خان المُحالف والمُعاهدْ

خان المُحالف والمُعاهدْ

وجفا المُوالي والمُساعد

وجفا المُوالي والمُساعد

The ally and the covenant-keeper proved false,

The ally and confederate betrayed,

and the loyal friend and helper turned away.

And the loyal and helper were unkind.

سهِرت عيونُ فضائلي

سهِرت عيونُ فضائلي

لكنّ طرف الحظّ راقد

لكنّ طرف الحظّ راقد

The eyes of my virtues stayed awake,

My virtues kept vigil,

but fortune's eye lies asleep.

But fortune's eye was asleep.

أخذ بصَفقةِ تاجرٍ

أخذ بصَفقةِ تاجرٍ

طلب المقاصد بالقصائدْ

طلب المقاصد بالقصائدْ

He accepted a merchant's bargain,

He took a merchant's bargain,

who sought his aims through poems.

Seeking goals with poems.

فاخِرْ فإِنك في زما

فاخِرْ فإِنك في زما

نك صالح، والوقتُ فاسد

نك صالح، والوقتُ فاسد

Boast, for in your time

So boast, for you are in a time

you are upright, while the age is corrupt.

When you are righteous, and the time corrupt.

أَوَليس قومك معشرٌ

أَوَليس قومك معشرٌ

كانت عوائِدهم عوائد

كانت عوائِدهم عوائد

And are not your people a company

Are not your people a group

whose customs were benefactions?

Whose habits were good habits?

لا تتعب الحسّاب في

لا تتعب الحسّاب في

عدد الكرام فأَنت واحد

عدد الكرام فأَنت واحد

Do not weary the reckoners with

Do not weary the accountant in

counting the noble: you are the only one.

Numbering the generous - for you are one.

فلئن فَخَرْتَ بمن مضى

فلئن فَخَرْتَ بمن مضى

فلْتفخرنّ بك المَشاهد

فلْتفخرنّ بك المَشاهد

If you boast of those who have passed,

So if you pride yourself on those past,

then let the assemblies surely boast of you.

Then let the witnesses pride themselves in you.

فابشُر بمولودٍ يجدّ

فابشُر بمولودٍ يجدّ

دُ ذكر آباءٍ أَماجد

دُ ذكر آباءٍ أَماجد

So rejoice in a newborn who renews

Give good news of a newborn who restores

the memory of illustrious forefathers.

The mention of glorious fathers.

ولدٌ أتانا مُخبراً

ولدٌ أتانا مُخبراً

في مهده عن خير والد

في مهده عن خير والد

A son has come to us, telling

A son came to us, telling

from his cradle of the best of fathers.

From his cradle of his father's virtue.

ما فتَّ في عضدٍ ول

ما فتَّ في عضدٍ ول

كن فتَّ أَكباد الحواسد

كن فتَّ أَكباد الحواسد

He weakened no arm, but

No muscle has weakened, but

shattered the livers of the envious.

The livers of the envious have weakened.

رفعتْ دموعي بعدكم

رفعتْ دموعي بعدكم

مما أُكابده جرائد

مما أُكابده جرائد

My tears, since you left, have submitted

After you, my tears were raised

reports of what I endure.

By what newspapers I endure.

أَين الذين نعدّهم

أَين الذين نعدّهم

عند النوائب والشدائد

عند النوائب والشدائد

Where are those we count on

Where are those we count on

in calamities and hardships?

In catastrophes and adversities?

يَلْقَوك في شُوس الخطو

يَلْقَوك في شُوس الخطو

ب مشمّرين عن السواعد

ب مشمّرين عن السواعد

They meet you amid grim calamities,

They meet you in the thoroughfares of endeavor

with sleeves rolled up from their forearms.

With sleeves rolled up.

نَفقت ملابيس النِّفا

نَفقت ملابيس النِّفا

ق وسوق أَهل الفضل كاسد

ق وسوق أَهل الفضل كاسد

The garments of hypocrisy sell well,

The markets of merit are exhausted,

while the market for people of merit is stagnant.

And the market of the virtuous is stagnant.

رُفعت دواوين الكفا

رُفعت دواوين الكفا

ة وخُلْخِلَتْ منها القواعد

ة وخُلْخِلَتْ منها القواعد

The registers of the capable were set aside,

The registers of competence

and their foundations shaken loose.

Have been disturbed, and their foundations shaken.

واستبهمت حتى لقد

واستبهمت حتى لقد

أَيِس المُعَلِّل والعوائِدْ

أَيِس المُعَلِّل والعوائِدْ

They grew baffling, until even

So much so that the explainer

the nurse and the visiting women despaired.

And the moralizer despaired.

فنهضتَ فيها قائِماً

فنهضتَ فيها قائِماً

بسِدادها والغيرُ قاعد

بسِدادها والغيرُ قاعد

So you rose to take charge

But you rose up, standing

of setting them right, while others sat idle.

To restore them while others remain seated.

فَصَحَتْ وصحّ زمانها

فَصَحَتْ وصحّ زمانها

من ذا يُغشّ وأَنت ناقد

من ذا يُغشّ وأَنت ناقد

Thus they recovered, and their era recovered.

So they became healthy, and their time

Who can cheat when you are the assayer?

Healthy - who can deceive when you scrutinize?

وملأْتَ أَسماع الرُّوا

وملأْتَ أَسماع الرُّوا

ة من الفوائد والفرائد

ة من الفوائد والفرائد

And you filled the ears of the transmitters

And you filled the ears of the transmitters

with useful insights and rare gems.

With benefits and unprecedented virtues.

وحفِظت عَقد مودّتي

وحفِظت عَقد مودّتي

فنشرت أَلوية المحامد

فنشرت أَلوية المحامد

And you kept the bond of my affection,

And you preserved the bond of my affection,

so I unfurled the banners of praise.

So its banners of praise spread.

سرقت عزيمتُك الرُّقا

سرقت عزيمتُك الرُّقا

دَ فبتّ مهجور المَراقد

دَ فبتّ مهجور المَراقد

Your resolve stole sleep away,

Your determination stole wakefulness,

so you spent the night forsaken by your beds.

So the sleeper in the tombs was abandoned.

غار الزمان فسلَّهُ

غار الزمان فسلَّهُ

سيفاً لأَهل الشرّ حاصد

سيفاً لأَهل الشرّ حاصد

Time grew jealous and unsheathed him,

Time lurked, so unsheathe against

a sword reaping the people of evil.

The people of evil a harvesting sword.