وَمُغَنٍّ إِذا الغِناءُ شَفا الهَم

وَمُغَنٍّ إِذا الغِناءُ شَفا الهَم

مَ أَعارَ القُلوبَ هَمّاً دَخيلاً

مَ أَعارَ القُلوبَ هَمّاً دَخيلاً

And a singer—when singing had healed grief—

And a singer who, when singing heals sorrow,

lent hearts a grief alien to them.

lends hearts an alien sorrow.

خارِجٌ طَبعُهُ فَإِن دَخَلَ الدا

خارِجٌ طَبعُهُ فَإِن دَخَلَ الدا

رَ كَرِهنا خُروجَهُ وَالدُخولا

رَ كَرِهنا خُروجَهُ وَالدُخولا

His nature is out of bounds; and if he enters the house,

His nature is out of tune; if he enters the house,

we detest both his going out and his coming in.

we loathe his going out and his coming in.

قُل لَهُ لا أَبا لَهُ حينَ تَلقا

قُل لَهُ لا أَبا لَهُ حينَ تَلقا

هُ وَحاشاكَ أَن تَكونَ رَسولا

هُ وَحاشاكَ أَن تَكونَ رَسولا

Tell him—may he have no father!—when you meet

Tell him—may he have no father—when you meet him,

him, though far be it from you to act as a messenger:

though far be it from you to act as messenger:

يا أَبا الفَتحِ ما غِناؤُكَ مَطبو

يا أَبا الفَتحِ ما غِناؤُكَ مَطبو

عاً وَلا مَأثَراً وَلا مَقبولا

عاً وَلا مَأثَراً وَلا مَقبولا

O Abu al-Fath, your singing is neither natural,

O Abu al-Fath, your singing is neither natural

nor handed down, nor acceptable.

nor praiseworthy, nor acceptable.

ما تَخَيَّرتُ مِن كِتابِ الأَغاني

ما تَخَيَّرتُ مِن كِتابِ الأَغاني

لَكَ شِبها إِلّا الخَفيفَ الثَقيلا

لَكَ شِبها إِلّا الخَفيفَ الثَقيلا

From the Book of Songs I could choose no

From the Book of Songs I chose

likeness for you except “the light—the heavy.”

no likeness for you but the light yet heavy one.

لَو قَضى اللَهُ لي بِخيرٍ وَلِلنا

لَو قَضى اللَهُ لي بِخيرٍ وَلِلنا

سِ لَكُنتَ المُعَلَّقَ المَحمولا

سِ لَكُنتَ المُعَلَّقَ المَحمولا

Had God decreed good for me and for all

Had God decreed good for me and for the people,

mankind, you would be the one hanged and borne away.

you would have been hanged and carried away.

وَلَكَم لَيلَةٍ رَعى مِنكَ سَمعي

وَلَكَم لَيلَةٍ رَعى مِنكَ سَمعي

وَفُؤادي مَرعىً وَخيماً وَبيلا

وَفُؤادي مَرعىً وَخيماً وَبيلا

How many a night, because of you, my hearing

And how many a night my hearing has grazed on you,

and my heart have grazed in a dire, pestilential pasture.

and my heart, on a noxious, ruinous pasture!

جَمُدَ الدُهنُ وَهيَ حَرّى فَقَصَّر

جَمُدَ الدُهنُ وَهيَ حَرّى فَقَصَّر

تَ فَضاهَت يَومَ القِيامَةِ طَولا

تَ فَضاهَت يَومَ القِيامَةِ طَولا

The oil congealed though the night was scorching; it shortened,

The oil congealed though the night was scorching; you ‘shortened’ it,

then rivaled Judgment Day in length.

so it rivaled the Day of Resurrection in length.

ذُدتَ عَن عَينِيَ الرُقادَ فَلَم تَب

ذُدتَ عَن عَينِيَ الرُقادَ فَلَم تَب

عَث نَشاطاً وَلا شَفَيتَ العَليلا

عَث نَشاطاً وَلا شَفَيتَ العَليلا

You drove slumber from my eyes, yet awakened

You drove sleep from my eye, yet did not stir

no vigor, nor did you heal the sick.

any vigor, nor did you heal the ailing.

فَاِنصَرِف عَن كِلاءَةِ اللَهِ يا فَت

فَاِنصَرِف عَن كِلاءَةِ اللَهِ يا فَت

حُ بَغيضاً مُوَدَّعاً مَملولا

حُ بَغيضاً مُوَدَّعاً مَملولا

Go, then, out of God’s keeping, O Fath—

So depart beyond God's protection, O Fath,

hated, bidden farewell, and wearied of.

loathed, sent off, and wearisome.