَينَ المَنيَّة والمُنى

لا فَرقَ ما بَينَ المَنيَّة والمُنى

إِن نالَ من عِرضي لِسانُ الثالبِ

إِن نالَ من عِرضي لِسانُ الثالبِ

There is no difference between death and desires

There is no difference between death and wishes fulfilled,

if a detractor’s tongue should touch my honor.

if a detractor's tongue assails my honor.

إنّي لأَسغبُ والمَطاعِمُ جمَّةٌ

إنّي لأَسغبُ والمَطاعِمُ جمَّةٌ

حذراً وخوفاً من مقالةِ عائِبِ

حذراً وخوفاً من مقالةِ عائِبِ

I go hungry though food is abundant,

I do indeed go hungry, though food is plentiful,

wary and fearful of a faultfinder’s reproach.

out of caution and fear of a faultfinder's remark.

أَصدى ولا أَرِدُ الزُلالَ المُشتَهى

أَصدى ولا أَرِدُ الزُلالَ المُشتَهى

ما لَم ترُق مِمّا يَشينُ مَشاربي

ما لَم ترُق مِمّا يَشينُ مَشاربي

I thirst, yet do not approach the coveted limpid water

I thirst, yet do not approach the coveted clear water,

unless my drinking places are clear of whatever would sully them.

unless my drinking places are free of what disgraces them.

وَعلى اِحتمالي للفَوادِح أَنَّني

وَعلى اِحتمالي للفَوادِح أَنَّني

ليروعُني هَجرُ الحَبيب العاتبِ

ليروعُني هَجرُ الحَبيب العاتبِ

Though I can endure crushing calamities, still I—

And despite my endurance of grave calamities,

the estrangement of an aggrieved beloved truly frightens me.

my reproachful beloved's estrangement truly terrifies me.

وَيشوقُني ذِكرُ الصَبابة والصِبا

وَيشوقُني ذِكرُ الصَبابة والصِبا

وَيَروقُني حُسنُ الرداح الكاعِبِ

وَيَروقُني حُسنُ الرداح الكاعِبِ

The memory of ardent love and youth fills me with longing,

And remembrance of ardent love and youth stirs my longing,

and the beauty of the full-figured, budding-breasted maiden delights me.

and the beauty of the full-hipped, budding-breasted maiden delights me.

لا تَملكُ الأَعداءُ فضلَ مقادَتي

لا تَملكُ الأَعداءُ فضلَ مقادَتي

وَيقودُني ما شاءَ ودُّ الصاحِبِ

وَيقودُني ما شاءَ ودُّ الصاحِبِ

My enemies have no hold on even the loose end of my reins,

My enemies have no privilege of leading me,

yet a friend’s affection leads me wherever it wills.

yet a friend's affection leads me as it pleases.

إِنّي لأَعذُبُ في مذاقِ أَحبَّتي

إِنّي لأَعذُبُ في مذاقِ أَحبَّتي

وَعدايَ منّي في عَذابٍ واصبِ

وَعدايَ منّي في عَذابٍ واصبِ

To the taste of those I love, I am sweetness itself,

I am indeed sweet to my loved ones' taste,

while my enemies suffer from me unremitting torment.

while my enemies suffer unceasing torment from me.

وَمَتى يَظُنُّ بي الصَديقُ تملُّقاً

وَمَتى يَظُنُّ بي الصَديقُ تملُّقاً

لَم يَلقَني إلّا بظنٍّ كاذِبِ

لَم يَلقَني إلّا بظنٍّ كاذِبِ

Whenever a friend suspects me of flattery,

Whenever a friend suspects me of flattery,

he can only meet me with a suspicion that is false.

he meets me with nothing but a false suspicion.

وإذا رأى منّي الحضورَ لرغبةٍ

وإذا رأى منّي الحضورَ لرغبةٍ

أَولَيتُهُ ودَّ الصديق الغائبِ

أَولَيتُهُ ودَّ الصديق الغائبِ

And when those present see how I am during my absence,

And if he sees my presence as prompted by some desire,

I give him the affection due an absent friend.

I grant him the affection of an absent friend.

سيّان عندي مَن أَحَبَّ ومَن قَلى

سيّان عندي مَن أَحَبَّ ومَن قَلى

إِن غضَّ طَرفاً عَن رِعاية جانبي

إِن غضَّ طَرفاً عَن رِعاية جانبي

In my eyes, the one I love and the one who hates me are alike

Those who love me and those who hate me are alike to me,

if either turns his gaze away from respecting my rights.

if they avert their gaze from upholding my dignity.

جرَّبتُ أَبناءَ الزَمان فَلَم أَجِد

جرَّبتُ أَبناءَ الزَمان فَلَم أَجِد

من لم تُفدني الزُهدَ فيه تَجاربي

من لم تُفدني الزُهدَ فيه تَجاربي

I have tested the sons of Time, yet found

I have tested the sons of this age, and have not found

no one whom my experiences had not taught me to renounce.

anyone my experiences have not taught me to shun.