تَشَكّى الفَضلُ من سَقمٍ عراهُ

تَشَكّى الفَضلُ من سَقمٍ عراهُ

فَأَنَّ الفَضلُ أَجمَعُ من أَنينِه

فَأَنَّ الفَضلُ أَجمَعُ من أَنينِه

Al-Fadl complained of an illness that had befallen him,

The excellency complained of an illness that made him bare

so all virtue groaned at his groaning.

Yet all of his moans were more excellent than excellence

وَعادَ بِعَقوتي يَشكو جواهُ

وَعادَ بِعَقوتي يَشكو جواهُ

كَما يَحنو القَرينُ عَلى قَرينِهِ

كَما يَحنو القَرينُ عَلى قَرينِهِ

And it returned to my courtyard, complaining of its heartache,

And he returned to blame my harshness, complaining of his state

as a companion tenderly cares for his companion.

As a companion would yearn for his fellow companion

فَقُلتُ لَهُ وَقاكَ اللَهُ فيهِ

فَقُلتُ لَهُ وَقاكَ اللَهُ فيهِ

فَاِنَّ السَعدَ يَطلعُ من جَبينِه

فَاِنَّ السَعدَ يَطلعُ من جَبينِه

So I said to it: May God preserve you in him,

So I said to him, may God protect you from it

for good fortune rises from his brow.

For luck shines on his forehead

هو العَينُ الَّتي أَبصَرتُ فيها

هو العَينُ الَّتي أَبصَرتُ فيها

وَصارَ سوادُ عيني في جُفونِه

وَصارَ سوادُ عيني في جُفونِه

He is the eye through which I have seen,

It is the eye in which I saw

and my eye's pupil is now within his eyelids.

And the blackness of my eye was in its eyelids

سَتَفديهِ يَميني لا شِمالي

سَتَفديهِ يَميني لا شِمالي

فَعَينُ المَرءِ خَيرٌ من يَمينِه

فَعَينُ المَرءِ خَيرٌ من يَمينِه

My right hand will ransom him, not my left,

My right hand will ransom him, not my left

for a man's eye is better than his right hand.

For the eye of a man is better than his right hand