لا والّذي بِثَناكُم مَنطقي فَتقا

لا والّذي بِثَناكُم مَنطقي فَتقا

ما حلّ سلوانُكم قَلبي ولا طَرَقا

ما حلّ سلوانُكم قَلبي ولا طَرَقا

No, by Him who unloosed my speech in praise of you,

No, by Him who made your girth logical, acute

Forgetfulness of you never settled in my heart, nor visited it.

Your garlands neither filled my heart nor knocked

يُديرُ ذكراكُم مَدحي مشعشعةً

يُديرُ ذكراكُم مَدحي مشعشعةً

يشقّ في ليلِ خَطبي نورها فَلقا

يشقّ في ليلِ خَطبي نورها فَلقا

My praise passes round your remembrance, a sparkling draught,

The memory of you makes my praise glittering

Whose light cleaves a dawn through the night of my affliction.

Its light cleaves the night of my address in two

تُمسي الحوادثُ حَولي في أشعّتها

تُمسي الحوادثُ حَولي في أشعّتها

مثلَ الفراشِ أحبّ النارَ فَاِحتّرقا

مثلَ الفراشِ أحبّ النارَ فَاِحتّرقا

At evening, the calamities around me, within its rays, become

The events around me become, in its rays

Like the moth that loved the fire and so burned.

Like a moth—loves the fire and was thus burned

رَقّت وَرَقّ بِها طَبعي فَشاكَلها

رَقّت وَرَقّ بِها طَبعي فَشاكَلها

فَلو تفرّقَ شملُ النجمِ ما اِفتَرَقا

فَلو تفرّقَ شملُ النجمِ ما اِفتَرَقا

It grew delicate; through it my nature grew delicate and resembled it,

My nature softened and folded in to match it

So even if the company of stars scattered, the two would not part.

If the constellations broke apart, they'd not part

وَجدتُ كلّ بَني الدنيا ذَوي دخلٍ

وَجدتُ كلّ بَني الدنيا ذَوي دخلٍ

في كلّ ما مسلكٍ قَد أَحدَثوا نَفقا

في كلّ ما مسلكٍ قَد أَحدَثوا نَفقا

I found all the sons of this world possessed of deceit;

I found the all peoples of the world have an income

In every single path, they had made a tunnel.

In every path they paved a tunnel

رَمَوا بسهمِ النميري القولَ معتبراً

رَمَوا بسهمِ النميري القولَ معتبراً

وَطيلسانِ اِبن حربٍ عفّةً وتُقى

وَطيلسانِ اِبن حربٍ عفّةً وتُقى

They shot al-Numayri's arrow at speech held in esteem,

They shot with the arrow of truthful word, considered

And Ibn Harb's mantle at chastity and piety.

And the garb of the son of chastity and piety

أَضحَت لِمَجدي كروحِ القدسُ فهوَ بِها

أَضحَت لِمَجدي كروحِ القدسُ فهوَ بِها

مُؤيّدٌ بكمالٍ واِمتدادِ بقا

مُؤيّدٌ بكمالٍ واِمتدادِ بقا

It became to my glory like the Holy Spirit; through it my glory

To my glory it became like the holy soul so it is through it

Is upheld in perfection and enduring life.

Supported, with perfection and the stretch of eternity

أَرى تتمّة فَخري بَل تَميمتهُ

أَرى تتمّة فَخري بَل تَميمتهُ

حُسنَ اِنتسابٍ إِلى عليائِكم صَدَقا

حُسنَ اِنتسابٍ إِلى عليائِكم صَدَقا

I see my glory's completion—nay, its protective amulet—

I see the fullness of my pride, rather its perfection

In an honorable, true affiliation with your exalted rank.

Good lineage to your prominence, truly

لَولاه أَرمى جميعُ الناسِ في خلدي

لَولاه أَرمى جميعُ الناسِ في خلدي

بأسهمِ البغيِ أدنى مَن به وَثقا

بأسهمِ البغيِ أدنى مَن به وَثقا

Without it, all people, in my judgment, would shoot

Were it not for it, I would regard peoples' envy

Arrows of injustice at the closest person they had trusted.

As the lowliest of those who trusted in me

سَلامتي مِن بَني الأقلامِ أَجمعهم

سَلامتي مِن بَني الأقلامِ أَجمعهم

بُرهانُ صدقٍ عَلى التوحيدِ قَد نَطقا

بُرهانُ صدقٍ عَلى التوحيدِ قَد نَطقا

My safety from all the sons of the pen

My wellbeing came from the pens altogether

Is a true proof, proclaiming God's oneness.

As evidence of sincerity's declaration

طَلاقةُ الصفحِ تَبدو في وجوههمُ

طَلاقةُ الصفحِ تَبدو في وجوههمُ

وَالحقدُ لا زالَ في أَحشائِهم ذَلِقا

وَالحقدُ لا زالَ في أَحشائِهم ذَلِقا

The cheerfulness of forgiveness appears upon their faces,

In their faces appears the slackness of the brow

While rancor remains sharp within their entrails.

And hatred still in their bellies writhing

كَم أَكذبَ اللّه في خَفضي أَمانِيَهُم

كَم أَكذبَ اللّه في خَفضي أَمانِيَهُم

وَردّهم بِصدورٍ تَلتظي حَنَقا

وَردّهم بِصدورٍ تَلتظي حَنَقا

How often God has thwarted their hopes of bringing me low,

How often Allah humiliated their hopes through me

And sent them back with breasts blazing with rage!

And returned them with breasts that fester with grudge

اللّه حَسبي فكلّ الناسِ تَحسَبُهم

اللّه حَسبي فكلّ الناسِ تَحسَبُهم

قولاً وجميعاً وتُلفي فِعلهم فِرقا

قولاً وجميعاً وتُلفي فِعلهم فِرقا

God is enough for me; you would suppose all people

Allah suffices me so all peoples, I account

United in speech and together, yet find their deeds divided.

As words together, and interweave their works distinguished

ما في ذَوي الصحفِ طرّاً في صحائِفِهم

ما في ذَوي الصحفِ طرّاً في صحائِفِهم

إِلّا وجوهُ نفاقٍ بينَهم نَفقا

إِلّا وجوهُ نفاقٍ بينَهم نَفقا

In the pages of all the men of letters there is nothing

In the bearers of scripture there is no good in their scriptures

But faces of hypocrisy that pass current among them.

Except the faces of hypocrisy amongst them distinct

فيهم يَرى كلُّ ذي خبرٍ يُثافِنُهم

فيهم يَرى كلُّ ذي خبرٍ يُثافِنُهم

حَديث أَفسَقها القرّاء مُرتَطقا

حَديث أَفسَقها القرّاء مُرتَطقا

Among them, every experienced man who keeps their company sees

In them, every knowledgeable one sees, their burying

The saying, 'Its worst sinners are the reciters,' fully borne out.

A narrative the readers made incoherently stitched

ما شاءَه اللؤمُ إلّا في ظَواهِرهم

ما شاءَه اللؤمُ إلّا في ظَواهِرهم

مِن السفاسفِ يُلفيه لَهم خُلُقا

مِن السفاسفِ يُلفيه لَهم خُلُقا

Whatever baseness desired merely in their outward appearance,

Not but what villainy the fools fancied

Of petty vices, it finds ingrained in their character.

From trivialities he wraps for them, traits

اللّه أَكبرُ ما أَشقى مُصاحبهم

اللّه أَكبرُ ما أَشقى مُصاحبهم

بِهم وأسعَدَ مِن ما أن بهم عَلِقا

بِهم وأسعَدَ مِن ما أن بهم عَلِقا

God is greatest! How wretched is their companion

God is greatest—how miserable, accompanying them

Because of them—and how fortunate one who never attached himself to them!

And happy is he who does not attach himself to them

قَومٌ إِذا اِئتُمِنوا خانوا وَإِن نطَقوا

قَومٌ إِذا اِئتُمِنوا خانوا وَإِن نطَقوا

فَالخدع وَالزور وَالبهتان وَالمَلقا

فَالخدع وَالزور وَالبهتان وَالمَلقا

A people who betray when trusted; and if they speak,

A people, if entrusted will betray, and if they speak

It is deceit, falsehood, slander, and flattery.

Then schemes, lies, slander and prattle

إِن لَم يَكونوا شياطينَ الأنام فلا

إِن لَم يَكونوا شياطينَ الأنام فلا

شيطانَ للإنس مِن نوعٍ لهم خلقا

شيطانَ للإنس مِن نوعٍ لهم خلقا

If they are not the devils of mankind, then no

If they are not humanity's satans, then there is no

Devil of any kind has been created for human beings.

Satan of humans created in a species like them

لَطيفُهم كلّ ذي فحشٍ وكيّسُهم

لَطيفُهم كلّ ذي فحشٍ وكيّسُهم

مَن مِن مروءتهِ أَو دينهِ مَرقا

مَن مِن مروءتهِ أَو دينهِ مَرقا

Their refined man is any foul-mouthed man; their shrewd man

Their easy one, every obscene, and their shrewd

Is one who has cast off his honor or his faith.

Is one whose manliness or faith have slipped

أَقسمتُ لَولاكَ فيمَن بينَ أظهرهم

أَقسمتُ لَولاكَ فيمَن بينَ أظهرهم

ما أَسبلَت لَهم خَضراؤها غدقا

ما أَسبلَت لَهم خَضراؤها غدقا

I swear: were you not among those in their midst,

I swear, were it not for you amongst those in their front

Its green sky would not have poured plentiful rain upon them.

Greenness would not have draped for them a singly branch

يا أوحداً غَفَر اللّه الكريم بهِ

يا أوحداً غَفَر اللّه الكريم بهِ

ذنباً لَو اِدركَ نورَ الشمس لاِنمَحقا

ذنباً لَو اِدركَ نورَ الشمس لاِنمَحقا

O peerless one, through whom the generous God forgave

O Singular, the Generous forgave through you

A sin that, had it reached the sun's light, would have extinguished that light.

A sin, if found, the light of the sun would eradicated

وَردّ عنّا بهِ ما ليسَ نَحمله

وَردّ عنّا بهِ ما ليسَ نَحمله

مِن فتنةٍ لا تُصيبنّ الظلومَ فقا

مِن فتنةٍ لا تُصيبنّ الظلومَ فقا

And through him warded off from us what we cannot bear—

And diverted from us through you what we do not

A calamity that would not strike the wrongdoer alone.

Bear of strife—it does not befall but the unjust

الحمدُ للّه حمداً لا كفاء له

الحمدُ للّه حمداً لا كفاء له

إِذ باِكتِمالكَ بدراً زان ذا الأُفُقا

إِذ باِكتِمالكَ بدراً زان ذا الأُفُقا

Praise be to God, praise that has no equal,

Praise be to God, endless praise

For, as you waxed into a full moon, He adorned this horizon.

For by you full , the disc adorned the horizon

طَلعتَ في أفقُ الخضراءِ ذا شهبٍ

طَلعتَ في أفقُ الخضراءِ ذا شهبٍ

مِنَ الديانةِ يدحرنَ الّذي سرقا

مِنَ الديانةِ يدحرنَ الّذي سرقا

You rose on the horizon of the green sky, bearing shooting stars

You rose in the green horizon's fringe with flame

Of faith, driving away whoever steals.

Repelling those which stole

يا آلَ بَيرم أَضحى بيتُ مجدكمُ

يا آلَ بَيرم أَضحى بيتُ مجدكمُ

مَثابةَ الأمنِ والإيمانِ ما طرقا

مَثابةَ الأمنِ والإيمانِ ما طرقا

O family of Bayram, your house of glory has become

Oh clan of Bayrem, the home of your glory has become

A refuge of safety and faith whenever it is approached.

The influence of security and faith not once knocked

ثَأري إِليهِ وفودُ الشكرِ مضحيةً

ثَأري إِليهِ وفودُ الشكرِ مضحيةً

وَالفخر مُصطبحاً والأجر مُعتبقا

وَالفخر مُصطبحاً والأجر مُعتبقا

My vengeance: delegations of thanks to it at forenoon [wording unclear],

My debt to it and crowds of thanks sacrificial

And pride drinking in the morning, and reward drinking in the evening.

And pride a ritual offering and reward embraced