أفْديهِ إِنْ حَفِظَ الهَوى أَو ضَيَّعا

أفْديهِ إِنْ حَفِظَ الهَوى أَو ضَيَّعا

مَلَكَ الفُؤادَ فَمَا عَسَى أنْ أصْنَعا

مَلَكَ الفُؤادَ فَمَا عَسَى أنْ أصْنَعا

I would ransom him, whether he preserves love or squanders it.

Whether he kept his passion or lost it

He has taken possession of my heart—what can I possibly do?

He possessed my heart, so what can I do?

مَنْ لَمْ يَذُقْ ظُلْمَ الحَبيبِ كَظَلْمِهِ

مَنْ لَمْ يَذُقْ ظُلْمَ الحَبيبِ كَظَلْمِهِ

حُلْواً فَقَدْ جَهِلَ الْمَحَبَّةَ وَادَّعى

حُلْواً فَقَدْ جَهِلَ الْمَحَبَّةَ وَادَّعى

Whoever has not tasted the beloved's cruelty—cruelty like his—

Whoever hasn't tasted the injustice of a lover like his

And found it sweet has not known love, but merely claimed it.

Sweetly, he was ignorant of love though he claimed it

يا أيُّها الْوَجْهُ الْجَميلُ تَدارَكِ الصَّ

يا أيُّها الْوَجْهُ الْجَميلُ تَدارَكِ الصَّ

بَّ النَّحيلَ فَقَد عَفا وَتَضَعْضَعا

بَّ النَّحيلَ فَقَد عَفا وَتَضَعْضَعا

O beautiful face, rescue the love-

O beautiful face, spare the thin youth

sick, emaciated lover, for he has wasted away and grown frail.

His passion faded and crumbled away

هَلْ فِي فُؤادِكَ رَحْمَةٌ لِمُتَيَّمٍ

هَلْ فِي فُؤادِكَ رَحْمَةٌ لِمُتَيَّمٍ

ضَمَّتْ جوانِحُهُ فُؤاداً مْوجَعا

ضَمَّتْ جوانِحُهُ فُؤاداً مْوجَعا

Is there mercy in your heart for one enslaved by love,

Is there any mercy in your heart for a hopeless one

Whose ribs enclose an aching heart?

Whose limbs embraced an aching heart?

فَتِّشْ حَشايَ فَأنْتَ فِيهِ حاضِرٌ

فَتِّشْ حَشايَ فَأنْتَ فِيهِ حاضِرٌ

تَجِدِ الحَسودَ بِضِدِّ ما فِيهِ سَعى

تَجِدِ الحَسودَ بِضِدِّ ما فِيهِ سَعى

Search my innermost heart, for you are present there;

Search my thoughts, for you are present in them

You will find the envious one strove for the opposite of what it holds.

You'll find the envious one opposite to what he sought

هَلْ مِن سَبيلٍ أَنْ أَبُثَّ صَبابَتي

هَلْ مِن سَبيلٍ أَنْ أَبُثَّ صَبابَتي

أوْ أَشْتَكي بَلْوايَ أوْ أتَضَرَّعا

أوْ أَشْتَكي بَلْوايَ أوْ أتَضَرَّعا

Is there any way for me to pour out my yearning,

Is there a way for me to express my youth

Or complain of my affliction, or plead?

Or complain of my affliction or plead?

إنّي لأّسْتَحْيِي كَما عَوَّدْتَنَي

إنّي لأّسْتَحْيِي كَما عَوَّدْتَنَي

بِسوَى رِضاكَ إلَيكَ أنْ أتَشَفَّعَا

بِسوَى رِضاكَ إلَيكَ أنْ أتَشَفَّعَا

I am indeed ashamed, as you have taught me,

Truly, I'm too shy, as you accustomed me

To plead with you through anything but your own good pleasure.

To plead with you for anything but your approval

يا عَيْنُ عُذْرُكِ فِي حَبيْبِكِ واضِحٌ

يا عَيْنُ عُذْرُكِ فِي حَبيْبِكِ واضِحٌ

سحِيّ لِوَحْشَتِهِ دَماً أو أدْمُعا

سحِيّ لِوَحْشَتِهِ دَماً أو أدْمُعا

O eye, your excuse concerning your beloved is clear;

O eye, your excuse for your lover is clear

Pour forth blood or tears for his absence.

Wipe the tears of his abandonment or shed them

اللَّه أبْدَى الْبَدْرَ مِنْ أزْرارِهِ

اللَّه أبْدَى الْبَدْرَ مِنْ أزْرارِهِ

وَالشَّمْسَ مِنْ قَسَماتِ موسى أطْلَعا

وَالشَّمْسَ مِنْ قَسَماتِ موسى أطْلَعا

God revealed the full moon from between his buttons,

God revealed the full moon from his bosoms

And made the sun rise from Musa's features—

And the sun from the portions of Moses, rising

الأشْرَفِ المَلِكِ الّذي سادَ الْوَرَى

الأشْرَفِ المَلِكِ الّذي سادَ الْوَرَى

كَهْلاً وَمُكْتَمِلَ الشَّبابِ وَمُرْضَعا

كَهْلاً وَمُكْتَمِلَ الشَّبابِ وَمُرْضَعا

Al-Ashraf, the king who held sway over humankind,

The noble king who ruled the world

In middle age, in the prime of youth, and as a suckling infant.

As a grown elder, youthful and suckling babe

رُدَّتْ بِهِ شَمْسُ السَّماحِ عَلى الورى

رُدَّتْ بِهِ شَمْسُ السَّماحِ عَلى الورى

فَاسْتَبْشَروا وَرَأَوا بِموسى يُوشَعا

فَاسْتَبْشَروا وَرَأَوا بِموسى يُوشَعا

Through him the sun of generosity was restored to humankind;

With him the sun of generosity returned to the world

So they rejoiced, and saw in Musa a Joshua.

So they rejoiced and saw Moses in Joshua

سَهْلٌ إِذْا لَمَسَ الصَّفا سالَ النَّدى

سَهْلٌ إِذْا لَمَسَ الصَّفا سالَ النَّدى

صَعْبٌ إِذْا لَمَسَ الأشَمَّ تَصَدَّعا

صَعْبٌ إِذْا لَمَسَ الأشَمَّ تَصَدَّعا

Gentle—when he touches smooth rock, dew flows;

Easy when it touches good, the dew flows

Formidable—when he touches a lofty mountain, it shatters.

Hard when it touches evil, it crumbles

دانٍ وَلكِنْ مِنْ سُؤَالِ عُفاتِهِ

دانٍ وَلكِنْ مِنْ سُؤَالِ عُفاتِهِ

سَامٍ عَلى سَمْكٍ السَّماءِ تَرَفَّعَا

سَامٍ عَلى سَمْكٍ السَّماءِ تَرَفَّعَا

Near at hand, yet beyond his petitioners' entreaties,

Humbling, but from questioning his chastity

Lofty, he rises above the height of heaven.

Lofty above the fish of the sky it rose

يا بَرْقُ هذا مِنْكَ أصْدَقُ شيمَةً

يا بَرْقُ هذا مِنْكَ أصْدَقُ شيمَةً

يا غَيْثُ هذا مِنْكَ أحْسَنُ مَوْقِعا

يا غَيْثُ هذا مِنْكَ أحْسَنُ مَوْقِعا

O lightning, this man is truer in character than you.

O lightning, this is your true nature

O rain, this man is better in his impact than you.

O rain, this your best place

يا رَوْضُ هذا مِنْكَ أَبْهَجُ مَنْظَراً

يا رَوْضُ هذا مِنْكَ أَبْهَجُ مَنْظَراً

يا بَحْرُ هذا مِنْكَ أَعْذَبُ مَشْرَعا

يا بَحْرُ هذا مِنْكَ أَعْذَبُ مَشْرَعا

O garden, this man is more delightful to behold than you.

O meadow, this your most beautiful scene

O sea, this man's watering-place is sweeter than yours.

O sea, this your sweetest shore

يا سَهْمُ هذا مِنْكَ أَصْوَبُ مَقْصِداً

يا سَهْمُ هذا مِنْكَ أَصْوَبُ مَقْصِداً

يا سَيْفُ هذا مِنْكَ أَسْرَعُ مَقْطَعا

يا سَيْفُ هذا مِنْكَ أَسْرَعُ مَقْطَعا

O arrow, this man's aim is surer than yours.

O arrow, this your truest aim

O sword, this man's cutting is swifter than yours.

O sword, this your swiftest cut

يا صُبْحُ هذا مِنْكَ أَسْفَرُ غُرَّةً

يا صُبْحُ هذا مِنْكَ أَسْفَرُ غُرَّةً

يا نَجْمُ هذا مِنكَ أَهْدى مَطْلَعا

يا نَجْمُ هذا مِنكَ أَهْدى مَطْلَعا

O dawn, this man's brow is more radiant than yours.

O dawn, this your brightest first light

O star, this man's rising gives surer guidance than yours.

O star, this your clearest rising

حَمَلَتْ أنامِلُهُ السُّيوفَ فَلَمْ تَزَلْ

حَمَلَتْ أنامِلُهُ السُّيوفَ فَلَمْ تَزَلْ

شُكْراً لِذلِكَ سُجَّداً أو رُكَّعا

شُكْراً لِذلِكَ سُجَّداً أو رُكَّعا

His fingertips bore the swords, and they have never ceased

His fingers held the swords, and so they remained

In gratitude for that, to prostrate themselves or bow.

Bowing in thanks or kneeling in prayer

حَلَّتْ فَلا بَرِحَتْ مَكاناً لَمْ يَزَلْ

حَلَّتْ فَلا بَرِحَتْ مَكاناً لَمْ يَزَلْ

مِنْ دُرِّ أَفْواهِ المُلُوكِ مُرَصَّعا

مِنْ دُرِّ أَفْواهِ المُلُوكِ مُرَصَّعا

They settled—may they never leave—in a place that has always been

They touched down and never left a place that remained

Studded with pearls from the mouths of kings.

Studded with the pearls of the mouths of kings

أَمُظَفَّرَ الدِّينِ اسْتَمِعْ قَوْلي وَقُلْ

أَمُظَفَّرَ الدِّينِ اسْتَمِعْ قَوْلي وَقُلْ

لِعِثارِ عَبْدٍ أَنْتَ مالِكُهُ لَعا

لِعِثارِ عَبْدٍ أَنْتَ مالِكُهُ لَعا

O Muzaffar al-Din, hear my words, and say

Victorious defender of the faith, hear my words and say

To a stumbling servant whose master you are: 'Rise again!'

To the stumbling of a servant you own, do not blame

أَيَضِيقُ بي حَرَمُ اصْطِناعِكَ بَعْدَما

أَيَضِيقُ بي حَرَمُ اصْطِناعِكَ بَعْدَما

قَدْ كانَ مُنْفَرِجاً عَلَيَّ مُوَسَّعا

قَدْ كانَ مُنْفَرِجاً عَلَيَّ مُوَسَّعا

Does the sanctuary of your patronage grow narrow for me, after

Does your sanctuary narrow around me after it

It had been open to me and spacious?

Had been open and expanded to me?

هذا وَقَدْ طَرَّزْتُ بِاسْمِكَ مَدْحَةً

هذا وَقَدْ طَرَّزْتُ بِاسْمِكَ مَدْحَةً

لا تَرْتَضي شَنْفَ الثُّرَيَّا مَسْمَعا

لا تَرْتَضي شَنْفَ الثُّرَيَّا مَسْمَعا

This, though I have embroidered a praise-poem with your name—

Even so, with your name I embroidered a praise

One that will not accept the Pleiades' earring as a place to be heard.

The shy gazelle would not hear recited

عَذْراءَ ما قَعَدَ الزَّمانُ بِرَبِّها

عَذْراءَ ما قَعَدَ الزَّمانُ بِرَبِّها

إلاّ وَقامَ بِها خَطيباً مِصْقَعاً

إلاّ وَقامَ بِها خَطيباً مِصْقَعاً

A virgin ode: never has Time brought her master low

Chaste one, time never sat with her lord

Without rising as an eloquent orator on her behalf.

Except it stood delivering a sermon to her, threatening

وَعَلَى كِلاَ الْحالَيْنِ إنِّي شاكِرٌ

وَعَلَى كِلاَ الْحالَيْنِ إنِّي شاكِرٌ

داعٍ لأِنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْمَعُ مَنْ دَعا

داعٍ لأِنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْمَعُ مَنْ دَعا

And in either state, I am grateful,

And in either case, I am thankful

Praying, for God hears whoever prays.

Praying that Allah hears one who prays