قد عاهَدَ الدهرُ أهليهِ فما غَدَرا

قد عاهَدَ الدهرُ أهليهِ فما غَدَرا

أنْ لا يُديمَ لَهُم صَفْواً ولا كَدَرا

أنْ لا يُديمَ لَهُم صَفْواً ولا كَدَرا

Time has made a pact with its people and has not broken faith:

Fate had vowed to its people, so it was never disloyal

Never to make either serenity or distress endure for them.

That it would never give them long-lasting joy or sorrow

دَهرٌ يُقلِّبُ أحوالَ العِبادِ ومَن

دَهرٌ يُقلِّبُ أحوالَ العِبادِ ومَن

رأى تَقلُّبَهُ في نفسِهِ عَذَرا

رأى تَقلُّبَهُ في نفسِهِ عَذَرا

Time turns the fortunes of humankind; and whoever

Fate keeps changing the conditions of people and whoever

Has seen its changes in himself forgives it.

Sees its fluctuations will find excuses for it

شمسٌ تغيبُ ويَبدُو بَعدَها قمَرٌ

شمسٌ تغيبُ ويَبدُو بَعدَها قمَرٌ

وتارةً لا نَرى شَمساً ولا قَمَرا

وتارةً لا نَرى شَمساً ولا قَمَرا

A sun sets, and after it a moon appears,

A sun that sets, and after it a moon rises

And sometimes we see neither sun nor moon.

And sometimes we see neither sun nor moon

والناسُ بين نزيلٍ إثْرَ مُرتحلٍ

والناسُ بين نزيلٍ إثْرَ مُرتحلٍ

وراحلٍ يَقتفي الباقي لهُ أثَرا

وراحلٍ يَقتفي الباقي لهُ أثَرا

And people are either a newcomer following one who departs,

People are between a resident after a traveler

Or one departing, whose trail the one remaining follows.

And a traveler who follows the traces of the one who remained

يا ذاهباً حيثُ لا نَدري لهُ خَبَرا

يا ذاهباً حيثُ لا نَدري لهُ خَبَرا

تَفِدي لنا ذاهباً نَدرِي لهُ خَبَرا

تَفِدي لنا ذاهباً نَدرِي لهُ خَبَرا

O departed one, gone where we hear no news of you,

O you who left to where we don't know any news of you

May you ransom for us one gone, whose news we hear.

Sacrifice yourself for us by leaving to where we know your news

قد أوحشَ الشَرقَ لَمَّا غابَ عنهُ كما

قد أوحشَ الشَرقَ لَمَّا غابَ عنهُ كما

ألقَى على الغَربِ أُنساً حيثُما حَضَرا

ألقَى على الغَربِ أُنساً حيثُما حَضَرا

He left the East desolate when he departed from it, just as

You saddened the East when you were absent from it

He brought cheer to the West wherever he appeared.

Just as you brought company to the West wherever you were present

هو الحبيبُ المُحِبُّ الصادقُ الثِّقَةُ ال

هو الحبيبُ المُحِبُّ الصادقُ الثِّقَةُ ال

وافي الذي بين أهلِ الحُبِّ قد نَدَرا

وافي الذي بين أهلِ الحُبِّ قد نَدَرا

He is the beloved, the loving, the truthful, the trustworthy, the

You are the beloved, the loving, the loyal, the trustworthy

Faithful one, so rare among the people of love.

The faithful one, who among the people of love has become rare

فُؤَادُهُ الماءُ لِيناً غيرَ أنَّ بهِ

فُؤَادُهُ الماءُ لِيناً غيرَ أنَّ بهِ

عهداً كنَقشٍ قدِ استَوْدَعْتَهُ حَجَرا

عهداً كنَقشٍ قدِ استَوْدَعْتَهُ حَجَرا

His heart is water in its softness, yet within it lies

Your heart is soft water, except that in it

A pledge like an inscription you have entrusted to stone.

Is a covenant like an inscription that you entrusted to stone

يَزيدُ مَرُّ الليالي في مَوَدَّتِهِ

يَزيدُ مَرُّ الليالي في مَوَدَّتِهِ

كالغُصنِ يوماً فيوماً طالَ وانتَشَرا

كالغُصنِ يوماً فيوماً طالَ وانتَشَرا

The passing of the nights increases his affection,

The passage of nights increases your affection

Like a branch that day by day grows long and spreads.

Like a branch, day after day it grew and spread

وإن غَفَلتُ لضُعفي هَبَّ مُنتبِهاً

وإن غَفَلتُ لضُعفي هَبَّ مُنتبِهاً

وإن نَسيتُ مواثيقَ الهَوَى ذَكرا

وإن نَسيتُ مواثيقَ الهَوَى ذَكرا

And if, through weakness, I grow heedless, he springs up alert,

And if I was inattentive due to my weakness, you would wake up

And if I forget love's covenants, he remembers.

And if I forgot the covenants of passion, you would remind

جاءت رِسالتُهُ الغرَّاءُ يَحمِلها

جاءت رِسالتُهُ الغرَّاءُ يَحمِلها

فُلكُ الدُخانِ كغيمٍ يَحِملُ المَطَرا

فُلكُ الدُخانِ كغيمٍ يَحِملُ المَطَرا

His radiant letter arrived, carried

Your precious message came, carried

By a ship of smoke, like a cloud bearing rain.

By a ship of smoke like a cloud carrying rain

أرْوَت ظَمَا القلبِ لكنّي غرِقتُ بها

أرْوَت ظَمَا القلبِ لكنّي غرِقتُ بها

في بحرِ مِنتَّهِ الطامي الذي زَخرا

في بحرِ مِنتَّهِ الطامي الذي زَخرا

It quenched the heart's thirst, but through it I drowned

It quenched the thirst of my heart but I drowned in it

In the swelling sea of his kindness, which surged.

In an ocean of its surging waves that overflowed

هيَ الكتابُ الذي سَمَّيتُهُ صَدَفاً

هيَ الكتابُ الذي سَمَّيتُهُ صَدَفاً

فيها الكَلامُ الذي سَمَّيتُهُ دُرَرا

فيها الكَلامُ الذي سَمَّيتُهُ دُرَرا

It is the letter that I have called a shell;

It is the letter I called a seashell

Within it are the words that I have called pearls.

In it is speech I called pearls

قامت تُمثِّلُ لي أُنسَ اللقاءِ بهِ

قامت تُمثِّلُ لي أُنسَ اللقاءِ بهِ

من حيثُ كانت تَسُرُّ السَّمْعَ والبَصَرا

من حيثُ كانت تَسُرُّ السَّمْعَ والبَصَرا

It evoked for me the delight of meeting him,

It acted out for me the intimacy of meeting you

For it pleased both hearing and sight.

From where it brought pleasure to hearing and seeing

يا أيُّها الرَّاحِلُ الميمونُ طائِرُهُ

يا أيُّها الرَّاحِلُ الميمونُ طائِرُهُ

أَرَى وِدَادَكَ لا يَستَعمِلُ السَّفَرا

أَرَى وِدَادَكَ لا يَستَعمِلُ السَّفَرا

O traveler, whose bird of omen is auspicious,

O you honorable traveler, good omened is your journey

I see your affection does not undertake travel.

I see your affection not needing travel

لكَ المُطَوَّلُ من شَوقِ المُحِبِّ وإِنْ

لكَ المُطَوَّلُ من شَوقِ المُحِبِّ وإِنْ

كانَ الكِتابُ الذي يُهدِيهِ مُختَصَرا

كانَ الكِتابُ الذي يُهدِيهِ مُختَصَرا

Yours is the long account of the lover's longing, even if

Prolonged is the love letter of the lover even if

The letter he offers is brief.

The letter he sends is short