الزَم جفاءك لي ولو فيه الضَّنا

الزَم جفاءك لي ولو فيه الضَّنا

وارفع حديثَ البين عَمّا بيننا

وارفع حديثَ البين عَمّا بيننا

Persist in your coldness toward me, even if it brings wasting sickness,

Keep your harsh aloofness from me even if doing so hurts me,

And banish talk of parting from what lies between us.

And raise the discussion of separation above what's between us.

فسمومُ هجرِكَ في هواجرِه والأذى

فسمومُ هجرِكَ في هواجرِه والأذى

ونسيمُ وَصلِكَ في أصائِله المُنى

ونسيمُ وَصلِكَ في أصائِله المُنى

For your desertion's scorching wind blows at its noons, bringing pain,

For the venom of your estrangement in its aggressions and harm

And the breeze of your union, in its late afternoons, brings hopes.

While the breeze of your connection in its gentleness is wished for.

ليسَ التلوُن من امارات الرضا

ليسَ التلوُن من امارات الرضا

لكن إذا مَلَّ الحبيبُ تَلَوَّنا

لكن إذا مَلَّ الحبيبُ تَلَوَّنا

Fickleness is no sign of contentment,

Fickleness is not a sign of pleasure,

But when the beloved grows weary, he becomes fickle.

But when a lover becomes fickle, so does the loved one.

تُبدي الاسادة في التيقُّظِ عامداً

تُبدي الاسادة في التيقُّظِ عامداً

وأراك تُحسِنُ في الكرى أن تُحسِنا

وأراك تُحسِنُ في الكرى أن تُحسِنا

You deliberately show ill-treatment while awake,

You show excellence in estrangement if you wish to show excellence.

And in sleep I see you know how to be kind.

Why is it, when I implore your opinion, you attribute to me

ما لي إذا استعطفتُ رأيك رمتَ لي

ما لي إذا استعطفتُ رأيك رمتَ لي

عيباً جديداً من هناك ومن هنا

عيباً جديداً من هناك ومن هنا

Why, when I seek to soften your judgment, do you seek out for me

A new fault, now from here, now from over there?

A fresh fault from there and from here?

I praise you but gain no favor,

مُثنِ عليك وما استفاد رغيبةً

مُثنِ عليك وما استفاد رغيبةً

عجبٌ ومعتذرٌ اليك وماجنا

عجبٌ ومعتذرٌ اليك وماجنا

One who praises you without having gained a boon

Strange - I make excuses to you yet we have not sinned.

Is a marvel—as is one apologizing to you who has done no wrong.

Nothing has led to this discourse but my expatriation,

ما جرَّ هذا الخطب غير تَغَرُّبي

ما جرَّ هذا الخطب غير تَغَرُّبي

ومن التغرُّب ما أذلّ وأهونا

ومن التغرُّب ما أذلّ وأهونا

Nothing brought on this calamity but my living abroad,

And expatriation has brought the most debasing disgrace.

And life abroad can abase and humiliate.

The most auspicious lands, though spacious,

أزكى بقاع الأرض وهي فسيحةٌ

أزكى بقاع الأرض وهي فسيحةٌ

ما كان سِربُ العيش فيها آمنا

ما كان سِربُ العيش فيها آمنا

The choicest places on earth, vast though it is,

Where livelihood was secure in them were not tranquil.

Are those where life's course is secure.

Livelihood has many forms, and that which you obtain

والرزقُ أنواعٌ فما صادفتَهُ

والرزقُ أنواعٌ فما صادفتَهُ

أخَلى من التبعات أحلَى مُجتَنى

أخَلى من التبعات أحلَى مُجتَنى

And sustenance comes in different kinds; whatever you find

Devoid of troubles, is the sweetest honeycombed.

Freest of liabilities is the sweetest fruit to gather.

Fate does not reveal the mysteries of its affairs

والدهرُ لا يفشي غوامضَ سِرِّهِ

والدهرُ لا يفشي غوامضَ سِرِّهِ

إِلاّ الى ذي الفقر من بعد الغنى

إِلاّ الى ذي الفقر من بعد الغنى

And time does not disclose its secret's hidden depths

Except to the poor man after wealth.

Except to one who has known poverty after wealth.

Keep company with men, for the endeavor of a man

أدمِن مُصاحبةَ الرجال فلم يخب

أدمِن مُصاحبةَ الرجال فلم يخب

سعي امرىءٍ صحب الرجال فأِّدمَنا

سعي امرىءٍ صحب الرجال فأِّدمَنا

Persist in keeping men's company, for never has failed

Who kept company with men was not disappointed.

The endeavor of a man who kept men's company and persevered.

Do not be fooled by those whose hearts forbid

لا تغرّر بالمانعين قلوبَهم

لا تغرّر بالمانعين قلوبَهم

إن سالموا والمانحين الألسنا

إن سالموا والمانحين الألسنا

Do not be taken in by those who withhold their hearts,

Though they make peace, and tongues that give.

Even if they make peace and bestow their tongues.

The free man is lowest when he moves away,

الحرُّ أدنى ما يكون اذا نأى

الحرُّ أدنى ما يكون اذا نأى

والوغد أنأى ما يكون أذا دنا

والوغد أنأى ما يكون أذا دنا

The noble man is nearest when he is far away,

While the scoundrel is farthest when he comes near.

And the base man is farthest when he draws near.

And if you do not attain hopes by struggling,

وإذا الأماني لم تنلها مُعرِقاً

وإذا الأماني لم تنلها مُعرِقاً

فاثن العنان وسر تَنَلها مُعمِنا

فاثن العنان وسر تَنَلها مُعمِنا

And if you fail to win your wishes while journeying to Iraq,

Then slacken the reins and go, and you will attain them speedily.

Then turn the reins and ride toward Oman: you will win them.

The authority of events has chained, so discharge at it

أوصالَ سلطانُ الحوادث فارمِهِ

أوصالَ سلطانُ الحوادث فارمِهِ

بمؤيد السلطان حتى يذعنا

بمؤيد السلطان حتى يذعنا

Or, if the sultan of calamities attacks, strike him

With the aid of authority, until it yields.

With Mu'ayyad al-Sultan, until he submits.

A king whom the orbit of the heavens adorned,

مَلِكٌ مُنى فلك السماء لو انّهن

مَلِكٌ مُنى فلك السماء لو انّهن

بجلاله بدل الكواكب زُيِّنا

بجلاله بدل الكواكب زُيِّنا

A king—the spheres of heaven wish that they

If it were by his majesty in place of the stars embellished.

Were adorned with his majesty instead of the stars.

He has grown accustomed to elevation, nearly refusing any robe

ألِفَ العُلوَّ فكاد يأبى حُلّةً

ألِفَ العُلوَّ فكاد يأبى حُلّةً

إِلا السناء وحِلّة الاّ السَّنا

إِلا السناء وحِلّة الاّ السَّنا

He is so used to lofty heights that he almost refuses a robe

Except praise, any garment except splendor.

Other than glory, and a dwelling other than radiance.

After finding refuge in his shade I asked about him,

سائلتُ بعد اللائذين بظلِّه

سائلتُ بعد اللائذين بظلِّه

عَنهُ فقال لي المقال البيِّنا

عَنهُ فقال لي المقال البيِّنا

I questioned [some of] those seeking refuge in his shade,

So he said to me the clear statement:

About him; he answered me with plain words.