عَجبتُ لقلبي كيف يصبو ويَكلَفُ

عَجبتُ لقلبي كيف يصبو ويَكلَفُ

وبُرْدُ شبابي بالمشيب مُفَوَّفُ

وبُرْدُ شبابي بالمشيب مُفَوَّفُ

I marvel at my heart: how it yearns and is enamored,

I marvel at my heart, how it pours forth and wearies,

Though the mantle of my youth is streaked with gray hair.

And the coolness of my youth is interwoven with gray hair.

أحِنُّ إلى مَن لا يَحنُّ وليتَه

أحِنُّ إلى مَن لا يَحنُّ وليتَه

لِمَنْ كان محنوناً محبّيهِ يعرفُ

لِمَنْ كان محنوناً محبّيهِ يعرفُ

I yearn for one who does not yearn; would that he,

I yearn for one who does not yearn for me—would that

As one who is yearned for, recognized those who love him.

He who was infatuated knew how his lovers feel!

يباعدني عن كلّ ما كنتُ أرتجي

يباعدني عن كلّ ما كنتُ أرتجي

ويوسعنِي من كلّ ما أتخوّفُ

ويوسعنِي من كلّ ما أتخوّفُ

He keeps me far from everything I hoped for,

He keeps me from all I had hoped for

And heaps upon me everything I fear.

And indulges me in all I fear.

ويَمطُلُنِي بالوعد منه وإنّما

ويَمطُلُنِي بالوعد منه وإنّما

يماطل بالميعاد مَن ليس يُخلفُ

يماطل بالميعاد مَن ليس يُخلفُ

He puts me off with his promise, though only

He puts me off with promises from him, yet

One who does not break promises delays their fulfillment.

Only one who will not fulfill delays the appointed time.

ويُصبح منّي ساكنَ القلب والحَشا

ويُصبح منّي ساكنَ القلب والحَشا

وفي كلّ يومٍ منه قلبِيَ يرجُفُ

وفي كلّ يومٍ منه قلبِيَ يرجُفُ

He remains calm in heart and breast concerning me,

He resides in my heart and thoughts,

While every day my heart trembles because of him.

And every day my heart trembles for him.

وقد كنتُ أغريتُ الهوى يوم غرّبوا

وقد كنتُ أغريتُ الهوى يوم غرّبوا

فعاد به داعٍ على الغُصنِ يهتفُ

فعاد به داعٍ على الغُصنِ يهتفُ

I had stirred up passion the day they journeyed west;

Once I had lured passion the day they went away,

Then a caller crying on a bough brought it back.

But a caller brought it back to the branch, shouting.

ينوح وقلبي للهوى دون قلبه

ينوح وقلبي للهوى دون قلبه

وعينِيَ دمعاً دون عينيه تذرِفُ

وعينِيَ دمعاً دون عينيه تذرِفُ

It mourns, yet my heart, not its heart, is filled with passion,

I lament while my heart is devoid of passion,

And my eye, not its eyes, sheds tears.

And my eyes shed tears while his eyes are dry.

أَلا قاتل اللَّهُ الهوى فطِلابُهُ

أَلا قاتل اللَّهُ الهوى فطِلابُهُ

متاعٌ من الدّنيا قليلٌ وزُخرُفُ

متاعٌ من الدّنيا قليلٌ وزُخرُفُ

Ah, may God destroy passion! Its pursuit

Woe to passion—may God destroy it! Its pursuits

Is a scant pleasure of this world, and mere glitter.

Are a trivial thing, a mere embellishment of the world.

يروم الرّضا مَن لا يدوم على الرّضا

يروم الرّضا مَن لا يدوم على الرّضا

ويطلب فيه النَّصْفَ مَن ليس يُنْصِفُ

ويطلب فيه النَّصْفَ مَن ليس يُنْصِفُ

One who does not remain content seeks contentment,

One who does not persist in contentment seeks to please,

And one who is not fair seeks fairness in it.

And one who is not just seeks favors from an unjust one.

أقول لمرتاحٍ إلى الفضلِ والعُلا

أقول لمرتاحٍ إلى الفضلِ والعُلا

يخُبُّ على ظهرِ المطيِّ ويوجِفُ

يخُبُّ على ظهرِ المطيِّ ويوجِفُ

I say to one eager for excellence and high rank,

I say to one content with virtue and eminence

Trotting and galloping on the backs of riding camels:

Who scowls atop the saddle and is sullen:

أنخْ في ذُرا الشيخ الرئيس فإِنّما

أنخْ في ذُرا الشيخ الرئيس فإِنّما

إلى مثله في المجد كنتَ تَشَوَّفُ

إلى مثله في المجد كنتَ تَشَوَّفُ

Make your camel kneel at the chief elder's heights, for only

Submit yourself to the command of the eminent shaykh, for you

To one like him in glory did you aspire.

Had aspired to be like him in glory.

إلى الغَمْرِ معروفاً وعلماً وسُؤدُداً

إلى الغَمْرِ معروفاً وعلماً وسُؤدُداً

وبأْساً إذا هاب الرّجالُ ووقّفوا

وبأْساً إذا هاب الرّجالُ ووقّفوا

To that ocean of kindness, knowledge, and nobility,

To plunge into generosity, knowledge, integrity,

And valor, when men are afraid and hold back.

And valor when men stand in awe and halt.

حلفتُ بما لفّ الحطيمُ وزَمْزَمٌ

حلفتُ بما لفّ الحطيمُ وزَمْزَمٌ

وما ضَمّهُ خَيْفَا مِنىً والمُعَرَّفُ

وما ضَمّهُ خَيْفَا مِنىً والمُعَرَّفُ

I swore by all that al-Hatim and Zamzam enfold,

I swear by the Sanctuary and Zamzam

And what the two Khayfs of Mina and al-Mu‘arraf embrace,

And what Khayf has maintained and made honorable,

وشُعثٍ أتَوْا عارين من كلّ لُبْسَةٍ

وشُعثٍ أتَوْا عارين من كلّ لُبْسَةٍ

فعاذوا بأركان الإلهِ وطوّفوا

فعاذوا بأركان الإلهِ وطوّفوا

And by the disheveled who came stripped of every garment,

By disheveled pilgrims who came bare

Then sought refuge at the corners of God's House and circled it:

And took refuge in the Pillars and circumambulated—

لَهَنُّكَ أوْلانا بكلّ فضيلةٍ

لَهَنُّكَ أوْلانا بكلّ فضيلةٍ

وأعشقُ للمعروف فينا وأشعفُ

وأعشقُ للمعروف فينا وأشعفُ

Surely you are the worthiest among us of every virtue,

That you excel in every virtue

And among us most enamored of doing good, most ardently devoted.

And I love benevolence among us and grow more enamored,

وأنّك لمّا أنْ جرى النّاسُ في مَدىً

وأنّك لمّا أنْ جرى النّاسُ في مَدىً

تُلُقِّيتَ فيه سابقاً وتخلّفوا

تُلُقِّيتَ فيه سابقاً وتخلّفوا

And when people ran along a course,

That when people raced in an arena,

You were greeted there ahead of all, while they lagged behind.

You entered it as a frontrunner while they lagged behind.

فيا أيّها القَرْمُ الرّئيسُ ومَن له

فيا أيّها القَرْمُ الرّئيسُ ومَن له

على قِمَّةِ النَّسْرَيْنِ في العزِّ موقفُ

على قِمَّةِ النَّسْرَيْنِ في العزِّ موقفُ

So, O noble chief, you whose

So O eminent man of high rank! Yours

Station in honor is at the summit of the two Eagles!

Is the most lofty position in honor and eminence.

ليُهْنِكَ أنّ اللَّهَ فَوَّقَك العِدا

ليُهْنِكَ أنّ اللَّهَ فَوَّقَك العِدا

وقد طالعوا فيك الرّجاء وأشرفوا

وقد طالعوا فيك الرّجاء وأشرفوا

May you rejoice that God has raised you above your foes,

It gladdens you that God has given you precedence over enemies

Though they had looked toward you in hope and raised their sights.

Who had looked to you with hope and aspired.

وعاد إليهمْ ناكياً في جلودهمْ

وعاد إليهمْ ناكياً في جلودهمْ

من الكيد ما حدّوا ظُباه وأرهفوا

من الكيد ما حدّوا ظُباه وأرهفوا

And back upon them it turned, wounding their skins—

But they returned crestfallen in their hides

The plot whose blade-edges they had honed and sharpened.

From the guile they had sharpened and made subtle.

وَلَم يُغنِهمْ واللَّهُ حِصنُك منهُمُ

وَلَم يُغنِهمْ واللَّهُ حِصنُك منهُمُ

مِنَ القولِ زورٌ لفّقوه وحرّفوا

مِنَ القولِ زورٌ لفّقوه وحرّفوا

And no help came to them—God is your fortress against them—

Yet by God, your fortress did not avail them,

From the false speech they concocted and distorted.

Nor the false words they fabricated and distorted.

وودّوا وقد طاشتْ إليك سهامهمْ

وودّوا وقد طاشتْ إليك سهامهمْ

بأنّهُمُ لم يفعلوا ما تكلّفوا

بأنّهُمُ لم يفعلوا ما تكلّفوا

They wished, after their arrows aimed at you had missed,

They wished—when their arrows went astray from you—

That they had not done what they had strained to accomplish.

That they had not done what they undertook.

أَلا فَاِغفر الأجرامَ رِفقاً بأهلها

أَلا فَاِغفر الأجرامَ رِفقاً بأهلها

فلَلْعفو أولى بالكرامِ وأشرفُ

فلَلْعفو أولى بالكرامِ وأشرفُ

So forgive the offenses, in kindness toward those who committed them,

Woe! Forgive their sins gently, for their family's sake,

For pardon is more fitting for the noble, and more honorable.

For clemency is more appropriate for nobles and sublime.

وحتّى يقولَ النّاسُ أسرف مُفضِلاً

وحتّى يقولَ النّاسُ أسرف مُفضِلاً

عليهمْ كما قالوا أساؤوا فأسرفوا

عليهمْ كما قالوا أساؤوا فأسرفوا

Until people say, 'He went to excess in bestowing favors

Until people say al-Mufaddal was excessive

Upon them,' as they said, 'They did wrong, and did it to excess.'

In his forgiveness of them, as they said they were excessive in wrongdoing.

فللّهِ ما تُغِضي وأصبح آمناً

فللّهِ ما تُغِضي وأصبح آمناً

غداً مَن تراه يومَه يتخوّفُ

غداً مَن تراه يومَه يتخوّفُ

How wondrous, by God, your forbearance! Secure will be

What you pardon, you do for God, and feel safe

Tomorrow the one you see afraid today.

Tomorrow from one whom you see fearful today.

فلم يُعطَ مكنونَ الضّمائر بيننا

فلم يُعطَ مكنونَ الضّمائر بيننا

منَ النّاس إلّا المُنعِمُ المتألِّفُ

منَ النّاس إلّا المُنعِمُ المتألِّفُ

For none among us is granted what lies hidden in hearts,

None but the gracious conciliator is privy among us

Of all people, save the benefactor who wins their affection.

To the secrets of hearts.

وَأمّا أَبو سفيان فاِشدُدْ به يداً

وَأمّا أَبو سفيان فاِشدُدْ به يداً

فَفي الكفّ منه إن تأمّلتَ مُرهَفُ

فَفي الكفّ منه إن تأمّلتَ مُرهَفُ

As for Abu Sufyan, strengthen your hand through him;

As for Abu Sufyan, be harsh with him,

For in your palm, if you reflect, he is a keen-edged blade.

For there is efficacy in the palm if you examine it closely.

أَليس الّذي واساكَ ودّاً بنفسه

أَليس الّذي واساكَ ودّاً بنفسه

ولم يَثْنِهِ عنك العدوُّ المخوِّفُ

ولم يَثْنِهِ عنك العدوُّ المخوِّفُ

Is he not the one who stood by you, out of affection, with his very self,

Is he not the one who expressed goodwill to you in person

Whom the menacing enemy did not turn away from you?

And was not deterred from you by the intimidating enemy?

ولمّا تعسّفْتَ الطّريقَ وجدتَه

ولمّا تعسّفْتَ الطّريقَ وجدتَه

وراءَك منقدّاً من النّاس يَعْسِفُ

وراءَك منقدّاً من النّاس يَعْسِفُ

And when you traveled the road unguided, you found him

And when you took the steep path and found him

Behind you, breaking away from the others, traveling unguided too.

Behind you, preventing people from transgressing against you?

ومثلُك من يولِي الحقوقَ رعايةً

ومثلُك من يولِي الحقوقَ رعايةً

وغيرك لا يَرعى ولا يتعطّفُ

وغيرك لا يَرعى ولا يتعطّفُ

And one like you gives rights their due care,

And one like you grants rights their due care,

While others neither care nor show compassion.

While others neither care for nor sympathize.

وإنّيَ ممّنْ لا يواليك رغبةً

وإنّيَ ممّنْ لا يواليك رغبةً

وأين من الرغبات من ليس يُنْطَفُ

وأين من الرغبات من ليس يُنْطَفُ

And I am one whose loyalty to you is not for gain;

I am not one who supports you out of greed—

And what has an untainted man to do with covetous desires?

And where is greed in one who is not covetous?

وقد كنت لولا أنّ فضلك باهرٌ

وقد كنت لولا أنّ فضلك باهرٌ

أَصُدُّ إذا ما سِيمَ مدحي وأصدِفُ

أَصُدُّ إذا ما سِيمَ مدحي وأصدِفُ

And, were your excellence not dazzling, I would

I would have refrained, were your outstanding merit not so evident,

Turn away when my praise was bid for, and withdraw.

When my praise was appointed, and I improvised poetry.

فدونك نَظْماً ما تكلّف ناظمٌ

فدونك نَظْماً ما تكلّف ناظمٌ

معانِيَهُ والحقُّ لا يُتَكَلَّفُ

معانِيَهُ والحقُّ لا يُتَكَلَّفُ

So take a poem whose composer did not strain to contrive

Below you in rank, no poet has ever undertaken

Its meanings: truth needs no contrivance.

Such meaningful verses, for truth cannot be contrived.