سَجَنتَ لِساني يا اِبنَ حَيّانَ بَعدَما

سَجَنتَ لِساني يا اِبنَ حَيّانَ بَعدَما

تَوَلّى شَبابي إِنَّ عَقدَكَ مُحكَمُ

تَوَلّى شَبابي إِنَّ عَقدَكَ مُحكَمُ

I restrained my tongue, O Ibn Ḥayyān, after

You imprisoned my tongue, O son of Hayyan, after

my youth had passed; indeed, the bond you impose is firm.

my youth had passed; indeed, your bond is firm.

وَعيدُكَ أَبقى مِن لِساني قُذاذَةً

وَعيدُكَ أَبقى مِن لِساني قُذاذَةً

هَيوباً وَصَمتاً بَعدُ لا يَتَكَلَّمُ

هَيوباً وَصَمتاً بَعدُ لا يَتَكَلَّمُ

With you I keep back only a clipping of my tongue,

Your threat left only a scrap of my tongue,

fearful and mute henceforth, no longer speaking.

timid and silent thereafter, no longer speaking.

رَأَيتُكَ تَحلو لي إِذا شِئتَ لِاَمرىء

رَأَيتُكَ تَحلو لي إِذا شِئتَ لِاَمرىء

وَمُرّاً مُراراً فيهِ صابُ وَعَلقَمُ

وَمُرّاً مُراراً فيهِ صابُ وَعَلقَمُ

I have seen you turn sweet to me whenever you chose to favor a man,

I have seen you turn sweet to me, when you wish to be so to a man,

and bitter—bitter indeed—a bitterness steeped in bitter sap and colocynth.

and bitter—intensely bitter—with spurge and colocynth within.

وَكُلُّ طَريدٍ هالِكٍ مُتَحَيِّرٌ

وَكُلُّ طَريدٍ هالِكٍ مُتَحَيِّرٌ

كَما هَلَكَ الحَيرانُ وَاللَيلُ مُظلِمُ

كَما هَلَكَ الحَيرانُ وَاللَيلُ مُظلِمُ

Every hunted fugitive is doomed, bewildered,

And every doomed fugitive is bewildered,

as the bewildered man perished while the night was dark.

as the bewildered man perished while the night was dark.

أَصَبتَ رِجالاً بِالذُنوبِ فَأَصبَحوا

أَصَبتَ رِجالاً بِالذُنوبِ فَأَصبَحوا

كَما كانَ مَثغورٌ عَلَيكَ وَهَيصَمُ

كَما كانَ مَثغورٌ عَلَيكَ وَهَيصَمُ

You struck men down for their offenses, and they became

You punished men for their offenses, and they became

as Mathghūr and Haytham once were against you.

as Mathghur and Haysam had been against you.

خَطاطيفُكَ اللاَتي تَخَطَّفنَ بَهدَلاً

خَطاطيفُكَ اللاَتي تَخَطَّفنَ بَهدَلاً

فَأَوفى بِهِ الأَشرافَ جَذعٌ مُقَوِّمُ

فَأَوفى بِهِ الأَشرافَ جَذعٌ مُقَوِّمُ

Your grappling hooks—the ones that snatched Bahdal away—

Your hooks that snatched away Bahdal—

then a straight, upright trunk bore him aloft above the heights.

then a chastening tree trunk lifted him to the heights.

يَداكَ يَدا خَيرٍ وَشَرٍّ فَمِنهُما

يَداكَ يَدا خَيرٍ وَشَرٍّ فَمِنهُما

تَضُرُّ وَلِلأُخرى نَوالٌ وَأَنعُمُ

تَضُرُّ وَلِلأُخرى نَوالٌ وَأَنعُمُ

Your two hands are a hand of good and a hand of evil: with one of them

Your two hands are hands of good and evil; so with one of them

you inflict harm, while the other brings largesse and blessings.

you do harm, while the other has bounty and blessings.