عُيونٌ لَها مَرأى الأَحِبَّةِ إِثمِدُ

عُيونٌ لَها مَرأى الأَحِبَّةِ إِثمِدُ

عَجيبٌ لَها في عُمرِها كَيفَ تَرمَدُ

عَجيبٌ لَها في عُمرِها كَيفَ تَرمَدُ

Eyes whose kohl is the sight of loved ones—

Eyes that behold the beauty of loved ones grow dim,

how strange that in their lifetime they should grow inflamed!

Wondrously in their lifetimes, how they grow bleary.

وَعَينٌ خَلَت مِن نورِ وَجهِ حَبيبِها

وَعَينٌ خَلَت مِن نورِ وَجهِ حَبيبِها

عَجِبتُ لَها مِن بَعدِهِ كَيفَ تَرقُدُ

عَجِبتُ لَها مِن بَعدِهِ كَيفَ تَرقُدُ

And an eye deprived of the light of its beloved's face—

An eye left with no light from her lover’s face -

I marveled at how it could sleep after he was gone.

I marveled, after him, how it could sleep.

وَلي مُقلَةٌ قَد أَنكَرَ الغَمضَ جَفنُها

وَلي مُقلَةٌ قَد أَنكَرَ الغَمضَ جَفنُها

وَعَرَّفَها صَرفُ النَوى كَيفَ تَسهَدُ

وَعَرَّفَها صَرفُ النَوى كَيفَ تَسهَدُ

And I have an eye whose lid has rejected sleep,

I have an eyelid that has forgotten how to close,

and separation's trials have taught it to lie sleepless.

And the passage of sleeplessness has taught it to be wakeful.

تَراعي النُجومَ السائِراتِ كَأَنَّما

تَراعي النُجومَ السائِراتِ كَأَنَّما

تَمَثَّلَ فيهِنَّ المَليكُ مُحَمَّدُ

تَمَثَّلَ فيهِنَّ المَليكُ مُحَمَّدُ

It watches the wandering stars, as though

It keeps watch on the traveling stars as though

King Muhammad had taken shape among them.

The King Muhammad were imagined in their forms.

تُحاوِلُهُ بَينَ النُجومِ لِأَنَّهُ

تُحاوِلُهُ بَينَ النُجومِ لِأَنَّهُ

لِرُتبَتِهِ فَوقَ الكَواكِبِ مَقعَدُ

لِرُتبَتِهِ فَوقَ الكَواكِبِ مَقعَدُ

It seeks him among the stars, for

It seeks him among the stars because

his rank commands a seat above the planets.

His rank is above the celestial spheres.

مَليكٌ لَوَ اَنَّ الريحَ تُشبِهُ جودَهُ

مَليكٌ لَوَ اَنَّ الريحَ تُشبِهُ جودَهُ

لَما أَوشَكَت يَوماً مِنَ الدَهرِ تَركُدُ

لَما أَوشَكَت يَوماً مِنَ الدَهرِ تَركُدُ

A king—if the wind resembled his generosity,

A king - if the wind emulated his generosity

it would never, through all time, come close to falling still.

It would never hesitate a moment in its blowing.

مُبَدِّدُ شَملِ المالِ وَهوَ مُجَمَّعٌ

مُبَدِّدُ شَملِ المالِ وَهوَ مُجَمَّعٌ

وَجامِعُ شَملِ الحَمدِ وَهوَ مُبَدَّدُ

وَجامِعُ شَملِ الحَمدِ وَهوَ مُبَدَّدُ

He scatters wealth that has been amassed,

Dispersing gathered wealth while he gathers

and gathers praise that has been dispersed.

Scattered praise - divided while he unites.

فَلا نَمَّقَ الأَعذارَ يوماً لِسائِلٍ

فَلا نَمَّقَ الأَعذارَ يوماً لِسائِلٍ

وَلا قالَ لِلوُفّادِ مَوعِدُكُم غَدُ

وَلا قالَ لِلوُفّادِ مَوعِدُكُم غَدُ

So he never once dressed up excuses for a petitioner,

He never deferred excuses from a questioner,

nor told visiting petitioners, 'Your appointed time is tomorrow.'

Never told the visitors, “Your appointment is tomorrow.”

دَهَتهُ المَنايا وَهيَ مِن دونِ بَأسِهِ

دَهَتهُ المَنايا وَهيَ مِن دونِ بَأسِهِ

كَذا الصارِمُ الصَمصامُ يَفنيهِ مِبرَدُ

كَذا الصارِمُ الصَمصامُ يَفنيهِ مِبرَدُ

Death overtook him, though weaker than his might;

Death feared him, though it was mightier.

likewise, a file wears away the keen, unbending sword.

Thus the sharp, tempered sword is blunted by the cold.

فَيا مَلِكاً قَد أَطلَقَ الجودُ ذِكرَهُ

فَيا مَلِكاً قَد أَطلَقَ الجودُ ذِكرَهُ

وَكُلُّ نَزيلٍ مِن نَداهُ مُقَيَّدُ

وَكُلُّ نَزيلٍ مِن نَداهُ مُقَيَّدُ

O king whose renown generosity has set free,

So hail to the king whose generosity has freed

while every guest is bound by his bounty!

Remembrance of him, though each dweller in his court is shackled.

لَقَد كُنتَ لِلوُفّادِ وَبلاً وَلِلعَدى

لَقَد كُنتَ لِلوُفّادِ وَبلاً وَلِلعَدى

وَبالاً بِهِ تَشقى أُناسٌ وَتَسعَدُ

وَبالاً بِهِ تَشقى أُناسٌ وَتَسعَدُ

Indeed, you were a downpour to visiting petitioners, and to foes

Truly you were a plague to enemies and

a scourge, through which some suffered and others rejoiced.

A scourge - through you some are wretched and some blissful.

فَكَم أَنشَأَت كَفّاكَ في المَحلِ عارِضاً

فَكَم أَنشَأَت كَفّاكَ في المَحلِ عارِضاً

وَخَدُّ الثَرى مِن عارِضِ الخَطبِ أَمرَدُ

وَخَدُّ الثَرى مِن عارِضِ الخَطبِ أَمرَدُ

How often your hands raised a rain cloud in drought,

How often your palm, in assemblies of nobles, built up

while calamity's onset had left the earth's cheek beardless!

Edifices, while the cheeks of nobles crumbled in ruin.

وَكَم أَرسَلَت يُمناكَ في الحَربِ لِلعِدى

وَكَم أَرسَلَت يُمناكَ في الحَربِ لِلعِدى

سَحابَ نَكالٍ بِالصَواهِلِ يَرعُدُ

سَحابَ نَكالٍ بِالصَواهِلِ يَرعُدُ

And how often your right hand sent against the foes in war

And how often your right hand unleashed against the foe

a cloud of punishment that thundered with neighing steeds!

Clouds of vengeance, thunderous with deadly lightnings.

إِذا ما وَنى مَسراهُ ثِقلاً يَحُثُّهُ

إِذا ما وَنى مَسراهُ ثِقلاً يَحُثُّهُ

جَوادٌ وَعَضبٌ أَجرَدٌ وَمُجَرَّدُ

جَوادٌ وَعَضبٌ أَجرَدٌ وَمُجَرَّدُ

Whenever its night march slackened under its weight, it was spurred on by

When his mount lagged under its burden, he spurred it on -

a sleek steed and a keen, unsheathed sword.

A steed, fierce and stripped down for war unfettered.

فَيَنظِمُ فيها الرُمحُ ما السَيفِ ناثِرٌ

فَيَنظِمُ فيها الرُمحُ ما السَيفِ ناثِرٌ

وَيَنثُرُ فيها العَضبُ ما اللَدنُ يَنضِدُ

وَيَنثُرُ فيها العَضبُ ما اللَدنُ يَنضِدُ

Thus the spear strings together there what the sword scatters,

Then the lance wove what the sword had scattered,

and the keen sword scatters there what the supple spear arrays.

And the blade scattered what the spear had neatly woven.

فَمُفرَدُها مِن نَثرِ سَيفِكَ تَوأَمٌ

فَمُفرَدُها مِن نَثرِ سَيفِكَ تَوأَمٌ

وَتَوأَمُها مِن نَظمِ رُمحِكَ مُفرَدُ

وَتَوأَمُها مِن نَظمِ رُمحِكَ مُفرَدُ

Thus your sword's scattering turns one man there into twins,

Its scattering was paired by your sword’s weaving,

and your spear's threading turns twins there into one.

While its weaving was paired by your spear’s scattering.

وَفي مَعرَكِ الآدابِ كَم لَكَ مَوقِفٌ

وَفي مَعرَكِ الآدابِ كَم لَكَ مَوقِفٌ

لِأَهلِ الحِجى مِنهُ مُقيمٌ وَمُقعَدُ

لِأَهلِ الحِجى مِنهُ مُقيمٌ وَمُقعَدُ

And in the battlefield of letters, how many a stand you took

And in the battleground of excellence, how many stands you took

that made men of understanding rise and sit!

Against the disputants - some left perplexed, and some confounded.

وَلَم يَبقَ مِن آيِ المَفاخِرِ آيَةٌ

وَلَم يَبقَ مِن آيِ المَفاخِرِ آيَةٌ

وَلا غايَةٌ إِلّا وَعِندَكَ توجَدُ

وَلا غايَةٌ إِلّا وَعِندَكَ توجَدُ

And no token of glory remains,

No sign remained of the emblems of pride

nor any pinnacle, that is not found in you.

That you did not manifest and make obvious.

عَلَيكَ سَلامُ اللَهِ لا زالَ سَرمَداً

عَلَيكَ سَلامُ اللَهِ لا زالَ سَرمَداً

كَجودِكَ حَتّى بَعدَ فَقدِكَ سَرمَدُ

كَجودِكَ حَتّى بَعدَ فَقدِكَ سَرمَدُ

May God's peace be upon you, abiding forever,

God’s peace be upon you - it lasts forever

like your bounty, eternal even after your passing.

Like your generosity, even after you are gone it lasts.

فَلَو خَلَّدَ المَعروفُ قَبلَكَ ماجِداً

فَلَو خَلَّدَ المَعروفُ قَبلَكَ ماجِداً

لَكُنتَ بِإِسداءِ الجَميلِ مُخَلَّدُ

لَكُنتَ بِإِسداءِ الجَميلِ مُخَلَّدُ

For had kindness made a noble man immortal before you,

If beneficence immortalized the glorious before you

you would have been immortalized by the goodness you bestowed.

You through your goodness would have been immortalized.